Only cost $5 Extra to get what I did NOT want!

[Adina P]

Rosco went to the groomer once when he was about 5 months old. It was mostly just to get cleaned up...not a real 'hair cut' session. It went well, but I decided I'd do it myself. And I did for about 3.5 years. Before baby arrived I took him to PetCo for the first time to get 'cleaned up' again. Happy with the results and lacking 3-4 hours to spend grooming, I took him there again this Sunday. This time Clark, who likes Rosco long and shaggy, agreed it would be okay if he were trimmed down a little.

I figured we had a high chance of a successful grooming because Rosco prefers shedding to matting.
When we got there it was the same girl who worked on him the last time and she did fine, but just to make sure of it, I had Rosco hop up with his front paws on the counter so the groomer and I could look closely at his coat. I confirmed with her that indeed he was about 3 inches. I also expressly stated that in addition to a sanitary trim, closer butt trim than last time, nail clipping, ear flap hair trimming...I ALSO wanted him to be taken down to 1.5 inches all over except his beard and face. Given all the horror stories of doodles I've heard in the last 4 years or so I wasn't taking a chance at miscommunication.

This is Rosco before:

This is the dog I found when I returned:


BobbleHead Rosco

I was pretty sure I made myself quite clear, but English is, indeed, my second language so who knows what the groomer actually heard. Notice how "face and beard" was translated to "entire head." And best of all...it only cost $5 more to go from 'just cleaned up' to this.

Rosco hasn't noticed he looks like an oddly shaped Lion.

On another note...Rosco has been exceedingly respectful of ALL of Natalie's toys. Before she arrived, there was some serious coveting going on regarding the stuffed animals that filled her room. Now, he hasn't even been tempted. Or doesn't act like it.

And today, before work, he tried cuddling with her. Got right in the line of fire of those uncontrollable kicking legs...and barely seemed to notice when she started pounding him in the head. Ahhhh a head massage.

[Pat & "Tucker"]

Rosco is so cute! At least he doesn't have the Poodle head. I wrote out the instructions and go over it with the groomer and this helped with the last cut. I told her only to scissor Tucker- it made a big difference.

[Adina P]

Romanian it is!

[F, Calla & Luca]

I'm guessing but I think Adina speaks Rumanian.

[DeeDee and Sheila]

Oh boy!!! Rosco does look like a lion!! But it is so great to hear that Natalie is getting old enough to bond w/ him. I always loved that so much. You must speak french also, n'est ce pas? I was a french major in college. Thank you for the bdaygift. Natalie looks so cute in your profile pic. What a darling familly!!

[shelly]

AWE! poor Rosco He still looks so cute - BUT..!I know EXACTLY how you feel Adina. This happened to us at Petco, after I to spoke to the "grooming manager" for 20 minutes (and English is my ONLY language- lol)... and when I went back, my poor baby looked like baa baa black sheep. Needless to say.. we have never been back, but luckily found a great groomer who TRULY understands the longer look I like.

[BetteB]

Oh my! I think we all have our grooming horror stories!

[Michele Barton]

It's okay Rosco, we all still love you...ROAR!

[Valarie]

He's handsome even as a bobblehead. I guess I was just lucky that the gal who groomed Sophie for the first time actually knew what to do. I had no idea that this was a common issue and I gave her very little direction other than just clean her up. After a lifetime of dealing with curly hair myself I guess I just expect bad cuts as the norm rather than the exception.

[Christina and Cooper plus Benny]

He looks like a little lion! Coop goes in for his spring haircut 3/18, all this talk about messed up cuts is making me nervous....luckily I have an AWESOME groomer!

[Nancy, Ned, Clancy, and Charlie]

On another doodle it would look bad, but on Rosco it just looks lionish! I don't actually understand the problem groomers have with doodles. We go to hair dressers and only once in a while do we come out with a really bad cut, but with our doodles the percent seems to be skewed in the wrong direction.
Many dogs past puppyhood do seem to understand the difference between their toys and not their toys.