Groomer Truths; The Funniest Things Pet Owners Say At The Grooming Table

“He doesn’t bite.” “I brushed him this morning.” “He’s a rescue.” If you’ve ever dropped your dog off for a groom, you’ve probably said something like this or heard it in the lobby. We’re Shannon and Tanya from Hound Therapy in North Texas, and we’re pulling back the curtain on the unforgettable things clients say behind the grooming table and what we wish we heard instead.

We laugh through the classics, but we also get real about why these lines matter. A dog who’s angels-at-home can panic in a grooming salon the second nails, dryers, tables, or separation enter the picture. We talk about bite risk, why tiny dogs can be the toughest grooms, and how breed stereotypes can distract from what actually keeps pets and groomers safe. Our “humanity over vanity” motto shows up here: life gets busy, coats get matted, and honesty helps us choose the kindest, safest plan for your dog.

We also break down the fastest way to get the haircut you want without frustration. “Do whatever you want” sounds easy, but it usually means mismatched expectations. We share better ways to communicate length, shape, and style, why AI reference photos can mislead, and the intake questions that help us set a realistic grooming plan based on coat condition, temperament, schedule, and budget.

If you want calmer drop-offs, safer grooms, and results you can actually maintain, hit play. Then subscribe, share with a fellow dog parent, and leave a review with the funniest grooming comment you’ve ever heard.

To learn more about Hound Therapy visit:
https://www.HoundTherapy.com
Hound Therapy
3509 E Park Blvd.
Plano, TX
469-367-0009

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:03

Welcome to Tale Talk Grooming Chronicles with Health Therapy, the podcast where we talk all things pet grooming, daycare, academy, and more. Hosted by Shannon and Tanya of House Therapy, serving pet owners across North Texas. We're here to share expert tips, hilarious pet stories, and the inside scoop on keeping your furry friends happy and healthy. Our motto, humanity over vanity. And don't worry, we don't fight. Let's get started.

SPEAKER_01 0:39

From hilarious misunderstandings to the kind of comments that only a groomer could hear with a straight face. Today, Tanya and Shannon share the unforgettable things clients say behind the grooming table. Welcome back, everyone. I'm Sophia Yvette, co-host and producer, back in the studio with Shannon and Tanya, professional groomers at Hound Therapy. Hi, ladies. I know you both must be excited to get into this one, huh? We are, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 1:13

Be surprised. Great, great.

SPEAKER_01 1:17

Well, ladies, I know you've heard it all. The sweet, the surprising, and the downright unbelievable. So let's dive right in. Tell us about how clients say the darnest things.

SPEAKER_02 1:30

Oh Lord. So every day is a new day, and people just assume that this is our first day doing this, I think. I mean, it's kind of like, you know, it's your lie, you can tell it any way you want, because we really don't care. I mean, we're we're focused on the bottom, on the bottom line grooming. Like what do you want and what's um a reasonable expectation of how we can get you there? Um, but for whatever reason, and it's it's been like this for 20, 30 years, as long as I've been in this business, clients maybe it's a shame thing, or maybe it's, you know, they they don't want to admit that, hey, look, got out of hand, or uh, and those are things that we understand. Like if you came and said, hey, look, you know, I I've had some stuff going on and life has been hard, uh, I haven't brushed my dog. And my dog is mad at. You know, I I I would appreciate that more than I would too, even if you just said, Hey, look, um, I didn't want to brush my dog, so I didn't, and uh, I'm willing to pay the consequences, do whatever's best for my dog. Instead, this is what we hear. Um, I just brushed my dog today, just this morning. And you can clearly look at this dog and and see it hasn't been brushed I don't know, in six months. Um, I love oh I just found this dog. Yeah, he's a he's a rescue. I just got him. Um well we did you last year too. Did you find him again? My favorite is my favorite he doesn't bite. Yeah, that's a good one.

SPEAKER_03 3:06

He would never bite. He doesn't like his nails touched.

Bite Warnings And Breed Myths

SPEAKER_02 3:10

Well, none of them do. You know, I mean, these are obvious things. So instead of um, you know, maybe just mention, let's try to mention, um, and realize that, you know, groomers, I do think that there are a lot of groomers out there um that will not do a dog for a lot of reasons, right? And a lot of those are their stereotypical, you know, uh, I'm not doing a chow, I'm not going to do um, you know, uh a terrier's nails, I'm not going to be doing cats, I'm not gonna do German shepherds, you know, or what I'm not, we never do pit bulls in here. You know, those are all things that we do. Uh, and I understand that people that have those kinds of dogs might have a little bit of something to shy away from when first introducing their dogs because they're stereotypical of, you know, they have a an already reputation in their breed uh to not be easy dogs to do temperament-wise. That said, you come in here with a little chihuahua in a tutu, and it takes five of us to get a muzzle on them or to get them up on a table, or to take them away from the owner, and then that dog still bites you through the muzzle and poops himself, and then he's all over you. I mean, that's the owner that says, My dog is very sweet, she's so good at it. No, you're not at home. You're you're getting groomed. So at the grimming shop, your dog is bad. Just say that. This way we can better be prepared.

SPEAKER_03 4:52

And especially here, we will we will tell you truth truth to truth. Like he bites for this, this, and this, or they're not the best for this. And I mean, we're honest with you. A lot of I have found a lot that a lot of grimmers won't say that to the pet parent. It's like Fluffy did fantastic today and send them on their way. When Fluffy tried to bite five people, or Fluffy tried to jump off the table several times. Like it I will tell you every time. Like Fluffy does not do well for this. Yes.

SPEAKER_02 5:25

Please pass that on. If you move, if you leave, if you never come here again, just let the person moving forward. You don't want to have somebody get bit because of your dog, but it's just own it.

unknown 5:36

Right?

SPEAKER_02 5:36

If your dog's bad just to own it, like yeah, I have I I mean, we have a lady that came in yesterday and she was so nervous for us, like for us to not get bit. Because her dog, what did she say? He's good until he's not. Those were her words. And she put a uh like a big, like an over, like a huge muzzle on this dog covers his nose, his face. Like we ended up taking the muzzle off and putting on just a loose, soft cloth muzzle, and we were able to grim him with no problems. He didn't love it. I'm not in the world. He wasn't the best, but he's definitely not the worst. Those and and the owners that admit that, their dogs are usually way better than they think they are. It's the it's the hey, oh, he just doesn't like men. Um, we have men in here all the time touching your dogs, and I get that, you know, that might be something that's at your house, but it's usually associated with something other than all men. It's, you know, certain men or a height or somebody that wears a ball cap or something like that.

AI Haircuts And Vague Requests

SPEAKER_03 6:36

I used to have a dog where it was um she didn't like people with bright blue eyes, like a light ice blue eyes. Yeah. It was something in some part of her life. It triggered her, and she just didn't trust them or like them. So usually it it's deeper than and then we get the hey, can can you do this to my dog?

SPEAKER_02 6:55

And they're showing me an AI photo. Uh, I get a lot of do whatever you want.

SPEAKER_03 6:59

That one's my favorite too. Do whatever you want or do what you think is best.

SPEAKER_02 7:04

Never met you before. Never seen your dog. I don't know what you like, but you want me to do what I want. I mean, you don't know what I like either. I like short. And your short and my short are two different shorts. So I mean, we just and it's it would be uh we're not trying to down anybody that comes in or if your dogs have these, because you know, there are certain dogs that do have certain things that people are very specific about and they're right. Um, but when we we do, I hear this at least three or four times a day. Uh these are phrases that every I hear them on the phone for a new appointment. I hear them for almost every new dog that comes in. Uh my dog's a rescue. Great. If it was rescued in the last six months, that's good information for me. If he was rescued nine years ago and has been loving with you, I don't care. I mean, we want to help him, but it's not gonna change how his personality is right now or how we how we are gonna be able to introduce new things to him. If you already know that he's bad for him, then we'll we'll approach him in that way, which would give him a much better sense of a grooming experience with us.

SPEAKER_01 8:17

So, Shannon, what questions are helpful for you to know when you intake new dogs?

SPEAKER_02 8:24

So, questions that we ask is how long has it been between groomings? Uh is does your it are you able to touch your dogs at home? How long have you had your dog? Um what what kind of cut do you want realistically? Show me a picture of your dog that you had. I don't care if it's, you know, 10 years ago or five years ago, as long as the dog is the same weight and height, right? Like I can't, I can't go back and turn him into 12 weeks old, but we can go back and discuss visually what I think that you're wanting and visually what I think I'm going to be able to give you.

SPEAKER_03 9:02

If there's something in that haircut that you didn't like, say that. Like I didn't like the head that was a big bobble head. Say that.

SPEAKER_02 9:09

Yeah, we get, um, the last groomer just really botched it up. How? How did they botch it up? Like what specifically did you not like? Um, you know, what did they do that that because we don't want to repeat that. Um, and it may, it may not have been something that the groomer did intentionally or on purpose. Um, or uh it sometimes it is. Sometimes it's, hey, look, you know, I like this cut that's done, you know, wrong with, you know, a hard line here or these weird little ears or boots. You know, this is what I did like. And that's not something that we typically do, but we'll do that for you if that's something that you want done. Um, but that doesn't mean that, you know, we're gonna, we're not gonna automatically do that unless you tell us you like it or don't like it. So the information, almost knowing what you don't want is is is just as helpful. And then knowing how often you want to come in, what is your maintenance? What do you want to be here every four weeks? Do you want to make this last, you know, uh throughout your budget? Do you have an infinite amount of money to spend on your dog and you want it to look good every two weeks? There's a lot of different, we try to get to know you, your lifestyle, and what's what's going to be the best for your update.

SPEAKER_01 10:19

Thank you so much, ladies. It sounds like it really just comes down to communication, communication, communication.

Own It, Communicate, And Book

SPEAKER_02 10:27

Own time and own it. Just own it. Own what you got. Love it anyway. But we all we all we don't always have time to sit and brush. Uh I can't even brush my own hair some days. So I totally understand if life got away from you and you didn't. I understand if you didn't brush your dog every day. Outside two weeks and, you know, of brushing out your your your dog or it went to your sisters or your mother-in-law's or you know, whatever it is. We get it. Yeah, we understand.

SPEAKER_01 10:57

Wow. Well, thank you, ladies, so much for sharing those jumps with us today. I think our listeners are laughing right along with us with this one. We'll see everyone next time for the next episode.

SPEAKER_00 11:13

That's a wrap for this episode of Tale Talk with Hound Therapy. Ready to book your pet's next groom daycare stay or grooming academy tour? Call us at 469-367-0009. That's 469-367-0009. To schedule an appointment or visit us online at www.houndtherapy.com, serving North Texas with expert pet care. Until next time, keep those tails whacked.