Blog Post Archive

My commitment to create beauty and love through dog grooming has proven to be my purpose in life.

My goal as a home groomer is to give each dog my individual attention; to take the time needed so that a deep and everlasting trust is developed, as well as give the owners the experience to view and even assist if necessary, especially for puppies or elderly and infirm dogs.

Dog grooming is an art. It is a privilege to enter my clients’ homes and be given the opportunity to sculpt and to develop over time that human/dog relationship in the safety and comfort of their own home.

My grooming tools are basic: grooming table, scissors, blades, clippers, stripping knives, shampoo and dryers. What I also bring, that is not so obvious, are my voice and my hands. The ability to communicate in different tones and commands is essential so that the dog learns what is expected and therefore, relaxes and surrenders to the process. My experienced hands are the essence of my talent. They guide me to carefully scissor around the eyes and ears, trim around tiny paws and of course, those sensitive private areas with excellence, patience, and safety.

I love when I am finished styling a dog. The owner exclaims “He’s so handsome, She’s so pretty, He’s so adorable!” The joy that home grooming brings to my clients is what it is all about.

Grooming is an ancient ritual and tradition. Throughout the ages, it has been vital to the humankind and animal kingdom connection, not only to maintain the physical well being of the animal ie: dog, but mainly and most importantly to further enhance, nurture and respect that very sacred bond between dogs and humans.

My colleague Joy Randel who is the proprietor of a online designer pet store and also is the host of Dazzle Dog Delight Blog Talk Radio where she interviews professionals in the Pet Industry. I was one of those guests yesterday and had a great time with Joy.

It is always a pleasure to share my knowledge with others who are interested in dog grooming. It’s amazing that the hour flew by and of course, after the show I thought of so many things I wanted to address. After grooming for 24 years and specifically home dog grooming, I have gathered a wealth of knowledge and know that there are many people who are appreciative of learning more about the best way to brush, comb, bath and dry their dog in between professional groomings.

The topics we covered were:

What is home dog grooming, Do all dogs need grooming, How does one find a good groomer, What should one do to prepare a puppy for the professional grooming experience, What happens if the dog is injured during grooming, What is Senate Bill 969 in California aka Lucy’s Law?

I hope in the future to do more of these interviews. Not only is it fun to share my experiences but, I know as a professional groomer for so many years how important and essential grooming is to all breeds of dogs. Not only for the obvious to maintain their skin and coat and of course create a style that pleases my customers but, to discover health problems that may be lurking under the hair and in the hidden recesses of a dogs body.

I am including a link to the radio show below hosted by Joy Randel of Dazzle Dog Delight. The show is also available on ITunes, please search for Dazzle Dog Delight Blog Talk Radio.

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/dazzle-dog-delight/2012/11/07/dog-salon-home-dog-grooming-1

One of my magnificent Kent’s Kanines Models was diagnosed with osteo-carcinoma two years ago. He is a beautiful Golden Retriever named Big Red and I know I’m not supposed to have “favorites” but, I must admit Big Red is one my most favorite clients. I grew up with a “Big Red”. A broad shouldered loving and affectionate Golden Retriever named Chipper, Sir Chipper of Kent (my last name) so Big Red holds a special place in my heart.

I do groom him every two weeks. He and his love interest (see pic below) run all over the woods, go to the beach and get pretty dirty. Since I do groom them regularly and know them like the back of my hand, every square inch of him, I was very concerned two years ago when I found a small mass, maybe the size of a small pecan on the lower part of his rear leg under the hock. I felt it and it was hard and that is not a location where I have ever seen a Lipoma. I knew what it was. When I groomed him two weeks previously, nothing was there. I do use a very powerful power blower so I can really see at the skin layer and I know it was not there two weeks earlier. I also trimmed that area with thinning shears for a neater clean look so I would have noticed it.

He was immediately brought to the vet where it was diagnosed to be cancer and he had to go to a canine orthopedist that specializes in the removal of such tumors. He then went to Davis Veterinary School/Clinic for radiation for 5 weeks. The radiation did affect his skin but, finally it healed completely. See the picture below of the healed wound.

Big Red is alive and well and has had a complete recovery. He is on the right in all the photos below. Very handsome.

This tumor was in a very odd place and not a place where one would look on a daily basis. It actually was hidden by his hair and found because my power blower pushes and separates the hair while drying so it was discovered. The bump (tumor) was very small at that point and without grooming regularly, I could see missing it for a long time. These tumors are virulent and often times the dog must suffer an amputation due to the fact that the tumor was not caught early.

Grooming, all phases of the process – brushing and combing prior to the bath, bathing, drying and then a final brushing and combing if done thoroughly and meticulously are all opportunities to find something that needs medical attention and save a life!

Grooming can be life saving!

One of the great perks of my career as a home dog groomer is meeting all the “humans” that own all the dogs I groom. I enter the homes of everybody. Rich, poor, black, white and everything in between.  Of course, the purpose of my visit is to groom their dog but, so often as it happens, I meet extraordinary men and women. One of them is Jennifer Wilson. I have been grooming her dog for a few years now and the last time I came to groom her Norwich Terrier, she announces that she wrote a play showcasing in a month on Sutter Street. The play is entitled ” And That’s What Little Girls Are Made Of”. It is an autobiographical play about her experiences in the 1980’s trying to start a women’s venture capital fund. Bravo to her!!

As I groomed her dog, she told me all about how this play came into being and how all pieces came together for her after 20 years of trying to birth it. It is so thrilling for me to see one of my clients so happy and excited about a project that started from an idea and is now in a playhouse with actors speaking the dialogue she had written. Bravo to Jennifer!!

I am planning to see it this weekend. Can’t wait. Here are two links about her and the play.

http://whatgirlsaremadeof.com

http://www.mercurynews.com/business/ci_21794791/new-play-san-francisco-takes-unlikely-subject-women

As many of you know, I have dogs too. One of them is a very sweet Norwich Terrier that I have had since she been three years old. I adore her. If I could have a herd Norwichs I would do so. She is 14 now and is in excellent health but, I have noticed that her eyesight has changed. She fell down my stairs once and in the evening on walks has a very tough time discerning sidewalk curbs. She puts on her brakes and then leaps from a distance onto the sidewalk. So, I thought she should go to an eye doctor. Thankfully, in the Bay Area there are a few ocular specialists and I had her examined. It turns out that her retina is OK, she does have a very little cataract which really is not responsible for this change. The pressure of her eyes is perfect and she doesn’t have Glaucoma. So, what is going on here?

Nellie, needs glasses. I had no idea that there is an exam to to determine refractory status. The opthalmalogist said that many agility dogs, service, search and rescue and even military dogs have an eye exam to determine their vision i.e. near and far sightedness. WHO KNEW?  That these dogs may wear contact lenses and even Doggles with prescriptions in them. WHO KNEW?

I know that this is not grooming related but, I was so blown away that I wanted to share it on my blog.

One of my clients is moving to Texas. Her husband got a job and they are transferring. Boo Hoo!

I featured her dog in blog post “Poof the Pomeranian“,  whom I absolutely adore. She is quite extraordinary not only because she is so pretty and cute but, because she only has three legs. She was “born that way” 🙂

Not only is my client moving to Texas but, she recently found out that she is pregnant. Needless to say, she has a lot on her plate. She also owns two more dogs and a great cat named Balloon. She is very nervous about another groomer grooming Poof ( Poof has only known me as her groomer ) and so I extended a free lesson today. This was my farewell gift to her and Poof.

There was no furniture in the apartment so we sat on the living room floor resting against a wall with pillows. We were relaxed as I taught her slowly how to use a slicker brush and to completely comb Poof with a groomers comb. I would do one side and then she would do the other. Poof is quite small and fragile and has hair for days. Her coat is amazing; very thick undercoat with beautiful red/brown/black guard hairs. The lesson over three hours just to brush/comb her out, she was quite matted. We did take a few breaks and allowed her to rest. After that I bathed/conditioned her and put her on my grooming table to begin the drying process. After she was part way dry, we went back to the floor where she could be comfortable in our laps as we finished the drying process. Blow drying completely and thoroughly is so important not only for the final look but, also to be sure that all mats are removed and that the comb can 100% get through ever square inch of her. This is the true test of a well groomed dog.

I taught my client how to really manipulate a slicker brush and comb in the all hard to reach places i.e. armpits, genital areas/inside thighs and behind ears so that there was not one mat on her. Even though at times, she was hesitant to use pressure with the comb she began to master the confidence with each stroke of the comb. I know with practice she will be able to keep Poof well groomed.

Saying goodbye is always a little sad especially when the client and the dog are terrific but, life is always moving forward and I wish them a wonderful future in their new home with their animals and new baby!

One of the most challenging aspects of home dog grooming is when I believe the welfare of the animal is jeopardized. That reality comes in all kinds of situations, sometimes it is overt like when a client is making very poor decisions regarding medical treatment for a dog that is clearly suffering or when a parent allows a child to tease the family dog and the dog bites the child or allow the dog to be off leash on a very busy street and that dog eventually gets killed. The list goes on and on.

This conflict occurred twice this week. I will not address the specific events but, write a little about the angst within me that it provokes.

As a professional home dog groomer whose clients have given me the privilege to enter their private homes year after year and trust me in their homes and with their dogs is a responsibility I take extremely seriously. I value that privilege and try my very best not to injure it. There are times though that when I see a dog in danger for whatever reason, I do speak up. This can cause friction sometimes and egos can get bruised. I do try my very best to be diplomatic and professional all the while trying to persuade my client to change things so that the dog is no longer being jeopardized. Most times, I succeed and my clients are grateful for the help. It is the times like this week when a clients’ poor decisions regarding the dogs’ medical care might lead to blindness. Time will tell.

Balancing that fine line between speaking up to advocate for the animal and not insult the human can be tricky. It is a skill that I am still learning after all these years but, what I know for sure is that speaking up is the right thing to do even if an ego might be a little ruffled.

When you see this amazing Corgi, your heart just goes a little quicker. He is a Kent’s Kanines Model featured in Gallery 4, click here. He is truly a handsome boy with such dramatic eyes and what can one say about those ears!! He just makes me smile each and every time I groom him. I have been grooming him since he was just a little puppy when all he was, was ears.

This blog post includes a before and after video as well as a little demonstration on how to find ticks imbedded deep in the coat attached to the skin. This dog has such a thick, dense coat and sometimes the undercoat is so thick that even with really feeling around it, is impossible to find ticks. I have found that my power blower is the best tool to perform “search and destroy” tick patrol. Ideally, you want to place the dog on an elevated surface like my grooming table, maybe two people would work. One to support the dog and the other to use the dryer in a slow back and forth motion, layer by layer parting the hair so the skin shows and exposes the ticks. Yuck!

I accomplish this “Summer Do” using a 7 blade meticulously skimming the coat 1/4″ by 1/4′ until I get the length I want. I never remove his beautiful red guard hairs. Dogs can get melanoma too, so keeping some fur on them is a good thing to protect against UV rays. His underside is extremely short though so, when he comes out of the rivers and streams he romps in he will dry very quickly underneath. His shorter underbelly also allows him to remain cooler when he lies down in the dirt or on the porch!

A “Summer Do” like this one is still attractive but, without all his furnishings and stomach hair he can enjoy his summer vacation to his hearts content!

Dryer: Metro Model

Do you remember who Zuzu was in “It’s a Wonderful Life”? This little adorable Havanese is named Zuzu Petals named after the character in that movie. Great name!

She is really quite unusual in her coloring and just wonderful on the table. These videos were taken the first time I groomed her. She was quite uneven in the before video but, came out very well, very even and well balanced I think. I just love her brindle coloring. She is so expressive and was excellent and very obedient on the table. She was quite matted so I worked slowly with my slicker brush and comb to demat her. She allowed me to do everything without protest. She’s a doll.

I would say that this haircut is a long puppy cut. Her owner didn’t want me to make her too short so, I kept her on the full side which does show off her her beautiful fur! Enjoy ZuZu Petals!