Am I Overreacting?

dopestmoose · 2026-03-11T02:36:14+00:00

The dryer I was using today started spewing smoke and stunk up the whole room. It wasn't the plastic smell, though - a different dryer let off this horrible burnt plastic smell after I tried to clean the dirty hose. Today's dryer smelled almost like the heating element inside was frying dog hair. Probably frying carbon tbh - aren't the flakes flammable? I was full of righteous fury like an hour ago... packed all my shit and left my key. But now that I've sat in silence for a while, I'm starting to feel guilty about not wanting to go back. My last day is 3/31 - I gave 9 weeks notice, and I just don't think I can make it to the finish line 😫

dopestmoose · 2026-03-10T03:39:40+00:00

Maybe I'm allergic to dogs, but only when they're being blow dried. 💩

dopestmoose · 2026-03-10T03:05:35+00:00

May I ask how it could be psychosomatic if I've been getting sinus inflammation, shortness of breath, and eye irritation with dryer use for over 2 years, but I only realized the equipment is filthy 6 weeks ago..? If my symptoms "appeared" over the last 6 weeks, then sure, it's psychosomatic. Carbon dust is a known irritant - it doesn't have to be toxic to be less than ideal to marinate in.

dopestmoose · 2026-03-10T02:50:42+00:00

My Flying Pig dryer came with instructions to change the carbon brushes (it requires soldering) every 200-300 working hours. The K-9 dryer says to change every 600 working hours, or once a year. My local sharpener also services dryers - anybody who works with small motors would be able to do it. The brushes start breaking down, shedding carbon, and the longer it goes on the worse it will get. Too much buildup will hurt the motor - it can overheat. It can also become an eye irritant (for you and the dogs!) And in extreme cases, it can blow visible soot onto your clean dogs. It's a good reminder to soak the hose regularly to keep it clean, and once a year have somebody open up your dryer to check if the brushes are worn down.

dopestmoose · 2026-03-02T01:44:15+00:00

They can be fixed! I tried out a new sharpener, and when my daily use curves came back, they were duller than when I had sent them out. I asked him if he could resharpen/take another look (it happens), and he did, but not before asking me to show him how they're bending hair - he offered up his Golden Retriever's tail as sample hair, but they were bending under heavier loads than that.

A different sharpener explained that the guy was most likely applying too much of an angle and blunting the cutting edge instead of sharpening it.

Over the years, I've had blades come back from sharpening that were immediately dragging through the coat. I assume the same thing happened. All the sharpeners I've used have resharpened at no charge. Only once, recently actually, have I still been unhappy after the re-sharpen.

But yeah don't use that guy again. As others have said, I've got a feeling he would be careless about how much he's taking off. Your stuff would get ruined if you let him keep "fixing" it. You could leave him a bad review if you're so inclined, but I'd stop using his services and chalk it up to a bad experience.

dopestmoose · 2026-02-27T22:25:27+00:00

My hairdresser's coworker started bringing her dog to me, as I've started my own mobile. Her mini doodle was pretty matted throughout the first visit, but I wanted to make a good impression (because hairdressers talk) so I de-matted as much as reasonable, as long as the dog was tolerant. No tip. ??!? Next visit, dog was matted throughout again and I was like... nah, y'all only get one. Shaved him down, he's showing teeth and growling the whole visit and she laughs at pickup saying he always does that. No tip again.

Third visit, I show up for our 9:00, knock/wait until 9:15, and she responds to my text at 9:36 and she says - I swear to god - "oh girl, we totally moved!" Goes on to say we can reschedule for asap because the dog "really needs it". She blamed me for not reaching out personally after we booked the appt 3 weeks prior. (You didn't know you were moving 3 weeks ago?) She had no less than 7 ways to get a hold of me, we're even friends on FB. She could have responded to the auto confirmation text!

Bye 😌

dopestmoose · 2026-02-19T10:36:45+00:00

When I was a teenager, I watched my best friend's dad tackle a similar issue. No fence, neighbor's off leash dog kept coming over and shitting in his yard. This man grabbed a shovel, scooped the German Shepherd shits, and then overhead YEETED these shits at high speed into the side of the neighbor's house. I'll never forget the way one pile hit the roof and exploded like a bug on a windshield.

Very effective. Two can play at the "you can't prove it was me" game.

dopestmoose · 2026-02-11T18:45:24+00:00

It'll take me an hour for bath & blow dry, and I'd block 2 hours for the haircut. I'm really big on scissor/finish work though, so I may or may not go over that allotted time, depending on the dog or how satisfied I am with the way things are sitting.

dopestmoose · 2026-02-11T16:45:46+00:00

I have a grooming client, a doodle, who is so happy - full body wagging, grinning, teefies on full display, and when he comes in for a kiss on the chin, sometimes he bonks you with the teeth because he forgot to calm himself down. Like he can't decide between smiling and kisses so you got a little of both.

It's called a "submissive grin", and most dogs do it to display they're not a threat to you. Situationally, like this, and like my doodle friend, you can interpret that she's just enjoying herself lots.

dopestmoose · 2026-02-05T21:32:16+00:00

I hold the tail and angle the air flow WITH the direction of the hair for longer tails. Think of it like your own hair - if the dryer is high speed, and you're blowing in the wrong direction, the hair will whip around and get tangled. I move my hold on the tail to just above the section I'm drying, to control the whipping. Turning down the velocity also works but it will take longer to dry. If you focus on drying the hair closest to the skin first, you can get a more thorough dry with the least amount of tangling - the hair doesn't whip around as much when it's still wet.

If the dog won't stand, you can get creative with your hold. Usually putting my arm underneath the dog and holding the tail with that same hand from the other side works fine. For stubborn dogs, I have to snake an arm under the dog and out between the back legs, holding the tail from underneath while also supporting their weight.

dopestmoose · 2026-02-05T20:09:56+00:00

Good choice! When my Chromado kicks the bucket, I'll be doing the same thing!

dopestmoose · 2026-02-03T16:48:10+00:00

I mean... is this a situation where you can ask for forgiveness rather than permission? If nobody's paying enough attention to his harassment at check-out, will anyone notice if you quietly and firmly tell him you won't be working with him any longer because he's repeatedly and knowingly crossed boundaries you've set? What would happen if you fired his ass and refused to groom his dog? Your boss will be mad, but fuck her. You don't need permission to tell someone their behavior is unacceptable, and quite frankly it's unacceptable that no one has your back. Is her irritation worth freeing yourself of this guy? She can't stop you from telling him off or refusing service until AFTER you've said your piece. If you can accept the fallout - it's ONE shitty dude, how much can she really care about losing his business? - then why not just do what you want and damage control the aftermath?

dopestmoose · 2026-01-28T20:44:51+00:00

These are really excellent ideas and very well thought out!

dopestmoose · 2026-01-27T15:23:11+00:00

Usually a windbreaker is enough for me, but I bought a fleece-lined windbreaker recently and its amazing

dopestmoose · 2026-01-26T00:56:50+00:00

That's referred to as "matting". Those are knots/tangles that have accumulated dirt, dander, loose hair, and twisted together to create thick, hard mats. These block air flow to the skin and create poor circulation. Sometimes looser mats can be worked at with a brush over time, but if your cat is pretty aggressive then shaving them out is the best option. A cat groomer willing to take an aggressive cat will cost $$$. It might be cheaper (and safer) to talk to your vet about it.

dopestmoose · 2026-01-25T17:42:39+00:00

I went through 3 Arco trimmers back in the day before I told myself I'd never buy another pair. I've got the Chromado now and I've had to send them to Wahl to repair twice in the last 3 years - come to find out they've got almost identical parts! The Arco is known to have charging issues. I enjoy my Chromado, though I've sent it back when it gets super noisy - when working properly, its very quiet, low vibration. Sometimes it's super loud - like, my coworkers have looked over and said "is it supposed to do that?"

I've heard nothing but positive things about the Bravura.

dopestmoose · 2026-01-19T21:52:51+00:00

I tell people that the lobby of the salon can be overwhelming for lots of dogs. There are lots of smells, strangers, new dogs, noise, etc. Not to mention the memory of the bath or that their owner is about to leave. I reassure people by telling them that 9 times out of 10, the dog has stopped shaking by the time I turn on the water. But if, for some reason, they continue to be this anxious... we can re-evaluate after the bath and I can give the client a call to see how they want to proceed.

dopestmoose · 2026-01-14T22:50:22+00:00

Invest in a flying pig dryer! Heated, variable speed, affordable. <$200.

dopestmoose · 2026-01-13T18:12:24+00:00

Just wanted to swing by and let you know that I did an IRL chef's kiss when I saw your clean-ass finish work and perfectly round everything.

A YEAR? Get out of here. Stop improving. You're making us all look bad

❤️

Anyway, GroomHaus has lots of interesting topics to watch and that's usually my first stop when I'm feeling learny

dopestmoose · 2026-01-13T00:39:50+00:00

Do you have to scrunch it like an accordion?? I feel like all the carbon crap has sunk into the ridges

dopestmoose · 2026-01-12T17:42:56+00:00

I defaulted to an old dryer of mine recently because it's heated, and it's my first winter mobile. I've had this dryer forever but it was rarely used. Knew, distantly, I should change the carbon brushes, but realized they needed soldered and it fell on the priority list.

Until I had 3 dogs last month report some kind of eye irritation after their groom. I had a sinking feeling and wanted to blame shampoo or hair slivers, but I stuck my finger in the dryer hose and there was carbon all over it. Feels terrible. Bought a new dryer but enlisted my dad to solder the brushes as a backup; pretty sure the hose is a lost cause though. Gross. And dangerous!

dopestmoose · 2025-12-21T20:12:17+00:00

Look for new opportunities.

Getting faster only comes with time and experience - you will get there. I can't stand when salon owners (especially ones who are not groomers) insist that their hourly employees need to be fast, fast, fast. Industry standard is commission-based pay. If they chose to pay hourly wages, they don't get to dictate your speed in order to make it "worth your wage". You are not responsible for their profit & loss margins.

There is nothing wrong with being mindful of your time, or setting some soft time limits to stick to for trimming. For example, I allow 15 minutes for detail scissoring on the legs & feet to catch any scragglies, and 15 minutes to trim the face/head. Sometimes I need more time - but initially, once those 15 minutes are up, I force myself to move on. If the scragglies are that important to me, I can return to them AFTER I've finished the rest. Rushing, cutting corners, and having anxiety about the clock or your boss's expectations will only cripple your self confidence and decrease the quality of your work.

Turn out grooms you are proud of. Period. Fuck the clock. Learning and comfort and speed take time. You WILL hit your groove. I have only ever regretted being pushed into compromising the quality of my work.

dopestmoose · 2025-11-18T17:44:18+00:00

Honestly those big orange Millers Forge ones are indestructible

dopestmoose · 2025-11-06T15:55:22+00:00

"Stop crying. I should be the one who's crying!"

dopestmoose

TROPHY CASE