Blog Post Archive

I have taken a little video of Skippy a Fox Terrier that is hand stripped. He is about 3 years old now. When my client first got him from a show kennel in Malibu, CA, Skippy was a nervous wreck. Firstly, he was intact and had never been in a home. His first 18 months were in the show kennel and really had not been in a personal home. When he first arrived he had lots to learn but, has now made the transition beautifully. He was neutered which calmed him a lot and with constant training and love, he has turned into the perfect companion. He definitely still has that Fox Terrier mischievious side but, he is very sweet and loving.

As you will see in the video his coat is very coarse and wiry. His browns, tans and black have remained true and dark as a result of being hand stripped. It is a lengthy process but, well worth the effort. His owner likes to bateh him so I only do the stripping part of things. She and I work well together; she bathes him a week before my arrival so, he is a little dirty and oily. He does not get a traditional show grooming but, a style that is less structured and cioffed. My client prefers it that way. Skippy loves to go hiking and due to the stripping and coarse texture it creates, it is much easier to maintain after a long hike in the hills and mountains.

He is a joy to groom.

Today I received a call from a client asking me if I could just stop by and trim over her 5 month old Cock-a-Poo’s eyes. I had given her a haircut about 3 weeks ago and her body just wasn’t ready for a complete do. It just so happened that I was only 5 minutes away from her house so, I said sure I would stop by after I completed the dog I was grooming. I had about 15 minutes between clients so it worked out perfectly. This little puppy is quite head shy so having a intermidiary trimming as grooming training would be a good idea too. I set up my table and as soon as she was on it she started to get very nervous. It will take her some time to zen into the grooming process. I had her Mom help support her as I started to work on her face. The funny thing is that she wanted to put her right paw up on my left arm as I was holding her face. Normally, I don’t allow that but, for some reason it calmed her and allowed me to scissor with my right hand. See pic below. She slowly began to surrender a little and not be so nervous with the scissors near her face. All in all in took more than 15 minutes to complete just trimming her face. My client asked me what she owed me and I said it was my gift. I was happy to do it. I have been grooming her dogs for years and as a show of appreciation to her for supporting Kent’s Kanines I extended my time free of charge.

Once a client called me at 11PM very upset to tell me that her dog had gotten out into the yard and that her complete body was covered in burrs!! And I mean covered. My client tried to pull them out but, the dog tried to bite her!! She knew her Mom didn’t know how to do it so ……… Groomergirl to the rescue. I postponed my first client for the next day by 30 minutes and off I went to pull out burrs at 8:30AM. It was a sad, sad sight. This little Maltese was miserable. The burrs were even in her muzzle and all over her ears and stuck on the tops of her little paws. I put her on my grooming table and slowly picked them out and the ones that were really embedded, I cut out carefully, of course, trying not to ruin the hairdo!! Within 20 minutes she was back to being Cinderella! Her name was Cinderella, no joke. Once again, I did not charge for this fix-it visit.

Sometimes it is good business practice to give freebies. My clients are amazingly good to me and support me completely and I this is one way to show them my gratitude.

I know if I told you that today I groomed a 20 year old Westie you would say I was playing an April Fools Day Joke but, I really truly did groom Duncan the Westhighland Terrier today who is 20 years old. I have been grooming her for last 16 years!!! She is the energizer bunny!! She keeps on ticking!!

And on top of that, I did it at Embassey Suites in San Raphael, CA. My client has moved permanently to Lake Tahoe and drove all the way down to the Bay Area for Duncan’s grooming. Yes, my client did have other business here but, she called me weeks in advance to schedule the appointment so that I could organize my schedule to coordinate with her Bay Area visit. I brought my equipment up to the hotel room and began to work.

Duncan is quite feeble now but, still has the amazing strength to stand for short periods of time. She is completely blind and even has a benign tumor behind her left eye which she must have medicated with drops daily. Needless to say, the drops make a mess over time ( she hadn’t been groomed for 4 months) so, not only did I have to remove her body hair and style her but, I had to gently, patiently carefully clean all around her eyes which does not please her. Beneath her left eye the drops had accumulated and become quite stuck to her face. So, I first did a preliminary haircut to remove as much hair on her face and body as I could before the bath so the dryer time would be shorter. I call that the rough cut. I then bathed her in the bathtub. I brought a full size rubber mat with suction cups that covered the entire tub bottom so she would feel secure and not slip and slide. When I tried to trim around her eyes before the bath, she got quite angry with me and did not want me to go anywhere near that area but, once I slowly saturated that area with very warm water and began to massage the area very gently and slowly with shampoo she calmed down and allowed me to complete the bathing. I used a very small 4″ groomers comb to gently pull away the stuck medicine. It was really something to see that within a short period of time she surrendered and began to trust me. I have been grooming her since she was very young and in spite of her blindness she can still smell me and remember my touch and trust that I will not harm her.

Prior to bathing her, I turned up the heat in the hotel room so after her bath I allowed her to run around a little and naturally dry for about 10 minutes. I showed her the wee wee pad so she could relief herself and be more comfortable if she needed to potty and voila, success! I then put her back on the table to dry her. I used a power blower on the back half of her and then used a regular human blow dryer on a warm low setting to completely dry her shoulders and face. It took a little longer but, she enjoyed the process and let me really dry around her head and eyes. I then put her back on the floor for another 10-15 minute break. She pranced around like a puppy, no kidding. She still has that little jig in her!

After that 2ND rest period, I proceeded to complete her haircut which went amazing very well. Grooming the body was not a problem at all, I just had to work quickly but, it was the face that I knew might be a problem. I started scissoring slowly at the lower edge of her cheeks and moved my way up to the top of her head and then very proficiently scissored over eyes. She even allowed me to scissor in the corners and remove the hair that the eye medicine made so messy. There would be no way to be able to use a clipper near her head. She absolutely refused to accept that noise. Even though she is deaf, she knows the sensation of the clipper and at 20 years old wants no part of it. My skills as a master scissor artist are paramount for a dog like Duncan.

I scheduled this appointment as the last dog for the day so that I could spend extra time so that the process would not stress her anymore than necessary. Her mother had ordered room service with two hamburger sliders and after her grooming, I chopped them up in small pieces, added a little kibble and warm water on a plate and Duncan had lunch. She gobbled it up! Her mother and I looked at her with pride and amazement that she is still alive!

The fact that I have been Duncan’s groomer since she has been three is pivotal to today’s success. After a brief time of adjustment she relaxed and I do think had sense memory of me. Not only is she blind and deaf but, she also has a little dementia now so, my familiar hands and scent gave her a secure feeling that allowed me to complete a very difficult and advanced grooming.

Well, it’s that time again. It’s Sunday night and it’s been a long week. Worked every day this week! Did have a lovely dinner at a great restaurant last night but, basically the week has been busy grooming dogs.

When I worked in NY and apprenticed with Edith Hoeltz at Canine Styles back in 1989, she drilled into me the ethic of cleaning and maintaining the grooming equipment. In those days, I used a Oster clipper that needed to be disassembled, cleaned of all dog hair that would accummulate and then oiled. All blades had to be soaked in a special sanitizing solution and then oiled. My scissors were wiped down with alcohol and then the screw mechanism was oiled. All brushes and combs had to be washed in hot soapy water and then sprayed with a dilution of bleach and water and allowed to dry overnight. The grooming table was also cleaned with the bleach solution every night. Edith was from Leipzig, Germany and treated her grooming equipment as if it was a Mercedes and I’m not kidding. She ran a very tight ship and to this day I follow that same discipline and routine. Very old school but, vital to the health and well being of dogs.

Today I use an Andis clipper that doesn’t require the same procedure as the old fashioned Oster but, I do sanitize my blades/scissors every night and wash my brushes and combs nightly and scrub down my table nightly. I try to oil my blades often so they run smoothly and effortlessly. The tackle box I store my equipment in gets washed once a week and allowed to dry thoroughly. I do this on Sunday night.

Of course, I get my blades and scissors sharpened regularly and because I have cared for my equipment like a Mercedes like Edith taught me, I can honestly say that I still have some shears and blades that I started out with 20+ years ago. Grooming is sculpting on dogs and it is essential for the equipment to be properly cared for not only for accomplishing the craft expertly but, also to be sure I am being as hygienic as possible.

Giovanna was a magnificent dog and Kent’s Kanines model.  She was the first Italian Spinone I had ever groomed.

She was adopted by my client when Gio, her nickname, was 3 due to fact that her original family had 2 dogs already and Gio the third was just too much so, my client who was looking for very specific characteristics and researched diligently, found the breed Italian Spinone. When I first saw her, I thought what a goofy girl; she was big and sort of gawky. But, as time went on and I groomed her every two weeks, I began to change my mind. She became a devoted companion to my 85 year old client, who looks and acts like he is 50 and I truly began to fall in love in with her!  My client who has a grooming table in his laundry room taught her to climb the chair and then the table. I taught her to enter the tub and she would wait as I put the rubber mat in the tub and then she would gently enter the tub upon giving her the OK command. She was so compliant and sweet and would stand without protest or any movement. She allowed to me to do whatever I needed to do to groom her. As you will see in the video, she would bring her polar bear with her into the grooming room when I arrived and offer it to me as her gift to me. Each and every time she did that I just had to smile. I groomed her for 6 years every two weeks and I miss her a lot.

During the summer of 2011, she was not herself and my client took her to the vet and thank God he did. The vet had found that her belly was full of blood and that her spleen had to be removed immediately. Upon further testing, it was discovered that she had Lymphoma. We were all devastated. My client did agree to chemotherapy treatment and Gio did very well inspite of one very harsh dose. She did loose all her hair but, did have a remission for a many months. When I came to groom her for the last time, her hair was finally coming back and I thought things were really going well for her. She demonstrated no signs of stress or discomfort on the table. I was absolutely shocked to learn that the following day she began to feel unwell so my client took her to the vet. Blood had accumulated again in her belly and my client, upon consulting with the vets did not want her to suffer any longer.

When I was told that she had died, I cried. She was just one of those dogs that I will always remember as remarkable. Below are some pictures and videos of her. She is featured in gallery 9 in the portfolio on my website, www.kentskanines.com

Two of my clients who are ” snow birds” spend the winter in the desert.  Not the Sahara but, Palm Springs and the surrounding areas Rancho Mirage, Palm Desert, India Wells and both these ladies were at the car wash at the same time. They were strangers to each other. One owns a Norwich Terrier and the other an Australian Terrier both of which I hand strip in the Bay Area regularly.

Well, the ladies get out of their car with their beloved dogs and sit on the bench with the dogs on their laps to wait for their cars to proceed through the car wash machine. Of course, dialogue begins about “the dogs” and that they are hand stripped and within 30 seconds of meeting each other they realize they share me as their groomer. They both completely crack up and can’t believe that they both know me and for next 15 minutes while their cars are being detailed they rave on about how lucky they are to have me as their home groomer and how talented I am. Please know, I am not bragging but, this is what was relayed to me verbatim.

The irony of this story is that one of the ladies who lives in Marin county got my name from another client of mine when both of them were at a car wash in their neighborhood!!

Word of mouth is the very best networking tool!!!!!!! When people can see the quality of my work in person in real time and the two people can discuss face to face their positive experiences with in-home dog grooming, they are thrilled to recommend me with joy.

I love this story and will do another post about Word of Mouth but, I’m off to work now. It’s Saturday and I have a full day.

I thought it would be a good idea to post my Portfolio Directory. My website has 12 galleries of dogs masterfully groomed by me and beautifully photographed in their home.  The directory states which breed is featured in each gallery. Please go to kentskanines.com to see the collection.

Enjoy the collection!

Click here to view Portfolio Galleries

Well, it’s the end of the year and the week between Christmas and New Year’s is always slower for me. Thank God! I worked like a “dog” up until Christmas day, even worked Christmas Eve and am enjoying the quieter time.

When I do get time I love to hike with or with out my dogs. There is wonderful trail in Pacifica, CA very near San Francisco that I like to visit when I have the time. It is the Montara State Park trail. It’s an easy trail that eventually ends up on Pacific Coast Highway (PCH, HWY 1) where you can cross it and take a walk on the beach. Sometimes, I have to pinch myself when I see the natural beauty here. The weather this week has been cold, crisp and brisk. Great sweater weather! Perfect to take a little hike with the hounds.

I have included a few pictures and videos featuring two of my dogs, Nellie the Norwich Terrier and Dolce, the Mix Terrier. This hike is just perfect for Nellie. She is now 13 years old and still can keep up. I bring a doggie water bottle and take a few breaks so she doesn’t get too exhausted. Dolce who is 5 years old is full of vim and vigor. I think she could climb Mt. Everest. Her engine is always running and loves to walk and walk and walk.

It was a glorious day and truly a treat to take a hike in the middle of the day!!!

My annual Christmas cards are always fun to create. They really amped up starting in 2008 when I created that card with Kersti Malvre, who was the primary photographer for www.kentskanines.com. The 2008 gem started with the brilliant idea of an angel topper for a Christmas tree. The card was photographed in stages, first the tree with angel topper and the plain red ornaments were photographed on the tree. We staged the tree in the entry vestibule of my house and then each one of my dogs were photographed in my living room on a chair draped in red satin. After that the photoshop magic was created by Kersti. She is truly an artist.

The 2009 card was another masterpiece of organization and creativity. That card, too, was photographed in stages ( I won’t give away the secrets) but needless to say, getting six dogs to look into the camera and behave perfectly all at the same time is beyond challenging. It was quite an adventure but, the hours of prep work and shopping were worth the final masterpiece.

The 2010 was my best effort yet. I had the idea to be Mrs. Claus and my dogs to be in a sleigh. That was the initial inspiration. So…….. in November of 2010 ( of course I waited to the last minute to get it together) I went on Craigslist and typed in sleighs. Believe it or not, these two little vintage sleighs came up for sale. I stared at them in amazement and awe knowing immediately that they would work perfectly!! It was a gift from the internet gods!! I promptly reserved a Mrs. Claus dress from a great costume shop on Folsom Street in San Francisco called Fantasy Costumes. Don Eggers of Beauty Oasis Photography  was the photographer for this card and was great. It was another wild adventure to photograph in stages in my backyard and then create the final photo in photoshop. It still brings a smile to my face!!

My 2011 card is one of my favorite photos from the original Kent’s Kanines photo sessions for my website. The Bichon featured is named Gracie and is the perfect snow ball. I came to the photo session with my mother’s silver tray and my vintage pink Christmas ornament balls and aqua satin fabric. It just happen to be that the session was during Christmas time and my client had the vintage pink Christmas trees on her fire place mantel which she offered graciously and willingly. The photo turned out to be a perfect dog groomers Christmas card!!!! It is truly a special photograph.

Thank you to all who love them. I thought I would dedicate a blog post to the collection so that even in the middle of summer you can wander into a Christmas fantasy!

Here is Harry the Havanese! He is truly adorable with his little pink tongue!

I have been grooming him for 3 three years and he behaves like a prince. He is a bit timid and needs a gentle touch. Havaneses require a lot of maintenance even in between their professional groomings. I groom him every 5 weeks but, he is brushed and comb thoroughly with a slicker brush and groomer’s comb at least once a week or most preferably twice a week. Anytime he gets wet, either from rain, his companion Havanese Cali gets him wet with saliva when they play or if the grass outside wets him, his owner takes the little bit of time when his dries to thoroughly dematt him. The joy of this darling breed is a little extra effort on everybody’s part so that their magnificent coat blooms into its’ glory!