I’m hoping for advice from dog groomers and/or dog owners.
Background: My dog Buddy has gone to many dog groomers over the years. I’ve had him since about 2004 when he showed up at my house in the country. When I moved into the city 2.5 years ago, I started using a mobile dog groomer. They come to your house with a trailer and their own water supply-- all they need is a place to plug in for electricity. I usually have the two dogs groomed about every six weeks from April-ish to November-ish.
For about a year, the mobile grooming company sent one particular dog groomer-- let’s call her Mary Lou. She was fine with the dogs-- both dogs liked her-- no problem. As an employee, Mary Lou was less than reliable (showing up late, etc.) so the owner let her go. Also fine with me.
Late last fall, a new dog groomer came-- call him Bob. I liked Bob a lot. However, on this first visit with Bob, midway during Buddy’s grooming, Bob came staggering out of the trailer-- Buddy had pooped in the shower-- and the smell drove Bob out. I didn’t know what to make of it, as Buddy had never done this in all the years I’ve been taking him to groomers (unless someone just didn’t tell me). He never did it when Mary Lou groomed him. I gave Bob some plastic bags, and he hosed the place down, and that visit ended otherwise uneventfully. He did the other dog and she was fine.
Six weeks later, Bob comes again. He’s very prompt (unlike Mary Lou) and just a likeable guy. He takes Buddy to groom him, and AGAIN: Buddy pooped in the shower. WTF? I gave Bob plastic bags, etc., etc., rinse and repeat (as it were).
I’m not trying to place any blame, I just want to understand. Okay, maybe I should have taken Buddy for a long, long walk before handing him over to Bob. But this had never happened before, and now to happen TWICE??
Did Bob do something different from what Mary Lou had been doing? Water maybe too hot or too cold (sometimes you step into that shower and when the water is a certain temperature…it just makes everything relax)? I don’t know how to inquire about this without seeming like I’m accusing Bob or blaming him. I’m thinking he must have done SOMETHING different-- not bad, just something that prompted Buddy to let it all hang out. And whatever it was, I don’t want him to do it again. But I don’t even know what to suggest about it.
It’s time to get the grooming started again, and sure, I can take Buddy for a long, long walk before Bob comes-- Buddy has been known to produce a two-fer if the walk is long enough. But that’s no guarantee this might not happen again.
Any wisdom from groomers, vets, owners? I will also accept posts from dogs.