About Me:

I am a professional Pet Groomer. I have been grooming for 28 years. This Blog is a kind of diary of my work. I wish I had started years ago, writing some of the experiences I have had while grooming. Most days are fun, some can be sad, some can be just down right crazy. If you are a pet owner and come across this blog, I hope it helps you understand how your pet is groomed. If you are a Pet Groomer, I hope you can relate to some of the stories. Maybe even learn a grooming tip or can leave a friendly grooming tip for me. There is always something to learn, no matter how long you have been grooming.

Monday, June 24, 2013

Monday Makeover #16.....My Own Dog




This was my little guy 'Peanut' when I brought him home as a puppy. 

He is Dachshund/Bichon mix.



This is 'Peanut' now, 4 years later.

I call him my little old man.

As you can see, I have let his ears and beard grow out long.

I have never taken any length off of his ears or beard, just neaten them up when I give him a hair cut.

I have always liked his long beard and ears.

But, lately they have been looking messy all of the time.



 Even right after you brush out his beard and ears, they still look wild.

So, I had been thinking lately of giving him a makeover.

I really like how cute he looked when he was a puppy.

Funny thing is, as much as I fuss about pet owners who won't let me trim up their dogs stringy ears, or messy beards,  I was acting just like my customers.

The only difference was, my dogs long ears and beard are always mat free. :)




What to do?

Should I just shorten the ears by half, or should I go all the way and clip all of the hair off his ears to try to recapture that puppy look?
Should I take half off of the beard, or scissor the face tight?



 Well, the first thing that I did was clip off the ears with a #7F blade.

I must say.... I am pathetic, because I stood there a few minutes running my fingers down his ears and talking myself into cutting the hair.

I know!

It's hair....it grows back.

That is why I finally cut the hair, because I do know that it grows back. lol



 So, here he is with his ears clipped. (don't mind the sad face. He always looks like that when I try to take a picture of him. Mr. Serious)

Do I like it?

Am I sorry that I clipped the ears short?

No, I don't like it. (although as I write this post, with him laying next to me, I am getting used to it)

Yes, I am kicking myself in the butt for not scissoring the ears short first to see what that looked like.







Next came the beard.

Short and tight to match the ears.

I do like the short face.

It does make him look younger, but I still liked that old man look.






It will grow back.

It will grow back.

It will grow back.

Happy Grooming, MFF

12 comments:

  1. What a cute pup! I have a question....Is it very common for a dog to be nicked while being groomed? Or is this only common if the groomer is making avoidable mistakes? Twice now I have picked up my Shih Tzu and he has had a few spots on him. None have been very deep, but they did leave pretty thick scabs. The cuts have been on his stomach, breast and in the space between his upper legs and stomach. Neither time has the groomer mentioned any accidents happening. I know he must have bled at least a bit while he was there. I feel like this is not very honest or professional grooming, but I wanted your opinion. Thank you!

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    Replies
    1. Hi,
      I am very sorry that your Shih-tzu has come home with nicks on him. It is very hard to say what happened without see your dog.
      In my opinion it is NOT common for a dog to be nicked while grooming. I personally can't remember the last time I nicked a dog. I think it was back when I wrote about nicking a wart that I did not see under the hair. I think that that was sometime last year.
      Even though I say that nicks are not common, they do happen to the best of groomers. We are working on live moving animals with a mind of their own. They do tend to move at the worst possible moment.
      If your dog was nicked, your groomer definitely should have told you. Ask about the nicks, if you are not given a satisfactory answer find another groomer. He should not be nicked every time he is groomed.
      Also, depending on how short you have your dog clipped, there is a possibility that he may have scratched the skin with freshly clipped nails that can be very sharp. Although you should be able to tell the difference between a scratch and a nick.
      It also might not be a bad idea to have your Vet check your dogs skin to make sure that something else isn't going on with the skin causing it to nick easily.
      Lisa, MFF

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  2. Peanut is adorable! I've never seen a dachshund birch on before...so cute! I love his new look :)

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  3. Lisa, Peanut is beautiful! Have you considered giving his head a schniz makeover? Here's an example for inspiration, if you're up for suggestions: http://www.flickr.com/photos/raona/6961072646/in/set-72157614885230906

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Trudy,
      Yes, I have actually given him eyebrows before with his long beard, but unfortunately his eyebrows have a mind of their own and grow out in all directions. So the eyebrows only last for a day right after the grooming. :p
      Lisa, MFF

      Delete
  4. Just wanted to say...I love Peanut's haircut! I think he looks adorable like this. Maybe next time do Bedlington ears, just to play around. :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi,
      I have thought about Bedlington ears before. I will have to try that. :)
      Lisa, MFF

      Delete
  5. I think he looks adorable!

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  6. I think he look much better after! :)

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  7. I loved his short ears. I took the plunge and shaved my females ears a month or so back. I was nervous, but it made her look young again :)

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