This past weekend was crazy.
This week will be more of the same.
We close the shop for vacation next week, and the week before is always crazy.
So is the week after for that matter.
We always seem to pay big time for taking time off, but I need a vacation.
Last week I had a couple of Pomeranian owners e-mail me about grooming their Pomeranians.
I told them that I would be grooming my girl this past Saturday and would make video.
Of course when I wrote them back I forgot all about this past Sunday being my sons 18th Birthday.
18!!
Where has 18 years gone?
I still remember him scooting around the shop in his walker.
Yep, that was when the walkers still had wheels.
Boy, I feel old. :/
So anyway, Sunday was his day, dinner and a movie....after my usual running errands.
No working on the video Sunday.
Monday.
Monday was putting a new floor down and new toilet in our guest bathroom.
Got a little work done on the video.
Tonight.
Finished the video and am waiting for it to upload as I type.
I used my Pom for the video.
She has allergy problems with her skin so she has been getting bathed weekly.
She missed a bath, so she looked pretty tacky for the video.
Because she has been bathed so often lately, she does not have very much undercoat right now, but I thought that she would still make a good video.
I don't normally recommend that owners bathe their dogs without brushing them, but the Pomeranian owners that contacted me had Poms just like mine...they HATE to be brushed.
They were both having a hard time finding a groomer who didn't want to shave their dogs.
I know that there are owners out there that do a great job in my Self-Serve bathing and HV drying their double coated dogs.
I have helped many of them by showing them what shampoo to use, how to use it, and how to HV the undercoat out of the dog.
Hopefully this video will help some Pomeranian owners who wish to groom their own dogs.
I would say that more than half of my Pomeranian customers hate being brushed.
I mean really hate being brushed!
Bite and scream hate being brushed.
By grooming them the way I show in the video, it has made their grooming much more pleasant, with minimal brushing.
Oh...much less screaming and biting too. :)
Here is the link to the video.
I will be getting around to answering comments tomorrow....I hope....I am really behind. :)
Happy Grooming, MFF
Yeah, the HV dryer is pretty much the greatest invention EVER! I hope you survive this week and have a great vacation!
ReplyDeleteThanks groomgirl82! :)
DeleteSo glad I stumbled across your blog. I know exactly how this feels. I even had a customer ask me if I groomed their dog last time because it didn't "Look like my work" and she refused to believe I groomed her dog. I told myself I'm not allowed to have an "off" day and that if I'm tired or a little bit sick I should walk right out the salon door because nothing will be "my work" that day.
ReplyDeleteHi Staci,
DeleteIt is amazing how many customer 'grooming judges' are out there. The judges in some of the grooming competitions that I have been in haven't been as hard on me as some of my customers.lol
Thanks for reading my blog.
Lisa, MFF
Great video!!! Have you used best shot ultra wash?? And if so which do you like best ultra wash( green lab) or ultramax (black label)?? I have used the ultra wash but wanted to try the one you use! And do you dilute your shampoos and conds or do you think It pays more to just to use it as it comes?
ReplyDeleteHi Jessica,
DeleteThanks. :) I use both Best Shot shampoos. I love the Ultramax for really packed, thick undercoat and matting. I use the regular Best Shot for the light undercoat and matting, because it is cheaper than the Ulramax.
Do I dilute my shampoos? lol It depends. Don't you just love that answer?
It really depends on each dog. If the dog is a regular that gets groomed often, yes I mix up a dilution of shampoo or shampoos I have mixed together just for that dog. If the dog is really dirty and/or smelly I will use my shampoos straight out of the gallon. On matted and undercoat dogs, I always use the shampoo and conditioner straight with a little squirt of water to help spread it around.
I am sure that using the shampoo straight is not very cost effective, but I do what will make the dogs look the way I want them to. :)
Lisa, MFF
Hello,
ReplyDeleteWhich clippers would you recommend for home use? I have a standard female poodle (Buttercup) and her coat is quite dense. Looking at the different clippers I cannot tell at what point I would no longer notice a performance difference and was paying heavy use.
Thank you,
Katherina
Hi Katherina, (I like your name)
DeleteI use two different clippers when grooming my poodles. I love the cordless clipper for shaving faces and feet because they are so light and quite. I have used the Wahl Arco SE, and the Wahl Chromado. They come with a 5-1 blade. For the bodies my main clipper is a Andis Ultra Edge. These are both professional clippers and are on the pricey side but they will last a long time and would do very well on a dense coat.
'Buttercup' I like that name too. :)
Lisa, MFF
Hello Lisa,
DeleteThank you for the recommendations. We (Michael/husband) adopted Buttercup in December. Your website has helped me muster-up the courage to clip her myself. I have been getting her professionally groomed because I have been scared of cutting her. I know I will enjoy clipper her once I get started.
Off subject, I found your blog after we got Buttercup, but before we got Westly (Havanese mix). Westly must know he is white because he loves to dig and roll around in his yard. The first time I went to rinse his face off I thought back to your blogs about washing dogs. He looked nervous when I put him into the tub. I held his chin and slowly brought the water from his neck to his muzzle stopping right before his nose. He was a little fuss, but let me rinse him off. Westly says thank you for helping me not get water in his nose.
Thank you,
Katherina
Thank you so much, Lisa!! The video was extremely helpful! I am one of the pom owners that had contacted you, and I am so grateful that you made the video. It was exactly what I needed!
ReplyDeleteI'm sorry I didn't check back sooner! I guess I'm running behind too ;)
Thanks again! You are a credit to your profession!! I wish all groomers were like you!!
You're welcome!
DeleteI am glad that it helped. Thanks for the nice compliment. :)
Lisa, MFF
I am jealous of that HV dryer! It takes forever to get pomeranian hair wet, then forever to get it dry! My very old Pom did not like to have his hair brushed at all, especially in his old age because his hips went bad he would nip if you even pet him there when he was not having a good day.
ReplyDeletefunny story!!
ReplyDeleteIf your pom does not like to be groomed,how do you tell?
ReplyDeleteYou will know. They will pull away, fuss, and some screech. :/
Delete