I have a 2 year old female westie, whom I’ve been taking to the same groomer since she was born. They always do a good job. They check to make sure each dog is up to date on their vaccinations, etc. so that’s not a huge concern for me. But, they let the dogs play loose together in a gated area in the building. My dog loves going to the groomer since she gets to play but last time I went to pick her up, there was a huge rottweiler and pit bull in the area with her. I hate being the person judging rottweilers and pit bulls but they were both extremely aggressive with her. She never gets scared of other dogs but I could tell she was ready to get out of there. They claim the dogs are "sweethearts" that they would never hurt a dog/human but who’s to say that? I mean, they could kill my dog in 1 bite. Am I crazy for considering a different groomer? Thanks for your opinion. Yes, a maltese or small dog is just as likely to bite, but I highly doubt they would kill her.
Thanks. I’m glad no one thought I’m trying to say all big dogs are mean I just know their bite may be a little more lethal if something were to happen, versus a small dog. I’m glad to know I’m not going overboard for thinking this way!
completely inappropriate … i would find a new groomer fast … they all claim pitbulls are "sweethearts" until you are trying to wrestle your dog’s lifeless body from it’s jaws … pitbulls especially go for the weaker, so your dog is definitely at risk … not only that, i would report them to animal control … a groomer is not a daycare and that require a different license … those groomers are very irresponsible to take changes with other people’s animals … get a new groomer
Tags: Westie
completely inappropriate … i would find a new groomer fast … they all claim pitbulls are "sweethearts" until you are trying to wrestle your dog’s lifeless body from it’s jaws … pitbulls especially go for the weaker, so your dog is definitely at risk … not only that, i would report them to animal control … a groomer is not a daycare and that require a different license … those groomers are very irresponsible to take changes with other people’s animals … get a new groomer
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First of all…your dog is there to get groomed…not to have play time with animals. Whats to say one of these other dogs don’t have a sickness your dog can catch…or like you said, turn on your dog. This groomer is not professional at all and YES, I would definitly find another groomer. Sorry, but I would be VERY upset if that was my dog.
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No, your not crazy. I love big dogs, including Rotties and Pits, but they are both known breeds (along with others i.e. Akita, Chow, etc.) to turn on small dogs (and people for that matter) in an instant. And like you said, one bite (even playful) and your pup is dead. A responsible groomer would keep all the dogs separated, but at the very least he or she should keep big and small in separate rooms.
And for the record, I have seen the damage a Rottie can do to a Lab (big dog) and it was nearly fatal. This is why it is a good idea to keep all dogs separated, because you really never know how a dog might react to another dog. Especially an aggressive breed dog.
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4+years veterinary technician
dog owner
you are a weirdo
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You should feel free to switch groomers because you feel uncomfortable allowing your westie to run with big dogs. They should have built separate dog runs for big and little dogs. I would take my dog to a different groomer and take her to a dog run instead. I hope this helps!
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Yes, I would be very uncomfortable leaving my dog in that situation. Even if someone is watching them at all times it only takes a split second for one of them to turn and you have no idea how the dogs are trained or what their temperament is like. I would find a different groomer or ask them to keep your dog away from the others. I don’t blame you one bit, I wouldn’t even leave my dog with unknown dogs if I was watching them myself. It is just too much. I have seen dogs get into fights and then one goes after another that wasn’t even in the fight because it was in the wrong place at the wrong time.
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personally I dont think thats appropriate to allow the dogs to play like that.
The groomers cant possibly be offering full supervision in this situation.. if a fight were to break out, it could be disaterous (expecially so when you are mixing large dogs with small dog).. not all dogs are well socialized either.
Just because the dogs are vaccinated, doesnt mean much anyways. Its not uncommon for dogs to come to the groomer with issues like fleas or ear mites, and on occasion, mange or fungal infections. Letting dogs play together is a good way to spread such issues. When I worked at a groomer, dogs were kept in their own cages, and cages were cleaned after each use. I would not be too happy if I took my dog to be groomed and it came back with fleas or ear mites.. I’d be even less happy about mange or a skin infection!
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I personally would never allow any of my clients dogs play together no matter the breed of dog. Besides the fact is for grooming not play school, dogs react differently in stress situations which includes being groomed even if they love their groomer. That situation is just a lawsuit waiting to happen.
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32 yr grooming
No you are most certainly not going overboard on all of this. Next time you see your groomer just ask that your dog is cept separately in between grooming. If you realy wanted to you could also bring you dog wait until the grooming is over and then take him or her home. Then there should never be a time where you dog would come into contact with these other dogs. Well i hoped that i helped and it is so good to see how much you care for the safety of your dog.
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I’m not being funny, but on the rare occasions I have taken my dog to the groomers, it was to rid him of doggy smell. Putting him to play with ANY other dogs where he can get slobbered on, etc. just kind of defeats the purpose.
The fact that it is "big" dogs doesn’t even concern me as much as it is ANY dogs. Granted a Rottweiler who gets into a scuffle with your westie is more likely to do serious damage than a chihuahua…but I think it is weird that they allow any two dogs to play together that do not belong to the same owner.
My little dog loves to play with big dogs, but that is my choice. I feel comfortable about the dogs he is with AND he is used to it since we have a dog who outweighs him by around 100lbs. This was not a choice they should be making for you.
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i agree i would have my concerns aswell i mean yes all dogs are different and not all pitbulls attack other animals and humans but seeing how it is such a large dog you just never know how the owner treats it. next time you go to the groomer just let them know you are not comfortable with big dogs around your animal if they could have the big dogs seperated from the smaller ones if not find a new groomer.
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I have a big dog that could "handle" any other dog. I would never let him play with other strangers dogs, ever, not anywhere. If I had a smaller more vulnerable dog, even more so. This should never be done unless the responsible person is in total control of every single dog present. I guarantee this is not your case. You, the responsible person for your dog, is not even there!
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