Problems with Petsmart grooming?

Question

We recently took our puppy to get groomed at Petsmart. When we went to pick her up, the groomer came out and said she wasn't able to clip her nails. She said that she was squirming all over the place and was scared of it, so she just "couldn't do it." After about 20 minutes of me asking her why she couldn't just get someone to help her hold our puppy and asking what they do when this happens (because surely this isn't the first time it has happened with another dog), she finally called the manager. The manager took our puppy, tried to clip her nails and again said that she just couldn't do it. She said she didn't want to overly stress our puppy and that she was scared of getting bitten if our puppy got too upset.

This is the SECOND time that Petsmart "hasn't been able to clip her nails." We're able to do it at home, and we've taken our puppy to other groomers, who have never had a problem. So what's the deal?? Has anyone else had problems at Petsmart grooming?

Jasmine--to answer your question, we've taken our puppy to different groomers because we're trying to find the best one. I actually live in a relatively small town, so our selection of groomers is limited. The first groomer we took our puppy to was fine, but they didn't seem very personal, so we thought maybe Petsmart would be better.

And yes, we usually groom our puppy on our own. We'll bathe her, clip her nails and clean her ears. But every once in a while, it's good to get her professionally groomed.

We'll keep looking and hopefully we'll find a groomer we really like. We're definitely not going back to Petsmart!

Answer 1

petsmart groomers are inexperienced. they also work on commission. that's why there is NO teamwork among the groomers.
take your dog to an experienced groomer. maybe an upscale shop. especially if it's a puppy. now that the petsmart groomers have TRAUMITISED the poor thing, it may NEVER be good for a nail trim again, much less a full groom.

I am currently working to become a certified master pet stylist in st louis mo.
i would NEVER try to do a puppy's nails alone on his first or second time. we always have someone hold the pup while another one clips or grinds the nails. we introduce the whole grooming process gradually to a puppy. if you traumitise them, they may never be good for a groomer no matter where you go.
petsmart is a chain operation. it's more about corporate policy than anything else. you very seldom will find an experienced groomer who will work with your dog.
Have you noticed that none of their groomers are certified in any thing? if they are, it's petsmarts certification. look for ISCC, American Dog Groomers assoc. , etc. these stylists are trained in everything from trims to animal behavior to anatomy and zoonotic diseases, and more.
don't go back to petsmart please.

Answer 2

Petsmart Problems

Answer 3

I wouldn't go there again. It sounds to me like for some reason she is not at ease with them. If you can cut them at home and other groomers can cut them with no problem then I would say the problem isn't her.

I personally have never used petsmart for grooming. But my friend Sue has. She used to take her Westies there. She would drop them off before work and we would pick them up after work. She did so one day and called my husband ASAP because when she got home she found that one of the dog had two ticks on him. She called petsmart to complain about the problem. Evidentally from what they said it has happened before. They thought the tick probably came from another dog who had been in the cage before he was. Nemo had never had any ticks previously. So it's absurd that a dog tick free come out of a groomer with ticks.

I would stick with a groomer your dog is more comfortable with. I would also send a email to Petsmart headquarters. They should check into the problem. If they didn't reduce the fee for grooming I would complain about that too.

If your puppy allows you to do it at home people touching her paws isn't a problem.

Answer 4

I personally haven't had a problem, but the service at petsmart is very impersonal. I have taken my rabbit and my puppy there to get their nails clipped and routine check-ups and i haven't liked their service. I would advise you to not return to that petsmart. If you are like, me there is more than one petsmart in the area. Try the others one and if you are still not satisfied, then write a letter to the manager. You would be surprised at how professionally they act after receiving a letter of concern!!!! In my case, there was no way to cut our puppy's nails at home, even with three adults trying to hold her in a stationary position. They accomplished it in less than a minute. Personally, i think it depends on the worker. I also know from experience that national chains are not as thorough since they are overall monopolies, while smaller practices care about keeping their customers. I advise staying with your current groomer since you know they do a good job. Why go back to someone who wastes your time and couldn't care less? Save yourself the trouble and don't go back to Petsmart.

Answer 5

Both PetsMart and PetCo have untrained people in their grooming dept. I will never bring or recommend anyone bring their dog their. My Groomer, when I need one, is right down the street from me and she only charges 6 dollars to trim both of my dogs nails. I have large dogs too!
Other than buying food and toys at these stores it's better to take the dogs elsewhere for any grooming.

Answer 6

Why do you keep taking your puppy to different groomers?
Sounds like your leaving part of the story out to me.
What did the other groomers do that you didnt like?
Some people would benefit from learning to groom their own dog.

ADDED:
I understand that. Have you asked your friends or other people that you see on the street that are walking their dogs, who they use? Have you asked your veterinarian who they refer? Thats the best way to do it. Ask around.

The WORST thing you can do is to continue taking a puppy to a different groomer. She needs to be learning and bonding with her groomer right now. She needs to get to know her groomer. She needs to stay with the same groomer so the groomer can teach her HOW to behave when she's being groomed.
ON A REGULAR BASIS.
Either that or you need to completely learn how to do it yourself. Your not helping by bouncing around with her.
And by doing it yourself only half the time. She is never going to learn that way.

If your planning on grooming your own dog - I think thats wonderful :) But do just that. Groom your own dog.

Why exactly do you think she needs a groomer 'sometime'?
You either need one or dont.
If you think your dog needs a groomer only sometime, then you are not doing a very good job and what your really wanting is someone to finish the hard part that you couldnt do.

Dogs like routine. It freaks them out when you do something new to them. Its scary.

Answer 7

STOP taking your dog to Petsmart. Like thier training their grooming is a joke too!

I've heard terrible horror stories about petsmart groomers everything from a bad hair cut to a dog going to the emergency vet because the groomer cut part of his ear off.

There are really good groomers out there, if you've found one previously and your puppy never had a problem go back there.

Answer 8

Well, if a groomer sees that your dog becomes stressed, they wont clip their nails because if they clip too far it can cause major pain and bleeding for the dog. Maybe it is the sounds of all the other dogs there barking that is scaring your dogs. I have been going to petsmart forever to get grooming for my dog and they are great with him. Each dog reacts different in situations. Petsmart just doesnt want to take a chance on hurting him or getting themselves in trouble because they clip too far.

Answer 9

It may be that you puppy does not like those people. Petsmart are good groomers to begin with and they don't want anything to happen where they get sued. Because pets have been dying at groomers lately. Since animals can sense our feelings you puppy may not like how she is acting. The people may not even really like animals. Because I know that my sister's friends who work there don't even like pets but just works there because she needs money. But why don't you just take your dog some where else?

Oh, and what the lady said about not wanting to get bite..thats a load of bull. I know from experiance that they have harnesses and muzzles to control the dog while getting groomed.

Answer 10

Hi, I dont get my dog groomed there but is it possible that you could ask them for you to be allowed to hold her while they clip her nails? not much of a goomer if you ask me but thats just my opinion. Also if they wont let you do that maybe ask for a discount because they are not preforming the whole job.? good luck. Sounds like you need a better groomer!