A Groomer's World

Got Ice?

Brrr!  We definitely got a nice helping of the Midwest sleet storm.  7 1/2 inches of sleet.  SLEET!  Can you believe that?  It's just so bizarre.  I thought that once it gets so cold, you get snow and that's that.  Oh well.  At least Cameron gets to have fun playing in it  :)  We're definitely enjoying this extra time that we get to spend together, but I'm starting to get cabin fever!  Come on, grooming clients, why don't you want to dig your cars out of the sleet and ice just to bring you dogs to me for a grooming session?  Kidding. 

Enjoy these pictures of my little man playing in his first big snow, along with pictures of the massive piles of sleet and ice on our stuff and weighing down our trees!  One of my personal favorites is the "snow cone" on the tiki torch!  As always, clicking on a picture will open the large version in a new window.

I'm baaaaaaack! :)

Hey, readers! 

I'm listening to the news about how rough our icy weather is right now.  I've heard the clickety-clack of sleet on my heater pipe for almost a whole day now.  I haven't been out, but I can't imagine that conditions are good!  Looks like I might not be grooming today, either...

I did groom Monday, though, and I have pictures!  I forgot to take pics of a couple of my critters, but I got most of them.  Also, my favorite handyman (Joe! Love that husband!) installed some shelves for me by my desk.  I've amassed quite a collection of lotions and potions in the shop and I needed a place to put them all!  I feel much better having them where I can see and reach them.  Remember that you can always click on my pictures to view them in a larger size, new window.  Enjoy!

   Cameron is "riding" one of his new best friends  :)  This toy often gets in "trouble!" and put in the corner.  "Ba' boy!"

   Isn't this the best shelf installation job you've ever seen?

  Here is one of my favorite 'Tzus.  His name is Roscoe, and in this picture he is washed, fluffed, and ready for his haircut!

  This is my "cousin" Snoopy the Schnoodle.  You've seen him before, and you'll see him many more times!  Definitely click to enlarge this picture.  I'm proud of this groom job  ;)

This handsome feller is Schnitzie.  I always love those floppy ears.  He's a nervous drooler, so he never gets to go home with a pretty beard.

This is Baby.  I had to groomer her in a hurry because her Daddy doesn't like her to be away.  Spoiled!  She's a very good girl, so I told them, "No problem!"

It's great to be back, guys and gals!  If you're still reading my ol' blog, pop in and leave me a comment to say Hello!  I'll type at you again soon.

Toenail Neglect!

This is a pretty good example of what happens when you let your poor dog's toenails grow too long.  Luckily this little pooch's nails only grew out and not around.  They will often grow all the way around until they are actually piercing the paw pad.  Can you imagine walking on that?  *shudder*  Back to this dog:  Basically this poor dog can't afford to put too much weight on the front part of his paws because it will feel like he's trying to lift his nails off of their beds.  I imagine that he had to walk with a strange "back on the heels" effect.  Here are the pictures:

  

I'm sure you can guess that if his nails were neglected, so was the rest of him!  Here are his whole-body before and after grooming pictures:

 

He was one matted poodle!  Luckily I was able to de-mat his ears and pom to save him a little dignity  :)  He was quite appreciative!  I hope I see him again before he gets into that shape again...

Owners:  Overgrown toenails are very easy to prevent!  Simply take your pet into your groomer or veterinarian every few weeks (8 at the longest, between 3-6 would be ideal) to have a little trim, or do them at home!

Shaved Cat - The Smooth Version :)

Isn't it awesome when a shaved cat turns out so smooth?  They often look like a hacked-up mess, but this one had a great coat for shaving.  Oh, and I've had enough practice that I'm getting pretty darned good  ;)  Here is the picture of that shaved cat for your viewing pleasure:

How did I do it?  I used a few of my lovely Buttercut #10s on him.  I find that the Buttercuts have the perfect "dig" to them to get the smooth effect on cat coats with the most efficiency.  I typically use #15s on the armpits and other loose areas to avoid skin nicks and nip nicks.  Those poor kitty nipples!

I may have to come back and edit this post later.  Forgive me if it sounds crazy - I really need to go to bed!

The Long-Awaited Cameron Halloween Pictures!

Sorry that it took me so long to get these up, guys!  Remember:  If you want to see the larger version, just click on the picture and you'll see it in a new window.  Here is your favorite Elmo!

At Home

On PePaw's Lawnmower ("Riiide?  Vroom Vroom!")


At Mawmaw's House


At the Make-Believe Parade at daycare

A Note to My GroomerBlog Readers

Hey guys.  Sorry about the recent lack of posts.  I have been exploring different channels in which I can put my writing, and let me tell you there are many!  Plus there has been a lot going on in our home lately with creating a new family budget, hunting season, Halloween, etc. 

Anyway, my point is this:  I'm going to keep GroomerBlogging, but you may not see daily posts.  I may only post a few times per week, as most of my "blogging" energy will now be going into SIFrugalShopper.  I love to blog about grooming, but I feel the "article" pieces will serve readers better through different venues.  As far as the grooming pictures are concerned, they'll still be posted but I will not take pictures of every dog, as that became very boring.  I'll just highlight a few dogs per week, featuring the most memorable and the before/after crew.

For those who enjoy keeping up with "the family life," I still can't decide if I should feature those posts here or at SIFS...  I guess I'll keep experimenting with that one.  Thanks for reading!

-Kendra Ann-

Pictures of a Yorkshire Terrier - Pomeranian Mix

Here are some before and after grooming pictures of a... Yo-Pom?  Porkie?  I don't know what the "designer" name for a Pomeranian-Yorkie mix would be!  What I do know is this might be the most interesting mixed breed that I have ever seen!  Sam has a Yorkie-shaped body and face (even with the uncut Yorkie tail), but with Pomeranian coat and facial expressions!  It's the craziest thing - but in the cutest way  :)  He is a brother to Harry.  They both have that gorgeous thick, soft, silky Pom coat that I could just comb and comb all day.  I'll definitely need to see these boys again!  Here are the pictures of Sam:

Before:  Look at that shag.  I love it!
        Do you see how thick he is?!  Of course a ton of that came out, but he's still a thick one.

After:  Is he photogenic or what?  A full-body pose, then a smile  :)