Why Your Dog's First Appointment at a New Salon May Take Longer

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Welcome to Tale Talk Grooming Chronicles with Health Therapy, the podcast where we talk all things pet grooming, daycare, academy, and more.
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Hosted by Shannon and Tanya of Health Therapy, serving pet owners across North Texas.
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We're here to share expert tips, hilarious pet stories, and the inside scoop on keeping your furry friends happy and healthy.
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Our motto, humanity over vanity.
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And don't worry, we don't fight.
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Let's get started.
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If your dog's first grooming appointment feels longer than expected, there's a good reason.
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Shannon and Tanya break down what's happening behind the scenes and why that extra time matters.
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Welcome back, everyone.
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I'm Sophia Yuvet, co-host and producer, back in the studio with Shannon and Tanya, professional groomers from Home Therapy.
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Hi, ladies.
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How's the energy today?
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So going strong?
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Yes.
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It's a good day.
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Great.
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Well, let's get into it.
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Why does a dog's first appointment at a new salon often take longer?
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Walk us through what's happening during that initial visit.
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Well, I mean the first appointment is all about learning.
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So um, yeah, it's how you how does your dog handle being touched?
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How old is your dog?
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Did you eat your dog from the pound?
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Did you get it from a breeder?
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How long have you had it?
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Is it 12 weeks old?
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Is it, you know, years old?
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Uh one is it a year, you know, 12 months.
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So there's a lot of things that that that matter.
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But um it let's say we're talking about a puppy, because that's usually um, and a puppy to me is four months, not maybe even six months, but a year, we're starting into adulthood.
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So if your dog hasn't been groomed in a year and it's its first time here, it's gonna have a very different experience than the dog that was here six months to four months of age that's learning how to do this, this, you know, yeah in real time.
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Um, it's how how your dog likes loud noises.
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You know, I hear people all the time, oh my gosh, my dog loves a blow dryer.
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We give him a bath at home all the time.
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That if you bathe your dog and it's got mats, then it it's it's more matted.
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In your dryer at home, it it's I can't imagine a gust of wind sitting out like in a breezy fork and it's it's a breeze, right?
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That's your dryer in it.
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It's a blow dryer.
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Now imagine yourself standing in the middle of a tornado uh and having that breeze come straight at you.
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That is our dryer.
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So they're two very different types of forces of nature.
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They're two very different dryers.
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So just because they do good for you at home doesn't mean they're gonna do good in a professional environment.
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Um reactions to the clippers.
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Um there's just there's a lot of things.
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And I mean your dog might need a break.
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Um that usually goes with, I mean, either puppies or seniors.
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Um sometimes they just need a 10-minute break.
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Just I just have to sit in this kennel for five minutes and gather my thoughts.
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And sometimes to, you know, just smell what's around them.
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It's it's everything's new, right?
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So it's it's kind of like figuring it out.
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So uh, you know, we don't we don't want to rush.
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Um, rushing isn't it it's not good for me, it's not good for them.
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We want to give them their own personal time, but we don't want to keep them here forever and all day either, because then they're over it.
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So um it's just kind of a fine line.
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Um, you you can't put trust like on a timer, right?
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Uh so it's how fast does your dog builds, you know, with us and how fast are we able to build that trust with them?
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Um makes it it's you know, different people vibe with different dogs.
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So we've got to figure it out.
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And everything's new.
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So how does getting to know a dog's temperament affect the timing of the service?
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Wholeheartedly.
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Um our timing, we tried to get every dog in and out within a four-hour window, which for us uh and our shop with you know our standard operat with what we do, our standard operations uh pretty much allows that with the amount of people that we have in here, the tubs and the the dryers, that kind of thing.
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Um, sometimes it takes us longer, sometimes it takes us less longer.
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Uh the ones that take longer, the dogs that we don't know yet, um, because we don't know what to expect.
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Just because your dog, and I I know we've talked about this before in other episodes, but just because your dog doesn't like something um doesn't mean that we can't do it.
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It just might take us a little longer.
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But once we know what they don't like, usually it's grooming is normal.
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It's just grooming is normal for your pup.
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So um, or a cat for that.
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I mean, we we do a lot of cats.
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New cats take forever.
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Cats that we do all the time, like easy.
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Yeah.
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But that's where the routine comes into play.
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Um, we have a previous podcast on that too of you know, everything's a routine once it gets once we know your dog and your dog knows us, it just becomes second nature for b all of us.
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Yeah.
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Um, kind of like, you know, your hairstylist, if it's a new hairstylist, it's you know, we've got to figure out what you want, what we want, what the client wants, and you know what's gonna be best for everybody involved.
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And um it there's there's a lot that goes into, you know, just getting your haircut done.
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And and that that first time is everybody, not just your, you know, your animals are trying to figure it out, but we're all trying to figure it out and and kind of see, you know, we want to please you and you want your dog to look this way, and we want your dog to be happy, and your dog doesn't want to do certain things.
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So, you know, it's just about an open, clear communication, uh, which is why we have our policies in place.
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And um, then obviously, you know, we make sure that we're always in contact if something else arises or we didn't or weren't able to get it covered at the beginning of the day when you dropped off.
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So, what role does assessing coat condition or previous grooming play in the process?
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That that's one of our biggest.
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Um, I I would say 100%.
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That's one of our top two questions before we even make your appointment.
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If we've never seen your dog before, how long has it been since your last grooming?
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Uh, because if it's been six months, then the next one, you know, we've already known the breed and what kind of dog it is.
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So we have an idea with hair.
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The next one is what kind of haircut did you have?
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Was it long and fluffy or was it short and smooth?
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And if it was short, smooth and it was six months, and are we doing that again?
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No problem.
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If it was long and fluffy and you haven't been in in six months, um there's a we like to set you up for a realistic expectation.
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And a realistic expectation for us is most people do not have the right equipment and combs, brushes, dryers at home to do what we do and get down to the skin and detangle and keep their dogs in untangled good condition for grooming as they're expecting.
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So we set them up for the worst case scenario uh and hopefully we can deliver the best.
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Now that's not for all people.
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We probably No, I will have people surprise me every day.
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Yeah.
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Some people love brushing their dog and they do an amazing job at it.
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So the people who really take the time to do that and do it properly and learned, you know, how to deal with their dog, well, then yeah, again, we're pleasantly surprised.
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Right.
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So that's amazing.
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We're like, okay, great.
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Well, we can do this.
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Um, and and and and that is much easier for everybody.
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But oftentimes, um, for us, that key role is, you know, what kind of haircut did you get before?
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Has it been six weeks?
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Has it been six months?
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Um, you know, do you want to come in every two weeks?
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What kind of a look can you maintain?
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What kind, you know, has there been any, have your blizzard grooming in between there?
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Um, you know, these are all things that we ask even before we make an appointment.
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Once you come in, um, and we can see, I get a lot of uh, you know, we feel we do that seven-point check to make sure there's no mats behind the ears, tail, you know, under the armpits, this the stomach, uh, and we'll explain in great detail why and how we can do what cuts.
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Yeah.
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Um, and you know, how we can move on forward with something either more in line with what they're asking or uh more in line with that what they can handle.
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And sometimes it's hey, I've been sick or hurt my arm.
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And I had one yesterday, had a family friend um groom their dogs and it it was not the best.
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And he wanted these cute little teddy bear heads on his really, really cute little sheep who's and I told him I said, I would love to do those cute big round heads that you want, but it's gonna be a work in progress to get there because they have a lot of really, really short spots that are gonna have to grow out.
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So we'll try our best.
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And they looked cute and they loved it when they picked up, so and it'll grow out.
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I mean, it's hair, it's not, you know, you might not get your desired look right off the bat.
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Yeah.
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But I'll get that.
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Well, those have been such helpful insights.
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Thank you both for breaking down all of that great information for dog parents.
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We'll see you next time on Tale Talk Grooming Chronicles with Hound Therapy.
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That's a wrap for this episode of Tale Talk with Hound Therapy.
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Ready to book your pet's next Groom Daycare Stay or Grooming Academy tour?
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Call us at 469-367-0009.
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That's 469-367-0009 to schedule an appointment or visit us online at www.houndtherapy.com, serving North Texas with expert pet care.
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Until next time, keep those tails waged.