New puppy coming! Where do I find some patience?

[rizq]

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[Bex]

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My fiance says the same! I actually told him in the very beginning that if it ever came to it, my dogs were here long before he was, and that is how it would stay, LOL.

I groomed for 3 years as well, owned my own salon. After I moved to Tennessee I had to give up grooming after about a month in my new salon because I messed up my back really bad (125 pound, FAT, and uncooperative Golden Retriever). Now I groom my Lhasa Apso and that is more than I can manage sometimes. I miss it so bad. When I was in ND I would groom doing the day and give training lessons in the evening.

Good luck with grooming! I am sure you will love it, but be careful with those big ones.

Thank you! I groom my Grandparent's 90lb Golden Retriever on a regular basis.. and to say she is a handful is an understatement.. But of course to my Grandma she is perfect and no, she would never bite or snarl when she doesn't get her way, don't you know?

 

[rizq]

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LOL! Yes! I used to groom many of those. People just couldn't imagine that their sweet little honey would bark and scream for hours, poo and pee in their crate (after their bath, of course), and then try to bite as soon as I try to touch them

These were usually very small poodles, shih tzu, or mini schnauzers for me. Most of them were just scared and with patience would come around, but some were just plain nasty and hopeless!

Of course, I had three shih tzus from different homes who were supposed to be just horrible (they had all bitten groomers in the past, including the previous owner of my salon) whom I had no trouble with. One of them I had to muzzle and restrain for nails and had to watch otherwise, but I was able to do her (and mostly without a muzzle) whereas most groomers just sent her home. The other two never tried anything with me, though they were horrible for others. Funny dogs ... they were some of my favorites and their owners were definitely my favorite clients!

 

[Bex]

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LOL! Yes! I used to groom many of those. People just couldn't imagine that their sweet little honey would bark and scream for hours, poo and pee in their crate (after their bath, of course), and then try to bite as soon as I try to touch them

These were usually very small poodles, shih tzu, or mini schnauzers for me. Most of them were just scared and with patience would come around, but some were just plain nasty and hopeless!

Of course, I had three shih tzus from different homes who were supposed to be just horrible (they had all bitten groomers in the past, including the previous owner of my salon) whom I had no trouble with. One of them I had to muzzle and restrain for nails and had to watch otherwise, but I was able to do her (and mostly without a muzzle) whereas most groomers just sent her home. The other two never tried anything with me, though they were horrible for others. Funny dogs ... they were some of my favorites and their owners were definitely my favorite clients!

That's cute. It's always the dogs that you get warned about that are the sweetest sometimes. While the 'sweetest' can usually be the hardest to work with.

I have heard of groomers not wanting to do Chows/Chow Mixes.. I was always shocked because I have groomed chows before and never once had a problem !

 

[rizq]

I think that Chow temperament tends to be very regional. Our chows were iffy, but not truly nasty. I had far more trouble with chow mixes, for some reason. But the worst has to be rott mixes, especially rott/shepherd. I don't know why, but I have know 3 of them and they were all psycho.