I dont get my dog groomed proffessionally so I will answer it on my parents behalf who get theirs done.

Hope this helps

Nothing is foolproof but I would not employ someone to fix my gas boiler if they were not gas safe accredited, or a mechanic to fix my car who was not properly qualified etc.

So, if am PAYING for a service I expect a professional, competent return for my money.

At least I have some comeback if they turn out to be a cowboy.

If I CHOOSE to employ a cowboy then I have only myself to blame for the outcome.

Yep agree in principal, but what "comeback" would you expect from a professional groomer with this that and t'other "qualification" who CLIPPED a Border pup of 8mths and charged £65.00 for hand stripping him? Too late then. Pup is ruined.

Yes I also hear of many horror storys usually involving a dryer, in one case in particualr, the dog actually died on the groomers table, in another the dog had her teat burnt off!! so even people who have done it for years i guess can get careless....


Sorry I havn't posted enough posts yet to be able to recive PM's But feel free to leave out any question your not happy with, my main aim is to find out whats important and to those of you who don't mind putting even a rough age group, this will help me target potential clients , you can put like 40-50 yr old, or whatever if you are happy to do that, if not just leave it out. also Im not too bothered about how many people in the house, I dont actually see what relevance that has to my survey! thank you to those who have answered it is much appreciated

I disagree. If you are doing your job PROPERLY accidents involving dryers DO NOT happen end of story. It's not carelessness it's malpractice.

Yes there are bad groomers out there, but there are many many who work very hard at their job and take all client care seriously making it their no 1 priority. But they rarely get a mention
Sorry I just get defensive. I work damn hard and get really saddened when we seem to get tarred with the same brush. The vast majority of people don't realise what our job REALLY entails. You hear all the time people moaning about the groomer did this or the groomer did that. Well actually if you saw what we actually had to put up with maybe people would be a bit more understanding. 1 year old Fluffy may be funny when they are tearing around out of control, or bouncing off the end of an extending lead. But they then come into the groomers NEVER having seen a brush (cos fluffy doesn't like it). Never having had their ears plucked (ooh do they need doing? - my breeder never told me). Having been bathed to an inch of it's life weekly for the last year (but remember never brushed), but never seen a dryer. Thick poo on the bottom. (Oh I think fluffy may have a dirty bottom). Dog is matted underneath top layer and needs to be clipped off short, but owner doesn't want it to go that short. They then try to blame the groomer for their neglect, and says that they would like it longer. Well brush your bloody dog then!!!! OK I could brush out your dog for you, but I would cause it pain and suffering, and that would be against the law. BUT you think clipping it off is cruel???? I could go on and on
And NO these are not the neglected dogs THIS IS THE NORM!!! We then have to try to educate the owner onto how to look after their dog.
I am lucky I can cherry pick so it is not so bad for me, all my work comes via recommendation and I actually turn away clients regularly. If they are not willing to look after their dogs why should I?
Gosh I am so sorry - I went off on a tangent there

I fully understand, the propensity of people to say all (insert relevant profession) are cowboys is unfair to trained, competent professionals.

However, many (not all) of these complaints originate from those who wanted to save some money (rather than pay the going rate) by actively avoiding such individuals.

I would not send my dog to anyone I ASSUMED to be qualified in ANY field.

The same applies to dog owners, there are good, bad and indifferent in all trades/owners.

In reality what sort of comeback do you have with 'Qualified groomers'? In reality no more comeback than an unqualified one. As the qualifications are not a requirement of the profession or policed they don't really give you anything but a false sense of security. A gas safe certificate is a legal requirement and has comeback under the law for fitters who don't hold the certificate. A dog grooming qualification is not a legal requirement so you are not comparing like with like.

I go on reputation. All the groomers I have used (some have had qualifications some have not) I have gone to because of personal recommendation from people who's opinions I trust. I think people get a little hung up on qualifications rather than using some common sense and looking at the quality of the work and recomendations

Gender: Female
Location: Very Rural Remote Scotland

What type of dog do you have? Male Golden Retriever and Female Black Labrador
How often does your dog require grooming? Golden Retriever - every few months or so. basically when needed. Black Lab - never needed it yet.
Are there any specific times of the year when you have your dog groomed for e.g. Christmas? No, its when needed. We do tend to prioritise summer for example so he has a nice short coat to be more comfortable.
How much does it cost? This can vary slightly depending on how much work is needed. Its usually between the £40-50 mark.

Do you prefer a salon/mobile groomer? We do not get a choice here with being so remote. Its a "salon" we go too. If we did get a choice due to our circumstances mobile groomer would be easier.
Why? Probably answered this above.
Is it important that your dog groomer is qualified? I must admit as we only have one option here we can't consider this. I think the most important thing is the experience and if they are good at it. I think people can be good at things without official qualifications. Its more the experience and if they are good at what they do.

Please rank the following in importance 1 to 5
For e.g. if price is the most that would be 1, if convenience is the least that would be 5

A-Quality of finish 2

B-Convenience 5

C-Time it takes 3 (as in making sure enough time is given to do a good job)

D-Price 4 (I wish price didn't matter but it does to a degree, although we don't get a choice here as only one person does it)

E-Dogs Happiness 1

Hope this helped and if you want to ask me anything else then feel free.

Rose

Thanks people for answering my questionaire, from the feed back I have had so far almost every one agree'd price was pretty important and most of all, dogs happiness. I will continue this survey until the morning of the 3rd July, so once again thanks to everyone who's took part!

What type of dog do you have?
Greyhound

How often does your dog require grooming?
Couple of times a week.

Are there any specific times of the year when you have your dog groomed for, e.g. Christmas?
No

How much does it cost?
I do it myself.

Do you prefer a salon/mobile groomer?
Never used either.

Is it important that your dog groomer is qualified?
It would be if I used one.


Please rank the following in importance 1 to 5
For e.g. if price is the most that would be 1, if convenience is the least that would be 5

A-Quality of finish 2

B-Convenience 4

C-Time it takes 5

D-Price 3

E-Dogs Happiness 1