dog grooming – Page 6 – Xena Schnauzer Warrior Princess with Lucy and Chia

Grooming with Mom

Published on June 25, 2018June 21, 2018 by Xena, Lucy and Chia32 Comments

Hi friends. This is Lucy, reporting on a new episode of Grooming with Mom.

Maggie isn’t a newbie. She has been here before. This is her before and after picture from the first time she was here in October last year.

She has been back twice since that. This time, however, Maggie’s Dad brought her and told my Mom to give her a short poodle cut. She is half poodle and half shih tzu, and definitely looks more poodlish. Her “before” look isn’t nearly as bad as it was the first time she was on Mom’s ~~torture~~ grooming table.After a lot of shaving and some arguing over getting her face shaved, here’s how she looked in her “after.” We found out that her Mama was about to have surgery for breast cancer, and needed Maggie to have an easy haircut to manage. Please send up your POTP, good thoughts and prayers for Miss Marcia, Maggie’s Mom.

Licks and wiggles, Lucy

Is There a Dog In There?

Published on May 18, 2018May 18, 2018 by Xena, Lucy and Chia17 Comments

Hi friends. This is Lucy with another episode of Grooming with Mommy. When Bella was carried in the door, none of us were really sure if there was a dog inside all that hair.

Then she stuck out her tongue at us and Mom knew she had some tough grooming to do. Bella was here almost a year ago, and hasn’t been groomed since. Mom said she was in the same condition the first time, too – matted to the skin, nails super long, and stinky stuff stuck under her tail. Then, something like a miracle happened.

Bella: I think I’m naked.

Hey, I like how my beard tastes after getting shampooed.

I can’t wait for my Mom and Dad to see me. I hear them coming up the driveway!

Love and wiggles, Lucy

Pee Ess: Xena and I hope all you mothers out there had very Happy Mother’s Day. We love you!!

WTD Is Mom Grooming?

Published on May 12, 2018May 5, 2018 by Xena, Lucy and Chia25 Comments

Hi there friends. Today I present another episode of Grooming with Mom. Only this time, you won’t believe who (or what) she groomed.

It’s a tiny…

…Chewbacca.

I’m outa here.

Love and wiggles, Lucy

Tubbie Barker Gets Groomed

Published on March 21, 2018March 19, 2018 by Xena, Lucy and Chia30 Comments

Hi, this is Lucy here to tell you about Mom’s latest new groom. (looks around) OK, just wanted to be sure Xena wasn’t going to interrupt me this time with more wild tales.

First up is this 3 month old shih-tzu-Havanese mix who was purchased at a truck stop. Mr. and Mrs. Barker (yes, that’s really their name) were at an Interstate truck stop when this woman approached them with a puppy. The woman said that someone was supposed to meet her there to give her $150 for that puppy, but the buyer never showed up. She asked the Barkers (he,he, I’m sorry, he, he) if they wanted to buy him. She showed them pictures of his litter mates at home. Mrs. Barker looked in her wallet and offered her all she had – $8. The woman said she would take it, since she needed gas money! Mr. Barker came up with another $20, and they now had a new addition to the family. Here is Tubby before and after grooming:Mom said he was a “handful,” just because he was a puppy. Mrs. Barker (he, he, he, he…sorry) was delighted and said he looked like a little boy. She had already asked Mom if she could bring Roxie when she picked up Tubby, so Mom got a bonus groom on Friday. You might remember Roxie, an 11 year old shih tzu poodle mix. This is a picture from the last time Mom groomed her:

This time Mrs. Barker (I’m not gonna laugh, I’m not gonna laugh) wanted most of the hair cut off her legs, so Mom trimmed them really short, but didn’t shave them. Mom said Roxi is almost as sweet as me!

Mom was getting ready to go pull weeds at the church when she got a call from a lady who hadn’t brought her two schnauzers back to Mom to groom for eleven months. Mom thought she had found another groomer. Wrong! Mom told her to come on, she could groom them right then. Here they are pre-and post-groom:

This is Dexter. He’s a 3 year old schnauzer. Yep, same dog in both pictures. He also had some fleas and ticks. He and his sister are outside a lot of the time, running free through the woods and stuff. That sounds like fun.

This is 10 year old Sophie. Sophie had big thick mats and a couple of ticks. When last we met (I heard that phrase and have been waiting to be able to use it), Sophie had a tumor on her ear. It didn’t look good, and Mom was scared it was something bad. Sophie’s Mom took her to the dogtor, who took off the tumor and had it checked. Mom had asked for your prayers for Sophie, and we want to say thank you, because she is fine.

That’s it for this edition of When Mom Grooms.

Love and wiggles, Lucy

Pee Ess: The first picture is of Tubby Barker. *rolls on floor laughing*

Grooming Annsley

Published on February 24, 2018February 28, 2018 by Xena, Lucy and Chia36 Comments

Mom had a new groom today. She told me the story of how the nice lady found out about her grooming. Are you ready for this? The lady’s UPS delivery man told her! He saw her little tiny Yorkie and told her that his 15-year-old yorkie died not long ago. He said my Mom was a good groomer and gave her Mom’s name and phone number. (And boy, oh boy, did Annsley ever need groomed!)

Mom was concentrating when Annsley showed up and forgot to get her “before” picture, but she looked something like this (thanks for the pic, Mr. Google.)

She had big mats and little mats, and medium sized mats. But that’s nothing compared to Annsley’s story. When she was a little more than a year old she was rescued from a cage in a crack house. (I sure would hate to live in a house with cracks, too.) Other than to be made to have puppies, she had spent almost her entire short life in that cage. In the meantime, the nice lady had just lost both her parents. She had intended to get a yorkie, but with her tragic losses, she had forgotten all about it until a rescue person brought Annsley into the vet where the lady worked. Right then and there the lady fell in love with her and they have been together for three years now.

Anyhow, because of the cage she had to live in when she was so young, she would freak out about the metal cages at any groomer’s. She would shake so hard that the lady had to give her pills before taking her. Plus, the last groomer cut her skin in two places (and made her look bad by shaving the hair down the center of her nose).

After hearing the story, Mom remembered John the UPS man, who had told the nice lady about Mom. She remembered how John loved his tiny yorkie with all his heart. Mom thought maybe this was also a God-thing. Today, when Annsley came, she shook a tiny bit, but seemed like she wasn’t hardly scared at all. Mom had promised to not put her in a cage and that she would be the only pup in the grooming room. Annsley did great, even without any pills! When the lady…

(Xena) Lucy! Can I tell the rest, huh, please? I’m the one who got to play…oops, I think I gave the rest away.

(Lucy) Yep, you did. But the rest really is your story, so go ahead.

(Xena) Well, you see, the lady couldn’t come get her for about 87 minutes or hours (Mom: it was a half hour) so she said to go ahead and let her come upstairs and play with me and Lucy. Woo hoo!

Hi, I’m Annsley.

Hi, I’m Xena. Why do you keep running away from me?

I don’t know where I am and you’re bigger than me.

I won’t hurt you, I promise. Come on, let’s play.

Who’s that outside? That’s Lucy. She’s my sister and she’s wa-a-a-y bigger than you and me both. You don’t have to worry, she wouldn’t hurt you.

Well, I think I’ll just stay here until my Mom comes.

So that’s the story of how I almost got to play with a dog smaller than me. Maybe next time…she’s coming back in six weeks.

I am Xena the Schnauzer Warrior Play Puppy Princess

Grooming News

Published on December 20, 2017December 14, 2017 by Xena, Lucy and Chia20 Comments

Over the last month or so, Mom has only had a couple of new dogs come to be groomed. I’m glad I didn’t take grooming up as my profession. I would starve to death trying to make enough for my food. Anyhoo, the first new pup is a cocker spaniel. His name is Luke and even though he is almost a year old, this was his first time on the grooming table. Mom thought he would be a “wild child” but he acted like he was used to it. His mama said it is because he has three little children and a baby at home, and he’s used to anything! Mom got lots of kissies during this groom.

Here Luke is after his groom. Can you see the funky little mohawk on the top of his head? His mama asked for that, he, he. Luke has had his doggy treat and is waiting for his Mom to come up the driveway.

This is 11-year-old Roxie, a shihtzu-poodle mix. She hasn’t been groomed for a year because her Mom doesn’t get her vaccinations any more, and most groomers won’t take her. Mom said she agrees with Roxie’s Mom’s decision, and that Roxie won’t be around any other dogs while she is here, so bring her on!

This was an unusual groom because her grandma brought her and said to groom Roxie however Mom wanted, to just have fun with it. Of course, the left side is “before.” Roxie is a very sweet girl (but not sweeter than me). Her grandma texted Mom later to say that Roxie’s mom loved the groom and would be bringing her back next time.

My peeps brother Andrew kept using Mom’s grooming towels, so Mom put a sign on them.

Peyton and Slider were here getting groomed, and Peyton hopped up to where you see her. Mom couldn’t figure out if she was being defiant (of the sign) or guarding the towels or just getting comfy. What do you think?

Until next time…

Love and Wiggles, Lucy the (still) Double-Grounded

A Groom and a Birthday Gift

Published on September 20, 2017September 18, 2017 by Xena, Lucy and Chia20 Comments

On Monday, Mom got her two original neighborhood dogs in for a grooming touch-up. I’ve told you about Dora the shih-tzu and Maggie the schnauzer here. Last week she got another new pup in, a beagle mix named Bella. Bella was scared of my Mom and very anxious, so her Dad stayed during the first part of the groom. That’s why Mom didn’t get a “before” picture. Her Dad wanted her to look like the beagle he paid for when she was a puppy, instead of a terrier with hair sticking out every which way, so Mom shaved her and this is how she looks now. As you can see, Bella was still kinda’ scared, even after Mom sprinkled her magic dust on her.

Before Maggie and Dora came on Monday to be groomed, Mom decided to try out her birthday present from my peeps brother, Andrew. She had been complaining about how dirty the furniture was, so he gave her some ~~more work~~ thing to help with that. She un-boxed her new Rug Doctor, read the instructions, and gave it a try.

Andrew told her to push harder on the head to make it work better.

Then Riley came by and said, “You missed a spot.”

When Mom ~~gave up~~ ~~quit~~ got done, she looked at the dirty water and said, “Cr–p, I don’t know if that’s dirt or part of the chair!”

I think it’s time for me to go outside and chew on my bone for a while.

Love and wiggles, Lucy

Back to Work and More Grooming, Too

Published on September 8, 2017 by Xena, Lucy and Chia32 Comments

First my exciting news…Mom took me to work today! I don’t know if I got my job back or if she just felt sorry that I have been home alone this week. Riley has been gone with Andrew to I-don’t-know-where, so two whole days while Mom and Dad were at work. I want you to know I was a very, very good dog today. I only pottied outside. I greeted everyone with wiggles and a few licks.

**I got to be outside in the church’s big yard a lot.**

I dug a hole in the grass that was planted last fall. Mom had to fix it. It was just a small hole, so I don’t know what the problem was.

It was a busy day, so towards the end of the day I laid in the hallway outside of Mom’s office to ensure I got belly rubs from everyone. I didn’t want anyone to feel left out. Everyone said I was beautiful and they loved my brindle color. One person said she has a Siamese cat named Lucy and another lady said she has a King Charles Spaniel named Lucy. It was a Lucy kind of day! Exactly at 4:30 I stood up and told Mom it was time to go home. She looked at me kind of weird and said the spirit of Lexi must be resting on me. I really don’t know what that meant, or why I suddenly sensed it was time to go home. It just felt right.

Now, I want to tell you about the dog Mom groomed last Friday. Her name is Sophie and she is supposed to be a shih Tzu. Mom thinks she is a Shih Tzu-Maltese cross. The first and last time Mom groomed Sophie was January of 2015. She was an extremely matted mess then, and was again this time, too. Mom de-matted her and cut her hair with the scissors. It took Mom three hours.

I am going to let ~~my secretary~~ Mom finish up now so she can go make doggie cookies. I might even save some for Riley.

Oh, and I was dog tired last night after my hard day of work at the church.

**I think I am too tired to walk to the bedroom, Mom.**

Love and Wiggles, Lucy

Slow Day and Grooms

Published on August 28, 2017September 4, 2018 by Xena, Lucy and Chia28 Comments

0828171157-1

0826171917-1

Today is Monday. That means it is Slow Day. Mom calls it my Fast Day, but believe me, there is nothing fast about it. I don’t get to eat anything until supper time. I’m just going to chew my bully horn and look pitiful until then. And dream about what I will get for supper.

We had two grooms scheduled for 11:00 this morning. Then, at 9:00 another lady with two dogs texted to say she was on her way. Mom had forgotten to write it down! She had to hurry and push the 11:00 grooms back to noon. I have shown you pictures of them before when they were here. Laila is on the left.

This time, there was a surprise when the lady showed up with Laila and Louis. Laila looked like this, but that wasn’t the surprise.

0828170910a-1

Now she looks like this! Notice anything? I mean, besides Mom shaved her and she’s still happy?

0828171056c-1

Yep, she got knocked up. Where’d I hear that kind of language, Mom? Well…I don’t know…how about, she is in a delicate condition? Just say she is going to have puppies? OK. Laila is going to have puppies and the blessed event should happen on September 6. He, he.

Here’s the culprit, er, guy who, er, the Daddy:
0828171102a-1-1

I sure hope they know what they are in for!

Love and wiggles, Lucy

Surprise Saturday Grooms

Published on July 22, 2017 by Xena, Lucy and Chia22 Comments

Last night I heard Mom tell Dad that it seemed odd that she didn’t have any grooms for this weekend. Right after that she got a message on the neighborhood apple or appie or something that said, “Do you by any chance have an opening to shave my hateful old bity this weekend? If not it is ok. She’s beyond trimming she is getting matted so a shave except for her face will be necessary.” The person left her phone number, so Mom texted her back and said sure, come at 9:30 on Saturday. The lady warned Mom that her Shih Tzu bites, which is why she is such a mess. “Emmy” even tries to bite her Mom when her Mom tries to brush her. I think that is a very, very bad dog. I would never bite anyone, especially my Mom. But Mom has done well with supposed biters in times past, but she has also been bitten – especially by shih tzus. As it turned out, Emmy was a handful on the table and took a long time. She tried to eat my Dad for lunch when he held onto her so that Mom could cut her nails. Dad was brave and did not shirk his duty, and every nail got safely cut. At one point, Emmy calmed down and looked Mom in the eyes. Yeah, Mom melted. After her bath, Emmy got still and let Mom finish up her face and head with no argument.

I think they might have become friends. Emmy is already scheduled to come back in two months. When her Mom came back to get her, she said that Emmy and another dog were rescued from a house where the owner had died. Two other dogs didn’t “make it.” She has lived in her new home for four years. She hates the man there too, so maybe her first Dad was mean to her.

**Thank you Miss Amy for helping me feel better. I’m 14 and still a pretty girl!**

So, just before Mom started grooming Emmy, another new person called wanting her little yorkie groomed.

Bella is a tiny, four-year-old Yorkshire terrier (yay, another terrier like me – well, maybe not exactly like me). Oh, and Bella is a sweetie, just like me! Bella’s peeps didn’t tell Mom that she was a matted mess before they brought her. Her Dad told Mom exactly what they wanted, and even showed her a picture they found on the internet. I guess that’s just Mom’s job, to turn matted messes into something pretty, right?

That’s it for this week’s edition of Grooming with Amy. We hope you enjoyed it.

Love and wiggles, Lucy.

More Grooms by Mom

Published on May 18, 2017May 18, 2017 by Xena, Lucy and Chia27 Comments

Hi, this is Lucy. I don’t get to meet most of the dogs Mom grooms. I don’t really even know what “grooms” means. So I will turn my blog over to Mom today to tell you all about it.

Lucy, you are one lucky dog to not know what it is to be “groomed.” But I do try to make the experience as good as I can for my little four-legged friends. I have been blessed to get the sweetest dogs coming to be groomed, and Chaz, Lizzie, and Shaggy Bear have been no exception.

I got the teacup yorkie, Chaz back in for his third groom with me. This time his Mom felt comfortable enough to leave him and go do other things while her little boy got beautified. I promised pictures last time, so I did better by at least getting an “after” of this five-year-old boy.

Chaz Hill

Next, Lizzie is a second-timer coming to me. She is a five-year-old shih tzu/ basset mix. Lizzie has a beautiful coat, but gets hot, so her Mom has me shave her. Look at those little basset legs!

PicMonkey Image

Finally, another good boy, eleven-year-old Shaggy Bear – and was he ever! This was another second time groom with me. The first time was the middle of February. Shaggy Bear lives only a few houses down the road from me.

Shaggy

Shaggy Bear’s grandma made his mom give him a bath the day before his groom. Last time, I had to bathe him twice before the groom and once after, mostly because of fleas. They also took my advice on flea and tick prevention and all I found under all that hair this time was some old flea dirt from before the fleas were killed. His grandma brought him and she has already booked his next groom in six weeks. With him beginning to come to me regularly, I may be able to talk them into a nicer-looking style and maybe share my “green bean diet” for him, too. No wonder he gets so hot! I renamed this dear shih tzu “Sugar Bear” after he got groomed!

That’s it for another episode of “Grooming with Amy.” Have a great weekend!

Grooming: Yorkies and a Morkie and Updates

Published on April 22, 2017April 21, 2017 by Xena, Lucy and Chia19 Comments

There has been a letup in most activity post Easter, including grooming. I got three dogs in this week. The first two have been coming to me every five weeks since 2014. They were referred to me by my original clients in our neighborhood, whose sweet pups I groomed last week. Because of the good care they get, there isn’t a lot of difference in the before and after pics. Both these pictures are “before.”

Slider, on the left, is a full-sized Yorkshire Terrier, with the very fine Yorkie hair. He always gets a scissor cut. Slider is about seven or eight years old and he’s usually the cause of his folks being late to their grooming appointment. He gets the vibe of where they are going and runs and hides. Even so, he’s a very good boy. I do have to watch him carefully on the table, though, as he’s a “jumper.”

Here they are “after.” Peyton on the right is about six years old now. Slider’s folks answered an ad for a Yorkie for sale. When they went to see her and talked to the man selling her, they decided that she was not a Yorkie, and was stolen. They decided to buy her just to give her a good home if they couldn’t find her real owners. She’s smaller and longer than Slider, and is the darling of her little boy and dad. Have you caught the theme in their names yet?

Now I’m handsome!

Petey is one of my new grooms that I had mentioned in a previous post, but had neglected to get pictures. This was just his second time here. Doesn’t he look proud to be groomed? Pete is a ten year old Morkie (Maltese and Yorkie). As I mentioned previously, the breeder was selling these designer puppies for $1000, but giving away the males. Yep, his Mom snagged this dear boy for free. They live just around the corner from us. Isn’t it funny that his Mom didn’t find me until I advertised my business on the Neighborhood website? She was so pleased that she posted Pete’s picture with a great review on the site today.

Finally, two updates. I mentioned in A Happier Nextdoor Story that Sadie Jo, who had come to me for the first time, was having some symptoms that I thought needed to be checked out. The vet agreed there was something wrong, but the bloodwork was only slightly off. Last week she died of pancreatic cancer. It was a huge shock to everyone, and her Mom is grieving hard.

Now for the good news. Angel Lexi asked for prayer for Sophie the schnauzer for an ugly-looking tumor on the bottom of her left ear. You can see it in the picture in the post. A lot of you responded with POTP and many prayers, and I can’t thank you enough. The biopsy came back benign and they will have the tumor removed soon. God is good.

Grooming Marathon

Published on April 14, 2017April 15, 2017 by Xena, Lucy and Chia18 Comments

More new grooming clients are pouring in this week before Easter: Wednesday. Chester lives in a nearby subdivision and is the darling of his three teenage peep sisters. He was a rescue and is about four years old. No one knows what breed this 20+ pounder is. Why don’t you leave your best guess in the comment section? His personality includes sweet and loving, a bit timid, very close to his family, and absolutely terrified of baths. He’s strong (Note to self: ask for help from husband/son next time I give him a bath), but definitely not a biter. Isn’t his shaved coloring absolutely gorgeous!?

0414171109c-1 Today – Friday: I booked in five dogs. That’s something I haven’t done for years, so I did my back exercises before and between a couple of them. The first to arrive was Emmy, a darling 9-year-old shih tzu. I only took an after picture of her, since she is on my “3 week plan.” Emmy first came to me six weeks ago via the Neighborhood website. She was full of mats, and I had little choice but to shave parts of her ears and other places to save her the suffering of me working the mats out. She returned in 3 weeks for a mini-groom. This includes a good brush out, nails, face, paws, and a bath at a discounted rate. Today, 3 weeks later, she got a full groom again. Ears are still growing out.

Next came two new pups, whose Moms also found me on the Neighborhood website. Charlie is a 4-year-old long-haired dachsund. He only gets groomed twice a year, and he gets a complete shave-down. Charlie’s another one who hates baths. He scared me half to death when he screamed as I was cutting his nails. I thought for sure I had cut into the quick and hurt him. I pet him and told him how sorry I was. Then I looked at the nail, and there was no blood. I placed the nail clippers on the next nail and he screamed again. He was anticipating pain. (Note to self: get ear protection) He also doesn’t like his paws shaved. Or his tail. At least he did no more than grab my hand once. I reflexively screamed, anticipating a bite. I guess we’re even.

Charlie’s sister Rosie, an 11-year-old mini long-haired dachshund, was next. She lost her left eye to a possum a few years back. Talk about the perfect lady on the grooming table!

I asked their Moms why they didn’t just get short-haired dachshunds! Turns out, Charlie was a rescue, and precious Rosie was an unwanted puppy (by original owner). After the Moms saw their groomed dachsies, they asked how often people usually bring their dogs, and I saw the wheels turning. Maybe I will see them again soon. Now, where to get that hearing protector…

To finish off a great day, my two favorites showed up. I have been grooming them on my “3 week plan” for four years. In May of 2013, Jeff and I were taking Lexi for a walk and saw neighbors out with their small schnauzer and shih tzu. When they found out I groom Lexi, they asked if I would groom their dogs. That’s how I got started “grooming for pay” again. I only took “after” pics since they are never in bad condition. Just one more way Lexi enriched my life!