Worst day at work (doggie related)

[Guest Mutts4Me]

So today was the most stressful (dog-related stress, anyway) of the two months I've been working in Petsmart's salon.... There's been mucho human related stress already, but the dogs got to me today.

I got in, and my manager had already accepted an extra dog for me. It was a very old, rickety Labrador mix which I washed as gently as possible, then put it back in its cage to give it a break before blow drying it. Well, it pooped in its cage... and got it all over itself, so I had to take the poor dog back out and rewash him, then clean up the cage and blow dry him, since it was getting close to time for him to leave.

Then I got a Pit Bull, which I'm usually excited about (usually get at least one a day, if not 3-4 due to where I live). But Max was big and very dog aggressive, so I carefully got him into his cage, where he proceeded to bark the rest of the time he was there.

Someone else got 2 more Pit Bulls, one of which barked viscously at me when I tried to lead him back into the kennel area. Lovely. Then he apologized and went nicely. I had to put him by Max, who was tearing at his cage to get at the first Pit I'd brought in; both these Pits were afraid to get in their cages because Max was scaring them so badly.

Later, everyone's re-arranged a bit, and this wild and crazy 5-6 month old Golden is caged next to one of the Pit Bulls. This Golden has been a pain in the rear from the get-go, and is constantly trying to get out of its cage.
Well, I'm drying a Maltese on a table, glance back and notice the fawn Pit Bull has two heads. Wait, that's not possible. WTF? The Golden has somehow busted out the divider between cages and is sitting with/on one of the Pit Bulls (thankfully not Max).

So I go through one of those very slow-motion moments. I frantically put the Maltese back in his cage, look at the door, wondering if I should call someone. I'm alone in the kennel area. All the dryers are on, and there are several customers. No. No one would hear me, probably... no time to think. So I grab a leash, open the door, try to loop one dog, but both fly out. I loop the stupid Golden... hold the Pit Bull (who is amused at the whole fiasco), finally manage to loop something around its neck, put it back in the cage. Take the bouncing Golden out front to its groomer and tell her it decided to room with the Pit Bull. We re-adjust the divder, put the Golden elsewhere. Tell the Pit Bull "Good dog" many times.

Have an ancient, mostly blind Beagle who poops in its cage seconds after I finish bathing him and put him back in his cage. Have to carry a poopy dog to a different cage and clean my second poopy cage of the day. Yay. Later, he gets a random nose bleed.

A lady and her mother bring in a Min Pin for a toenail trim. While this is being done, the lady runs to the restroom. Her mother asks "do you do ears here?" I say we can clean its ears, too, Yes. But that's not what she means. "No, do you cut them?" Crop them? "Yeah, that's it." No, we don't "do" ears here. You have to see a vet for that.

Max is picked up, and I hook him to the cages to vut his toenails before he leaves. This is very difficult because he's facing one of the other Pit Bulls and trying to start a fight... while I'm down on the floor with him. On the very last toenail, Max lunges at the other dog and I cut his quick. Blood starts flowing - it looks worse on a damp floor than it is, but I get upset anyway. I have a hard to applying QuikStop to a lunging maniac, and someone has to hold him still. I finally get rid of Max and am relieved. I forgot to say that I had to brush his teeth! I said "Stupid Pit Bull" so many times, you'd never know they were my favorite breed.

And someone comes in for a walk-in toenail trim, and I get through the first dog okay, even though she does have black nails. Then I get to the second and think she'll be easy because her nails are white. And then I quicked her twice!!! She had these weird, double layered nails that were white on top, so I could see the pink and was nowhere near it... but the bottom of the nails were black, which I guess allowed the quick to go further than the pink. I don't know how to describe it, but it was weird. And I was miserable. Once is bad enough, but twice... ugh.

And I did this black Labrador, and when her owner picked her up, I was told the dog was "soaking wet." It wasn't. I thought maybe she was a little bit damp next to the skin, so I took her bakc to blow dry while they paid. A few minutes later, I came back with a totally dry dog and was again told that it was WET!!! The lady grumbled about her dog getting sick and left. IT makes me wonder if her dog's ever had clean, moist skin/fur before.

What else? Lots, I'm sure, but this is long enough as it is. Work always makes me hate people... both seeing the condition some dogs come in in, and the stupid people who get so upset when they find out they can't just drop their dog off for a walk-in groom, even on the weekends. But today I was just sick of dogs in general. Bah.

But then I came home and Sasha Mutt wooed at me, and I liked them again :)

[mouseatthebusstop]

the general public are unbeliveable - I never knew how unreasonable people can be untill I worked in a shop

[behle]

Mutts4Me napisał(a):

But then I came home and Sasha Mutt wooed at me, and I liked them again :)

Sorry your day was so extreme. People can be so rude, but your own furkid can make it all right again.

I loved your final sentence. :D :D

[SizzleDog]

Ohhh I hear ya - I worked in a Petco salon for about 4 years, and it can get really hectic. The idiots really come out of the woodwork around the holidays, so watch out!

[Horsefeathers!]

*splutter* But you get to play with puppy dogs all day! :roll:

:wink:

[courtnek]

dont feel too terrible. you didnt do anything worng, you just had "bad" customers....

oh and the lady with the lab? I wonder how long she's had it. A lab
(esepcially black) with a properly cared for coat ALWAYS looks wet,
because of the oil that the skin produces to proect the coat. if its cold by you the dog will actually look wetter than usual, because the colder (and wetter) it is, the more oil the coat produces. tell her that if she comes back. my lab x is always mistaken for being wet, especially in the winter.

[Guest Mutts4Me]

Horsefeathers! napisał(a):

*splutter* But you get to play with puppy dogs all day! :roll:

:wink:

:lol: :lol:

I keep telling myself that everytime I wonder why I'm getting paid poorly for a lot of stress and work ;)

Courtnek - No, she felt her dog and said it was wet. Then i felt her dog and thought otherwsie. She got what we call our "Top Dog," which is toothbrushing and a remoisturizing conditioner - so I wonder if she's just used to her dog having dry skin and fur or something. Bah.

[BuddysMom]

Oh Mutts$ I'm so sorry that just sounds like a horrid day!! And of course you know, but you are doing the work of 3 people ...

[nadooshkinz]

Aww! Sorry to hear about your bad day, hopefully things will get better :wink: