Tick tock tick tock tempus fugit!!!

It's 9.45am and I'm meandering in to the salon with my coffee quickly glancing and ignoring the amount of towels that need washing and drying and wondering if we have enough clean ones for the day of dogs that we have in today. I peruse the diary and see that there is quite a few dogs in and I quickly organise the day in my head and allocate the dogs to each groomer. All in my head. The day works. The diary is set up to allow certain times for each groom. Everything is going to be fabulous. At 10am the phone rings and it's the first client of the day informing us that they are going to be 10 mins late. My heart sinks, 10 mins means 20 usually and my technologically advanced, all singing all dancing computerised booking system doesn't allow for lateness or traffic. In my head I weigh up the times and work out if I can make up time on a dog without putting its welfare at risk and I decide that 15 mins is the absolute maximum otherwise they will have to rebook. I tell the customer this in my best 'I've been there sister' way. (I have been there, I'm not perfect although you would be forgiven for thinking I am...ahem). Anyway. They turn up 25 mins late and I have a huge battle with myself as to wether I can complete their old English sheep dog in in 45 mins. The owner is looking desperate and is pleading with me. Then she says those fatal words...."oh come on, it will only take you a minute, how hard can it be??" That's it, my mind is made up and there is nothing I can do about it. I cannot groom the dog today. 

Dog grooming is a skill, it is not something to be rushed. A sharp pair of scissors and a wriggly dog is not an unskilled pastime and certainly not something that can be rushed to placate an annoyed customer. It takes as long as it takes. Each dog and dog groomer is different and has different speeds to safely work at and this must be understood by our customers. Most of mine do understand this and I love them for it.

So here's the thing...

....

As annoying as it is for the owners,  we have to look out for the dogs in our care. We have to make sure that they are safe and comfortable whilst they spend time with us. We aren't there for the owners, we are there for their four legged friend and we can only do what we can do. It's a pair of scissors not a magic wand and we get them from Simpsons not oleanders!!! 

At the end of the day...it's dog hair!!! Yes it pays my mortgage and it's hugely important to me and my family but we aren't treating advanced stage cancer. The cut can wait a day or two so that everything can be done safely and in a professional manner. The absolute best thing that you can do as an owner is brush your dog so that it doesn't get to the stage of being an emergency for the poor dog in 28• heat. 

It's wise to remember that we don't want to cancel any appointments, that's how we get paid. If we cancel we lose money. But we would rather cancel than put your dog in any in necessary danger whilst in our care. 

Groomers love dogs and want them to look beautiful. They are proud of the looks that they can achieve, they are creative artistic people that want what is best for fido and also they want to impress you with their skills. 

Give them the time to show you!!!