The Hard Conversations Pet Owners Avoid

Your groomer isn’t “just” giving your dog a haircut. We’re hands-on with the parts you rarely examine and we can spot the quiet red flags that hide under the coat: new lumps and bumps, irritated skin, tear stains that hint at allergies, nail problems, weight changes, and even signs your dog may be in pain. That’s why the uncomfortable conversations matter. They’re not judgment. They’re protection.

We share the hard truths many pet owners don’t want to hear and how to reframe them as useful, loving information. We talk about matting versus tangles, what dematting can put a dog through, and the small details that make a big safety difference at check-in like recent vet visits, dental work, medication changes, or an IV site you forgot to mention. When we communicate early, we can adjust handling, reduce stress, and prevent avoidable problems for both dogs and groomers.

We also tackle the hardest topic head-on: biting. A sweet dog at home can react in a busy grooming environment, and pretending it never happens sets everyone up for failure. We explain why triggers matter, how owners can share past experiences (especially with rescues or dogs who’ve struggled at other shops), and how a good grooming plan builds trust without rushing straight to sedation. If you care about safe dog grooming, coat care, and better behavior outcomes, this one’s for you. Subscribe, share with a fellow pet owner, and leave a review telling us: what’s the one thing you wish your groomer would always say out loud?

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

Transcript

Welcome And Why Honesty Matters

SPEAKER_01 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 Health 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_00 0:39

Some grooming topics are uncomfortable but necessary. Today, Shannon and Tanya walk us through the honest conversations that protect dogs, support groomers, and prevent avoidable problems. Welcome back, everyone. I'm Sophia Yvette, co-host and producer back in the studio with professional groomers at Hound Therapy, Shannon and Tanya. Hi, ladies, great to be back with you today. Now, let's talk about the hard conversations pet owners avoid. What are some of these conversations you wish owners would know sooner, would have sooner, and why do they matter so much?

What Groomers Notice Under The Coat

SPEAKER_02 1:20

Well, I mean, let's start with your grimmer notices a lot of things that you may not. Um, we have an up close and personal view. Um, and things that are hard to hear is that your dog is in pain, or hey, your dog might be a little overweight, or your dog looks really skinny, or oh, your dog is very smelly. Have you looked at his skin lately? You know, um some of the ways and things that we see may not come across as, you know, an easy conversation uh to have or to hear and and and may feel like you know, we're coming at you uh in in an indirect kind of a way or or trying to be, you know, rude or say that you're not doing something correct. We're really just doing it for honest communication so that we can protect your dog. And I mean and we're not trying to judge you. Um that is the last thing that we want to do. We we handle your dog's entire body. So and usually pet owners don't. Um that's just not something people do day to day. So we will notice changes in their that are hidden underneath the coat. So we will feel the lumps, the bumps, the warts, things like that. And usually we'll come to you and be like, hey, you might want to get this seen by, you know, your vet. Yeah. I mean, if we uh sometimes it's hey, we we we hit a mole, um, and you know, we took it, we didn't the mole wasn't there, you know, six six weeks ago, eight weeks ago. Um, the dogs that come on a regular basis more often, um, you know, they're a little bit easier. But even with those, if we notice uh an average, uh a more than average tear stain or goop between the eyes, you know, we'll say, hey, look, you might it's time for an allergy pill. You're like, oh gosh, you're right. I forgot to give, you know, my allergy pulse today. Uh or you know, it's it's we just we notice that. And it's if we say something, uh, if your dog has lost weight, you might be like, you know, well, I thought it did, but I look, you know, I see him every day. Well, it, you know, it's cause for alarm. Or even the flip side of your dog has gained a lot of weight. Um, that could equally just be as bad. And it's never meant as an attack on you or your dog, it's simply to protect them. And and matting, you know, if we see matting or tangles, if if we see it every single time you come, we usually won't continuously educate you for um, but we do want you to understand what matting is, what tangling is and how they're different, um, what it is that we have to do to get it out, what your dog has to endure to get them out. You know, is it going to be excessive? Is it a minor problem? Um, so we believe that having those conversations with you is really more of an educational value because this is our job. It's not your job. Uh, and we want you to be as informed as possible and give you some recommendations and things that you can do so that it can be easier for us, for you, and for your dog moving forward. So it's definitely it, they're definitely no, no judgments. Um, it's just more of a, hey, we noticed this, we saw this. And sometimes we'll call and the forgot to tell you, my dog went to the vet uh and uh she almost died last week. So we had to we forgot to mention that. Well, uh we that would have been good information at check-in. Uh we'll notice that the front paw has been shaved down and it looks like an IV. Sometimes it's just a tooth cleaning, but you know, if if something has happened, your groomer needs to know. Yeah, let's communicate that both ways. Communication works two ways. Um, dog's weight affecting our groom, you know, lifting up and down, those are things that, you know, that that will those are minor things. Lumps and bumps, cysts and moles, if they're in a bad spot or a location that you may not be checking, you know, around a rear in front of an eye, on a toe or joint. Um, if we see that the dog's having mobility problems, we might mention those things to you too. Um, even if they're small, we try to mention them to you.

SPEAKER_00 5:12

What about the most common hard truth owners struggle

The Hard Truth About Biting

SPEAKER_00 5:16

to hear about their dog's coat or behavior?

SPEAKER_02 5:19

Oh, that nobody likes to hear their dog's a biter. No, nobody likes that. And there's no good way. Well, there's probably a nicer way to say it than I do, but I believe in honesty and I'm pretty upfront. And and I don't care that your dog bites uh or be he's nervous or scared. I mean, I care because we want to do something about him, but um, we'll do it regardless. So it's it's we're not saying we can't do it. We're just saying we might need to do this in a different way. But nobody, I I mean, nobody likes to hear uh or feel bad about dropping their dog off uh at your groomers or the vets, knowing that somebody might also have to go to the doctor after seeing you. Um so I that's probably I know if it were my dog, I'd be like, what do you mean she bit you? She's never, you know, she's the nicest dog. Well, you can have the nicest, sweetest dog at home. This is a different environment. And, you know, most things happen out of reaction uh for a dryer, another dog, an environment, you know, a location. There's a a lot of different things going on here that your dog may react to differently than they do at home. Um there are some genuine owners who I think don't know that. Uh, because groomers are afraid to say, hey, uh if you pick up your dog and you're a groomer every single time, it's just like, oh my god, your dog is so sweet. It was so that is a lie. If they were secretly in the back fighting with it the whole time. Right. Your dog is usually pretty good and nice, but every once in a blue moon, you'll your groomers should say, I don't know what's going on with your dog today, but she just wasn't feeling it. She just gets sitting down, she seemed really tired. You know, they don't want to, they don't they don't really discuss that because nobody really wants to hear that, right? We do, um, just because we feel like it's good information. And if your dog is sitting down a lot more or more tired, there could be a really logical explanation, or it might be an underlying problem that's going on that you don't know about, or you might have noticed at home. So without the conversation, you know, we're never gonna know. And sometimes it may not be behavioral. Sometimes they could legitimately be in pain as well. Yeah. Yeah. Like we've noticed this, or we've noticed that, and uh, or we found uh, you know, a nail that was broken in the carpet, or you know, this nail has grown in, so be cautious of this particular foot. So I mean it's just there's a lot of a lot of things that that can be hard to hear. I would say biting is the number one. Yeah. Um, you know, like that nobody everybody feels bad. Uh and then for us, you shouldn't. I mean, it's it's we take on that risk. It's something that we do. And dogs bite, all dogs bite. My dog, the sweetest dog in the entire world. She is capable of biting. She can bite. That's you know. I always tell people if it has teeth, it can bite you. Yeah, it's it it happens. Uh so we're we've signed up for it. It's good. Um, and and and you have signed up for being as honest and truthful as possible. If I know your dog doesn't like something, I can approach your dog in a different way with other skills that I've learned to put your dog more at ease uh and to put you more at ease so that we don't have, you know, an issue and your dog has a good experience.

How Owners Should Share Triggers

SPEAKER_00 8:31

So, Shannon and Tanya, how can owners better communicate their dog's triggers or past experiences to you guys?

SPEAKER_02 8:41

I would say most people that um have had a problem before, they almost immediately they will say, Do you do this? And it's because they've been corrected before. Um, dogs that have it if it's a new puppy to you, you wouldn't know. Um if it's just a rescue dog, I usually those are keywords. I've just rescued my dog. My my next question then is last year, six weeks ago, or have you had the dog seven years? Because seven years is not a just rescued dog. No. That is a dog that is fully yours and should have well-behaved manners. But if you've just picked up an animal, most people are very forthcoming with that. They're a little shy about saying, hey, look, you know, my dog might have a problem with this or might have a problem with that. Is that something that you can handle? And, you know, our answer is you almost always, yes, it is. Other people are just straight out out front and they're just like, so my dog was kicked out, and uh, I need to find a place that will accept him because he's a jerk. Um and I had a client that uh we actually do now, and his dog bit the groomer. They they kicked him out and then he he bit him a few days later. And he's like, they won't take him back, and I can't do this on my own. So can you take him? And no one's like, of course we can. He's actually not that bad of a dog. So, you know, usually it's it's most people are forthcoming. Um, and and whether they are forthcoming just super abruptly and direct, uh, my dog's been fired from five group shops, you know. Uh, you know, it's it's it's it is what it is. Uh, they've still got to get done. Uh, we would still try to do it without sedation. We would still try to do it without medication. Uh, you know, we're not a vet's office. Uh, we don't want to to add any kind of medical procedures if unnecessary. And uh we can 99% of the time do the dog uh and get them used to grooming. Uh and we usually can tell from an owner's being, I would say apprehensive way of asking. Yes. You know, they might, it could be uh, I don't know yet. Those are all answers to me that just say proceed with caution and then make notes, have that communicative conversation with the client on what we can do forward to make it a better experience for everybody. And that usually puts everyone at ease.

SPEAKER_00 11:01

So, do you have any final words of wisdom for our audience today?

Advocate For Your Dog And Book

SPEAKER_02 11:08

Best thing I can say is you're the best advocate for your dog. So, you know, do that advocate for your dog. If you're not feeling like you can speak up or have a clear communication with a groomer, not necessarily a manager or a receptionist, but the person who actually sees your dog. If you're feeling something is uh is off, it usually is. Um, so you know, maybe seek somebody else where you feel a little bit more comfortable about talking to them, or vice versa. Um, advocate for your dog and and don't be afraid to list all of the things that are wrong because as soon as you do that and somebody is hesitant to do it, those are the you don't want to set your dog and somebody else up for failure. So that's the best way to find the perfect groomer for you. Yes.

SPEAKER_00 11:51

Well, thank you both. This conversation truly makes a difference in safety, trust, and long-term grooming success. We'll see everyone next time.

SPEAKER_01 12:06

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.