I groom my own dogs with a cheap soap and lots of tap water. I do it every month since they linger at my backyard 24/7, thus they catch some stink and, in rare occasion, thicks.
After reading these posts I would be concerned to take my dogs to a professional grooming salon. A thought crossed my mind that grooming salons don't ask or check if dogs have had their jobs or not. Mostly it is a kennel cough that comes to mind. As well as ticks and fleas I am not keen on the idea of my dogs being tied up. They are both short fur and are very easy to clean by myself. When we lived in Egypt, I would start to run a lukewarm bath for myself and would find my two dogs had jumped in waiting for me to rinse them over.
My dog's name is Chloe and she is a miniature pinscher. When it comes to giving her a bath it is rather easy because she is rather a small dog, and weighs no more than 10 pounds. Believe it or not, Chloe actually enjoys having a bath! When it comes to me giving her a bath, I don't buy the expensive dog shampoos, I just use regular hair conditioner and it works just as well. Giving your own dog a bath is most certainly a money saver.
One problem with the salon is the lack of dedication of the attendant. We had a sad experience twice in different grooming salons. First is the wound on the toes of our dog because the trimming of nails was haphazard and maybe the attendant was in a hurry. In another salon, another of our dogs was placed in a table with the leash on. We saw it with our eyes when our dog fell on the ground due to the negligence of the attendant. Now it is much better to bathe your dog by yourself instead of paying people to harm your dog.
From what you've said, it seems like the animals are roughly treated? But just a bit and not too much to cause alarm. I think bathing our pets is not too much work, and you don't even have to do it everyday, maybe only once in a blue moon, so no need to hire others to do it. Our outdoor dogs are given baths only when they're about to go to the vet or when they're very dirty.
I find it much more messy bathing my rambunctious Golden Retriever than my collie mix. I think most people find it messy, which is why there is a market for self-serve grooming stations and groomers who can not only trim the coat, but do the messy work of bathing the dog.
I guess the only real way that you could end up over spending if you choose this route is if you just get out of hand and end up wasting a whole lot of water. I can see it happening, but for the most part I would say this is a good practice for not wasting your money,
I do wash our dog personally due to our current economic situation. However, I must say that the original post might be a little over-dramatic....or they just had a bad experience. I worked as a kennel tech at a boarding facility in our area. The bathers and groomers took excellent care of the animals. The dogs were never chained/leashed while bathing or grooming took place. If an animal showed signs of distress, the owner would be contacted. On occasion, a few nervous animals were sedated for grooming, but once again.....not bound. I think it all really boils down to the facility you use and having good, animal-loving employees
It's more than just washing your dog, it's a bonding experience, your dog will trust you more and care for you as you are showing him affection and care.
One of my dogs is little and I put her in the bath and wash her with a mild puppy shampoo. She doesn't mind it at all and as she is a Jack Russell she doesn't really need grooming as such apart from having her nails clipped which the vet does. My other dog is a different story. She is quite a big dog and frightened of everything. She would be petrified if I tried to put water on her and even more scared if I took her to the groomers. I found these wipes that are quite cheap and all I do is wipe her over with them. They smell nice and make her coat glossy and she does tolerate them so for now I am going with these.
My dog is so used to having her daily bath at home that I haven't taken her to a grooming salon. We've trained her to take bath as a routine every since she was a little pup so she actually enjoys the experience. We use dog shampoo and soap and trim her nails every two months or so. I don't think she'll tolerate being groomed at a salon and she can be a mean one around strangers.
