Grooming mistake..

[Discussing Labradoodles & Goldendoodles]

Yesterday we took Jace to get groomed for the second time since we got him, this time they said he was old enough to get his body fur TRIMMED. well, we decided he needed a little taken off and although I was reluctant, we said to go ahead and trim him. well, we pick him up and OH MY GOODNESS, this is NOT a trim. His fur is pretty much gone, botched in places, uneven, just....terrible. I am so upset, I keep telling myself it's just hair it grows back! I still think he's adorable but Im wondering how long it takes for his fur to grow back in! and we aren't ever taking him back to the Petsmart here for grooming ever again. :|

[Stacy, Bruno, Molly and Gracie]

It is hair and it will grow back, I promise!

I would take him back, ask for the grooming supervisor and stand there while they fix what needs to be fixed or evened out. I am sure you paid good money for that grooming. I think most of us have been there with a bad haircut for our pups. I know I have and it does get better :)

Hang in there.

[Lucy & AnnaBelle's Mom]

I actually e-mailed Petsmart HQ once when I had a bad experience in their salon (they let Sophie fall off the grooming table while clipping her nails, with the noose around her neck.  I was standing right there watching and had asked if I could hold her while they did it and was told no.  It wasn't long at all before I got a phone call from the salon manager.  I would definitely let them know you are not satisfied.  My best advice though is to just set yourself up with the stuff at home and do it yourself.  It doesn't take long at all to pay for the equipment by not paying for groomers.  Then you can do it when you want, as often as you want.  Little touch up here and there when needed.  It really is the best solution.  It really isn't all that difficult.

[Katie and Sophie]

I'm sorry he got a bad haircut! We had a couple bad experiences too and now we do it ourselves. Like Sophie and Lucy's mom said it doesn't take long for the equipment to pay for itself and its pretty easy to lean how to do. Lots of good advice in the grooming group! It won't take long to grow back!

[Lisa, Daisy & Dexter]

First let me say this, "we have almost all had a bad experience and yes the hair grows back" after a few days you will feel better and reconcile to find and awesome groomer who you love. It took 4 for me and now I am happy.

The groomer who doesn't understand "trim" needs a lesson or two and her Supervisor should be aware of how unhappy you are so she gets them.

[Willow and J]

It will grow back, and meanwhile, Jace will always be cute!

One thing I wanted to add here is that I didn't dream of grooming Willow myself until she came back with razor burns under her arms and belly. It was the same groomer that we liked a lot, and we'd been using her almost a year by then. But in a place like Petsmart, it's not up to one groomer to take care of each dog, and just one incident of burns and nips is more than enough. The burns turned into hotspots, and her atopic dermatitis also flared up fully around then. After more than a year, Willow still has a little bit of red hair under her arm from licking burned skin, which is now a constant itching spot. (Yes, trips to vets and steroid pills followed, twice!)

If I can turn back the clock, I'll go back 15 months and start there and then to groom Willow myself. She doesn't have nice even cuts any more, but she is still irresistibly cute. And each time I make a cut, I remind myself, this, too, shall grow out! And it does.

[Lynda Kamrath]

One of the reasons why we do our own grooming (other than we have the time).  It does grow back, but you will cringe every time you look at the cut.  If you don't do your own grooming, you can do the "touch up" from what the groomer did.  There isn't a certain way doodles should look, so do what you like.

[Laurie, Fudge, and Vern]

Emily, I do not do my dog's haircuts. My kids wouldn't even allow me to cut their bangs...LOL!! I would complain about the haircut to the manager. Luckily, the hair will grow back. I found a groomer through my vet's office and have been very happy.  Maybe someone at your vet's office knows of a good groomer. Good luck.

[Nancy, Ned, Clancy, and Charlie]

Laurie your kids and mine must have had the same mom!  My daughter let her bangs grow out when she was about 8 so that I couldn't touch them any more!

[Laurie, Fudge, and Vern]

Join the grooming group. There's lots of information there. Good luck!

[Sue, Murphy and Bella ()*o*()]

I also groom my two myself as I have a very definite idea of what I want, and how their hair hangs and where it gets matted and the trouble areas like under the ears where I like to shave really close. Maybe you can start with just trimming around the eyes, doing a sanity shave and clipping nails, trimming hair around the paws and doing ear hair if needed. That will give you a good basic idea of what it's like to cut him. One bit of advice I would give is the quality of your tools are the key to success. Good clippers and shears will set you back about $200-300, but you will make that back in no time. Good luck, and yes, it will grow back. Won't be so bad in 2-4 weeks.

[Sarina]

The same thing happen to our little ShiTsu at Pet Smart.   I think the groomer turnover is too great and the groomers are newbees. I did go back once or twice but had a different groomer each time and decided to find a small shop which seems to work much better. Andy, our doodle has not gone yet. 

[Adrianne Matzkin]

I take the gang to Petsmart. but I have a deal with the salon manager - I will bring them in any time she wants, she blocks off time for 3 groomers who cannot work on another dog,  all 3 are hand blown dry, NEVER are they put into a cage, and they get puppy cuts. The only complaint I ever have is that their faces are too long so I just trim them up myself. 

I tired to groom Charli myself but I don't have a tub for me to wash her that doesn't hurt my back. if I ever will the lottery I will build a bathroom to groom the kids.