# Diplomatic way to tell my clients to bathe their dogs? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [April 26, 2010, 1:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/diplomatic-way-to-tell-my-clients-to-bathe-their-dogs/537352 "2010-04-26T01:04:05Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Rilchiam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/2bfe46/32.png) [@Rilchiam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rilchiam)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2010, 11:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/diplomatic-way-to-tell-my-clients-to-bathe-their-dogs/537352/41 "2010-07-22T23:17:13Z")
> [@olivesmarch4th](#): > > Whatever happens, you did the right thing, with the best of intentions. Thank you. And on further further reflection, I’m prepared to lose the position if only for my own health. I don’t need distemper, worms, whatever I might get from these poor dogs. I’ve already been wearing gloves, but at this rate, I’d need a stillsuit. If the dogs haven’t been washed when I go back on Monday, I don’t think I want this gig any more. ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2010, 7:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/diplomatic-way-to-tell-my-clients-to-bathe-their-dogs/537352/42 "2010-07-23T07:53:11Z")
I’ll never understand how can someone “love the pet like a child” and never groom it. Would they let their kid go unwashed too? ---
**Author:** ![Rilchiam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/2bfe46/32.png) [@Rilchiam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rilchiam)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2010, 10:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/diplomatic-way-to-tell-my-clients-to-bathe-their-dogs/537352/43 "2010-07-25T22:17:56Z")
Okay, the latest latest. Talked to the adult son today. Mom is doing better, though still in hospital. Smallest dog, the one with matted fur, is dead. :eek: ☹ :mad: I will go in tomorrow. This may or may not be my last visit, depending on how the convo goes. In any event, I will **not** contact the Humane Society, because they’ll know who it was. ---
**Author:** ![Perciful](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/b38774/32.png) [@Perciful](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Perciful)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2010, 1:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/diplomatic-way-to-tell-my-clients-to-bathe-their-dogs/537352/44 "2010-07-27T13:08:20Z")
> [@Nava](#): > > I’ll never understand how can someone “love the pet like a child” and never groom it. Would they let their kid go unwashed too? I’m with you. I take care of my dog like it was my child. I have to bathe him weekly with epi- soothe for his allergies. Rilchiam, It sounds like you have done all you can and now it us to them to either get the dogs bathed or lose your services. I’m glad your putting your foot down. Good luck. ---
**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2010, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/diplomatic-way-to-tell-my-clients-to-bathe-their-dogs/537352/45 "2010-07-27T14:40:56Z")
> [@Rilchiam](#): > > Okay, the latest latest. Talked to the adult son today. Mom is doing better, though still in hospital. Smallest dog, the one with matted fur, is dead. :eek: ☹ :mad: I will go in tomorrow. This may or may not be my last visit, depending on how the convo goes. > > In any event, I will **not** contact the Humane Society, because they’ll know who it was. How awful. ☹ I wonder if they couldn’t make themselves deal with this because then they’d either have to face their neglect directly, or risk being reported by a horrified dog groomer. ---
**Author:** ![Mama\_Zappa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/71e660/32.png) [@Mama\_Zappa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mama_Zappa)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2010, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/diplomatic-way-to-tell-my-clients-to-bathe-their-dogs/537352/46 "2010-07-27T17:13:28Z")
> [@Yllaria](#): > > Yup. Continuous positive air pressure - it blows air up your nose and down your throat all night. And they usually have changable air filters. I don’t know if it can pull all the dander out, but it stops pet hairs. Mine comes with a foam filter that would stop pet hairs but probably not finer dander particles. They do make better filters if allergens are a big issue but they’re not standard issue. One of the things my provider mentioned was making sure the machine had a reasonably dust-free place to live (e.g. not on the floor). And shed pet hair / skin flakes would probably provide a nice diet for dust mites, which would get right past the CPAP’s foam filter. Hopefully the dogs will get to the groomer - I think everyone will be happier (maybe even the dogs - I know they don’t much love baths but if their fur is matted they’ll be much more comfortable having that trimmed). ---
**Author:** ![Rilchiam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/2bfe46/32.png) [@Rilchiam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rilchiam)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2010, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/diplomatic-way-to-tell-my-clients-to-bathe-their-dogs/537352/47 "2010-08-09T21:10:53Z")
And, it’s over. Two weeks ago, the guy paid me and said he’d see me in two weeks, meaning today. This morning I showed up at the usual time. Went in the front door to find bare floor and only the big furniture in the living room; carpet was torn up. Further inspection found no carpet anywhere and two builders in the sun room. “Are the owners here?” “No, are you their daughter?” “I’m the house cleaner, but it looks like they’ain’t no house to clean!” Called owner. His stepson was “supposed” to have called me over the weekend to let me know I was no longer needed. Got paid my usual rate and told “You are officially terminated.” No idea about the remaining two dogs. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![Savannah](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b3f665/32.png) [@Savannah](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Savannah)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2010, 5:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/diplomatic-way-to-tell-my-clients-to-bathe-their-dogs/537352/48 "2010-08-10T05:07:42Z")
Ah, jeez. I hope the situation got better for them. I do wish they’d treated YOU better, too. Sounds like a lousy way to end your employment. ---
**Author:** ![Perciful](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/b38774/32.png) [@Perciful](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Perciful)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2010, 1:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/diplomatic-way-to-tell-my-clients-to-bathe-their-dogs/537352/49 "2010-08-10T13:21:35Z")
Well it sounds like a job I would be glad to be done with. I would advertise right away and get another job lined up. One thing about a lousy employer is when you get a good one you really appreciate it! Good Luck! ---
**Author:** ![Serenata67](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/serenata67/32/10646_2.png) [@Serenata67](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Serenata67)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2010, 3:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/diplomatic-way-to-tell-my-clients-to-bathe-their-dogs/537352/50 "2010-08-10T15:03:12Z")
I hope things go better for you, and those darling dogs. It breaks my heart to hear those dogs were being so poorly treated. ---
**Author:** ![Rilchiam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/2bfe46/32.png) [@Rilchiam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rilchiam)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2010, 10:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/diplomatic-way-to-tell-my-clients-to-bathe-their-dogs/537352/51 "2010-08-10T22:12:34Z")
Oh, this was hardly my only gig! I always have regulars lined up, and new clients come up all the time. I’ll even give the stepson a mulligan for not calling me; he may have been preoccupied with whatever’s going on with his mom, or perhaps the stepdad didn’t make it clear that he was supposed to contact me. I’m going to call him later and ask if I can use him (the stepson, who engaged me, not the husband whose house it is) as a reference for squalor recovery jobs. Other than that, though, it’s just another gig that came and went. Profitable while it lasted. As for the dogs, who knows. I did call animal welfare just to sound them out, and they said if I did report neglect, “We’d send someone out.” And a few weeks later, they’d “send someone out again.” Sad to say, they have to focus mainly on cases of dog fighting and puppy mills: situations that affect a lot of animals at one time. Three (now two) individual dogs, who are at least not being beaten or starved, are just not a priority. ☹ [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/diplomatic-way-to-tell-my-clients-to-bathe-their-dogs/537352.md?page=2)