HELP! The groomer shaved his nose!

[Whitney Weiant]

I took my little dood to the groomer for the first time this past week. I was VERY specific about what I wanted, and more importantly about what I DID NOT want. I asked for him to be bathed, brushed, trim hair on paws and between pads, and scissor trim around the eyes just so much that it isn't in his eyes. Well when I came to pick up my little monster it looks like she took a razor to the hair around the eyes (I think she said she "scooped" the eyes). This I could deal with, as I knew he was happier that he could see a bit better. But worst of all she used the razor down the bridge of his nose!!! Has anyone else had an experience like this? I'm trying to figure out how long it will take for him to look like his "normal" scruffy self. I feel like a bad doodle mom =(

I attached a picture of his BEFORE just so you can see his coat

[Barb @ Gemstone Labradoodles]

I do what I call doodle toes. I remove all the hair around the nail and the first half of the toe and in the pads. The longer hair on the rest of the foot covers it and there is a lot less wet mess. To get a groomer to understand doodle toes might be a challenge.

 

[Amy, Cubbie & Ollie]

I was just going to suggest the same thing because it helps keep the feet cleaner when it is always wet and also makes it easier to grind the nails, but i too do it myself and don't have to worry about explaining it to a groomer.

[Debb, Lucy & Oscar]

Hmmm, I'm not sure what 'doodle toes' are. Never heard of them, nor seen it done (and I'm good with face work but not so much with feet - I use the trimmers on the bottoms of Lucy's feet, but that's about all). Would either of you have a picture so I could take it to my groomer as an example? Lucy has a woolly coat and I'm not sure 'doodle toes' would work on her. Slipper feet, definitely, but there's not a lot of overhang to mask a shaved foot. Now Oscar's fleecy coat I'd think would be a better fit for 'doodle toes'. Thanks.

[Barb @ Gemstone Labradoodles]

Shaving the nose is one of the first things they teach at grooming school when learning how to do faces. Just about every basic haircut includes it. Even if you tell the groomer, they might just do it on autopilot. It's very hard to get a groomer to understand doodle basics. Don't give up. Your doodle doesn't look bad in the picture and his nose will grow before you know it.

[Traz, Karen & Dale]

We took Traz to groomers at Petsmart today.  I told the groomer NOT to shave his nose because we didn't like it that short or that his skin showed through like the last time.  I said that he needed to be trimmed around his eyes so they would show.  She put a BIG asterisk next to this note and said that she would scissor cut his nose and eye area.  We thought we were clear on how we wanted him to look.  WRONG!  She didn't use the shaver, but she cut him so short on the bridge of his nose with the scissors that it looked like he had been shaved (at least to me).  Ugh!  I think I'm going to take Katrine's lead and learn to groom Traz myself.  Plus, it will save us some money.  We wanted to leave him a little bit longer this go round since it is Winter.  That didn't happen either.  He still looks cute, after all he's a doodle, but we want him to keep the doodle look with the curl that he has naturally.  Oh well, live and learn.  We'll see how it goes and I'll definitely be reading all the posts in the grooming group.    

[Lucy & AnnaBelle's Mom]

I have seen this same story written on DK in the 4+ years I've been on here so many times.  It makes me absolutely crazy each and every time I read it.  I just don't understand what is so difficult for the groomers to understand.  Particularly when people bring in pictures and spell out exactly what they want.  I'm one of those that finally gave up and started doing my own grooming and have never been happier.  We give the same advice, over and over again ... write down specifically what you do and do not want.  Take lots and lots of pictures, ask them to scissor cut etc etc etc and it still happens that dogs get shaved down or noses or feet get shaved and our doodles look like poodles.   As I was reading this and the responses today I thought about this.  Maybe what we need to do is tell them what we want, show them the photos, and then ASK THEM TO REPEAT WHAT YOU ASKED FOR ... WHAT THEY ARE GOING TO DO.  If they use any terms that you do not understand, ask what it means.  If they say Puppy Cut, ask what Puppy Cut means to them.   Make sure they understood what you asked for.   I went so far as to say I do not want clippers to touch my dog.  I asked this of the owner in an upfront interview as I was looking for a breeder.  I told them up front that I would be a pain, that I had heard so many horror stories, and I was looking for someone to do specifically what I asked.  She agreed to everything, but did I get it NO!  Why not just tell me no, go somewhere else.

[Gwyndolyn Morasko]

Wow!  This is EXACTLY what happened to me last Monday at Kona's first bath at a groomer!  I was soooo specific to not cut any of his hair and to only wash and comb him out.  I had no idea that I also had to say "And don't SHAVE anything either!"  I was so upset that he lost his cute little clown faced doodle hair on his nose and bridge.  I went back to complain to the manager and she said that I'm the only doodle owner who doesn't like that look, but she actually typed in his file to NEVER shave or cut his bridge or nose again in the future.

 

I didn't realize how much more comfortable groomers are with poodles and schnauzers! I feel your pain.  I'm guessing it will take about 6 weeks before he'll look like his old self again.  In the meantime, I'm reading this forum to get tips on how to do it myself in the future.