Dog Grooming at Petco

spinner

Member
Does anyone here get their dog groomed at Petco? Since we are supposed to get one here in St Marys I am wondering how it will affect my [and appy's] business. Do you have a choice of who works on your dog or is it more whoever isn't busy at the time? Do all the animals go in at the same time or do they stagger appointments throughout the day so the animals aren't crated for long periods? Do you see the grooming room and talk to the groomer before they work on your dog? Were you happy or unhappy with Petco and why?
 

Bustem' Down

Give Peas a Chance
Well, I've never been to Petco, but I've taken my dogs to Petsmart several times and I believe they are pretty much the same. So as to that here's my experience with Petsmart. You get an appointment and can drop off any time before that and it's usually a few hours till they are done. You can probably request a certain person, but it's a big chain type store so people usually don't. The service isn't really personalized. you tell them what you want and come back in a few hours for pick up. The grooming area is right out in the open. You don't really talk to a groomer, someone just writes down what you want, like I said it's not very personalized. I would compare ya'lls business and thiers like oil changes. You are like a personal mechanic you've known for a while, take good care, makes good suggestions, and you would recomend them to someone. They are like Jiffy Lube. Bring it in, here's our standard package, thanks a lot come again.
 

Chasey_Lane

Salt Life
Not Petco, but I had a friend that took her two Sh!ts to Petsmart. The "groomer" cooked one of them to death, and the other was severely dehydrated and burned badly. It didn't survive much longer after that, either. :bawl:

After court proceedings, the "groomer" was found not-guilty because she was not trained properly. :confused: Figure that one out! :rolleyes:
 

jwwb2000

pretty black roses
I will not be taking Neo to anyone but where he currently goes to be groomed :biggrin: He is happy there.

I will take him there to visit when I have to get doggie and cat stuff :wink:
 

janey83

Twenty Something
Chasey_Lane said:
Not Petco, but I had a friend that took her two Sh!ts to Petsmart. The "groomer" cooked one of them to death, and the other was severely dehydrated and burned badly. It didn't survive much longer after that, either. :bawl:

After court proceedings, the "groomer" was found not-guilty because she was not trained properly. :confused: Figure that one out! :rolleyes:

:shocking: What do they do to the dogs that are "cooking" them so badly??
 

Chasey_Lane

Salt Life
appyday said:
Dryers with heat and closed in cages and NOT PAYING ATTENTION TO THEM..leaving the room etc...
:yeahthat: The dogs were left unattended in the dryers for about 45 minutes. They should have only been in for 10 minutes, tops.
 

BadGirl

I am so very blessed
Oh, my goodness. Hearing the story about the burnt doggies just breaks my heart. How they must have suffered...... :bawl:
 

K_Jo

Pea Brain
PREMO Member
Chasey_Lane said:
Not Petco, but I had a friend that took her two Sh!ts to Petsmart. The "groomer" cooked one of them to death, and the other was severely dehydrated and burned badly. It didn't survive much longer after that, either. :bawl:

After court proceedings, the "groomer" was found not-guilty because she was not trained properly. :confused: Figure that one out! :rolleyes:
My friend's dog died on the table at PetSmart while being groomed!! :bawl:
 

janey83

Twenty Something
:frown: That's so horrible, now I'd never want to take a pet to get him/her groomed...

Heck, :shrug: my mom would just use an old beach towel on our dog to dry her off after baths -- never thought anyone would use a dryer on an animal.
 
I worked at Petsmart as a bather, thought I wanted to do the grooming thing, wow-it was a lot harder than I realized! Anyway, that is amazing that no one would have noticed those poor puppies. I guess being the avid animal lover that I am I was always checking on the dogs. We had dryers that would do 30 min. on a timer then shut off automatically. I am guessing that it wasn't as hot because we usually had to run them a couple of times to get a dog dry and they were movable, not attached to the cages.
 
appyday said:
Hey Tev..Can I ask what you made as a bather?


$6.00/hr. That was the other reason I quit, it was hard to work over 40 hrs a week and only get $200 after taxes. For someone during/right out of high school or not married and doing it for the love of it, it would probably work out great, but I am a college graduate with a double major and married, couldn't swing "for the love of it". :lol:
 

Tomcat

Anytime
Usually wash the dog at home. Last winter I took her to Petsmart(or whatever the one in Waldorf is, behind Circuit City) only because we were going skiing for the week and needed it done quickly before we left. No problems but haven't gone back, or needed to.
 
appyday said:
:rolleyes: Yeah drop your collie off and it will be dry and combed out in say 2 days. :yay: ..drop off your flea ridden dirty dog and let me wash it befor I clip it (I hate fleas jumping all over me and my room.) after it dries (dry as a bone as I will be putting clippers on it..ie electrical) Give me another 2 days for that...Damm Janey you work me hard..

Tev ok my girl is fine she gets more then 3 X that...


Lucky girl...maybe I should come see you when we move up that way. :getdown:
 

virgovictoria

Tight Pants and Lipstick
PREMO Member
appyday said:
:rolleyes: Yeah drop your collie off and it will be dry and combed out in say 2 days. :yay: ..drop off your flea ridden dirty dog and let me wash it befor I clip it (I hate fleas jumping all over me and my room.) after it dries (dry as a bone as I will be putting clippers on it..ie electrical) Give me another 2 days for that...Damm Janey you work me hard..

Tev ok my girl is fine she gets more then 3 X that...

Hey Appy! How much to bathe 2-75 pound Mutes??? You know, your favorite????
 

spinner

Member
Thank you for all the input. I wasn't really worried about my regular customers but wondering how it will affect my ability to attract new ones. Petco is going to be more convient for some people then coming all the way out to Hollywood. So I am going to change my ad in the phone book a little and focus on the individual attention and no crate drying aspect. And I am going to do something about the website. Most of my customers are repeat business and referrals.
It was sad to read about the dogs dying while being cage dried, I agree that was poor training. Those cage dryers can get hot quickly, you have to be careful even in an open crate with them. If you have a metal grid or tray that the dog is sitting on it can get hot enough to burn them. And a short muzzled dog like a Pug or a Shih Tzu should never, ever go under a crate dryer. If I was looking for a groomer the first question I would ask is if they crate dry the dogs. But very few people ask. I don't care how well you can scissor or how good you equipment is, if the dog is not dried properly it is going to look like crap. I blow dry everybody in the tub and on the table, that is what works best for me.
 

virgovictoria

Tight Pants and Lipstick
PREMO Member
spinner said:
Thank you for all the input. I wasn't really worried about my regular customers but wondering how it will affect my ability to attract new ones. Petco is going to be more convient for some people then coming all the way out to Hollywood. So I am going to change my ad in the phone book a little and focus on the individual attention and no crate drying aspect. And I am going to do something about the website. Most of my customers are repeat business and referrals.
It was sad to read about the dogs dying while being cage dried, I agree that was poor training. Those cage dryers can get hot quickly, you have to be careful even in an open crate with them. If you have a metal grid or tray that the dog is sitting on it can get hot enough to burn them. And a short muzzled dog like a Pug or a Shih Tzu should never, ever go under a crate dryer. If I was looking for a groomer the first question I would ask is if they crate dry the dogs. But very few people ask. I don't care how well you can scissor or how good you equipment is, if the dog is not dried properly it is going to look like crap. I blow dry everybody in the tub and on the table, that is what works best for me.

I haven't taken any of my dogs for any grooming anywhere... The breed that has owned me doesn't get clipped and I can't even imagine putting them under a dryer :yikes:... My ex does take our Huskies periodically to Petsmart in VA, where he lives, for a bathe and brush. I don't know that I'd even do that, to Petsmart, that is.

Personally, I would go to you or Appy in a HEARTBEAT to have my girls bathed and brushed.. I would go to Petco or Petsmart for supplies, due to the larger selection, but my children would be handled by the locals with a true heart in the business.
 

jjcmom

New Member
Spinner and Abbyday......please tell me where your shops are. My regular groomer has been The Pampered Pooch in Mechanicsville...but due to illness she closed her shop last fall.
 

RodRugg

Active Member
Petco might be fine but all's I can say is this: DO NOT use Suki's GroomGroom in Pomonkey! They will show up in a van and shave your dog's head off! Our neighbor used them to shave up their two beagles and they shaved them dogs down to the hide. Them dogs got infected and looked like they got tangled up in a hive of bees. I would not recommend that and them dogs hid under the back porch for weeks. One time I took my hampster to Petsmart and they haircutted it pretty good. They also cut its toenails.
 
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