(Update: Added pre and post grooming pics)Need some help wih explaining what I want to the groomer

[Heather & Brinkley]

Update:  I added the pre and post grooming pics at the end of the discussion as a "reply."

_____________________

Hi!

It has been a bit since I've been on here...we've just been busy. Brinkley has gotten rather shaggy and now that we made our visit to the vet for the annual shot updates, he can visit the groomer tomorrow. I now the groomer is going to suggest we shave Brinkley. I have doing a fantastic job maintaining his shaggy fur until yesterday. Yesterday was the demise of all my hard work. Brinkley and I Went for a boat trip with friends yesterday, and between, his fur blowing in the wind, romps on the sandy beach, catch and fetch in the water and then a wet windy ride back to shore, he is matted. I tried to work on it last night and again just now, but I'm getting nowhere. With that said, I know he will have to be cut short but I don't want him shaved. I'm worried about sunburn bc he has light skin. I know very little about grooming. Is it possible to scissor cut a dog with mats or is shaving the only option? I'm not sure how to explain what I want to the groomer. I still want him to appear round even if he's not fully shaggy/fluffy. I've tried to attached my favorite pic of Brinkley post grooming but i cant figure it out on my iPad... And the groomer we are going to didn't do this... And I'm not sure if this would be considered "short".

Any help would be appreciated!

[Amy, Cubbie & Ollie]

keep this after picture so that you can show the new groomer exactly what you do not want in addition to the pictures of what you like.

[Diana Erhart]

So sorry that the grooming didn't go like you had hoped.  Isn't it funny that we always know we should "go with our gut" but somehow we hardly ever seem to do it at the time.  I have had many groomers for Charlie over the past 6 years.  It seems to me that this groomer is one that was just looking for a reason to shave him down and make her job easier.  We recently moved so again I had to start the search for a new groomer.  The first one that was recommended to me gave Charlie the worst haircut I have ever seen.  Everyone commented on how horrible it is and even the groomer recommended after the fact that she had no idea how to groom him after the fact.  Anyway, after that I got on the phone and called and interviewed over the phone every groomer I could find in the phone book and on the internet search.  Then the ones I kind of liked I went and visited and talked to them about what I wanted, how I wanted them to handle mats, and everything else.  Finally I found a groomer that does a very good job.  I found someone who is of the mindset that they don't want to shave them down and would rather work out the mats and reward them with treats for letting them do it, etc.  We are still working on little details each time he gets groomed but I think the moral of my story is that you may need to call alot of groomers to finally find one that gives you a good feeling in your gut.  That is how it is with this groomer, I just felt good when I walked out of the door after talking to her and was confident that she would do a good job.  Keep interviewing.  I think I called at least 12 groomers before I found the one I use now.  Good luck!  

[Heather & Brinkley]

Thanks Diana!  Yes, I'm going to start the "interviewing" process soon so I'm ready when it is needed but I think I need to cool down so an unsuspecting groomer doesn't suffer the wrath of my annoyance that had zero to do with them!  Next week, the phone calls will begin!  Here's hoping I find a good one like you finally did!

[Diana Erhart]

Prepare for it to be frustrating.  I don't know how many I talked to that really didn't have nice things to say about doodles.  It was "oh, you have one of those dogs" or "you just can't keep those coats long" or "it takes such a LONG time to work on one of those dogs and I just don't have the time to brush that out".  I was ready to scream and seriously thinking about flying my old groomer to my new home (I know that is unrealistic but that is how frustrated I was).  Good luck.  My poor Charlie hung his head and was depressed the whole time he had a horrible cut (it wasn't shaved, it was longer but looked like she took hedge trimmers to him!)  Once he got his new groomer he pranced and held his head high again.  Remember that this soon will pass and hopefully some day you will be able to laugh about it.

[Heather & Brinkley]

Thanks!  I can't get too much more frustrated then I already am.  At least I won't have paid those groomers yet.  :)  I don't understand the doodle disdain from people.  Doodles really are wonderful, fun loving animals.  

Oh well,  I'm going to snuggle up with my new "felt blanket" of a doodle.  

[Amy, Cubbie & Ollie]

ignore this post here, i am moving it down to the bottom where it will make more sense  :)

[Heather & Brinkley]

Thanks-- and he is licking his "precious cargo" quite a bit.  He won't stop.  I wonder if she shaved it too much and burned the skin.  He is never this "obsessed" with that area!!

[BG and Gavin]

I don't mind his body being cut that short, but the balance is off on his head, ears and eyes.  He is still adorable as anything and you know what they say... the difference between a good and bad haircut is two weeks :)

[Heather & Brinkley]

Yes, it is off balance!  His legs and head should still have some "poof".  I figured it out... she cut him like a Schnauzer!

[Lori, Rooney & Zuzu]

Still such a cute boy!

I agree that I think the top of his head is one of the biggest problems.  He has lost that doodle mop top.  And, yes, a little more length on the legs would have been good too.  I'm sorry you are frustrated... this is why I am so scared to take Rooney to a groomer and have been slowly starting to learn to do it myself.  We will see if I can keep it up when his adult coat comes in and things get trickier.  

[Heather & Brinkley]

I said the exact thing to my husband last night: "I'm going to learn to do it myself, because if I screw it up, I can only be mad at myself.  And I won't have spent $65 bucks for something I am not happy with."

[Ricki and Tara (doodle)]

Even if you screw up, it will never be THAT badly! :)