Tag: dog grooming

Lucy Ace Reporter with Lucy

Published on by Xena, Lucy and Chia22 Comments

Lucy, Ace Reporter here on the Groom Beat with happy news of a new groom.

There’s another dog named Lucy in town. Can you believe that? Only this one is a red miniature poodle. She lives a half hour away from us, and Groomer Mom forgot to ask how she found out about Small Dog Grooming. *sigh* Groomer Mom also did not take a “before” picture. *sigh* But she said that Lucy (the poodle, not me) had hair hanging down over her face and hair all over her little poodle paws, and so on.

Lucy’s Mom didn’t want Lucy’s coat cut at all just a good brush-out. So Groomer Mom “cleaned up” Lucy’s face and paws and tail and private parts and gave her a good bath with a blow-out. What do you think?

Lucy was a “wild child” on the grooming table. She kept trying to crawl onto Groomer Mom’s shoulders and she licked G. Mom in her mouth and in her eye. Then Dad came downstairs to ask G. Mom something, and G. Mom had to go upstairs to find it for him, so Dad sat down on the grooming stool and talked to Lucy while G. Mom was gone. Lucy laid a good lick on him and tried to crawl on his shoulders, too! You can’t tell from the picture, but if she didn’t have all the hair, she’d be about the same size as our Xena. Her Mom’s already made the next appointment, and we’re looking forward to seeing Lucy again!

Lucy Ace Reporter signing off with another successful groom.

Lucy Ace Reporter with Sad News

Published on by Xena, Lucy and Chia42 Comments

It’s been a long time, folks, but your Ace Reporter is back and ready to give you all the details on all of our new grooms.

Groomer Mom informed me that she has been getting in new clients, but has kept forgetting to let me know. In light of that, I am starting a Grooming With Mom series. Today, though, I want to pay tribute to the terrible loss of one of our regular and favorite pups, sweet little JoJo. Two days ago she was viciously attacked in her own yard by a Great Dane. She didn’t stand a chance. We have shed many tears over this senseless violence, and send prayers up for her grieving Mom.

Rest in peace, dear JoJo.

If you’d like to read a little more about JoJo, you can follow this link.

This is Lucy signing off….

Xena’s Unexpected Present on Awww Monday

Published on by Xena, Lucy and Chia18 Comments

It was Christmas morning, and we were all waiting for Andrew and Jentry to come over so we could open presents. I decided to take a little nap in my bed that’s in the big bedroom. I nodded off for a while, and when I woke up, there was a surprise in my bed.

Do y’all remember Chia’s octopus stuffie, “Smiley?” Yep, there he was, big as life, laying with me in my bed. Mom walked in and I asked, “Do you know why Smiley is sleeping with me?”
She said Chia had laid it there, and it was Chia’s Christmas present to me.

She’ll probably want Smiley back later, but that’s ok. Now I can grab it and yell, “Mine!” and Chia can chase me and grab it and yell, “Mine!” and we can have fun playing. Did anyone else get something unexpected for Christmas?

Many thanks to Miss Sandee at Comedy Plus for hosting Awww Monday! And Happy, Happy New Year to everyone!!

Xena Schnauzer Warrior Princess

Grooming with Mom: Sir

Published on by Xena, Lucy and Chia15 Comments

Many thanks to Miss Sandee at Comedy Plus for hosting Awww Monday! And thanks to all my readers for joining me in another episode of Grooming with Mom.

As far as new clients go, it’s been pretty quiet around here. But we, er, Groomer Mom, got a new one! Groomer Mom think it’s interesting to hear how each new client finds Small Dog Grooming. In this case, her husband was driving to a client’s home and passed the sign that’s currently leaning against a telephone pole next to the driveway.

Sir is a 5 or 6-year-old wire haired fox terrier mix. He’ a rescue who was being fostered by an elderly woman. Unfortunately, the woman is in the hospital and probably will be unable to continue to care for Sir. Another lady heard about this and offered to take him in as a foster dog. She has never had a dog or cat in her life, and never thought she would. She said she didn’t want to get attached to an animal and then mourn them when they eventually passed. But she’s changing her mind. She’s already in love with this sweet pup.

When he first arrived with his foster Mom, he settled in Groomer Mom’s arms, belly up, and looked like he would be happy to stay here forever. Groomer Mom’s heart melted and she said if she didn’t already have four dogs…

Sir’s Foster Mom stayed and solicited and got lots of advice on dog care while she was here. Sir hadn’t been eating much, so Groomer Mom took a look at his teeth and found out why. They weren’t just covered in tartar and plaque, one was actually wobbly. Ewww. So his Foster Mom was going to make an appointment the next day to get him a dental ASAP.

Before they left, another appointment was set for six weeks away. We’re hoping to see lots more of sweet Sir!

Lucy, Ace Reporter, signing off with *wags* from another episode of Grooming with Mom.

Grooming with Mom: Plus One, Minus Two

Published on by Xena, Lucy and Chia29 Comments

Thanks for joining us for another episode of Grooming with Mom. I’m here to tell you about a new groom, a pup who is moving, and a senior citizen who will soon cross the rainbow bridge.
Let’s start off with the Happy News.

Marr

One of our current clients got a new four-month-old puppy. Brinkley, shown below, is still figuring out how this whole not-the-only-dog-anymore thing is going to work.

While Brinley was home waiting to see if Marr was coming back, Marr was here getting his first haircut. Here he is at his home before he was groomed.

Marr is a Multipoo. He came to us with a lot of fleas hidden down under all that soft, fluffy hair, and a lot of hair and crusty dirt in both ears. Per his Dad’s instructions, Groomer Mom did not trim his crazy ears or his tail. She used the choppers (a funny kind of scissors) to remove a lot of that hair and trimmed his face. He came out looking like this.

Yep, crazy ears. And a little bit of hair still sticking up under his eyes, cause Groomer Mom said it was more important for him to keep his eyes than for her to get all the hair, BOL! Except for that, for a puppy, he was very calm and good on the table. We look forward to seeing both Marr and Brinkley back in the months to come.

Dora

Next to come visit was Dora. She and her schnauzer sister Maggie have been coming to get groomed since May of 2013. Maggie crossed the Bridge a year ago last April.

When Dora showed up last Saturday, her Mom said, “I’ve got to talk to you first.” She had been trying to get up the nerve to take Dora to the vet one last time. Her husband suggested that she go ahead with the grooming appointment and talk to Groomer Mom about it. She explained that Dora was blind and deaf, was incontinent, and ever since losing her sister Maggie, has had absolutely nothing to do with either of her pawrents.

Dora (L) and Maggie 2018

Looking down at Dora in her lap where Groomer Mom had set her, Dora’s Mom said this was the first time Dora was even sitting with her. With a heavy heart, Groomer Mom tried to give her the affirmation she needed to put this 17-year-old shih tzu at peace. Groomer Mom said there was no sense putting Dora through the stress of a groom, so with Dora in her Mom’s lap, she only clipped the hair covering Dora’s eyes so her Mom could see her better. Tuesday, Dora will be reunited with her sister Maggie on the other side of the Rainbow Bridge. Our hearts are heavy.

Markel

Sunday, Markel aka Baby Dog, came to get groomed. As his Mom held him in the nail sling, she told Groomer Mom that she had accepted a job about 2 hours from here and would be leaving in 2 weeks. She said she felt like she had only just found Groomer Mom (read about it here) and didn’t know what she was going to do for a groomer there. She had previously experience terrible haircuts for her boy.

Baby Dog ‘s first groom here in June of 2022. Letting hair on top of nose grow out where previous groomer had shaved it.

Groomer Mom scissored his legs quite a bit shorter and also his beard some shorter to help it last a bit longer if needed. She told his Mom that if she was back in town with him and he needed a groom, just give her a call. We’re going to miss Baby Dog.

Groomer Mom has been grooming dogs from her home since 1993, taking a 10 year break (except for grooming her own schnauzer, Lexi) after she moved. She resumed grooming in 2013 with Maggie and Dora as her first clients. It feels like an end of an era. And perhaps, with the new puppies showing up, it is the beginning of a new era!

This is Lucy signing off on Awww Monday, with thanks to Miss Sandee at Comedy Plus for hosting it.

Grooming with Lucy Ace Reporter and Poetry on Thankful Thursday

Published on by Xena, Lucy and Chia22 Comments

Hello! Ace Reporter Lucy here with a new groom for your reading and viewing pleasure. But first, I want to thank  Brian for hosting Brian’s Thankful Thursday! And I am thankful to  Angel Sammy for the fun picture this week, too. And thanks to Chloe the shih tzu’s dad for recommending us!

Our newest dog to be groomed is Cooper, a pomeranian/chihuahua mix. The only other pom that comes to Small Dog Grooming is also named Cooper. And Cooper’s brother, who recently passed to the other side of the bridge, was a pom/chihuahua mix. Are we seeing a trend here? A coincidence? You can decide for yourself. Meanwhile, here is our new Cooper pre-groom.

Isn’t Cooper adorable? He sure doesn’t look 10-years-old, does he? We couldn’t see the chihuahua in either his looks or his personality. He seemed mostly like pomeranian to us. Groomer Mom thought he was really pretty just how he was, needing only a slight touch-up. But his Mom had other ideas…she wanted him shaved.

His Mom stayed and held him while he got his nails cut and dremeled, and he was a real good boy. He wouldn’t stay on the table with his Mom here, though, so she left until he was ready to go home, and he settled right down.

After she left, Groomer Mom shaved his body and legs with a #7 blade, going lightly over his paws, and several inches down his tail – at his Mom’s request She used a very short #40 blade on the inside flap of his ears, leaving some hair around the edges, then rounded them with shears. She scissored in front of his ears, then blended his head hair into his neck using a #5 blade and choppers. A #10 blade took care of his tummy and under his tail. Groomer Mom bathed Cooper and dried him on the table. After texting his Mom a 10 minute heads up for when he would be finished, she used that #40 blade on the bottoms of his paws before using straight shears to trim around them.

She let his very happy Mom pick out a pretty scarf for Cooper to wear before leaving with Cooper groomed just how she wanted and a promise to return. We are very thankful for our new grooms and our clients who like us enough to recommend us!

Now, I get to do the poem for today’s picture. First, the picture that Angel Sammy picked out last week.

Cookie Cutter Houses by Lucy

Cookie cutter houses in a boring neighborhood.
No one would find us in this cookie cutter ‘hood.
No Amazon packages! How would we survive?
The driver of the truck would never find our drive!

If Chia got loose she’d have no direction
To find the right house or family connection.
No trees or thick bushes where critters could hide;
Poor Xena the hunter would just stay inside.

Our groom clients couldn’t find us…there goes our lunch money.
No flowers with bees to make us sweet honey.
Let’s use those cookie cutters to make us dog cookies.
And stay where we are for Amazon, grooming clients, Xena the hunter, and honey bees!

…In Mysterious Ways

Published on by Xena, Lucy and Chia24 Comments

Lucy, Ace Reporter and Church Dog here to report on something that happened immediately following a groom.

Markel, aka Baby Dog, has been coming to us for almost a year now. This is Markel.

After his last groom about a week ago Groomer Mom carried him out to his Mom’s car. His Mom set him in the seat in his car and closed the door. She and Groomer Mom were looking at the calendar to schedule the next groom when they heard a “click.” Yep, our talented Markel had locked himself in. His Mom’s purse, keys and phone were all in the car with Markel. (I was hoping her didn’t start the car and drive himself home, leaving his Mom here!)

Markel’s Mom said the button to open the door was at the end of the door near the front window, much further down the car door than the first “lock” button Markel had hit that locked him in, and there was almost no chance he would hit it. Knowing Markel is a schnauzer, Groomer Mom knew he is food-driven. She went back in the grooming room and got the jar of dried liver from which he had treats during his groom. His Mom had borrowed Groomer Mom’s phone and was on a call with a locksmith while Groomer Mom shook the jar of treats near the front of the side window and prayed. Prayed hard. Markel kept edging closer and closer to the edge of the door near the front, and all of a sudden there was another “click.”

Before anything could reverse, Groomer Mom grabbed the door handle and opened it. His Mom stood there with her mouth hanging open while Groomer Mom was saying, “Praise God!” and “Good boy, Markel!” and giving him lots of treats. His Mom cancelled the locksmith.

Lucy, Ace Reporter, with a successful post-groom report! (And Lucy, Church Dog, saying “Praise God!”)

A big thanks to Miss Sandee at Comedy Plus for hosting Happy Tuesday Blog Hop!

Grooming with Mom on Thankful Thursday

Published on by Xena, Lucy and Chia24 Comments

Thanks to Brian for hosting Brian’s Thankful Thursday!

Lucy here, with another episode of Grooming with Mom on Thankful Thursday. We’re all real thankful today and every day that Groomer Mom’s Small Dog Grooming business is thriving, and that she’s able to offer the kind of service that creates a less stressful environment for all the pups who come to be groomed.

Today I have a new dog to introduce and a second groom on a puppy. First, the new pup.

This is Annie, a three-year-old Berma-doodle. This is the best picture we could get of her before her groom. ( I think she was looking at me, her Zen Dog.)

Annie used to belong to a family who had a lot of health issues and related expenses. When it became too much for them to take care of her, her new Mom got her. She may be three, but she’s still very puppy-ish, and very “busy” on the table. Here she is after her groom and bath.

Oops, looks like Groomer Mom missed a little strand of hair hanging on her ear. That’s OK, she clipped it after this picture was taken. Isn’t it funny how pictures show up things that someone might miss after staring at the dog (or anything) for over an hour? See ya’ next time, Annie!

You may remember Pippa, a tiny 4-month-old yorkie who was here for the first time back in February. Oops, just remembered that we never told you about Pippa. Groomer Mom forgot to get an “after” picture and when Pippa’s Mom sent her one, she forgot to have her Ace Reporter report on it. Wonder what we can do about Groomer Mom’s memory… So, better late than never, here is Pippa from February at 4 months of age. You can figure out which one is the “before” picture, BOL!

Shortly after Pippa had been here she fell off her people sister’s lap and broke her ankle! She was diagnosed with weak bones. How awful is that!

Now, three months later, Pippa came back for a “full” groom. Previously, Groomer Mom just did some touch-up, what she calls a “mini-groom.” This time Pippa’s Mom wanted “the works!” Her nails had gotten really long but were no bigger around than a tiny pin. And her hair had gotten long, too. Pippa was extremely good on the table, just like was used to it. Groomer Mom kept showing her the tools she was using and talking sweetly to her, and Pippa just let her do what needed done! And you can bet that Groomer Mom was extremely careful that Pippa didn’t fall or jump off the table! Here she is, seven months old, before and after having her “second-ever” groom.

You can probably see that she’s grown some, but she’s still really tiny, probably not more that a couple of pounds. We hope she stays well and comes back to see us soon!

What are you thankful for today?

Lucy, Ace Reporter, signing off with *wags* and *smiles*.

Grooming with Mom on Thankful Thursday: Kylo and Sunshine

Published on by Xena, Lucy and Chia30 Comments

Ace Reporter Lucy here again with another episode of Grooming with Mom. First, a big thanks to Brian’s Thankful Thursday, with special thanks to Brian for hosting it!
Today I am featuring two pups who have been coming to Groomer Mom for a while, but got very different grooms…at Groomer Mom’s suggestion. Both their Moms loved the new look. Let’s see what you think.

First up is Kylo, the Standard Brindle Poodle. He is the biggest dog that Mom grooms, and his owners bathe him the night before and stay during the groom to help with lifting, etc. Mom suggested shaving his face and his Mom readily agreed.

The lighting is different…he’s actually more the color on the left. But these pics still show the huge difference the shaved face made in his looks. Everyone loved the new look! Which groom do you like better? And yes, he’s every bit as sweet as he looks. If I was a few years younger… uh, I mean, moving on…

Sunshine is a long-haired cairn terrier/beagle mix. She has been coming to Small Dog Grooming since October of 2020 and is now 14 and a half years old. Her Mom has always let her hair grow long. She has a ton of undercoat (that was hyperbole, a method us reporters use to overstate a fact). Her hair was more and more matted (a grooming term) each time she came. So this time Groomer Mom suggested that it was time for Sunshine to get shaved. Not too short, and not too long. Her Mom had to think about it a moment, then hesitantly agreed. Here she is from a previous groom and then after this one.

Her Mom was crazy about how she looked and said, “Why didn’t we do this years ago!?”

Sunshine’s big greyhound sister, Ruthie, was a bit curious about this “new” dog that just got in the car.

Ruthie sniffed her (did she really wonder if this was her sister?) and then gave her a little kiss. We know that their Mom will have a much easier time maintaining this cut, and we hope that Sunshine will be more comfortable in it too. Which one do you like better?

Lucy, Ace Reporter, signing off with two more successful grooms.

Grooming with Mom: Bear and Rosie

Published on by Xena, Lucy and Chia27 Comments

Lucy, Ace Reporter, coming to you live from WGWM with another episode of Grooming with Mom. We are so thankful for all of Mom’s wonderful clients and their pups! Today we have two new ones to introduce to you.

But first, a big thanks to Miss Sandee at Comedy Plus for hosting Happy Tuesday Blog Hop!

First up is Bear. He’s JoJo’s brother. We introduced JoJo back in January. You can see that episode here. Some of our friends suggested in comments that JoJo be treated for yeast. This is JoJo:

She was here getting groomed with Bear, and still very “yeasty.” So Groomer Mom showed her Dad what she has been giving Xena, a set of 3 powders called “Yeast Free Fido” from Four Leaf Rover, and suggested he try it. It’s really helped my sister Xena’s yeasty ear and this is the first time her tummy has looked “normal” in years. He asked for the link and said he would try it. Groomer Mom did warn him that it would take at least a month to start seeing results. Paws crossed it works for the dear little poodle JoJo.

Back to Bear. He’s also a miniature poodle, silver, and will be 13 this July. This is Bear before grooming.

He really didn’t look too bad. And yep, he’s got a mohawk. His dad wanted him to keep it, just trim it a little shorter. Remember that when you see his “after” picture, please. Groomer Mom would never suggest a mohawk on a poodle, but she also doesn’t argue with a client (most of the time.)

Bear was very timid, and did not want his toenails cut. Who does? I mean, I don’t, but I also don’t make a big production of it. *clears throat* Sorry. Didn’t mean to make this report personal. Anyhow, here is Bear’s “after” picture.

Moving on…

This next pup, Rosie, was referred to us by Brinkley’s dad. If you missed Brinkley, you can see him here. Rosie had been going to a different groomer who had her Dad sign an agreement that said they would not groom her if she had any fleas. The last time he took her, she had 3 fleas and they refused to groom her. They set another appointment for her and he took her home and gave her a flea bath. Then they called to reschedule that appointment. That was the final straw. He loved how Brinkley was groomed, so he got the referral and came the next day.

Here’s Rosie before her groom. Well, almost before her groom. Groomer Mom had already shaved her body when she remembered to take a picture. She is a nine-year-old shih tzu, and looks and acts much younger.

When Rosie arrived Groomer Mom used three different blades on her tummy for her Dad to decide what length he wanted her hair. It ended up that he wanted the longest one. She was a very good girl on the grooming table. Then it was bath time. Groomer Mom had the sprayer hose going full blast when Rosie decided to leap out of the tub. Groomer Mom dropped the sprayer and grabbed Rosie on her way down to the floor. Meanwhile, the sprayer sprayed the ceiling, the walls, the table and the floor. “Popcorn” rained off the ceiling onto everything, including Groomer Mom. It took three big towels to sop up all the water and wet “popcorn”on the floor. Groomer Mom didn’t know whether to laugh or to cry, so she laughed.

After all that, here’s Rosie’s “after” picture.

And she looks so innocent.

Ace Reporter Lucy signing off, with wishes for a great “popcorn-free” weekend!

Grooming with Mom Recaps on Thankful Thursday

Published on by Xena, Lucy and Chia28 Comments

Lucy, Ace Reporter, coming to you live (well, I AM alive!) from, WGWM with another episode of Grooming with Mom. We are so thankful for all of Mom’s wonderful clients and their pups! And a shout out of thanks to Brian for hosting Thankful Thursday

My usual M.O. is to report on new grooms. Today I would like to show you how some current grooms have changed, as well as other pupdates.

Let’s get the sad one over with first. You may remember Barkley, a one-year-old rescued schnauzer/yorkie/poodle mix. He was here last December for his first groom since being rescued. A couple of months ago he escaped from his house and ran into a yard that belonged to a bigger dog. Precious Barkley didn’t survive the encounter. May he play like the puppy he is on the other side of the rainbow bridge.

We’ve been following puppy Dixie since her first groom here. She’s now nine months old. This time her front right leg had shorter, curlier hair than her other legs. Her Mom said that she had broken her leg in two places when she jumped off their bed. She had her surgery and her leg now has metal plates, but she is getting around like nothing happened.
Dixie has grown a lot and Groomer Mom decided it was time to do something different with her face. Dixie’s Mom agreed. And her Dad wanted all her leg and body hair trimmed as short as her one leg. Here are pictures of her previous groom (L) and the one done this time. Let us know which way you like her face best.

Dixie still has crazy puppy ears, and that’s just going to have to take time.

Molly came to us from downtown for her first groom here several months ago. In response to a reminder text, her Dad called from L.A. saying he was visiting his son over the Christmas holidays when he fell and broke his hip. He wasn’t going to be able to bring Molly, since she was stuck there in L.A. with him. When he was finally able to make the trip back, he hobbled into the small grooming area with his walker and Molly on a leash. He told Groomer Mom she could cut Molly’s hair how she thought it would look best this time, as opposed to making it look like a picture he had of another dog that she modeled the groom after last time. Then he asked what she’d been doing. She told him she’d been to a nearby Mexican restaurant the night before and how great the food was, and the band was really good too. At that, he said he’d go wait there, get a beer, watch the game on their many TV’s, etc. That was a great solution, since Molly was un-groomable with him here. Here’s Molly from her first (L) and second times here. Personally, this reporter really likes the second groom better.

Molly’s Dad got a late lunch and declared both the food there and the groom here excellent!

Next up is Winston. He is a multi-poo/shih tzu mix. Winston first came to Small Dog Grooming in 2017. He came back two years later, then in a year, and seems to be a more or less regular client now. His Mom gets busy and keeps forgetting to make an appointment. His last time here was the beginning of January, when he got a “mini-groom” because the weather was cold. These are his before and after pictures from this past weekend. He was terribly matted, but thankfully no fleas. And he was very good for his groom!

This time his Mom made an appointment for 6 weeks, and wants to keep doing that so she doesn’t keep forgetting.

Let’s wind this up with a wish for a Happy St. Patrick’s Day from our friend Laila.

This is Lucy, Ace Reporter, signing off with another successful episode of Grooming with Mom.

Grooming with Mom on Happy Tuesday

Published on by Xena, Lucy and Chia33 Comments

This is Lucy, with Happy Tuesday’s edition of Grooming with Mom. But first, a big shout out to Miss Sandee at  Comedy Plus for hosting Happy Tuesday.

As you will see, this seems to be White Dog Tuesday. First, we got back a pup who was here only once, in July of last year. It’s been six months, and the long hair and mats to the skin indicated that he hasn’t been anywhere else since then to get groomed. Presenting once again Teddy the seven-year-old maltese. Here he is before his groom.

Teddy looks like a fluff ball, but is actually matted clear to the skin; they’re the kind of mats that won’t just come out, not even with dematting spray and comb. So Groomer Mom had to shave him everywhere except for his head, ears and face. His Mom must have been brushing those areas. He was shaking-on-the-table nervous, so I was called to come in to be a calming presence for him.

Teddy liked me and did settle down some with me there. After all the shaving was done, he asked me to come closer so he could whisper in my ear.

“Tell that person she’s all done and I can go home now,” he quietly woofed.
I told him to just stay calm while he got his bath and finished up. At “bath” he started shaking again. Oops.

Teddy’s bath and groom was finally done, and here he is, definitely ready to go home.

Teddy, are you giving us a raspberry?

While Teddy was waiting for his person, Groomer Mom got a call from a fellow whose neighbor had given him one of Groomer Mom’s business cards. He has an 11 year old white miniature poodle named JoJo who needed groomed. Groomer Mom told him she was ready for JoJo right then and to come on. Here is JoJo before getting groomed.

JoJo has been going to get groomed every 4 to 5 weeks, so she wasn’t in too bad of shape. She’s a good girl, and it was easy to tell she is used to being on the grooming table. Strangely, she didn’t like her right leg messed with and kept trying to bite the clippers. Then she would look guilty, like she knew she wasn’t supposed to be doing that.

JoJo is on two medications from her vet for bad allergies. Can you see that black area on her chest? Under both of her front legs her skin is black too, and the hair there was matted with a gooey, stinky, tan-colored substance. Her vet said to just keep those places washed. In all her years of grooming and five years of working at a vet, Groomer Mom has never seen anything like it. She had to wash it off of her clipper blade when she was done shaving under those legs. She is requesting that this reporter ask if any of you might know what that is, and if so, please leave that information in the comments.

Anyhoo, here is JoJo after a good bath and groom.

Her Dad was pleased, so we are hoping to see this dear pup again in the near future.

This is Lucy, signing off with *wags* and *wiggles* from another episode of Grooming with Mom.

Grooming with Mom: Molly and Dixie

Published on by Xena, Lucy and Chia23 Comments

This is Lucy, with Happy Tuesday’s edition of Grooming with Mom. But first, a big shout out to Miss Sandee at  Comedy Plus for hosting Happy Tuesday.

Groomer Mom was covered up with grooms all of December, and I hope you’ll forgive this Ace Reporter for being lax in reporting new grooms. Here I present you with one new groom and a second-timer. Hold onto your seats, cause here we go!

Late one evening Groomer Mom got a call from someone who apologized for the late evening call, but that he was a lawyer and had been tied up in court. Well, while some lawyers may deserve to be tied up in court, I never knew that actually happened! I wonder what he did?

Anyhow, he claimed that three folks he interacted with in his downtown condo complex and doggie group told him he had to bring his pup, Molly, to Groomer Mom to get groomed. They talked a while, and he seemed legit — except for that tied up in court part. He wanted Molly to have a teddy bear cut. Groomer Mom asked him if she had ever had one. No. And did he know what a teddy bear cut was. No. She suggested he look it up on-line. So they made an appointment for him to make the half hour drive out here in two weeks and she would see what Molly’s hair would do.

Here’s Molly pre-groom:

Molly is a one-year-old, eleven pound shih tzu/bichon frise mix, aka shih-chon. She was crazy on the table and even in her Dad’s arms while trying to get her nails cut and pretty much everything else. It finally reached a point where Groomer Mom hung her head, trying to figure out how to tell the lawyer man she couldn’t groom his dog, while he sat there chattering and anticipating a teddy bear cut, whatever that is. Finally, Groomer Mom told him that she was going to cover Molly’s eyes while he went through the door into the hallway where there were comfortable chairs. And for him to be very quiet so Molly didn’t know where he was. He did — guess he didn’t want to get tied up again — and within a minute Molly settled down and let herself be groomed. Of course, in that minute there were some meaningful finger shakings and looks from Groomer Mom, after which Molly proved herself to be a smart little shih-chon.

Her Dad had also provided Groomer Mom with a picture of another dog, saying that was the groom he would like. (It wasn’t a teddy bear cut.) Groomer Mom did the exact cut she was shown, right down to the strange cut over the eyes.

OK, so she clipped that little bit over Molly’s right eye after she took the picture. She released Mr. Lawyer Man from the hallway, and he was thrilled with the groom. He made an appointment for six weeks.

Some of you may remember Dixie, who came for her first groom in August when she was two months old. Here she is after that groom, crazy ears and all.

Groomer Mom suggested she be groomed every six weeks. Her Mom must have heard, “When she is six months old.” She came back in December for her second groom. This mini poodle/Australian shepherd mix had really grown! It had been so long that she forgot anything she had learned the first time here, and it was like a first groom all over again!

Her Mom stayed and helped hold her, and it ended up being a success. (I also assisted with my zen presence.)

That’s all for now, friends and followers. This is Lucy, Ace Reporter, signing off with two challenging but successful grooms.

Saturday Potpourri

Published on by Xena, Lucy and Chia18 Comments

Xena: We’ve got a bunch of odds ‘n ends to show you today. I’ll start off, cause I’ve been bored, bored, bored.

Mommy’s been working almost full-time at a church, Daddy’s been sick in bed (but he seems better now), and Mommy’s also been working from home for the place where Daddy works. Then, after supper, when everyone settles into the living room before going to bed, I have to run into my kennel to protect it from Chia taking it over. That doesn’t leave any time for cuddling or petting or playing. But I hear we’re going to In Dee Anna, so maybe things will liven up soon.

Lucy: First, in case you were worried about me, I haven’t had to wear pj’s lately, but I see them being packed for our trip to the cold, white north in a couple of days. I also saw my new sweater from last Christmas being packed.

Mom had 2 grooms yesterday and 5 today, and she had to carry them down the hallway into the downstairs kitchen to wash them in that sink. Her hose watchamacallit for her grooming sink fell apart.

She tried a coupla places around town, but no one had the parts. Lowe’s didn’t even have that type of sink hose, and the other place told her how to take hers apart and fix it. Nope. So she’s waiting on Amazon to send the two she ordered – in hopes that at least one will fit and work – but they won’t be here until next Wednesday when we’re all gone to In Dee Anna, er Indiana.

This here’s Shaggy. She belongs to one of Mom and Dad’s friends from church, and he’s also our handyman.

Shaggy’s letting Mom know what she thinks of being here and being groomed!

Riley: I can hardly wait until everyone leaves for a few days. My heart person, Andrew, will be here with me and just me!

He’ll bring in any packages and maybe he’ll even fix the sink for Mom Amy. And I’ll get tons of petting and sleep in the bed with him. I hear Andrew’s coming Sunday night. I hope that’s really soon!

Chia: Hi, it’s me, Chia! I was supposed to be the one who told you my Dad’s been sick all week, but of course Xena had to do it first. Grrrrr.

I cuddled up with him to keep him warm and help him feel better. Uh, try not to look at my hair all over the sheet, OK? Anyhoo, it worked! He was up all day yesterday and even asked Mom to play one of their word dice games last night. Today he left to go play in his big band. You’d think that as good as I was to him, he’d of at least taken me with him, right?

Oh, and since Lucy showed you a picture of her in her new sweater from last Christmas, I’m gonna show you mine!

It’s getting packed, too! Well, gotta go now and make sure Mom packs all my stuff.

Love, Xena, Riley, Lucy and Chia

Grooming with Mom: Barkley

Published on by Xena, Lucy and Chia29 Comments


Lucy, Ace Reporter with another episode of Grooming With Mom on WGWM. And many thanks to Brian’s Thankful Thursday, with special thanks to Brian for hosting it! 

Today I have another new groom to introduce to you. We are always thankful for new pups to groom, and this one is no exception. Barkley was one of those little “designer” puppies that gets sold to big dog store enterprises and was purchased by his first owner sight unseen. The woman kept him in a cage most of the time and said she couldn’t get him house broken. Fast forward six months, and Barkley finds himself being carried into a dog shelter. His current owner intercepted the woman and asked to have him. “No problem!” the woman said as she handed Barkley over to the next chapter in his life.

Barkley’s new Mom is crazy about him and has a six-year-old daughter who adores him. It took less than a week to house break this precious little boy. He was sold as a schnauzer/yorkie mix, but neither his new Mom nor Groomer Mom can find those breeds just by looking at him. He definitely has poodle hair! His new, furever Mom is a hairdresser, and was referred to us here at Small Dog Grooming by one of her clients. She takes him to work with her, where he gets to interact with people all day.

Barkley’s first grooming appointment started off with him refusing to have his nails cut, even with his Mom staying and helping. You’ve all seen the picture of Chia in the hanging body device to get her nails cut, right? If not, here it is!

This is NOT Barkley. This is Chia.

Barkley did great at getting his nails cut while he was “hanging around,” and his Mom thought it was ingenious! The rest of the groom went well, and Groomer Mom got lots of kisses. Barkley got what Groomer Mom calls a “winter cut” where she leaves the hair on his body long. Here he is with his new “look.”

Just for fun, here are his before and after pictures side-by-side. The lighting was different, but the color he is in the “after” picture is his true color. Didn’t want you to think he got a dye job, BOL!

We think his Mom’s clients are going to be very pleased with Barkley’s new look!

That’s it for today, folks. This is Lucy, Ace Reporter, signing off with *wags* on another successful episode of Grooming with Mom.

Awww Monday Grooming with Mom

Published on by Xena, Lucy and Chia16 Comments

Lucy, Ace Reporter with another episode of WG(rooming) W(with)M(om). And many thanks to Miss Sandee at  Comedy Plus  for hosting Awww Monday! 

I mentioned in a previous report that dog breeds seem to come to Groomer Mom in three’s. We now have another two of the breed King Charles Cavalier Spaniel. A new family moved in just up the road and they saw the now-leaning-against-a-pole-next-to our-driveway grooming sign. They told Groomer Mom that it had been four months since the pups were groomed. They took them to one of the big box pet stores and the groomer there “did an awful job.” Now it was Groomer Mom’s turn! We think the Cavalier’s’Mom was already impressed when Groomer Mom started talking about how that breed should look, and what she planned on doing and also NOT doing as a groom for them.

First up is Mr. Chester, who is 6 years old and about 16 pounds. We don’t have any “before” pictures, because the groom is so minimal. It’s the bathing and drying time that really adds up!

Chester is a sweet, loving, outgoing boy, leaving a big kiss on Groomer Mom’s nose! Notice he still has the Cavalier trademark, the “feathers” on his feet!

His sister, Miss Dixie, is next. She’s quite shy, but still gave Groomer Mom a little kiss on her hand.

Their Mama stayed and held them for their nails. This reporter thinks it was just an excuse for her and Groomer Mom to visit and get to know each other a bit, as the pups gave no resistance. We found out that they recently moved here from Southern California, where, according to their Mom, things were getting a bit too “crazy” for her to stay. They chose Chattanooga on a whim, and are loving it here.

The Cavaliers’ Mom was delighted when she came to pick up her precious pups, and said they now officially have a new groomer!

Lucy Ace Report signing off with two more successful grooms!

Grooming with Mom on Awww Monday

Published on by Xena, Lucy and Chia33 Comments

Many thanks to Miss Sandee at Comedy Plus for hosting Awww Monday! And thanks to all my readers for joining me in another episode of Grooming with Mom.

Even though Groomer Mom’s business cards and sign reads, “Small Dog Grooming,” we had another large dog on the table this past week.

Chia: It seems like they just keep sneaking in.

Lucy: No Chia, they are scheduled.
While Groomer Mom also worked at the Jewish synagogue, she promised her young co-worker that she would teach her how to groom her new puppy. Fast-forward four months, and the Golden Doodle is six months old and ready for her first groom. This is Willa, another precious puppy who has never had an accident in the house, never chewed anything, never misbehaved, never run off…Riley, Chia and Xena are trying hard not to hate her.

Willa’s Mom, who we will call L, used to help her Mom groom their shih tzus, so she’s been around the block once or twice. Groomer Mom demonstrated how to do a particular grooming task, then handed the tool to L to do it. Seems that L is what’s called “a natural.” She’s very artistic, so we think that helped. After a couple of hours, the “masterpiece” was finished.

Hi, I’m Willa, and I was a good girl for my first groom.

Groomer Mom emailed to L the Amazon links of the tools she will need. With that, we say bye bye to sweet Willa knowing she’s in good hands.

This is Lucy, Ace Reporter, signing off ’til next time, with *wags* and *smiles*.

Grooming with Mom: Theo on Thankful Thursday

Published on by Xena, Lucy and Chia26 Comments

Hey there folks, this is Lucy, Ace Reporter, reporting to you with another episode of Grooming with Mom. Let’s shout out a huge thanks to Brian’s Thankful Thursday, with special thanks to Brian for hosting it!

We get emails every week from Dogs Naturally, where we learn lots of stuff about good nutrition. They’ve been giving us a little quiz with one question each time, so we thought it would be fun to share those. Here is this week’s:
Which breed’s name means “curly small dog?” Answer at the bottom of this post.

Groomer Mom got what she thought was the strangest call ever from someone wanting a groom. The person said he has a miniature schnauzer whose groomer retired, and he couldn’t find anyone to give his dog a good groom. Then he saw a schnauzer with a great cut, a real “schnauzer” groom, and asked the owner where she took her dog. You can see where this is going, right? So far, nothing strange. The strange part is that he lives in Dalton, GA, which is almost an hour from us. We’ve had people drive 30 minutes, but not an hour! Groomer Mom even asked him if he was sure he wanted to come this far, and he assured her he did.

Theo – short for Theodore – is on the tall side for a mini at 20 pounds. He’s solid, though, no fat to make up those pounds. This is his “before” picture.

Theo’s legs and feet were very matted and a bit of scissoring and shaving had to happen to remove the worst of the mats. The last groomer had cut the hair straight cross that was growing out of his ears, instead of pulling it out. Groomer Mom growled a bit about that, and Theo sat perfectly still while he was tortured all that hair got pulled out. However, he absolutely would not allow his nails to be cut or have the Dremel used. His Dad holding him didn’t help and hanging him in the sling (you’ve seen Chia in it) didn’t help, either. Finally, Groomer Mom asked Theo’s Dad if he wanted her to stop, and he said yes. In the end, his groom was the same as our Xena’s!

Theo was happy cause he got lots of treats and his Dad was happy cause he loved the cut! He said he’ll be back next time Theo needs groomed, and promised to keep him combed out in between.

TRIVIA ANSWER
The breed whose name means “curly small dog” is the Bichon Frise. Bichon means a small, toy or lap dog, and frisé means curly. 

Lucy, Ace Reporter, signing off with another episode of Grooming with Mom! (*wags*)

Grooming with Mom on Thankful Thursday

Published on by Xena, Lucy and Chia26 Comments

I am Lucy, Ace Report, welcoming you to another episode of Grooming with Mom. Today we are joining Brian’s Thankful Thursday, with special thanks to Brian for hosting it!

Hello, dear Readers. It’s time to report on another new groom. A young couple moved into our neighborhood – across the street and one house down from us – a few months ago. A quick note that the other pups living here are determined to stop by to welcome them with some pee mail! The man with the same name as my Dad saw Groomer Mom’s *grooming sign and made an appointment to have their 13-year-old King Charles Cavalier Spaniel groomed.

*Perhaps a quick background on that sign is in order. Shortly after Groomer Mom revived her grooming career in our new house, she mentioned to Groomer Helper Dad that she was going to have a sign made and put it in the front yard. G.H. Dad actually laughed and said, “Do you really think that’s going to bring in clients?”

Of course, Groomer Mom just went ahead with her plan. Now, many years and three signs later, she has quite a few people who have become “regulars” because they saw her sign! This is the current one.

Back to Everly. She was rescued from a cruel puppy mill several years ago. At the puppy mill her tail was docked to “provide better access.” This reporter is not quite sure what that means, just that Groomer Mom choked back tears when she heard this. Everly is a quiet “soul”, gentle and cooperative. Her Mom said they named her Everly because they were giving her a for-“ever” home!

Everly’s Mom wanted her shaved, and her ears left long. Her “before” picture isn’t as dramatic as many of the first-timers’.

A groom, a few treats, a bath and a little over an hour later, she looked like this:

We think she even looks happier! She tied Maggie, the poodle/shih tzu mix for our Best Behaved on the Groom Table Pup. And since she was even better at getting a bath than Maggie, we think Everly may take the lead!

We’ve noticed that some things, such as different dog breeds, really do “come in three’s.” Mom and Dad’s good friend brought her King Charles Cavalier Spaniel, River, to Groomer Mom a couple of weeks ago. That was the first one. Now we have Everly. Who will be next?

Lucy, Ace Reporter, signing off with another successful groom.

Grooming with Mom: Toby

Published on by Xena, Lucy and Chia29 Comments

Lucy, Ace Reporter here with another episode of Grooming with Mom. Many thanks to  Comedy Plus for hosting Happy Tuesday.

Today we have another new poodle puppy to introduce. Toby is five months old and never been groomed. I, Ace Reporter, personally met and interviewed Toby. First, Toby’s “before” picture.

Under all that hair is a sweet, 3 pound baby. Groomer Mom’s original plan was to brush him out (that’s a grooming term) and take a couple of inches off that mop, all the way around. But the brush wouldn’t go through his hair. The comb wouldn’t go through his hair. She sprayed him with a de-matter and used the de-matting tool, and it wouldn’t go through his hair. His mats were almost to the skin; there was no way to get some sharp shears there without risking cutting him. So next, Groomer Mom tried a long, #5 blade. It wouldn’t go through the mats. She then moved to a #7 blade, which cuts a little shorter, with blades closer together. Sure enough, with a little work, it found it’s way through. Of course, Groomer Mom also had to use the table strap to keep the little guy on the table and not trying to crawl on her shoulders while being groomed. Here he is again, partway through and wondering what this thing is around his body.

It was at this point that the groom got really tricky.

“Do NOT shave my front legs! Do NOT put that noisy shaver near my throat! Do NOT cut my nails!” declared little Toby with his screams, his teeth, his claws and all his energy to fight. It was at this point that Groomer Mom unstrapped him, carried him upstairs to Groomer Helper Dad and said, “I need help. Now.”

Groomer Helper Dad went downstairs, taking this reporter with him. At that point, I was wearing my proverbial Zen hat. While I sent calming thoughts Toby’s way, Groomer Helper Dad held him, got peed on, got scratched, and nearly dropped him. Then Groomer Mom wrapped Toby in a towel and pulled out or uncovered only the body parts she needed to work on. Groomer Helper Dad agreed to a picture as long as he remained anonymous. I’ll look up what that word means later…

The towel actually worked better than my zen thoughts, if you can believe that! Toby calmed right down and the groom was able to be completed. Here he is after his bath and touch-up.

Since Toby’s Mom couldn’t pick him up for 30 minutes, Groomer Mom brought him upstairs and put him in Xena/Chia’s kennel. Xena and Chia immediately ran up and started barking at him, which our Mom immediately put a stop to, saying, “Stop that! How could you be so hateful to this poor little puppy?!” Xena harumphed and walked away, but Chia decided to stay and try to make friends with him.

In the end, Toby’s Mom – who had never before had an “indoor” dog – loved the cut and understood why it had to be different from what was planned. She bought a grooming comb from Groomer Mom and made a new appointment for six weeks from now. She also told Groomer Mom that her 7-year-old son was very worried about leaving Toby. He asked his Mom how they knew they could trust “that lady” they left him with. She explained that his great-aunt brought both of her Yorkies (Molly and Cooper) here, and that she would never do anything to endanger them. Groomer Mom suggested that the boy be given a chance to stay and help during the next groom, so that option will be presented when Toby returns in October.

Lucy, Ace Reporter and Zen Master, signing off with another successful groom.