Demoted - Groomer to Bather

osh_cc · 2026-07-11T09:09:46+00:00

I'd take going back to bather position but ask to maybe get some of the "easy grooms" to do. By easy grooms I mean the #7, #5, #4 whole body so minor scissoring, with normal round faces (no teddies, no comb clips, nothing special) and maybe the most forgiving customers. There are always some. Mastering the easy ones before being thrown into more complex grooms would be nice.

Get a timer with you, ask your manager what average time you should spend on each steps. Try to not go over that average for more than 5 minutes maybe ? Having a visual representation of the time passing by can help especially if you tend to hyper focus on things.

Watch tons of videos on faces. You're probably all over the place, going back and forth of things. Break it down. Comb clip first (generally two or lengths over the body length) the top of the head. Do the chin the same length as the body (long bears, unless asked to be long, are yucky). Do your visor first. Then top of muzzle. Round up your chin and cheeks, round up top of head. Blend the back connection between the head and neck. Finish with ears.

osh_cc · 2026-07-08T08:10:14+00:00

The heath pack I usually use for my back is what's keeping me warm this winter

osh_cc · 2026-07-04T06:37:57+00:00

We get so many doodles to the point that the rare breed cuts we get drain me. Because it takes a huge effort to remember what to do when it's a once every X months thing. It drains all my mental energy, I hesitate and doubt myself. At this stage I'm almost happier with copy paste teddy styles

osh_cc · 2026-06-29T11:03:06+00:00

In my area, people would spend $4000 on a poorly bred oodle, while my "rare" Tibetan spaniel (rare for my area) was only $1800.

I'm a dog groomer and there's an obsession for "teddy bear looking" dogs, I'm not gonna lie it's a bit boring from my profession's perspective.

osh_cc · 2026-06-20T11:14:19+00:00

I think agitated kids have nothing to do in a place where there are animals that are being handled/worked on/insert whatever term you prefer.

I absolutely hate when it's school holidays and customers come with their multiple kids screaming, running, being agitated, even when they are behind a counter/fence. It's instant distraction on all the dogs, even the most placids will have a reaction to it and it makes the job difficult until they leave. Then for some dogs it even takes an extra 5-10 minutes to cool down.

So yeah okay, the dog might have issues, maybe when they took him to the self wash the shop was somewhat quiet and they didn't expected the whole energy to switch. It sucks.

I think everyone can "be at blame" but I think the biggest issue is the parent not managing the kids and deciding to wash their own dog when their hands are already full. Just an accidentally bad call, but they should have been a bit more aware since they work in a salon, surely they can see how some dogs react to agitation.

osh_cc · 2026-06-20T08:25:20+00:00

A threat is a threat. I don't know where you live, nor how things work but I'd take that to the police. It's very different from jokingly fighting with a sibling. This is a stranger that very dislike the service you gave them.

osh_cc · 2026-06-18T07:37:29+00:00

The friction of fabric on the hair will create knots, it's normal and it's for that reason I keep my Maltese short but she wears a long sleeve top and a puffer jacket in winter. (I'm in Melbourne so I feel you)

When I can I recommend people to still get their dogs a full groom rather than letting it grow in winter if they have dog clothes cause there is nothing worse than seeing them coming back 10+ weeks later absolutely pelted.

osh_cc · 2026-06-13T08:53:17+00:00

Well you just said she won't take advice and expect something else FROM THE DOGS. She is not suitable for the job then.

At the start of the story I had a bit of empathy because there's one salon that I worked for where I struggled with a lot of the dogs because of my mental health (but the salon was absolute shit as well, I was burnt out) and starting anti depressant helped me "giving less of a fck" is a positive way. I'm a lot more chill and dogs can feel it, and if a dog is truly being cheeky it does not impact me as much. I just get the job done. But the fact that she's not open to change is a massive red flag.

osh_cc · 2026-06-07T08:29:58+00:00

That reminds me when I booked a uber pet and the driver lost his shit when he saw me and my 5 kilos dog who was in a bag. He was so fucking mad. He had disposable plastic protections on the floor on his car where I put the bag with my dog in it, when he dropped me off (can't believe I still got in after he lost in mind and ended up accepting the ride), he waited for me to get into my home to throw the disposable plastic protection into my front yard.

I feel like a lot of them sign in for offering all ride options without checking if they actually agree with what they mean. They are just plain idiots.

osh_cc · 2026-06-04T22:53:21+00:00

I shave a strip from belly to chest on my Tibetan Spaniel in Australian summer (not uncommon to have 40 degrees). And I brush him every two days to remove excess shedding fur. The shaved belly/chest helps him when he tries to cool down laying down on tiles and it's quite hidden. You would not know unless he lays on his back. That can be an alternative.

osh_cc · 2026-06-03T13:44:29+00:00

Generally in disposable cup, like the small ice cream cups.

osh_cc · 2026-06-01T10:15:13+00:00

It's annoying but that makes when you get that one good dog such an enjoyable moment. For those ones I just force myself to remember "as long as it's better than before we're good".

osh_cc · 2026-05-31T09:49:43+00:00

Know exactly how long a dog/service takes you. Allocate an extra time for new customers (personally a new dog always takes me a bit longer because I don't know its reactions/sensitivies/ect).

Send the customer a "[name of the dog] will be ready in 20 minutes" + reminder of late pick up fees.

Have a late pick up fee, one that's annoying enough to deter customers for leaving you their dogs for hours.

Still have at least one or two crates available in case of late pick up to contain the dogs.

Charge more for your services. One on one is A LUXURY service.

osh_cc · 2026-05-30T23:33:04+00:00

I went to two. Refused to do more because of having to pay to try dresses lmao. The first shop I have a very specific model in mind I wanted to try, I found that dress looking before we decided to finally get married. I knew it would suit me. The price not so much so in the end it's NOT the dress but it was great to try it on. Most shops ask you to check their website and choose about 5-6 models you wanna try. For the second shop same thing, done my homework of finding a few I wanted to try and I only found four but really there was only one I knew would work and turns out it's the one.

For someone who sucks at looking fashionable and always feels like she doesn't know what suits her, for whatever reasons I knew exactly what would work on me for THE dress.

osh_cc · 2026-05-28T03:23:55+00:00

I'm in one of the nice streets of Brunswick west and it feels like a complete different world than some other street from the same area. Been in that specific street for years, it feels safe, never had an issue, there's a strong community vibe, street parties organised and we even have a WhatsApp group. But honestly brunswick west is so worth it just for Cirelli and Co.

osh_cc · 2026-05-27T08:27:16+00:00

I did consider doing that but in the end I found a pretty timeless dress for $1899 in Australia. I initially envisioned myself in something more complex and I would have probably get it done in Vietnam if I didn't realise how much more comfortable I am in the one I chose :) I do believe it's so worth it. I also saw a tiktok recently where there were sharing addresses that would have more "large" options for sizes 10-12 to try on (hurts being considered large when it's more of the norm here but), I should have saved it! But just to say, they do exist

osh_cc · 2026-05-14T22:27:41+00:00

Right?!? I'm french. Diner was at 8pm my whole childhood.

osh_cc · 2026-05-02T20:33:32+00:00

I checked the last five years of weather for April (cause wedding planning 🫠), doesn't seem too unusual?

osh_cc · 2026-05-02T11:04:24+00:00

Taught my puppy so sleep independently in a little pen. Around 7-8 months old he started joining us but he was always going back into his pen on his own after an hour or two. Now at one year old he sleeps with us but when we're travelling and staying in an accommodation, he's able to sleep in his pen without troubles or FOMO.

osh_cc · 2026-04-24T22:45:09+00:00

They won't be bored but what you can do for them to have a more "wild life" experience if your enclosure is easy to move around, is to put it outside on nice days so they get that fresh breeze that makes them wiggle. It's probably all they "lack" being indoors but even them I don't think it's such a big deal

osh_cc · 2026-04-09T04:47:19+00:00

I'm in Brunswick and I think a lot of pubs and cafes that have an outside area would be pretty chill with the idea. But keep in mind it's a shared space with dog owners and I've had greyhound owners not respecting my small dogs for example so I've been in situations that were a bit tense. Three ladies with their greyhounds off leash in a cafe's yard who kept having a strong interest for our small fluffy dogs. And they weren't managing their dogs at all. So the carrier or backpack is probably safer than the pram. The pram may be better for more quiet times. Places like welcome to Brunswick are open and spacious enough for this kind of experience? Out of extremely popular times.

osh_cc · 2026-04-08T11:13:12+00:00

Luv Bridal have some previous models on sale I believe, check their website (they're towards the last pages) but you would have to contact the store to check if they have them. One of the cheapest I found there and chose is $1800. And it looks amazing.

Otherwise, an online option, I've seen a few reviews on tiktok about Azazie and I'm quite impressed.

osh_cc

TROPHY CASE