We have an adorable Bearded Collie.
When is a convenient time for us to chat for a few moments about him?
He has some matting and we are happy to pay extra to have you work with him and them.
I have heard wonderful accolades about your work from the Tucson Dog Newsgroup.
Having been around the block more than once, I 've learned to read between the lines when it comes to grooming requests. Here is my translation of some key phrases:
"...an adorable Bearded Collie." Translation: "we hope you love our dog." Notice they did NOT say "a well-behaved Bearded Collie" (is there such a thing?). But on the positive side, neither did they say "lots of personality". "Lots of personality" can mean "totally unmanageable on the grooming table."
"some matting" - Translation - "He's a big mess, even we can see it".
"happy to pay extra.." Good news/bad news. The good news is that they seem willing to take responsibility for this being a grooming beyond the usual expectation; the bad news is that it is a grooming beyond the usual expectation. They are saying "It's going to be a big job and we are willing to pay."
"to have you work with him and them." Translation - There's the dog and then there's his mats. "Work with" mats means to comb them out.
"wonderful accolades about your work..." Translation - (1) "Someone told us you might be willing to brush out out dog instead of shave him"; (2) "We are willing to massage your ego in order to manipulate you." That's okay. I accept flattery and chocolate.
I arranged to have Farfal brought by for a "grooming assessment." This was an appointment just to evaluate the situation of the coat, the dog's tolerance for grooming, and get an idea of whether the people would be able to follow through with maintenance. These factors all work into my decision whether or not to undergo a major coat restoration. Only when the coat has a texture that allows for matting to be picked apart and the matting is not pelted to the skin, when the dog has a tolerance for some tugging and is good on the table, when the people demonstrate commitment to future upkeep, and when I can extract a price that is worthy of my time and effort, only then will I attempt a major dematting.
When Farfal burst into my shop I had my doubts. He was so puffed out with mats that he looked more like an Old English Sheep Dog than a beardie. I put him on the table and looked at the extent of the matting.
The coat was like this pretty much all over, with the head and neck being more tightly matted. This kind of matting is bad but not terrible. I gave the situation a "mat score" of 8 out of a possible 10. The dog was very good on the table, and accepted my test work without a wimper. The people were a lot of fun, just a little crazy (I like that in a client), and very willing to acknowledge their responsibility in letting the dog get in terrible shape before seeking help. They offered a promise to book regular 4 week appointments if I could save the coat and not shave the dog. Hmmm. It looked to be a huge job, but possibly do-able.
No groomer should ever be expected to take on a project like this. It is not realistic. Not even wise - you do not want to be setting up an expectation that this kind of neglect can be undone. Nonetheless, every now and then a situation comes along that calls you to a challenge. "Okay, Ms. Master Dematter, demat THIS!" Why does a mountain climber climb a mountain? To see if she can do it. Farfal is my mountain, possibly my Mt. Everest.
"It could cost at least $200, I said. "We'll pay," came the reply. "We may have to break the work into several sessions," I said. "Whatever you want," they said. These people were clearly workable. The dog was workable. The coat was workable. And my inner mountain climber was engaged. I set the appointment for our first session.
At our first session, November 19, I made a few choices. Farfal had recently been bathed at home and the coat was reasonably clean. I decided to not bathe him this session. I chose some of the easier work on the side coat and the feet, and some of the harder work on the head and face. I worked for about two hours, mostly dematting, and finishing with a brush over on the remaining coat. Here are some before/after pictures.
The head was so matted that it was sticking up in spikes. I spent about 1/2 hour on the head and the face. The ears were pelted, but I was able to comb them out. On the worst areas, I worked a detangling gel into the mats with my fingers and then picked at the area with a Mat Breaker tool. After loosening this way, I picked and combed with a coarse poodle comb.
Using these same techniques and tools, I was able to tackle a large area of the body. I also used Show Sheen equine spray. The gel product was another horse product, by a company called XTreme, "Silky Shine & Detangler." I get both of these from K.V. Vet, one of my favorite suppliers.
Body Before and After Session #1:
Here is a shot of Farfal after the first session, and the amount of hair that was extracted during the dematting. If it looks enough hair to make another dog, that's because it WAS!
There is still quite a bit to go. The neck is extremely bad, as Farfal has been wearing a regular collar, a choke chain, AND a bandana. This has caused very tight mats. The white hair in the front is always more difficult. The legs should not be too bad. There are still some mats in the flanks. That was the only spot where Farfal seemed sensitive. I may do some "creative clipping" in that area in order to avoid discomfort to this very patient dog.
I charged $85.00 for this first session. The second session is scheduled. And here is the best part.... my tip, aka the "bribe". WILL WORK FOR TREATS (especially chocolate) !
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