12/07/2025
**copied from another page**
Beware the Xmas Doodle. A Christmas lesson.
I am sure many of you who are veterans within Grooming will see them coming a mile off but if you are new to grooming, have spaces in your diary over Xmas and advertising for clients then beware of the Xmas Doodle.
This dog will come with a scatty owner who has found you on Facebook. They will be juggling life and maybe quite stressed BUT they have forgotten to book their Doodle in to the groomers pre Xmas and are now DESPERATE.
They have a large amount of family about to decend on them for the Xmas period and have only just realised that their Doodle is looking “Aweful”.
Deep down this has triggered major levels of guilt, but there is no way they are going to let people know about this.
But they have found you. Over a number of messages with you they are pressuring you to book “Teddy” and dodging or diverting away from the questions you ask about how long it’s been since Teddys last groom and if they know one end of a brush to another.
Due to the amount of pressure from them or to get dogs in the diary you decide to ignore the SCREAMING voices in your head telling you about the red flags 🚩 and decide to believe them the clincher is “He has got a little bit knotty” and book Teddy in.
The day comes and again they use their superpower over you and just drop Teddy off and swerve the questions.
You tell tell them that Teddy isn’t “Notty” but is very matted but they reassure you it’s fine and they tell you that they understand and “you do what you need to do……….”
“Tarquin needs to get to his piano lesson. We are running late. I don’t have time to chat here’s Teddy bye. I am sure it will be fine.”
ITS A TRAP ….. that you have just wondered into.
Teddy is indeed a matted mess and as you make the obvious and right decision to take Teddy off on a 7F remembering what you have been told about the Animal Welfare act knowing that you are (absolutely are) doing what is right for Teddy you start to unveil Teddy and release him from his pelt.
You trim away all of his “Cuteness” and “Fluffy” personality.
Photos taken you wait for the owner to arrive. You may or may not feel anxious after all you have done what is right for the dog. But Teddy has gone from looking like a Doodle to a “skinny Poodle”.
Now you may get lucky and have an owner who has humility and understanding or ……………………
You may have an owner who sees Teddy and all they can think about is the family Xmas album and the endless amount of explanation as to what has happened to Teddy. You have exposed the owner and their guilt has been triggered. But remember this will NEVER be the owners fault. They won’t admit their guilt and neglect.
Teddy has been “scalped”.
Teddy now had “PTSD”.
Teddy is ashamed to be seen in public.
Teddy is “Depressed”.
Teddy won’t eat.
The other dogs are going to bully him.
Oh yes we have heard all of these and more from these Doodle owners.
You now have to spend a couple of agonising weeks awaiting the review, dealing with the messages from Teddys owner and their other half and maybe the extended family. It becomes an episode of Eastenders for some and a form of entertainment for them.
This will pass because hair grows and times a healer but it’s a horrid couple of weeks which may make you question your career choices.
What can we do about it?
Well having our eyes well and truly open to the clients is a great start. Meet and greets maybe but definitely listen to the red flags. Slow the process down, don’t be bullied and be prepared to say No to the request for an appointment.
Should you choose to take on the Xmas Doodle then be very very very very clear on what’s going to happen and what the dog will look like. Do not take a blade to that dog without the owner understanding exactly what is going to happen and look like.
Even after all that. Even when everything has been explained and signed for you can still end up with a 1 star google review. We know because it’s sitting on our business page.
You are damned if your do and damned if you don’t there are no winners with the Xmas Doodle but I hope this shows you that you are not alone, everyone has experience of them, some are wise to them now and maybe after reading this you will be to.
It’s not you. It’s them. Be strong 💪
