Ep 15 German Listeners, Client Communication, Bad Grooming Practices *listener discretion advised*

Welcome back to the Pet Zone Podcast! Just a heads-up that this episode features a discussion about a viral video that shows a dog being handled in a way that’s not how any pet should be handled. We’ll also chat about our German listeners (we see you!), the importance of taking responsibility, keeping clients in the loop, managing stressful situations, and, of course, adding a touch of humor.

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Transcript

SPEAKER_01 0:00

Welcome back to the Pet Zone Podcast with Victoria, Christine, Kim, and Laura. Feeled by clippers, caffeine, and the kind of humor HR would not approve of. Now let's jump back into the conversation. Microphone chip.

SPEAKER_00 0:12

Hello. Can you hear me? I can hear you. Can you hear us? I can hear you guys perfectly. Love your hair. Yay! Inks. Yeah, the weather's been really shitty, and I said, you know what? I'm not doing I'm not dealing with hair for two weeks. And that's exactly what we're not doing is dealing with hair for two weeks. Nice. The African hair braiding places, man. I'm going to the same lady for like 12 years. They don't play, man. It's it's like plastic surgery. Like my shit ain't moving. Nothing's moving. My face ain't moving. Nothing. That's really pretty. Ah, yeah. No, like my hair ends about here. I I I wanted to do like a protective style. Like the weather's been really shitty. It's been really cold and dry. And I've been get trying to get all the red out of my hair, get myself back to blonde. And I'm like, you know what? I need like six to eight weeks of not fucking with my hair and just let it chill. So I'm just gonna be doing uh protective hairstyles and then letting it breathe, protective hairstyles and letting it breathe. Very cool.

SPEAKER_01 1:12

Can I play something for everybody real quick? Yeah. Hold on, let me turn the volume up. It's for our German listeners. Ready? Don't start now. Hello. Why isn't doing that? No. Did you guys hear it?

SPEAKER_00 1:29

I heard it vaguely. Very listening to our German listeners. Thank you for the love and support, man. We really appreciate y'all across the pond.

SPEAKER_01 1:37

Um let me let me try it again. Hello. Um, basically, we just said hello, welcome to Pet Zone Podcast. We don't give out schnitzel.

SPEAKER_00 1:50

Oh shit. I I oh let's see. I know, let's see. Unschiza. Unscheizer. Um, thank you. Yeah, chat GPT.

SPEAKER_01 2:00

I'm sorry, uh Google Translate was helping me translate some things today.

SPEAKER_00 2:04

Oh, did you get the email for uh for Stephanie?

SPEAKER_01 2:07

Yes, I just sent it a little while ago, so I'm sure it'll take her a hot second, which is totally fine.

SPEAKER_00 2:13

Yeah. Um yeah, so we're gonna do a react uh to that video, and I'm gonna be honest, I I did not watch like the video in its entirety. I just saw the screenshot and then confirmed that it wasn't AI and it wasn't fake. And um I have not actually watched it in its entirety. I have a I couldn't watch it in its entirety.

SPEAKER_01 2:41

Oh yeah, Chris is banned from Facebook. What?

SPEAKER_02 2:44

I'm not banned. I just can't get on it on my phone because my phone is looked linked up to the terrorist account. Yeah, I was a terrorist for a whole hot minute and then it ruined my Facebook account. I had to get a whole new one.

SPEAKER_00 2:57

Oof. Let's see if I can pull it up here. Let me get it on too. What what am I looking for when I'm looking for it? Baton Rouge groomer abuses dog. That's woo, yeah, that's a mouthful.

SPEAKER_01 3:08

All right, I'll send this link that's not to you, Chris. It's not uh it's on LinkedIn. I have a feeling I'm gonna get really mad. Yep, found it. There's also one with the security video that the owner herself posted.

SPEAKER_00 3:20

That's that shows the that shows the girl recording.

SPEAKER_01 3:23

That shows, yeah, the two the one bathing or waterboarding and then the other one standing there recording and then walking away laughing.

SPEAKER_02 3:29

So the report I have, it's the actual owner who was waterboarding the dog. I don't think it's a good one.

SPEAKER_01 3:35

The person who posted it was not the owner.

SPEAKER_02 3:37

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 3:37

From what I understand. See. Let me go to the comments. I give it a minute.

SPEAKER_00 3:41

You know, it what what from just like the brief clip of it that I saw um when this initially released, what really was upsetting, and I could say that, you know, after 25 years of doing this, and you know, you're working on a dog, and you go, you know, if you're working on a dog, it's like unreasonably anxious and scared. And you wonder, like, why is this dog like this? You know, and you know, you like when you have a mother that loves you, your walker loves you, your trainer loves you, you have a wonderful life, like what's wrong with you? Then you see some shit like that. It's hard.

SPEAKER_01 4:16

Let me see. Sorry, I'm gonna pull this up on my other phone so Chris can watch it.

SPEAKER_02 4:20

And first and first first and forthmost, if the dog is terrified and handled in that way, it causes distress. And that matters as groomers. It's our our first job is safety. Yeah, you want me to hit play?

SPEAKER_00 4:33

We're getting like echoes and stuff.

SPEAKER_01 4:35

Yeah, I forgot I had my earbud in, so when I walked close to her computer, it picked up the feedback.

SPEAKER_00 4:40

All right, cool. So which one are we reacting to? Are we reacting to the one? Which one's worse? Uh well, the one the owner sent, you can't see exactly what's happening to the dogs.

SPEAKER_01 4:51

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 4:52

All right, so I'm gonna all right, I'm gonna put on the one of the um the employees.

SPEAKER_01 4:58

That was from Snapchat. And Chris, I text that to you in messenger or in text message, and it's from LinkedIn, so you should be able to watch it.

SPEAKER_02 5:05

Okay. This one doesn't do her any justice either. I mean, there's just no there's just no reason for it. Uh dogs like this should and from what I read.

SPEAKER_00 5:17

I don't I I don't even under I I mean, honestly, aside the fact that she's torturing what she's doing to this animal is is is is it's fucking disgusting. Well, it couldn't touch the ground. It it couldn't touch the ground. I mean, also I I don't understand the the rack. Why is there a bathing? Why is this dog not on not on a platform? Why is this dog why is there an overhead bar? I mean, I understand I'm mobile, so our hooks are there are our tub restraints are like inside the tub of the dog overhead. See the one that the owner got. I can do this.

SPEAKER_02 5:47

Okay. Oh wow, yeah, that's unacceptable. Oh my god, I can't even watch it.

SPEAKER_01 5:53

And then to post it on a Snapchat and think, like, oh hey, look, this is funny.

SPEAKER_00 5:57

Do you remember that? You remember Black Mirrors?

SPEAKER_01 5:59

I didn't watch it.

SPEAKER_00 6:01

Um if you go back uh 10 years ago and watch the episode from 10 years ago, this woman was wake, woke up, and uh all these terrible things kept happening to her, and no one would talk to her. People were chasing you thought she was the victim because she was running away, everyone was trying to record her, somebody was chasing her, and then in the end of her trying to escape, they the the community grabs her, puts her in a clear thing like something the Pope would be in, and they restrain her to a chair, and they bring her through the town, and then she starts remembering what she did. Like her memory came back, and she did something really horrible, and people were just recording. And I guess in this time period, that's how corporate corporal punishment would go through. They would drug her every night, every day. She would wake up in a house with no recollection of what happened, and people would chase her with camera. So apparently, someone died at a result of her inaction, and she was recording their actions and a recording rather than helping. So that was her her punishment. So every day for like 181 days or something, that was her punishment. So it was really weird at this time, 10 years ago, we weren't recording and uploading to the same degree. If we did, it was something special or something like to talk about. It wasn't common. Um, and so at that time, watching that, like, oh wow, man, so weird. People, you know, can you imagine people like zombies just record following around with the phone? And that's what you see now. Like, and so, you know, obviously there's absolutely no excusing this behavior, but to see how detached this this woman is, not so much the woman just doing the doing the act of abusing this dog, but the woman who's calmly standing there filming her and laughing about it when she walked away.

SPEAKER_02 7:57

This is this is I want to say last year there was another one um where a shop had a groomer um mishandling a dog, and another groomer filmed it, sent it to the owner, but didn't do anything, just filmed it. And this this is not this is not okay behavior. Like you need to step in, you need to say something.

SPEAKER_00 8:22

Well, you you want to know what I think we were you you and when you and I were speaking earlier the week the week, um, Victoria, we were speaking about accountability in the workplace. Um like obviously, uh, you know, mobile is a very different beast, but in the salon, you know, people like that doing what they're doing, don't just wake up one day and say, I'm going to torture animals. Um you know, there are people that are born bad and evil, and I I do agree with that, but there are things, behaviors that start developing, and we have the worst if you see something say something protocol in our industry, and I think in animal care in general, people tend to tiptoe and don't know when to speak up. And it happens in the dog show world, dog grooming world, competitive dog grooming. There, anywhere where there's seniority and there's, you know, there's financial, a financial line of succession, there's there's this whole bubble of protecting somebody that shouldn't be doing what they're doing anymore. Yeah. And so, you know, accountability is something that is shared when it comes to when you're working as a team. You start seeing somebody more stressed out, getting really frustrated with the dogs. When I hire somebody, because everyone works alone with us mobile, when I hire somebody, they're not off on their own for usually about six months. They're usually next to me working for six months because everybody can bullshit and fake it and be a pr different person for the first um for the first 12 weeks. So I like to see once they get comfortable with me because people get very comfortable around me very quick. And there was a stylist that never got to work independently on her own for me. She was a good groomer. Um, she was very nice and she was, you know, she fit everything to a T. I didn't like how frustrated she would get. Um, she didn't do anything because we work in 150 square feet. I can, I can, I can, I can see everything you're doing and I can stop anybody from doing anything. But I didn't like the way she handled the dogs and how she got frustrated. Um, so one she was blow dry, she she likes to be able to sit while she was working. Um so in a mobile grooming van, that's challenging, but that's what she did. And so she's sitting, and instead of bringing her body to the table, she would reach and pull the dog towards her. And I saw her do it, and then the dog pulls back and looks at her, like, what the fuck are you doing, bitch? And I would be doing the same thing. And then I heard her go, huh? And I Like, how dare I have to move? And I immediately stopped her. I was like, just hey, I'm gonna finish this one. Move. And I finished the groom. And you know, I I said, like, hey, I'm just gonna have you do bathing and drying. And I didn't tell her, I didn't tell her correct the behavior or anything. I just I came up with a story of why this isn't gonna work. Um, but it said, like, hey, so you not being able to stand is gonna be a problem with us. Like, I didn't address it. However, I got rid of her from my business immediately. Um, and sh that kind of person needs to work in an environment where there's 15 other women that are watching her because she grunts, the breathing, the oh, come on, those. And that's the one thing that scares me about everybody wearing headphones all the time, is because these are little things you kind of have to see and you hear. You see the frustration, and you know, what really sucks about our industry, especially high-volume salons, they're not usually charged, not all, but a lot of them aren't charging high enough. So when somebody's stressed out about money, they have to challenge their comfort level and take in more. Now that's okay short term, but if you have to do that, especially, you know, as we get up there in age for more than a couple of weeks, it starts taking a toll. And that's when you start hearing a come on, stop, stop. And every time I hear somebody get frustrated, I I get so vigilant about it. And I haven't had to work in a salon environment with a lot of people in a really long time. But it's just as an industry, we gotta take accountability for each other, and it's really when these bad things happen, it's fun dragging the witch in the middle of the room and saying, shame, shame. I don't have my shame bell, shame bell, shame, shame. But it's not fun being the whistleblower before the audience, before the audience is tuning in. That girl with the phone should have should have quite literally taken the sprayer out of her hand, taken the dog out of the tub, miss have someone else get involved to secure the dog, to talk, take, get her sitting down and to talk to her. Like, this isn't okay, you're done for the day. You're gonna even if you don't have the fucking authority, because any salon owner would be like, I appreciate you stepping in, because that's the end of your business.

SPEAKER_01 13:18

Speaking of salon owners, let me read you the statement. The salon owner statement from pet Carla.

SPEAKER_00 13:23

I didn't even I didn't even hear that.

SPEAKER_01 13:25

I thought it was Scott, who the reporter reached out and said, Hey, are you aware of this? By the way, it's a four-year-old poodle named Jada. And the pet owner also replied. So, from the shop, the owner, thanks so much for letting me know. I did address this and had the employee take this down. I do want to reassure you that the owner does know that her dog has issues with both the dryer and the water hose. Oh, this part's great. This dog goes ham, and all I can do is quickly spray to get the shampoo and color off. I know this may look bad to someone seeing a quick leak of it, but I do want to reassure you that this pet is not that situation. The dog is tethered to keep her from jumping out of the tub and hitting the floor, trying to bite us when she has her fits. The owner does know that her dog has issues and will not bring her dog anywhere else but to us. I have been doing her for some time, and I can guarantee you, or I guarantee you, with any of the pet of my pets. There is no abuse that will be done or tolerated here. We have turned around dogs that are extremely unbehaved within the shop. This dog is not that case, just issues with being sprayed on her. I do apologize for any unsettling feelings that you have had. I do appreciate you letting me know that this was posted. In my 23 years of grooming, I am known for doing misbehaved and senior dogs without any medication. This is one of the downsides of something that happens that can be misconstrued. Misconstrued waterboarding bitch. Again, thank you so much for your concerns, but I do want to reassure you that Haley, which I'm assuming was the person that was recording the little short video, did not groom this dog. She only wanted the world to see what us groomers do go through. So thank you for making everybody think we are a CIA black site waterboarding dogs.

SPEAKER_00 15:13

Yeah, so here's what the mom said the us. The us and the we have gotta be removed from deck.

SPEAKER_01 15:19

Take me out of that. Take me away from that. That has nothing to do with me. So here's what the pet owner replied. We are reaching out for legal help after a heartbreaking situation involving our sweet dog Jada. Jada is the most loving, gentle, and sensitive pup. She cares for everyone in our family. But after two years at a local pet parlor, she was severely abused. Thanks to the help of the community for bringing us awareness of what has been happening to Jada. We are devastated by what's happened and we just want her to heal. Jada deserves justice and we won't stop till she gets it. Thank you for your support. Can uh keep Jada in your thoughts. Uh Chris was reading earlier an animal control did cite the shot. And it was a misdemeanor.

SPEAKER_02 16:00

That's I don't know if it's true, but that's what I read. Um and it's a misdemeanor.

SPEAKER_00 16:06

I like it how the I like it how the owner you gotta like it how the owner like instead of acknowledging and apologizing, I'm gonna gaslight you, and then I'm gonna do a little switch around, be like, you know, this happened. Like, like quite literally, everything horrible about about that people think about us is what this woman is. And that's what makes me sick. And it's one thing, you know, you would think like as a business owner, there there's times when you stand by your staff, and there's times you fucking like you you have to sit down and realize, like, hey, your staff fucked up.

SPEAKER_01 16:44

This is wrong. Well, and if in the comments, I mean, a lot of uh groomers are in here. Carol Dean, was it Kel Kelsey? Kelsey Groupie, the com the creative groomer, Angela Kumpy, Liz Signs, Sean Gadini. A lot of groomers are in here, like, yeah, no, this is not how this is done. Like it's not acceptable.

SPEAKER_02 17:04

It's it's it's first of all, judging from that, looking at it, the dog's feet couldn't touch the ground, not all four. It was basically fucking up.

SPEAKER_00 17:16

And and we and we have clients that are like, please don't put a noose on my dog. And you wonder, this is what they're thinking. This is why when they this is why this is what they think we're doing.

SPEAKER_02 17:26

And here's another issue with this is you have a health issue, it's a small dog, it's got a trachea issue. You don't mess with the trach like that. I don't care how bad the dog is, you don't hang it up like that. Oh four feet on the ground. If you can't rinse that dog by yourself, then you get someone to hold it.

SPEAKER_01 17:48

If you can't rinse it like that, then what's a jug of water, use a cup, don't full straight in the face.

SPEAKER_00 17:56

Lazy hooker bullshit.

SPEAKER_02 17:58

I have so I have gotten I've gotten a um towel, saturated, and wipe down a dog until I could get all the shampoo off that did not like water before. Um, if it's an issue where the dog is just it can't tolerate it, it's afraid of it, then you do other things. You work with a vet, give it something um uh to help relax it. If that doesn't work, then um you might be tr find a quieter time and a quieter space to do it. There's other things to do than waterboarding a dog.

SPEAKER_01 18:32

You know what you don't do? You also don't dye the dog. So how about we don't add color to the mix? Like, of all things, why are we making this situation even worse?

SPEAKER_00 18:41

I sell I obviously I I when I started like really started grooming, I gave all my money to um to Miss Miss Crumpy and Lori Lori Craig to learn from the best and do all the fun things and I learned everything, I enjoyed doing it, learned abstracts. Um but in common to my business, I am so fucking picky. If someone wants color with me, I have blackout dates. Halloween pride, Halloween pride, um actually most of the holidays or people want to get festive, I black out those dates. If people want color, they can book months in ahead and they have to book a regular dog grooming appointment where the dog gets a bath and a haircut. Because I found people were bringing me their matted, matted dogs that don't know the groomer enough, and then expecting me to make them into a cheetah. Now the artist in me was like, oh my god, I want to do this. But the compassionate human being in me is like, you know, this is there's a time for color, and it's this isn't this isn't his thing. Why don't we just do some chalk?

SPEAKER_02 19:48

So the color's not color's not for for every dog. No, and here here's the thing when you're talking to a customer, they said this customer knew that this dog had issues. If that was the case, then why are they doing color on a dog? I would have never never done the color because one is gonna take more rinsing. If the dog does not like being bathed, why are you gonna put an extra step in the bathing to torture the dog more? That doesn't make sense. No, I'm just gonna do it. I'm gonna tell you anyone that has who's done a creative class or done all that, any one of the top creative groomers that they have taught will tell you not every dog is a dog for color. But there are some dogs that love it. Like my dog, I grab if I grab the color out, oh I'm I'm gonna be purple today. Yeah, great. I have another dog that I've got.

SPEAKER_00 20:42

Some dogs love on the attention. You want to know what it's the the the end of the day is is we have a uh one one thing I've noticed probably in the last couple years, we have a problem with groomers that they have opened up a shop that doesn't suit the kind of the kind of clientele attraction that they want to do the type of services that they want. So that you get a lot of groomers. I think there was a case a couple of months ago where the groomers just color the dog as they want to for the picture. And they're not thinking about the dog, they're not thinking about the client's wishes. And you know, Lori, Lori Craig and um Angela Crumpy, when they taught creative, I remember I forget which one of them said this, and it's something I've carried within all my professional practices. If you have on a wall what you offer for creative services, no one's gonna interact with it. If it's on your website, no one's gonna interact with it. If you post it on your Instagram, no one's gonna interact with it. That's a one-on-one communication thing. So they had they had said, you know, you gotta assess your client. Look at the nails. If you see funky nails and they're different every month, then you know she's gonna be open. If you see colored hair, uh very manicured hair, very manicured um eyebrows, dresses color colorfully, is more on the artistic side, then that's what you're looking for. for handkerchiefs on the on the purse handle, look for keyrings, like little, little things like this that scream fashionista. And then you start maybe with something that's temporary. Maybe putting like one of um like the little um who did them the um the bow comp bardell bows. They were making the feather boas and the fascinators and you would add a little bow or a little accessory. And then when they when their eyes light up about what happens with their dog then then you open the door and you have a conversation. You don't just assume because when you assume you make an ass out of you and me and if you have a dog that's terrified for grooming then you want to know what it's it's about it's not against it's not it's not again what about the dogs it's not getting I remember being taught the dogs that you know aren't comfortable with people just walking up to them. Because I mean how many times when you have a cute little colorful dog and people like oh my gosh but if it's a dog that or or a sketchy another thing is is you know again when I have some clients that are like hey I want to do some creative this that and the other I'll even ask them is your dog does your dog like people attention and do you like people attention to one time in Union Square I had somebody throw a fucking wheel of cheese at me. Now granted joke's on them because I picked that shit up and I threw it right in my bag. That was like $120 worth of cheese. However like some people really feel some kind of way about it. Um I I am again super picky and I'm also a lot more anal at than I was 10 years ago about products what goes on the skin what goes into the coat what what you know what goes into the bloodstream and what's processed by the kidneys. So I'm really really I I don't really put myself out there for this work but I have respect for people that do and you gotta have these conversations and you need to be transparent and not all dogs are a candidate for it.

SPEAKER_02 23:50

And no they're not and when we do creative here at the salon and when we are we are doing it we assess the dog we'll have customers ask us hey can we uh have full color and stuff and I say well why don't we start with the ears and let's see how they tolerate it not all dogs it's not made for all dogs but even so if you have a dog that you already know because she said the owner knew so they had known for a while that was upset about the bath why would you add a service like that that's going to prolong the time in the bath like and first of all that waterboarding there's there's no reason for it there's just none. No um no liter literally that she was she was she was being entertained by this dog struggling and thought it was so someone should have helped me hold in the back end and the dog's four feet should have been on the ground um there is training there's a lack of training there and the equip and the equipment being provided is extremely inappropriate for a small dog.

SPEAKER_00 24:58

The overhead that that looks like like at least 24 inches from that bar to um probably more probably 36 inches from that bar if you look at the tub at the bar it's overhead so that means it was coming down to the 20 inch mark. So a dog that is it that is 14 inches at the back 10 inches at the back that's not appropriate. That's not appropriate fucking equipment that little rubber I can see the little rubber thing that goes on the back of the backsplash because it's too low they don't want the dog getting over the edge and getting the water everywhere. So that's why they like it overhead and that's fucking unacceptable.

SPEAKER_01 25:36

And this customer is Victoria did it say the customer said that they didn't weren't aware of any problems the dog had they didn't say any of that they just were disgusted by the video I mean maybe they've said oh yeah she's a little difficult but that's not a little difficult that's no I'm gonna spray water in this full force and wonder what's wrong.

SPEAKER_02 25:53

That would be difficult too I would be pissed off I would honestly I would bite someone if they did that to me.

SPEAKER_00 25:59

Yeah um you want to know what if there is if there's any granted I know we got like 25 subscribers um thank you mom um any any any new groomers that are watching this um and this is coming from somebody with about 25 years experience honestly and for probably like an extra five six years on top of those 25 years being a being a bather um so I haven't always been mobile I worked in a shop if you're working with somebody and you don't like the way they're handling the dog and you don't like the way they're touching the dog if you got to get evidence record don't run to the internet yet that's your evidence. Stop stop your so if you're if you're comfortable to go and just redirect your redirect your coworker like hey are you behind? Are you okay? Are you fine? Like hey why don't we take a break and literally unhook the dog don't even don't even just unhook the dog put the dog in the kennel go outside go for a vape go for a smoke go for a sit whatever and um and just call them on their shit like hey listen you seem really stressed out that I I I I don't you know I don't want you to I don't want you to a hurt the dog hurt yourself get in trouble I like working with you I'm assuming you're having a bad day that's you putting them on notice if you are not comfortable and I understand when you're new it's this the seniority shit is it's a real thing that hen pecking shit is a real thing and you might not be comfortable to say anything respect that's not a problem get your evidence go to your boss go to your boss and say I witnessed something your boss go to another job if it's if it it's if it's your boss again you it's a bigger problem if it's your boss and I think you should say something should always be it's a whole other thing but honestly the way you handle it is you put in your notice and you report it you report it because that that behavior just doesn't it it doesn't stop. So just if you see something say something competition groomers and that's a it's a whole other other world you say something record it talk to them if you're not comfortable if they're too big or they're too influential or you're worried about being called a pet person or overreacting then go to go to the governing body if the governing body is a part of the problem then that's when you then that's when you take it to something bigger. Not saying anything it it makes you complicit and it'll eat you up down the road because these when you catch a small infraction it's like a snowball. So the more and more they get away with it it turns into something really fucking scary. And if they're doing it in a public place such as a grooming competition who knows what's going on behind closed doors or anything with the um with the dog show world with the dog show world again it's a different level of fear it is a it is a big old club and it's hard to get into and so when someone that's higher up and respectable is doing something the self-accountability in the dog show world isn't always great and even when people try to blow the whistle the governing body doesn't always hold their own people accountable.

SPEAKER_01 28:56

So document document document and find an adult and if the adult is part of the problem yeah it's changed at the horse show world well in some of the like higher levels that are governed by you know safe sports since it's an Olympic sport where before you know they're not in cameras or they're not in the public view in the competition ring they're back warming up and they'd be you know putting horses in biomechanically incorrect positions and forcing them into something to where like say they didn't have you could see their tongues turning blue because the pressure in their mouth was so strict.

SPEAKER_00 29:27

Yeah people started recording fans wouldn't start recording and they would send it to the boards if the boards didn't listen they'd make anonymous things on Facebook or exactly and they'd just release it to the public and there is so much yeah there's so much more sponsorships and there's so much more recourse there's so much more there's so much more accountability but if you do not act it will get worse and there's the we we I you ask any seasoned groomer there's times where somebody they've respected did something fucked up and they didn't say something and it turned into something worse. So it doesn't matter who they are at the end of the day we all got involved into this industry to do this work that we do because we love animals. And you know it and sometimes what's on the other end of that grooming lead is it is a human being unfortunately and human beings are not perfect. And I you know I I like to think that that not all people are evil and that you know somebody just doesn't wake up one day and start harming animals. It's but when behavior is tolerated and no one's being held accountable it turns in it can turn into something really bad. So I think that that treat that salon they've been working in a toxic environment it's probably probably not charging enough money probably high volume and they just again evil evil spits evil.

SPEAKER_02 30:54

So when people are just when people are doing shitty and that they see that especially newer impressionable younger groomers they come in and they see that like okay that's how you handle a dog I guess it's not yeah I'm not saying that's how it happens but for somebody to sit there and record I that's that's and then walk away laughing she found laughing yeah and as a salon owner that I have a lot of groomers and I have a lot of bathers and stuff I get everyone trained. I have a dog trainer come in here and help them if I have someone that um I feel like has a little bit needs a little bit more education on it on holding and handling and stuff I'll bring someone in besides me um I you know will train them too but sometimes you need that extra authority um that's why I get a dog trainer to come in and we work with the pet and we work with the groomers um but here we have a role if you see something or if you see someone getting frustrated go help them yes it's go help them if they need to walk away before it ever gets to that point go take over on the dog if you have to let the management know let me know let someone know and it could be they're burning out they're getting frustrated um still no excuse to get break that point you should be able to recognize it in yourself but um groomers burnout plus dogs with um issues let's just say this dog did have an issue the dog should have never been treated that way that's not gonna solve the issue if you are a groomer who cannot handle the issues properly then you don't do those dogs period it's okay to turn them away it's okay to find them a groomer that can do okay to not do a complete job and take it from somebody I listen I I'm I I I am the highest charging salon in in my area and listen sometimes again the dog is in charge sometimes I can't do things and I'm not gonna force the issue um I have dogs that sometimes have to go home with wet faces I I have um I have some dogs where I can't clip all the nails sometimes where you know there might be like that a foot half done at the end of the day and I I hate I I I hate the cliche saying like humanity over vanity but it's exactly what it is it's humanity over exactly what it is 100% we have a dog that comes in that um we work with with a dog trainer she is she's coming here um she used to do grape for us she went to another salon and because we raised our prices and then she went to another salon and then her dog has started having behavior problems. I don't think it was the salon I actually think it was the dog the dog has to have a certain routine they went out of her routine the dog couldn't handle it. So coming back here she it's she's been a little bit hard to handle. My groomer has worked with the trainer worked with the owner and she's discovered that there's things that the owner's doing at home and the dog likes it better that way. So now she grooms the dog on the floor for its feet. Sometimes they get done sometimes they go home with Ugg boots. Um and owner and the owner's fine this time I have ug boots next time she'll get it during the next groom um but we have that communication it's what the dog will allow us to do without her hurting herself. Now she's a big dog and she can throw her body backwards and take you with her that that that leaves you getting hurt and her getting hurt. So you stop at a certain point and you go it's not worth it.

SPEAKER_00 34:37

Yeah can I take a quick break here to read our first uh ad yeah okay this episode is brought to you by you know my dog Bella with absolute confidence and yes we do know Bella is she the doodle the shih tzu the chihuahua with a criminal record is she the Bella who never does this or the Bella who absolutely does this every single time we groom a lot of dogs so many dogs so many bellas pet zone podcast where Bella is always booked I love it that's awesome that is awesome I love it oh man they for like yes no Cooper's the Graysons the Coco's Roxy Roxy Roxy's the big one I you wanted the most creative name that I've ever I had this client that named her dog Benzo and I thought it was like Benzo like Mercedes Benz no after Benzo like the pill yeah I would literally I would go into this girl's apartments pick up this dog and she would be face down ass up like in the middle of the freaking floor last night's makeup freaking one shoe on um a cake in the middle of the floor her hand in the cake living her best life eating the cake and she's like oh I'm so sorry like girl I lived in Miami Beach for like 10 years you're good there's nothing you can do for me to shame you you're good you're fine that was a fun that was a fun client she's fucking crazy love that lady I have another funny one we're speaking of dog since we're selling dog names yeah this episode is sponsored by clients who say my dog Angel would never bite and then immediately hands us a dog wearing a muzzle with a bite history and a look in its eyes that says watch me but don't worry they've never done this before pet zone podcast where famous last words live forever yeah I have too much fun writing these they're it's a lot of fun to when I can't sleep I sit down and start pontificating over do you want to um do you want to um I do um I do um open mic night like like once a week either in PA in New York um the practice material and stuff and I I came out I I got it I got a new bit for this week that I'm I'm doing for the first time. You want to hear it? Hear it hit us well not literally we just talked about abuse what it was um what motivated it was one of my friends was complaining he's a real estate agent in um um Arizona shout out to Sam um he I guess he had to mail out a a contract that was time sensitive and he was like dude I sent this shit priority what the fuck and I said dude it's your priority not their priority and I I I drive around with a joke book because like sometimes I'll get an idea and I'll stop and I'll write down the idea I just kept on kind of playing with it and I came up with this bit and I'm like I gotta use this this is too good. My style of comedy I like to do and again like I'm a I'm a newbie standing on a milk crate like it's nothing it's nothing nothing crazy. I like to I like observate observational uh style humor but I kind of like taking my crazy weird life experiences and kind of tying it into it. I like to do storytelling type of comedy that I I it's kind of like I'm gonna make you laugh I'm gonna make you cry I'm gonna make you go ooh ah and then I'm gonna make you feel bad. So I I kind of take you on a little bit of a journey. So it's called it's it's your priority not theirs. Sometimes I feel like I made poor choices. Went into business for myself. Private sector serving my community humble work. I love it. But sometimes I can't help but to wonder if I should have gone in the other direction. Government employee because have you ever been inside a post office? It's not a job that's a nervous system. Meanwhile I'm in the private sector if I don't answer an email in 14 minutes someone's like circling back circling back I haven't even emotionally processed the first email private sector is survival mode you're fast you're polite you're apologizing for existing government sector different atmosphere you walk into a USPS and I need this like tomorrow they look at you dead ass I need affordable house there is no urgency inside a post office it's a government aquarium. Everyone moves like they have tenure fourteen windows fourteen two are open two and one of them is helping someone ship a ceramic goose to Montenegro you're standing there holding a tiny padded envelope like it's an organ transplant. The sign says priority mail what they what they mean is is that a priority to you because to them it's Tuesday. You step up and they're already annoyed you don't even do anything you just exist with a package next why does next sound like you're being sentenced then the interrogation anything liquid fragile perishable hazardous lithium batteries or aerosol cream powder ma'am it sucks that just sucks and don't you hesitate if you don't know the zip code immediately the respect is gone zip code Ugh that pause devastating the whole line shifts behind you like you just failed a federal exam meanwhile they move slow but if you're slow unacceptable you have to have your QR code ready brightness up no face ID delay because if that doesn't scam they activate the stare I don't know if you know about the stare Gen Z y'all think you invented the deadpan stare you don't have anything on a USPS employee at 247 pm nothing that stare is debilitating it's not anger it's not frustration it's complete emotional detachment no blinking no assistance just eye contact and you're just buffering in real time and suddenly you're apologizing I am so sorry for what did I delay the federal government Gen Z does aesthetic apathy USPS does federally funded indifference different levels. They've seen wars they've seen Christmas they've seen Christmas and Hanukkah in the same week they've seen the passport rush you think your QR code glitch is gonna shake them please you're not the plot twist and you pay extra for priority two day shipping two days in what dimension tracking updates be like arrived at facility departed at facility arrived at facility departed at facility in transit in transit no location available your package is on a spiritual journey the wild part you still go back you voluntarily go back because USPS is chaotic neutral they don't care they're union they're pensioned they're emotionally untouchable Amazon shows up like in four hours like a drug dealer USPS says we move at the speed of democracy and honestly some days I think I chose wrong I imagine having that level of calm I imagine rushing you and just blink slower. Imagine having your whole brands be this sounds like a you problem. Then I remember something I I didn't choose calm detachment I chose urgency I chose people I chose being of service I like making somebody's day a just a little bit better. Something matters to you it matters to me that's the difference USPS has priority mail and I got priority people and maybe that's my priority it's my priority to make you my priority.

SPEAKER_01 42:18

Now serving number six thousand please come to window three that was good I I have another ad to read I like these ads go for it this one is gonna this one's gonna trigger some people and it's gonna be a running ad to let you know that this this sponsor is a big sponsor of Pet Zone Podcast this episode is sponsored by artificial intelligence. Yes that AI the one that's everywhere including we groomers use AI to change backgrounds remove leashes and make it look like the dog totally wasn't photographed next to a trash can AI is in our phones our social media our streaming services our vans our notification and yet somehow still blamed for everything. Some say AI is ruining the environment others say it's ruining art. Meanwhile it's just over here trying to figure out what a doodle actually is but don't worry AI will eventually learn how to groom dogs too it'll master the perfect teddy bear head ignore client notes and still get bitten when someone says he's never done this before pet zone podcast until AI replaces us all and immediately needs a groomer artificial intelligence coming soon to a grooming van near you I fucking love it.

SPEAKER_00 43:33

I freaking love it and I I and I I literally I I can't even I can't even I don't have the spoons to deal with answering people like you know making that pitcher use three gallons of water I'm like wow you just this is what I I visualize. Here's a bunch of freaking seals oh oh oh oh AI bad oh oh oh our AI bad the machine told me AI bad so I'm gonna go.

SPEAKER_01 44:02

It's like I'm gonna say AI as bad as I'm on Facebook using AI to protect my algorithm.

SPEAKER_00 44:09

It's like it's like you know what? Give up your car, give up your phone, give up social media. You better go to fucking Lancaster, Pennsylvania, get ready to turn fucking soil by hand and fucking look forward to chores and freaking dying at the ripe age of 45.

SPEAKER_01 44:24

Go analog, bitch.

SPEAKER_00 44:26

Go analog, bitch. I say this is somebody who's born analog that helped pioneer the digital age. I saw the internet fucking hatch, evolve, and then consume something. I freaking live the internet pre-algorithm when we can actually select the things that we want. And if I had 5,000 followers, those 5,000 followers would see my content. And now remember Steve says Laura Jane, you're getting a little too right. So your friends are not gonna see you anymore, and you're just gonna be shadow ban. You know, it's just it's it's it's really obnoxious that people feel the way that they do. If you don't know how to pivot, then you're gonna go left behind. Just like the last 120 years ago, the last time we had to pivot, you gotta pivot, or you just take your universal basic income, get in the pot, and eat the bugs.

SPEAKER_01 45:14

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 45:15

Oof, I didn't mean to get all in.

SPEAKER_01 45:16

We all need to go back to my space and we need to get back with Tom being our number one friend. That's what we mean.

SPEAKER_00 45:21

I know. I miss Tom. He was a great guy.

SPEAKER_01 45:24

I miss Tom. He was such a good friend.

SPEAKER_00 45:26

He truly was. He was a great friend.

SPEAKER_01 45:29

Oh, Tom.

SPEAKER_00 45:31

Oh, Tom.

SPEAKER_01 45:32

The AI people. I think we just triggered some people.

SPEAKER_00 45:34

We may have. Listen, I understand that it started with education when they j when they institutionalized education in the early 1900s. They said, hey, we don't need a smart populace. What we need is people to poke buttons and pull levers to be smart enough to compete, but not too smart. So they, you know, don't dismantle this machine we've built. And so I understand what the school system did. It created people that would color within the lines that would follow instructions. We'd reward some with a little extra breadcrumbs. So the ones below will still get motivated to poke and push the buttons. And it's just evolved a little bit each freaking generation, but that's it. So those who didn't want to push the buttons and pull the levers that said, fuck this, this is dumb. Their minds are a little more open up to this. And they like it's and it's just it's it's a really nice way of saying you're being dumb. Open your mind. Open your mind because the world's not gonna go away. It's not gonna go away. And trying to guilt chip, trying to guilt trip me into the environment when it's just like the who lives in a glass house should not throw stones, should not, because if you want to start a whole unpacking of who's doing worse things for the environment, you're looking at a bitch that has chickens and grows food. Like you can't, you can't out fucking Amish me, bitch. I I climb trees, I voluntarily climb trees in like 14 degree weather and fucking stand with a fucking bow and arrow and say, and then I go up and eat nose to tail, bitch, so you don't got shit on me.

SPEAKER_01 47:10

I buy mass-produced meat because, well, I live in Southern California. Pretty sure we're not allowed to hunt here.

SPEAKER_00 47:17

It's okay. When the purge happens, I'll make sure you get fed.

SPEAKER_01 47:22

Oh yeah. When the purge happens, I already have my okay. When the zombie apocalypse hits, I I have my escape plan. I'm gonna hook up my truck, my trailer. Because I have a horse, so I need to ride her to safety. Then it put little dog carriers on the back of the saddle so my dogs come with me and carry everything. Got my gun, got my bullets, and yeah, we're gonna go make our way first to Sandy's in Yucca Valley because it's the middle of the desert. And then we'll make our way from there to the middle of nowhere. That's what's uh it'll be awesome.

SPEAKER_02 47:53

Does Sandy know you're coming?

SPEAKER_01 47:56

She'll know when I knock on her door and be like, hey. All right, we'll pause the conversation here. It'll continue next week. Please give us a follow on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube at PetZone Podcast. Have a crazy customer story, a confession, or just something else you'd like to share with the show, please feel free to email us at info at petzonepodcast.com. Don't be shy, but we can keep you anonymous if you like. Also, if you're a professional pet groomer, please feel free to check out the Facebook group at Mobile Groomers Ok, and most importantly, don't forget to subscribe, rate, and review the show on any podcast platform you're listening on, and share it with a friend. Until next time.