# Petsmart



## Jacey's boy

I was wondering if anyone here, who may use Petsmart's grooming salon, has ever had the Furminator Shed-less Treatment done? Jacey has an appointment there next Wednesday and I was thinking about having that done, and I thought I'd just see if I can get any comments about it.

THANKS!


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## Pointgold

Are they actually charging extra for this?


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## Jacey's boy

Not sure about the prices, they don't list those on the website. Petsmart.com just says: "A premium service that includes a low-shed shampoo followed by an application of deShedding™ solution plus up to 30 minutes of brushing with the FURminator tool. An amazing process that dramatically reduces shedding!"

I'm going to call again next week the day before my appointment to confirm it. I think there was a bad connection on the phone or something because she thought I was someone else and asked if I had a dachshund...lol. I've always gone there though and have been happy so I'm not too worried about that. I'll probably get a price on this treatment before I'm set on anything though. Again if anyone has any experience with it I'd appreciate it.


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## NuttinButGoldens

I used to use Petsmart for grooming on my older guys before they passed. They actually did a pretty decent job.

The basic grooming was around $55. I always got the deluxe package that was $72 and included further brushing, teeth brushing, etc...

The furminator thing must be something new.


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## momtoMax

If I were you, I'd stay and watch them do the grooming. You don't want to become another horror new groomer story!!


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## jwemt81

In all honesty, it wouldn't be my top choice. I prefer to do all of my own grooming at home, but if I were to take our dogs somewhere to be groomed, it probably wouldn't be a place like Petsmart or PetCo. I would look around to find a good groomer who has experience with grooming Goldens and who would allow you to stay and watch for the first time. You wouldn't believe the amount of groomer horror stories on this forum over the past few months. There were even a few people who went to pick up their dogs and they had been totally shaved down to the skin. :doh:


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## Jacey's boy

jwemt81 said:


> In all honesty, it wouldn't be my top choice. I prefer to do all of my own grooming at home, but if I were to take our dogs somewhere to be groomed, it probably wouldn't be a place like Petsmart or PetCo. I would look around to find a good groomer who has experience with grooming Goldens and who would allow you to stay and watch for the first time. You wouldn't believe the amount of groomer horror stories on this forum over the past few months. There were even a few people who went to pick up their dogs and they had been totally shaved down to the skin. :doh:


I did try other groomers before that were recommended to me and Jacey would have nothing to do with one of them. She wouldn't go into the building, even with me. I don't know what the problem was. The other one was one of the hardest ladies to get a hold of, and she would call and want to reschedule at times as well. Now with Petsmart she couldn't wait to get in there and she goes with the ladies that work there without any hesitation. So I figured why try and change something that has been working. When I drop her off I just make sure I tell them exactly what I want done.


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## NuttinButGoldens

One thing I liked about Petsmart was that, especially with Dakota's Epilepsy, there was a Veterinary Clinic inside the Petsmart right next to the grooming room.

Now, I have Gilmour's breeder do the grooming. She did Milo last Friday


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## ggd

I have stood and watched them groom at the store I go to and I would have to have a say on which person groomed any of my pups as I don’t like how some of them handle the dogs they groom. Also I would want to watch them to make sure they do it the way I want. 
So it comes down to for me I am trying to learn to do it myself.


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## MillysMom

Jacey's boy said:


> I was wondering if anyone here, who may use Petsmart's grooming salon, has ever had the Furminator Shed-less Treatment done? Jacey has an appointment there next Wednesday and I was thinking about having that done, and I thought I'd just see if I can get any comments about it.
> 
> THANKS!


In my opinion the cost and quality is not worth the money. They use the Furminator Shampoo and Conditioner, and the de-shedding tool and charge an arm an a leg for it. 

If you are a big fan of Furminator products I'd suggest buying them yourself and doing this treatment at home - you'll save a ton of money. 

I've used the Furminator shampoo and conditioner myself at home, and I didn't find the shampoo and conditioners or spray to remove any more shedding than a really thorough bath and brush.

I also would be very hesitant to allow someone else to use a Furminator on my dog. The product can be very useful, but it is very easy to remove too much undercoat, hurt the dog's skin, and break the hairs - resulting in an appearance of a dull/damaged coat. If shedding is a major concern you can go over your dog with a curry comb before taking him to the grooming appointment, or use a de-shedding tool (there are tons of options) at home before the appointment yourself. 

When I use Petsmart for grooming, which is very rarely (I haven't gone in over 1.5 years), I ask for just a bath and brush (sometimes nail trimming). This costs about $35, and the reuslts are no different than their "Top Dog Package" that charges an extra $15. They're really good at selling you package upgrades, that frankly aren't worth the money. I always specify specific instructions: dry Milly's Cowlick a certain way so she doesn't look like a Ridgeback, spend extra time massaging in the shampoo (this helps remove the loose/dead hairs), and rinse thoroughly, when you think she's rinsed enough, rinse her again (I've had problems with them not thoroughly rinsing off the shampoo). If I specify these things it seems to turn out half way decent, but I'm still not very comfortable taking her there, so I rarely use them for grooming.



Pointgold said:


> Are they actually charging extra for this?


Yes, and it isn't cheap! It's been a while since I asked about it, but I remember it being around $85-90, and they recommend you do this every 4 weeks or so.


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## puddinhd58

I have/do use Petsmart grooming by me and they have always done a good job. Rusty seems to like them and he always looks and smells so good when I pick him up. 
They are pricey....
AND I personally would not let them Furminate my dog... I bought one and it hurts him.... I may have done it too hard or long but I don't use it anymore and I certainly wouldn't let anyone else use one on him...


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## momtoMax

Jacey's boy said:


> When I drop her off I just make sure I tell them exactly what I want done.


 
hahaha. Last famous words!!


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## Muddypaws

MillysMom said:


> I also would be very hesitant to allow someone else to use a Furminator on my dog. The product can be very useful, but it is very easy to remove too much undercoat, hurt the dog's skin, and break the hairs - resulting in an appearance of a dull/damaged coat. If shedding is a major concern you can go over your dog with a curry comb before taking him to the grooming appointment, or use a de-shedding tool (there are tons of options) at home before the appointment yourself.


I would agree, I have a Furminator and if you are not careful it can cause damage. I only use it once a month (if). It will get a lot of dead fur out but will pull good fur and break the guard hairs too. I have a second de-shedding tool that works well for weekly grooming. I would be afraid that they (PetsMart) may be to aggressive with the Furminator.

I have only had mine groomed once and it was just a bath an comb out after a stay at the kennel. I used to have Sunny groomed regularly but I new the groomer, she was in our vets office and she new Goldens.

I would have to say it isn't "where" you have your dog groomed but "who" the groomer is and how well they know the breed (grooming wise) and how they interact with dogs in general.

Good-luck, if you proceed I hope it turns out well.


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## Jacey's boy

Thanks for all the feedback. I'll have to think about what I'm going to do now. Jacey seems to have a lot of loose hair right now and I thought maybe this would help get rid of it, but maybe I'll stick with the bash & brush. 

I read that it should be done every 4 weeks, but if I decide to have it done I was just thinking once now, and maybe once more before summer starts.


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## esSJay

I brought Molson in on NYE to Petsmart for his nails to be clipped and had them shave the fur only on the bottom of his feet/between his pads. It was going to cost $19 for that, and for $25 they would also throw in 20 minutes of brushing, ear cleaning and teeth brushing, which I opted for. They did a great job on everything, and I would bring him back for the same package again, but I would never get a full grooming involving shears/razors, etc from there, unless I watched what they did on another golden retriever first and was happy with the results!

I saw they had a furminator package when I was there the other day, but it surprised me that they would charge extra for using it! I would think that with enough regular brushing they should be able to get most of the hair anyway??


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## Phillyfisher

Jacey's boy said:


> Not sure about the prices, they don't list those on the website. Petsmart.com just says: "A premium service that includes a low-shed shampoo followed by an application of deShedding™ solution plus *up to 30 minutes of brushing with the FURminator tool*. An amazing process that dramatically reduces shedding!"



YIKES! Yeah, there won't be any hair left to shed after brushing with a Furminator for 1/2 hr. Personally, I would not let Petsmart touch my dog. Get in touch with a local golden retriever club, and inquire about a good groomer.


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## CarolinaCasey

We have a furminator and never use it. If you're not careful you can really damage the coat and irritate skin. It works well, but a nice slicker brush can work just as well! 

For $60-80, I could go to my parent's groomer twice! Rely on word of mouth or your breeder and/or your breeder's friends if they aren't local. Golden grooming can turn disastrous...and fast!! I am really flabbergasted that Petco charges that much for one grooming! What about local vets with attached grooming facilities?


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## Jacey's boy

Again, thanks for all the comments. I think I may go with this one: bath, brush and more which includes a basic shampoo; blow dry; 15-minute brush; nail trim; ear cleaning; sanitary trim; scissoring feet; shaving pads and anal gland cleaning. I'll just have to decide if I want to add on a teeth brushing.


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## sophiesadiehannah's mom

i bought a furminater, however the girls do not have a hairy enough coat to use it. i use a doubled pin brush, do not know the technical name. i could never brush them for 15 minutes at a time, they would not tolerate it. as for the cost, i am so lucky, for 15.00 each, the girls are bathed, blow dried,brushed,nails trimmed and feet trimmed. good luck.


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## tennisball

I work at the boarding facility inside PetSmart and I have seen and heard a few horror stories about the grooming salon in our store. Even with my 15% discount, I think it is very overpriced, even if the dogs come out looking nice. It depends on the store and groomer, of course, and this is just one experience I've seen at my store. There was a slightly overweight golden retriever on the grooming table (hence why I was watching the groom, he was gorgeous ) and they put the dogs head through a loop to keep them from moving. The dog moved it's legs or shifted it's weight and fell off the table and was _hanging by the loop around his neck_. You would think the groomer and some of the other employees would have helped raise the dog back onto the table, but instead, the groomer just unhooked the loop and let the dog _fall _while the other employees stood there! The golden was older, too, because it has a white mask on it's face, and I was so mad that I told the store manager :no:

But I've also had a good experience. I get free coupons for being an employee, free nail grinding and whatnot, and I took Rocky there to get his nails grinded. He wouldn't go with the groomer so she said I could go back and hold him while she did it. I don't know if it's because I'm an employee or if she could tell he was really nervous, but I thought it was nice.

I would just make sure you know the groomer and know other people who use her as a regular groomer beforehand


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## kaysy

I don't think I'd use a furminator for half an hour. I think it would be too hard on the skin and take too much hair.


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## kris622

Hi,

As a PROFESSIONAL groomer who uses many products, as well as the FURminator brand shampoo and deshedding conditioner. I can tell you that used correctly is will absolutely deshed your dogs coat. The tool is the final step and should be checked as you go with a fine tooth comb so that any skin abrasions do not happen. 

You have to leave each product on for 10 minutes, then I take a fine tooth comb and just a small amount of warm water from the hose and slowly add water while I comb out the under coat in the tub. Once I can run a fine tooth comb through it I do a complete rinse. Then I blow dry to a bone dry feel which takes a long time. This will make any remaining hair go air born and brush and comb out while drying. Then finally I take the Furminator deshedding tool and get any remaining shedding and dead hairs. 

SO if this is the process that you follow then you are using the product correctly. Otherwise, leave it to the professionals.


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## Maggie'sVoice

Well be careful of the Furminator. They work VERY well for removing the undercoat but can strip the top coat quite a bit when done regularly. I will sometimes use the Furminator during a coat change if they are really blowing a coat out but normally I just use a comb to loosen the under coat and then a slicker, then bathe and then a slicker brush.


If it's just the deshedding treatment with the Furminator shampoo it's no big deal and that shampoo just has a high amount of conditioner to help the loose/dead coat wash out. Also I never blow my dog completely dry, I would say about 90% as I don't want the chance or drying the skin to much.



I don't even use a groomer, I go to Pet Valu as they have a self dog washing station with blow dryers and they supply towels and I bring my own shampoo and it costs me $4


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## Goldens&Friesians

I am a professional groomer. I used to use the Furminator, but noticed how it ruined the hair over time on my own golden. So now I do not EVER use it on long coated dogs. It cuts and damages the top coat. You can remove all the undercoat much more safely by grooming regularly, blow drying, and brushing with an undercoat rake. I now only use the Furminator on short haired dogs (like labs) that are shedding profusely, and even then, with great caution. My opinion is that a Furminator has no place on a long coated dog (even the Furminator supposedly made for long coats). And 30 minutes of brushing with a Furminator??? That's way too long! A new/beginner groomer I knew was using a Furminator for less time than that and ended up severely brush burning the dog. I don't know if she wasn't being properly supervised, or was never taught how dangerous it can be in the wrong hands, or what but she felt really bad. I also do not have a very high opinion of chain store grooming in general. Are there some good groomers in Petsmart and Petco? Certainly-I know one! But, most are just trying to fulfill a quota and not putting out very high quality grooms-doing sorta a one size fits all type groom job.


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## puddles everywhere

Just me but would never use petsmart/petco to groom one of my dogs period. Just too many stories about deaths at these places.

I groom all 3 of my dogs, it's just not that hard to do. Of course I'm still learning but getting better at feet and ears. I do have one with a really thick and long coat, for this I purchased a rake.. cost about $5. This removed the undercoat without damaging the top coat. The furminator actually cuts the hair. Like it was said earlier, it strips the coat so all that beautiful flowing coat that makes your golden a golden with begin to look really choppy and damaged. 

If it's the shedding that's the problem you might also look into how you dry your pup after a bath. I recently got a really good hair dryer and it removes all the loose hair, haven't needed to use the rake at all. It was so worth the investment for me anyway.


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## David Pearson

I used Petco for Blondie. I would take her every 4 months, between I would groomer her myself. They had a lady there who very good with Blondie. I think she went in business for her self. I don't trust the current staff. When Blondie was 12 the staff warn me about some upcoming policy where they would not groom senior dogs anymore.

I found some old friends who had two goldens that expanded their Dog supply store to include grooming. I am going to use them with Stuart four to three times a year with home grooming in between. I don't like/scared to trim the hair myself.


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## puddles everywhere

Something to remember about these places is the dogs are washed then put into a cage with hot air blowing on them for hours. Very stressful for many dogs, especially seniors. Many dogs overheat, the reason for so many deaths. They may tell you the dryers are not "heated" but the motor creates heat and running for hours, it gets hot.

A good grooming place has someone that stands there and blows them out. This takes about 30 minutes for even a large really heavy coated dog. I prefer to do my own dogs but totally understand the convenience of having someone else do it. Just take the time to find a good groomer vs. a large commercial grooming place that needs to groom large volumes of dogs to cover the overhead.


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## Goldens&Friesians

puddles everywhere said:


> Something to remember about these places is the dogs are washed then put into a cage with hot air blowing on them for hours. Very stressful for many dogs, especially seniors. Many dogs overheat, the reason for so many deaths. They may tell you the dryers are not "heated" but the motor creates heat and running for hours, it gets hot.
> 
> A good grooming place has someone that stands there and blows them out. This takes about 30 minutes for even a large really heavy coated dog. I prefer to do my own dogs but totally understand the convenience of having someone else do it. Just take the time to find a good groomer vs. a large commercial grooming place that needs to groom large volumes of dogs to cover the overhead.


I have to point out that there is a purpose for cage dryers-just because a groomer uses them doesn't automatically make them a bad groomer. I've groomed several dogs who would let you hand dry only parts of them, but not the head or face; or dogs who would tolerate the hand dryer so long and then just be done. Those dogs were much less stressed when they were partly hand dried, then put under cage dryers. Many dogs will not tolerate hand drying, so for those dogs, cage dryers are the better option. And used correctly, the dogs should only be under them for about 15-30 minutes-maybe an hour tops if they are extremely heavily coated. Dogs left under cage dryers for hours is simply a negligent groomer. And cage dryers should never be used exclusively-you should always hand dry as much as they will tolerate. But places like Petsmart use them to speed up the drying process. My golden does not have a heavy coat and it still takes me at least 45 minutes to completely hand dry her. A dog with a thicker coat takes over an hour. But if you hand dry a bit, then cage dry, it speeds up the process (because you can be starting the next dog while the first is in a dryer). According to the groomer I know who used to work at Petsmart, they are required to finish dogs in a certain amount of time-I want to say it was a half hour?-It takes me that long just to bathe and hand blow dry a shaved down Shih-tzu for goodness sake! Can't imagine something with more coat and then needing a haircut on top of that! Anyway, I do agree that completely hand drying is best if possible.


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## puddles everywhere

Goldens & Friesians you are absolutely right and never meant to imply that using a cage dryer made you a bad groomer. It's not the cage dryer that's the problem. It's the institution itself that takes in so many dogs that they get busy and loose track of time with the dogs back in the drying section. 
If you are lucky enough to find someone good at these places that's wonderful. However I've found that the good ones don't stay long.


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