I took our dog, Maggie, in for grooming after checking that it had been about six weeks since her…read morelast grooming appointment. Admittedly, she looked a little rough, but due to an injury, I'm currently unable to drive her the distance to her regular groomer.
Maggie is a rescue; she looks like a mini-doodle, and we normally have her groomed so that her "floof" is left a little longer, especially on her legs, giving her that fluffy doodle look. Before the grooming, the groomer showed me two pictures demonstrating different lengths. I specifically chose the longer of the two and said that if we needed to go shorter in the future, we could do so.
Looking back, I should have trusted my gut when we first walked in. The first thing I noticed was a strong smell of urine and lots of barking. I couldn't see the back area, so I have no idea how clean it was. Maggie is also nervous around other dogs, and I said that.
Despite that, we had a conversation about exactly what I wanted, and I showed him pictures of a picture of Maggie after she had been professionally groomed. And another dog as an example, as well as
When I picked her up, I was told that her nails were "crossed" and that she was dirty. No picture of her crossed nails was sent to confirm them. Plus, I hold her all the time and never saw crossed nails. I had mentioned that my only concern with her previous groomer was that I felt they weren't cutting her nails short enough. But as far as her being dirty--she's apricot colored. She was not dirty.
I was then told that if I didn't want to bathe her at home, I could bring her in for a bath. We absolutely do bathe her at home. I explained that because of my injury and the recent heatwave, we haven't been walking her. In fact, she hadn't been on a walk in weeks, since before her previous grooming appointment. By the time my husband gets home from work, the pavement is still extremely hot, so we don't walk her on it.
The response I received was that it doesn't bother the dogs because when he lets them out, they go lie down on the hot ground. That doesn't mean it's safe or appropriate. I also confirmed with our veterinarian that dogs should not be walked on hot pavement.
But the biggest issue is the haircut itself.
They clipped Maggie's ears extremely short. I was so upset when I saw her that I cried because they could have cut her ears off. Her haircut was nothing like what we discussed or the pictures I provided. Her ears were cut dramatically shorter than requested, and the overall grooming was not what I asked for.
The photos tell the story: the first shows Maggie after this grooming, the second shows the example style I requested, and the third shows her previous grooming, which is also what I requested.
I understand that grooming involves some professional judgment, and I understand that sometimes a groomer may need to go shorter if there are mats or other issues. But that was not the situation here, and going significantly shorter--especially on her ears--was never discussed or authorized.
I paid for a grooming service and received a haircut that was substantially different from what I specifically requested. I am extremely disappointed. A refund should be given.
My advice: proceed with caution and, most importantly, trust your gut. I wish I had.
