Blog Post Archive

As a child of the TV show the Jetsons, each and every time I do FaceTime I always think I am in a Jetsons episode. Who would think that this technology would be common place in 2016? Back in the 1960’s when the Jetsons was the most popular cartoon on TV, the fantasy of seeing someone while talking to them was just that, a fantasy.

I am presently creating my new Kent’s Kanines website and my web master, Chad Swenson, has been traveling through Europe for three months. Emails can of course explain things but, the creative part of design really is best accomplished face to face. Hence we have been using FaceTime. While he is enjoying the mountains of France, Germany and Austria, I sit at my desk in San Francisco. Doesn’t seem fair somehow 🙂 🙂

That being said, I just love Facetime and am very grateful that a small business owner as myself can accomplished something as complicated as a website with another person across the world!

I was so sad to hear that Joan Rivers had died today. I groomed her dog, Spike, a very handsome Yorkshire Terrier for three years. This was 1990 and I had just started Kent’s Kanines in 1989. Her secretary at that time just happened to live in the same building that I lived in and she saw me with my beautiful Yorkie, Lola. She stopped me and told me how beautiful Lola was and then proceeded to tell me her boss had a Yorkie too. I looked down at her T-Shirt and she had on A Joan Rivers Show t-shirt! I asked with great interest if Joan Rivers was her boss. She said YES and I promptly gave her my card. The following week I was going to the TV studio on 12TH Avenue and 60TH Street, the old CBS Studios where she was taping her show and groomed Spike there for about six months.

I then suggested that it might be better for Spike to be groomed at her home, the studio was very busy and Spike was so sensitive and nervous. Joan lived 1o minutes from me in Manhattan so it worked out much better. She had a magnificent apartment on 5TH Avenue and 62ND Street, a triplex, I loved going there. Melissa’s apartment was below her two main levels, (Melissa was living in CA at that point) and that is where I groomed Spike until I moved to San Francisco 1993.

The news today made me think back to those days and remember all the great things about working for her. For me, she was an easy boss. Loved everything I did for Spike. She trusted me implicitly and I was very proud to work for her. At that point in my career, she was the first celebrity whose dog I groomed. I would often come in the evening when she arrived from traveling and we would sit in the huge foyer and she would be full of life even at 9:30PM after a full day of work. She really was remarkable! A one of a kind, a true New Yorker and a lover of dogs.

When I told her that I was moving to California to live with a man, she looked at me straight in the eye and said ” Did you get the ROCK “? I giggled with embarrassment and said no. I think back on that one event and I do wish I had listened. That was her way of telling me to be careful and I do believe she was trying to protect me. She was a good Jewish mother!

I will always be thankful to Joan for believing in me and trusting me with her beloved Spike. I will truly miss her.

Often times I listen to music while I’m working. Usually it’s Pandora, French Cafe Radio (I created that station) or Hearts of Space www.hos.com. Today though was very different.

When I arrived for my first appointment this morning, she wasn’t at home, I have access and began hand stripping her darling Norwich Terrier. No one was home so the house was quiet and very relaxed. After about an hour, my client came home from errands and about 15 minutes later said that she was going to practice her piano and that hopefully, she wouldn’t bother me. Well, I have known her for years and had no idea that she even played the piano. The living room isn’t far from the laundry room where I was grooming so I could hear her practice. I have seen the grand piano but, as one so often finds a piano in a home, no one plays. Quite the contrary in this house.

She started with scales and after about 10 minutes of that she began to play a piece that was so lovely. She is a terrific piano player and I felt as if I was in a concert hall. I could hear the concentration through her fingers. Clearly, she has been playing for years, she is quite accomplished.

It was so interesting to see the reaction of the dog when she started to play. Initially, I wasn’t paying attention but, her dog stopped panting and completely relaxed in my hands. I had been stripping her for about 2 hours when the music started so she was getting a little tired. It was amazing to see how her dog’s stress level reduced. Initially, I wasn’t paying attention to it but, because the practice went on for 30 minutes, I clearly noticed after 10 minutes that she was no longer panting. She was alert and it seemed as she, too, was reaching to here every note! It was as if she was in a little trance. Both of us were. My client was deeply engrossed in her practice, you could hear the concentration.

I felt quite privileged that she played while I was present in her home.

Yogi was the last dog I groomed in 2013. He is a darling Tibetan Terrier mix of some sort and has one of those faces that just makes you smile. He was adopted from a shelter in Marin County. He is probably 3-5 years old and is very loving and joyful.

When I first met him, I was told that he was very ” sensitive ” about grooming and was not welcomed back at any of groomers that had tried to groom him. That was code for he can be a problem.

So, I was naturally on my guard that first time and proceeded very slowly, starting with just brushing him. He was very matted which added to his anxiety and it became quite clear very quickly that he could be extremely aggressive. He had profound sensitivity to his hind quarters, all down his legs and especially his feet. His front legs were also triggers for intense snapping and threatening behavior. I was sure to keep him tethered with a grooming noose so his head remained stationary and slowly and patiently dematted him. That first grooming he whined, whimpered and actually let out screams just for putting the brush near him.

Clearly he been terribly traumatized in his past grooming experiences. The joy of home grooming is that the owner can observe as I am grooming. However, in Yogi’s case I decided that it was not a good idea. His owner’s presence was too stimulating for him and he could not relax. The challenge for Yogi was to learn to relax and learn to detach from his Mom and learn to trust himself. To allow tools to pass over his body without any reaction. He was so, so frantic and also dangerous so I decided to groom him in silence with no distractions. After two years of this process and really tuning into Yogi’s fragilities, I now can finish the grooming with less stress and threatening behavior.

I do believe that Yogi was muzzled during his previous groomings as well as very poorly handled and that at no time did anyone really take the time to be really patient and accommodating to his extreme behavior. I never give treats during grooming for many reasons. Firstly, dogs can choke. Secondly, it causes them to salivate and thirdly and most importantly, the dog must trust me completely using only my hands and voice. Sometimes, it takes years to train a dog to be polite and obedient on the grooming table. I insisted that he be groomed every month which helped him a lot. It prevented matting so he didn’t have that stress to endure and with anything, the more you do it, the easier it gets. This has helped Yogi tremendously.

I am very proud of Yogi and feel privileged that he trusts and allows me to groom him.

Christmas time is here and I have the perfect ornament. Riley, the Havanese Snowball!!

Below is the before and after video of Riley. He is an absolutely darling Havanese that is about 1.5 years old. He was a referral from Marley, (Makeover Madness, 2nd dog featured, a Champion Havanese). When I first met him he was extremely nervous, anxious and matted. I started grooming him about 3 months ago so, I had not had the opportunity to teach him the grooming process from puppy hood. My first grooming visit was challenging because he was quite long, matted and uneven. Despite this, I could see that under the matted, uneven mess that there was a diamond. He whined and sort of screamed and trembled most of that first grooming but, eventually with patience I completed the grooming. The owner stayed with me and observed that first grooming and learned how to properly brush and comb him. She even purchased a grooming table which helps tremendously so when she brushes and combs him now, he is secure. She was doing this work on the bed which is not a proper place for grooming, especially for a naturally high strung, nervous animal. It also doesn’t allow the animal to firmly plant all four feet for ultimate stability and thoroughness.

Today was his third grooming session with me and he has improved. The below video shows a little of the anxiousness but, by the time I was finished he had calm down a lot, still a little wimpering but, handled the session like a big boy!!

His coat definitely requires advanced grooming skills. The challenge is to create evenness without scissor marks. He also has great expressive eyes and I wanted to keep his face full, round and feathered. Shaping with thinning shears on his face is a must. I just think he looks like a big SNOWBALL!

Merry Christmas

I first met He-Man when I was shopping on Fillmore Street. Out of the corner of my eye I saw a fluff of red whizz by. I thought to myself, “There is a lovely Pomeranian, I will have to say hi.” So I introduced myself and told the owner that I, too, was a Pom lover and was also a dog groomer. Well, that started a long conversation while looking at designer clothes. She told me that He-Man had been injured terribly at another groomer and was really afraid to have him groomed professionally. He actually hadn’t been groomed for over a year she was so, so nervous about giving him to another person to groom. It was kismet that we met. I persuaded her that I could demat and groom him without shaving him and that I would be extra,extra careful! She agreed to allow me to groom him and within three weeks, we had our first “grooming date”.

Since he had not been groomed for such a long time, he was terribly matted. On the surface he looked fine but, underneath he was completely and thoroughly matted. That first time grooming him was quite an event. I sat on a chair and put him in my lap and proceeded to gently and slowly pick apart his mats. There were a number of rest breaks but, after hours and hours, he was completely mat free. I had to be very careful about handling him since his hip and pelvis had been fractured. Sadly, they are slightly deformed now. He was quite nervous and I think anticipating something bad happening but, we slowly moved into a grooming zen and after many hours and a few rest breaks he was completely dematted. I then bathed him and did a deep hydrating conditioner. I truly think he was so happy to feel clean and silky. He pranced like a prince that first time, so proud to be the handsome He-Man once again!!

I have been grooming him for two years now. As you will see in the video below, he sits perfectly in my lap and allows me to begin the dematting process in my lap with very little stress. By starting the grooming process in my lap, it lessens the standing time on the grooming table and therefore reduces stress for him. He is very perky and handsome and truly a joy to groom. I am so glad that I stopped his Mom while shopping!!!

When I first met Jimmy, I had to smile. He looked so much like a Steiff toy. It turns out that he is like a cuddly little toy!! Generally speaking, Lakeland Terriers can be quite a handful and very independent minded. Jimmy, on the contrary, is incredibly low key and mellow. All he wants to do is snuggle and be hugged!! When I first groomed him, he was very long and had no shape. He lives a  with a very active family who take him on long walks/hikes/outings in Marin County so, it was important to trim his hair for easy maintenance in combination with looking cute and handsome!!

We thought it best to remove the Fall so everybody could really see his sweet and kind eyes – to give him that puppy look. As you will see in the video below, I trimmed him short but, not so shaved as to be ” skinned”. I wanted to create a little Steiff toy. I really tried to be sure that his saddle blended into his skirt so there was no demarcation line to create a very natural, fluid appearance. This is accomplished by knowing which blade to use and then managing the pressure as you travel the different areas of the body. He can now go to the dog park, romp with all his friends, shake off the dirt and be good to go with little maintenance necessary between professional groomings.

Jimmy was a joy to groom!

The link below is absolutely so beautiful!! Who ever wrote it deserves an award. If anybody does know who wrote this I would greatly appreciate their name. My father was the original ” Mad Men” ( no joke) wrote advertising and jingles all his life. He would have loved the writing for the video below. The marriage between the copy and the photographs truly captures the profound visceral connection between man and dog. Even though I had seen months ago, when a client emailed this video to me today, I still got teary eyed while watching it.  Enjoy!!!

I first saw a portrait that Nikki Solone did for one of my Kent’s Kanines models. She was a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel named Basil. A beautiful and darling little girl. Her owner had commissioned Nikki Solone to create an oil painting and it came out beautifully; she really captured the essence of Basil. I know her owner is so grateful to have a lovely painting of Basil to remind her of all the years they spent together. Sadly, Basil died earlier this year. Please click on the link to read the Tribute to Basil. www.nikkisolone.com

Another portrait artist that did an oil painting of one of my clients is Loryn Anderson. The dog featured is Tilly an adorable and very perky Australian Terrier. Tilly is hand stripped and I just love the way Loryn Anderson captured the color and texture of her coat. Her face is alive and alert and that is all Tilly!! www.lorenzofineart.com

Jacqueline Probert is another great portrait artist. I groom two little Brussels Griffons named Ophelia, “Opie” and Charlotte, “Charlie”.
Jacqueline did two separate canvases. Not only do I love the actual rendering of each dog but, I just love that she had the insight to paint them on a very small sized canvas. The dogs really pop! The picture featured was taken in my client’s kitchen and it’s not the best quality, so I apologize but, you can still really appreciate the artistry! I will feature in a separate blog post another portrait Jacqueline did of another client of mine, Penny. A truly beautiful Tibetan Terrier with the most amazing markings. www.jacquelineprobert.com

I met Ted Prescott the proprietor of On The Spot Studios in October of 2012 when I had to groom a dog for the Del Valle Dog Show.  He set up a tent with a carpeted platform and all different colors of back round paper on huge rolls. This photo session was separate from the formal show portraits taken by a photographer after each event. Kevin was offering artistic portraiture. As my client was having her portrait session with Ted, I perused his portfolio and just fell in love with his work. It’s so simple but, terrific. It’s all about the dog. He chooses the back round color paper to compliment and enhance each dog. The picture below is from his postcard/business card. www.onthespotstudios.com

All the artists featured here are wonderful and very talented. Each portrait they create is a true expression of a well loved pet that will endure forever.

Well,  here is another Kent’s Kanines Model, Travis. He is a 14/15 year Shepherd mix. We are not sure of his age since he was adopted at the San Francisco SPCA. I have been grooming him since he was adopted and he is one of the sweetest, loving and easy going dogs. He is a joy to groom; he evens knows to put his front feet on the back end of the grooming table so I can prop him up.

I groom Travis every month and am still amazed at the volume of hair that is extracted each time. I start the process on the table and completely brush and comb him  prior to the bath so there  are no mats. My grooming comb goes through his thick coat without a hitch prior to the bath. Once I lather him and really get the shampoo deep in his coat, I take my grooming comb on the wide side and comb through his thick coat while the shampoo is on him. As you will see in the video below, I pull out tons of hair. I drag the comb through every square inch of him, slowly and patiently. This technique is so terrific for extracting that stubborn undercoat. Of course, I temper the pressure of the combing based on which body part I am combing. Where there is more fat and cushioning, I can apply more pressure. Areas like his tail require a lot of sensitivity due to the fact that there is very little fat and  a lot of nerve endings.

It’s all about ” elbow grease “. Actually, taking the time and patience to slowly comb through a coat as showcased in the video below is a great method to help with shedding. Of course, after his bath Travis was completely blown dry with a power  blower all the while being brushed with a slicker brush and constantly combed until he was bone dry. This final process removes the last of the dead hair.

I do not use a conditioner on Travis but, if you had a dog with longer furnishings ie: Australian Shepherd, Samoyed, Maltese, Yorkie, Coton du Tulear etc…………… you could do the combing out while the conditioner is working and slowly and meticulously comb through the length inch by inch so not to tear the coat. This will help in the drying process so the final finished look is really fluffy and lustrous!!

Here are some photos of Travis as a Kent’s Kanines Model featured on my website. He is in Gallery 2 accompanied by Rollo. Rollo, sadly, is no longer with us but, they were the best buddies!!