I Have Been Spoiled

After so many years of grooming, I have been very fortunate to build a very large regular clientele.

Believe me, when I say that it took a long time and a lot of hard work.

It eventually got to the point where I was booking so far a head (about 6 months) that I stopped taking new customers so that I could keep my regulars on schedule.

We went along for about 4 years not accepting new customers.

Of course all of those regular dogs were getting older, and we had a rash of elderly dogs pass away.

Some owners got new dogs, some did not.

So a couple of years ago we started taking new customers again.

It did not take long to discover that we had become very spoiled with our regulars.

They knew the routine.

We knew all of the dogs very well.

90% of them were on very regular schedules, so they were almost always in good shape.

Our customers trusted us.

If we were ever running behind, they understood.

I don't know if it is just me, and I have forgotten what new customers were like, or what, but some of the new customers that I have had recently have not been very pleasant to deal with.

It is not that they are mean.

I am not sure what it is exactly.

I don't know if it is that they have had bad experiences at other shops and they come in with a chip on their shoulder waiting for something to go wrong, or it is just that so many people these days want everything right now.

I have found that some people are very inconsiderate.

I work very hard to give excellent customer service.

I am also pretty good at getting a grabby customer to walk out of my shop with a smile on their face.

In the past 2 days we have had 6 new customers.

Today we had three.

< Before

This was my first new customer of the day.

He came in with another little Yorkie.

His Mom had already done some grooming on him herself.

                                                                   Before >

They left his face for me.

I did what I call a repair groom.

< After

He was a very good dog, and a very easy groom.

My daughter groomed the other Yorkie.

The owner was happy and made another appointment.

This customer was very nice, and defiantly one I would like to keep.

 Before >

This dogs owner has been in before, but not for full grooming.

She has used the self-serve a couple of times.

The first time she came in, she asked me all kinds of questions about taking care of the dogs coat.

She was doing a very good job of keeping the dog brushed out.

I spent some time showing how to brush the dog.

The owner told me that the dog had had a bad grooming elsewhere, and that she didn't want to take it to another groomer.

The next time she came in, she talked about the brushing getting away from her, and she made an appointment for me to groom him.

She had still been trying to keep him brushed, but it had definitely gotten away from her.

So she had started cutting out mats.

His front legs were matted the most, but it was the clumpy undercoat type matting.

The back leg were not to bad, and she had been chopping on them.

The body was in great shape except for the neck.

The face and ears were a little matted, but no big deal.

His Mom had chopped off most of his beard.

 After >

Yes, I saved the coat.

I don't mind when I know that a customer is really trying to keep their dog brushed out.

After using Best Shot Shampoo and Creme Rinse, about 80% of the matting blew out with the HV dryer.

The longest part of the grooming was the bathing and blow drying.

I finished the dematting with my comb.

Those undercoat type mats come out much easier with the comb.

 The scissoring only took me 30 minutes.

It took me longer to bathe him and dry him. :/

The holes in his coat are from his mom cutting out mats.

Some of the spots were so short, that I could not blend them very well.

I did have to shave about half way down the inside of the back legs.

Was the owner happy?

I don't know.

The husband picked up and didn't say whether he liked the groom or not.

It's funny, even after all these years of grooming, it still hurts a little when an owner picks up a dog that you worked so hard on and they don't say anything about how the dog looks, good or bad.

< Before

 This little lady was my last dog of the day, and  the last new customer of the day.

Her Mom is a very nice elderly lady, who to be honest, I was sure was going to be calling and checking on the dog constantly.

She proved me wrong.

Even when I was running behind.

The owner had been having the dog groomed by the breeder, but it was getting too far for her to travel, so she decided to try us.

I know that the Schnauzer skirts are supposed to be low, but I really felt that this girl was way too chubby for such a low skirt.

 After >

So I started blending it just a little higher up so that her belly would not stick out so much.

I know that it is not correct, but I think it looks better, and makes her look a little slimmer.

Us overweight girls have to stick together. :-)

< After

 For some reason her beard had been chopped up.

I don't know why, because she didn't have a mat in her.

Oh, and I got one of my wishes off of my wish list.

This girl was great about having her legs brushed!

Oh, and another thing.

The owner loved the groom.

She was so happy, and told me so. :)

She was very nice.

She didn't rush me.

And she picked up her dog right away.

The dog was very sweet.

She was not matted.

She did not bark.

She's a keeper!

Happy Grooming, MFF

She Wanted a Crew Cut..

..on the top of his head.

This sweet dog has a coat like a carpet.

His head grows out very fast.

His Mom always wants me to take the head short.

Today she asked if I could just take the blade and give him a crew cut.

I said, "sure, if that is what you want."

Then I couldn't bring myself to do it.

I couldn't help it.

I really couldn't.

I can not purposely make a dog look ugly.

I have seen Poodles and PooX's with clipped off heads.

It looks awful.

Yes, I know that is my opinion, but it's true, it looks awful.

A flat ugly head.

He gets clipped with a #4F on the body.

So I took the #4F and skimmed over the sides of the top of the head.

I left the very top of the head to scissor.

I also skimmed down the sides of the head and face.

The whole time I was doing this I was talking to myself.

Yes, I talk to myself..a lot.

I kept telling myself; "Lisa, she wants a crew cut on the top of his head."

"I know, I know, I am going to take it short," my stubborn half says.

"He is not your dog. Do what the customer wants," I tell myself.

"But she doesn't really know what she is asking for. It will be ugly," I argue with myself.

"She wants it short," I keep thinking.

"I'll take my chances. She will like what I do," I assure myself.

I know, I know, this proves I am crazy.

His ears were also very matted.

His Mom knew they were matted.

She had tried to scissor some of the mats out herself.

This wasn't the first time he had matted ears, but I had always been able to save them.

Today they were matted so tightly.

There was something in the hair.

Something sticky that would not wash out.

I could not save them today.

So everything was going to be short.

I have been grooming this dog for a while now, so I was pretty sure the owner would understand if I took the ears short along with his face and head.

I didn't want to shave them off, so I clipped the inside of the ears with a #10.

Then I scissored the hair up to the leather.

I also skimmed out all of the big, sticky mats.

I brushed out the rest, and scissored to shape up the rest of the hair.

The ears are not fluffy and long like the owner is used to, but they match the rest of the head.

In the end, I did not crew cut the top of his head.

I did scissor it very tight, but I kept the round shape of the head.

I also took the face tighter than I usually do to be in proportion with the top of his short head.

It turned out okay, but I like the fuller look myself.

I still think he would have looked awful with a flat head.

When his Mom came to pick him up, I went up and confessed to being unable to do exactly what she wanted.

I explained about the flat head, and wanting to keep some shape to it.

She just laughed at me, and said that she trusted me. :)

I also explained about his ears.

That surprised her a little.

She thought that I would be able to get the mats out, but I explained to her about how tight they were, and told her that he looked like a puppy again.

It was time to fine out if she would like what I did or ask me to take him back and give him the crew cut.

She liked it.

Even the ears.

We will see though.

If the top of the head grows out too fast, than I will most likely have no choice but to do the crew cut next time.

Whether I want to or not.  :/

Happy Grooming, MFF

A Groomers Wish List

I find myself, at least once or twice a day, saying; "I wish a customer would"..or, "I wish the dog would"..

So, I thought that I would write down all of my wishes.

I never realized just how much I wished.  :)

Here is a long list of some things that I wish, and I think other groomers wish too.

I wish...
1 ..that customers would remember their appointments.

2 ..that customers would show up on time for their appointments. Calling you 15 minutes after you were due, only to find out that you haven't even left the house yet drives me crazy.

3 ..that customers would hang up, and put away their phone, before they come into the shop.

4 ..customers wouldn't make other appointments on the same day as their dogs appointment. "No, I can't have him done in half an hour so that you can take him to the Vet appointment you made yesterday."

5 ..that customers wouldn't come in with pre-written checks. I always want to ask; "Do you do that at the grocery store?"

6 ..customers wouldn't answer our questions with; "I don't know, your the groomer." or "Do whatever you think."

7 ..that owners would take their dogs to the bathroom before they bring them into be groomed. Especially when it rains!

8 ..owners would use a leash on their dogs, so I don't have to run outside and catch a dog before it gets hit by a car in the parking lot.

9 ..owners knew what kind of breed and size dog they own before they call me to make an appointment.

10 ..that owners would answer their cell phones when I have a question about their dogs hair cut. "Just call my cell," they always say.

11 ..that owners would remember to pick up their dogs without us having to call 3 or 4 times.

12 ..that owners would check their messages. They never check their messages!

13 ..all owners would listen to me when I tell them about something that I found, and recommend that they take their dog to the Vet.

14 ..that the owner had told their dog that it had a bad back, leg, neck, ect. before they brought it to me to be groomed.

15 ..owners with dogs that have really nice coats, wouldn't always ask for short cuts, and the owners with dogs with terrible, matted coats, wouldn't insist on leaving the hair long.

16 ..all of my male dog customers were neutered!

17 ..that dogs wouldn't wait until we are bent over, rinsing their legs and bellies, to shake all of the soap and water off and all over us.

18 ..that when bathing large dogs, I wouldn't have to spend so much time begging them to stand up, and begging them to let me turn them around.

19 ..some dogs wouldn't insist on turning their face directly into the sprayer when I am trying so hard not to get water in their nose.

20 ..that hyper dogs would not hold on to my arm with both front feet, and tear their nails into my skin.

21 ..that dogs didn't have Anal glans.

22 ..that dogs would not pee and poop on the drying table right when the HV happens to be pointing in a particular direction.

23 ..that ears wouldn't take so long to dry.

24 ..that all of their hair would dry faster.

25 ..that I could find a good blade sharpener.

26 ..that dogs wouldn't mule kick my scissors out of my hand and across the room.

27 ..that blades never got hot, or become dull for that matter.

28 ..that all dogs stood like movable statues on my table.

29 ..that Cocker and Terrier hair would not get stuck in my arms...and in other place that I would rather not mention.

30 ..that Shih-tzu's would stop sneezing in my face when I am trying to scissor their face.

31 ..that Shih-Tzu's would let me hold their face.

32 ..that dogs would leave their tongues safely in their mouth. Especially Shih-Tzu's.

33 ..that hair didn't grow in Schnauzer's ears.

34 ..that Schnauzer's didn't have hair on their legs. I haven't met one yet that likes having their legs brushed.

35 ..that dogs wouldn't insist on licking my nail clippers while I am clipping their nails.

36 ..that some dogs didn't have those tightly curled dew claws that are almost impossible to clip.

37 ..that some dogs did not have dew claws that hang by a tiny piece of skin, and freak you out when the dog jerks it's leg upward, sending that dew claw right in the path of your blade.

38 ..that some of the dogs would not wait until a customer has walked into the lobby to scream about something.

39 ..that dogs would not chew on the kennel door with enough force to pull out their teeth.

40 ..that dogs would not kick and twist when I am lowering them to the floor.

41 ..I could have a lunch that lasted longer than 5 minutes. Oh, and with no hair in the food.

42  Most of all...Sometimes I wish I could be 'Jennie' from 'I Dream of Jennie'. Some days it would be so nice to be able to blink and have all of the dogs done!

I am sure I could come up with more wishes.

I am sure that other groomers out there could come up with more also, but I am tired of typing and I am sure you are tired of reading.  

Believe it or not, even with all of these wishes, I still love grooming.  :)

Happy Grooming, MFF

It Drives Me Crazy

When customers bring in their own shampoo.

I understand when a customer brings in a shampoo prescribed by their Vet, although most of them are awful and don't work. IMO

Most of them don't work because the owner does not use them as prescribed.

They do not bathe the dog as often as needed.

They do not shampoo the dog correctly. (I see this in our Self-Serve all of the time)

They do not let the dog soak long enough.

And, they do not rinse will.

I have noticed that most of these shampoo's also do not clean the dog.

It really drives me crazy when they bring in a shampoo that they bought at the grocery store.

I hate to say that I actually feel offended sometimes depending on the brand of shampoo they bring in.

I want so much to say, "Do you really think this shampoo is better then what I use?!"

Sometimes I do tell them that I have a shampoo that is similar and better, so they can keep their shampoo for using at home.

With some customers it is not worth the fight.

If they want me to use their shampoo that much, I will.

I will admit, if it is a shampoo that does not clean, I will use our shampoo first and then follow up with the owners shampoo.

I do this because, you better believe if that dog is still dirty or goes home scratching, they will call and blame me.

It wasn't their sub-par shampoo, it was the way I washed the dog.  Grrrr

I am a fanatic about a clean dog, so I will use my shampoo to supplement the owners shampoo to get the dog good and clean. 

The thing that drives me crazy the most is what the owner of this dog does.

We have been grooming this guy since he was a puppy.

About a year ago his owner took him to a doggy Dermatologist.

We have been bathing him in a proscription shampoo ever since.

It is actually a really nice shampoo, but...

His mom never brings in a full bottle of shampoo.

She complains about the price of it.

I don't blame her, it is ridiculous to me what they charge for these shampoos.

Anyway, his owner only brings in the amount of shampoo she thinks that we need.

The green arrow shows how much was in the bottle when she brought him in the last time.

That was actually more shampoo then usual.

'Mom, I have a lot of hair, give them some more shampoo!'

His Mom also bathes him in our Self-Serve between groomings.

I have never watched her bathe him to see how much shampoo she uses.

I can't watch the Self-Serve customers.

It drives me crazy to see them only soap up the dogs back and think that they are done.

And, don't offer suggestions.

They get mad at you.  :/

We bathe him in Hypo first, and then follow up with the prescription shampoo.

That way he gets clean with a mild shampoo that won't hurt his skin.

He is rinsed completely, then his prescription shampoo is left on for 10 minutes.

The prescription shampoos also tend to spread better after the dog has been shampooed and rinsed before using them.

Don't get me started on the customers who bring in people shampoo. :-)

Happy Grooming, MFF

Fun Mother's Day

Happy Mother's Day to all of the mothers out there.

It was a beautiful day here today.

I send these flowers to all of the mothers out there.

I hope everyone had a great day.

I know that some of my dogs did!

Cooper (Bichon) 6 months,and Hunter (St. Poodle) 13 weeks.

Cooper didn't care for Hunter when he first arrived, but now...

"Mom, can't you control them?"

Nope.

"My turn!"

"I love the grass at Grandma's."

It's very tiring keeping up with the young ones.

I hope everyone had as nice a day as they did.

Happy Mother's Day!, MFF

Putting in Double Head Bows

I only have a few customers that like the hair on top of their dogs head pulled back into a bow.

Sometimes I like to change it up a bit, and put in two.

This is what I do.

When I blow dry the head, I leave the hair that I am going to tie up a little damp.

I comb all of the hair back, away from the eyes.

Then I part the hair down the middle of the head.

Comb each side down to help keep the part.

This works great when the hair is still damp.

Then I make another part from the corner of one eye to the corner of the ear.

If you can, try to let the dog lay down and rest their head on the table.

This helps them keep their head still.

Gather one of the parted sections.

I like to use childrens soft, small ponytail bands.

Then tie back the other side.

Watch to see if the band is pulling the hair too tight.

One way to tell is if the top eye lid is being pulled back and you can see the whites of the dogs eye.

To loosen the band, grab hold of the band, then with your other fingers, gently and very slowly pull a little of the hair back out of the band.

Do not pull the hair all of the way out.

Just a tiny bit, just enough to loosen the pull on the hair.

I hope that made sense.

Now wrap the band from your bow twice around your fingers.

Usually I pick out a bow that the same color of the childrens bands, but I didn't have anymore blue bows.

Pull the hair through the rubber band.

In this picture, the hair is only pulled through enough to make a little round knot above the bow.

In this picture the hair is pulled all of the way through to look like two little brushes.

This is what the owner likes.

On a side note, I really like my new backboard for the tub.

So I guess all of the cuts from the sheet metal were worth it.

This little guy loves to press himself against the back of the tub, or climb up the back of the tub wall.

Today he still pressed against the backboard, but the backboard kept him close enough to me that my back did not hurt me while bathing him.

I also don't have to lug it out of the tub every time we bathe a large dog.

We just push the backboard all of the way to the back wall of the tub to give more room for the larger dogs.

I like when my ideas work...they don't always.  :-)

Happy Grooming, MFF