It is always hard when a long time customer stops coming to you.
Most of the time it is because they move away.
I have had a couple in the past year stop coming because they could not afford the grooming anymore, and started cutting the dog at home.
Back in August I got a call from this dogs owner.
This is 'Osito'.
I talked about him in one of my blogs last year.
As it turned out, that was the last time I groomed 'Osito'.
His Mom had been showing him.
I had been grooming him before his shows.
His Mom would bring him in a day or two before each show.
I always wondered how he looked by the time he finally got to the show.
In August, 'Osito's' Mom called to say she wanted to cancel his appointments for the rest of the year.
She said that her Handler wanted to do the grooming right before the shows.
I was disappointed and relieved at the same time.
I was disappointed, because I don't like other people grooming my dogs. :)
I was relieved, because I always worried about getting the grooming right.
I am not a show groomer.
I don't pretend to be a show groomer.
I did not want to be responsible for problems in the ring because of a grooming done wrong.
The only thing I know about dog shows is they are too political for me.
So, when 'Osito's' Mom called I understood her decision to have the Handler groom the dog.
I had always done my best to make him look good for his show.
This was the last time I groomed him.
'Osito's' Mom called last week to say that 'Osito' could no longer be shown.
It was found that he has a genetic knee problem.
He can't be breed now, and is do to be neutered soon.
She also asked if I would take her back as a customer.
'Osito' came in today.
His Mom wants to take him shorter now, so it will be easier to take care of him.
This was 'Osito' today.
This picture is after his bath.
I could not help but notice how the Handler had been grooming him.
(This picture is from today.)
I had always been very careful to, very slightly, round his feet, leaving them as natural as possible.
And I never cut anything around his eyes, as per the owners instructions.
(This picture is from last August.)
This is what his back feet looked like today.
???
This is what his front feet looked like today.
Guess what the Handler did to his face?
He cut the hair around the corner of 'Osito's' eyes.
'Osito's' Mom was not a happy camper.
The hair sticking up in front of 'Osito's' eyes used to be as long as his mustache and fell very nicely in front of his eyes.
His Mom wants to grow that hair back.
'Osito's' mom wanted me to shorten him today, but not too much at first.
She wants to do it slowly.
She feels it will be too much of a shock if she takes it short all at once.
Not so much a shock for the dog but for her.
I understand completely.
Years ago when I had only been grooming for about a year, I decided that I wanted to shave my little Terrier mix's face to see what it would look like.
After I shaved her face, I looked at her and all I could think was, 'what the he** did I do?'
It wasn't my little girl anymore, where was that cute little shaggy face.
For the next few weeks, every time I looked at her, I was discussed with myself.
I also had to live with everybody saying; "Why did you do that?"
I was never going to do that again, and I never did. :)
So, I agreed that the owner should shorten him slowly until we reached a length she likes.
This is how I groomed him today.
I scissored up his outline, and blended in a lot of his fly away hair.
His mom wanted his ears, mustache, beard, and tail left long.
I gave him very long bangs over his eyes till his Mom could see him, and decide if she wanted a little more off.
She did, but not too much shorter.
Isn't he the cutest thing?
We'll wait and see just how short she goes.
Happy Grooming, MFF
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