A woman is convinced her dog groomer swapped her pet out for a different animal entirely after they went against her instructions and gave the pooch an atrocious trim.
Bruno's Shocking Transformation
The woman took her Mini Goldendoodle named Bruno to the groomer to have his coat trimmed, and told the professionals she only wanted "an inch" taken off his fur. But when she went to pick up her dog, which is a cross between a Golden Retriever and a Miniature Poodle, she was left astounded, as the groomer had given her pooch an "atrocious" trim.
In fact, Bruno looked so different when he walked out of the groomers, his owner was convinced she'd been given someone else's dog instead of her own.
Viral Video and Reactions
The woman posted a video on a TikTok account dedicated to her dog, which showed Bruno before he went into the groomers, with his golden coat looking a little long as it seemed to be covering his eyes. She then showed a clip taken after she picked up her dog, and the difference was startling. Bruno had been completely shaved rather than trimmed, showing off his small frame that would usually be covered with fur.
The woman wrote in the caption: "I'm still in denial that this is supposedly my dog."
Commenters on the video were quick to defend the groomer, however, with many saying that groomers would usually only cut this much fur off of a dog if its coat was matted. But Bruno's owner insisted she brushes his coat every single day to keep him from matting, and there were a similar number of commenters writing to argue that there was "no way" Bruno's coat was matted when he went for his appointment.
One person said: "That dog was matted under all his fur. That's the only reason we take dogs down with a 10 blade. You have to comb your dog. Can't shame the groomer for this one."
Another argued: "This dog was NOT matted. Unfortunately, the groomer was too lazy to GROOM and instead shaved the poor dog. These dogs' hair is time-consuming, yes, but to take a shortcut and shave him, I'D BE P*****!"
Legal and Care Considerations
It is impossible to tell from the short clip that Bruno's owner posted whether his coat was matted or not, but in the UK, it could actually be illegal for a groomer to overly brush a dog that is matted. Groomers must comply with the Animal Welfare Act, and under this law, causing a dog pain or distress from prolonged de-matting or harsh brushing is illegal. This means that if your dog's coat is matted, completely shaving them may be the only way to legally and humanely treat your pet.
How to Correctly Brush a Dog's Coat
To correctly brush a dog's coat, you must first make sure you have the right type of brush for your breed. According to Pawsitivity Pet Spa, for most regular pet brushing, the best option is a slicker brush. You will also need a standard comb made especially for dogs, known as a Greyhound comb. This comb should be used after the brush on each section of your dog's coat, as it shows you where the knots are.
The experts recommend starting with your dog's tail, brushing it out and combing through to remove any knots and loose hairs. Then move onto the legs, body, neck, chest, head, and finally, the ears. If you find a hard spot of matting after brushing and combing twice, do not continue to force the knots out. At this point, you should take your dog to be professionally groomed so that the matting can be safely removed. Never try to shave your dog or remove matting yourself.
