Intergroom 2014 Creative Grooming

Finally finished getting the creative grooming pictures together.

Unfortunately, I did not get every groomers name, sorry.

At Intergroom the groomers go into the ring with the dogs 80 to 90% complete and then they have an hour to do all of the finishing touches before being judged.

I didn't get the name of the groomer who groomed this little dog.

This creative groom was an Ocean theme.

This dog was very hard to get a good picture of because of the set-up the groomer had around her table.

Kayla Spears did this creative groom as a tribute to a friend.

This was her first time competing in a creative grooming contest.

Her theme was a rock&roll theme.

Kayla played the guitar and sang for her presentation.

Angela Kumpe did this amazing creative groom of 'Popeye the Sailor Man'.

First side.

Second side.

This 'Nintendo' themed poodle was groomed by Brynn Haynes.

I have to say, this one was one of my favorites.

The groomer sitting next to me was very upset that this dog did not place.

First side.

Second side.

Adriane Pope took 3rd Place with this 'Peter Pan' themed poodle.

First side.

Second side.

Cat Opson took 2nd Place with this 'Ocean' themed poodle.

First side.

Second side.

And the 1st Place winner was........

Cindy Oliver with the 'Western' themed poodle.

Her scissor work is always so sharp and clean.

This creative groom was a crowd favorite.

First side.

Second side.

Mixed Feelings

One of the grooming contests at Intergroom was Creative Felines.

I have to say the creative groomings on these cats were amazing, but I have mixed feelings about creative grooming on cats.

Maybe it is all of the negative responses that I have heard over the last few years from the general public about any type of creative grooming.

The general public is so quick to judge things that they know nothing about.

Many people call any type of creative grooming (even a little color on the ears or tail) cruelty.

Now when I look at a creative groom, I can't help but think; "Hmmmm, I wonder what the public will think about this groom?"  or "Boy, the public is going to bash this creative groom."

That kind of thinking tends to take the fun out of the creative grooming for me.

A couple of years back our family went to Historical Harpers Ferry for a day trip.

We like to take some of the dogs with us.

They love walking around the town just as much as we do.

This particular time my daughter took two of her Bichons.

One of them had had its tail and ears colored.

The color was very faded after several bathes, and to be honest, I thought that it was hardly noticeable.

One woman did notice.

She very rudely commented on how cruel we were to the dog.

Not to our faces....she loudly expressed her feelings to her companion.

She wanted her companion to; 'look at that poor, sad dog.'

That 'poor, sad dog' was happily dancing around, wagging his tail, greeting anyone who would give him a second look.

I just don't understand what people 'think' they see.

Anyway, this past weekend at Intergroom, there were several news groups at Intergroom recording the creative competitions.

My heart sank when I saw all of the cameras, and an announcement was made that Dateline and Inside Edition were taping for future shows.

My heart sank, because I have not seen a positive new report on creative grooming yet.

Even the TV show that Angela Kumpy did on creative was edited to make creative grooming look like a joke.

Will Dateline do report a favorable story?

I say the chance is 50/50.

I am leaning towards...no.

Will Inside Edition?

I seriously doubt it.

There is already an article on the internet from  the 2014 creative cat grooming at Intergroom.

It is full of misinformation about the cats and about Intergroom.

The  public comments on the article are 99% negative.

Some comments are down right scarey.

(I do have to say that his article has better pictures of the cats than I do)

I personally am not crazy about creative grooming on cats.

Don't get me wrong, the creativity of these groomers is amazing.

I also know for fact that the owners of these cats love them very much and would not do anything to hurt them.

I also know for fact, because I saw these cats in person, that they were all happy cats.

They were not scared or upset.

The Siamese cat was an absolute sweetheart.

I also know that these creative grooms could not be done if the cat objected.

I have  couple of cats that would most likely have no problem letting me do something like this, they are so laid back.

I also have couple that would rip me a new one if I came within two feet of them with a clipper.

Even though I personally am not crazy about creative grooming on a cat, I don't have any bad feelings for the groomers who do creative grooming on cats, because I know that they are not hurting the cats.

I truly wish that the general public would research things that they disagree with, and not be so quick to judge and bash something that they know nothing about.

Okay, off my soap box.....

Here are some of the pictures that I was able to get from the Creative Feline Contest at 2014 Intergroom:

The Lion.

I am sorry that I did not get the names of all the groomers who groomed these cats.

This kitty was moving around so much that I was unable to get a good picture.

The creative cut on this cat was Scooby Doo.

Angela Kumpe did this groom.

I thought that the three birds on the back of this cat was clever.

This kitty could have cared less about all of the people and everything going on.

He was so ready to just curl up and take a nap right there on the table.

He could not have been more laid back.

The artwork on this cat is amazing.

 

This was the first place winner.

What a very sweet cat.

I am pretty sure that this was another entry from Angela Kumpe.

Tuesdays Tip #59 Bravura Clipper Battery Replacement

Today's tip comes from a fellow groomer, Jackie Basker.

Last week I posted about waiting for Intergroom to buy my daughter another cordless clipper, because the battery in her clipper was going up.

Jackie was kind enough to post a comment  with a link to buy a new battery for the  Bravura clipper.

She also messaged me a collage of pictures showing step-by-step on how to change the battery.

Jackie has very nicely allowed me to share her step-by-step photo collage with all of her fellow groomers that read my blog.  :)

Copy and paste this link that Jackie provided to buy a battery:  http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Belissima-Wahl-Moser-Ermila-Ersatzakku-3-6V-NiMh-EXTRA-LARGE-Akku-Batterie-NiMh-/290870006611?pt=DE_Elektronik_Computer_Haushaltsger%C3%A4te_Kleinger%C3%A4teWellness_PM&hash=item43b9341353

Jackie said that the battery ships from Poland and that she received it in about a week.

Below is the photo collage directions that Jackie shared with me.

It shows you step by step how to change the battery yourself.

 

 Thank you Jackie for sharing!

~I have not checked  this next information myself, but another groomer talked about being able to go to a local battery warehouse (if you have one in your area) and also finding the same battery.

~If you don't like doing your own clipper repairs, I have been told by quite a few groomers that Wahl has great customer service, and that you can send your Wahl clippers back to have the battery replaced.

I am not sure what the current price for them to replace the battery is at this time, but you can call 1 800 767 92451 800 767 9245  or  1 815 625 65251 815 625 6525  for customer service.

Sending your Wahl clipper in for maintenance and/or repair is most likely cheaper than buying a new clipper.  :) 

On another note......

We just got back from Intergroom late last night.

Intergroom was held in New Jersey, but we were only 5 miles from Time Square in New York.

The ride up was smooth and half way home was good too until we drove into the rain.

The Jersey Turnpike and I95 through Delaware is no fun when it is raining hard.

I am grateful that we made it home safely with only one close call when a driver decided to change lanes, because she didn't want that exit, and almost side swiped us.

Thankfully the alert driver on the other side of me saw what was happening and was able to move into the shoulder just enough for me to swerve and avoid the other driver.

My horn caught the attention of the careless driver in time for her to move back.

Anyway, was it all worth the 7 hour round trip?

Yes and no.

We had fun, but Intergroom had shrunk considerably.

The conference center used last year was big and roomy.

The contest ring was in the center of the hall and you were able to sit or walk all around watching the contestants groom from all angles.

The Hotel that we stayed at last year was great and the rooms were really, really nice.

This year....

The Hotel room was okay, but very small.

Intergroom was held in the Hotel, so it was nice that you did not have to drive or walk to another building.

The vendors were in two separate rooms across the hall from each other.

Many vendors from previous years were missing.

The vendors that were there were so crammed into each room that it was ridiculous.

Sunday morning was spent just trying to walk through the room to see what vendors were there.

Forget trying to stop to look at anything.

The isles were so narrow that there was only room for people to walk each way.

If someone stopped to look at, or talk to someone in a booth, they cause a human traffic jam.

The lines at some of the vendors like Davis and Frank Rowe were crazy long.

I waited in line at Frank Rowe for 25 minutes to buy a few things.

We spent even more time trying to get to the things that we wanted to buy.

Several times we overheard vendors complaining amongst themselves about how they were losing sales because people could not get to their booths.

 

This was the larger room.

You can see that it does not go very far back.

1 800 76

 

 This picture was taken from the same spot as the above picture, only now I was looking at the small seating area in front of the grooming stage.

As  you can see, it was packed.

 Can you see what everyone was trying to watch?

  They were trying to watch the Poodle competition.

There were 50+ groomers, Poodles, tables, and chairs crammed into a very small contest area. 

The groomers had to be bumping into each other while grooming.

It was very disappointing not to be able to clearly watch all of the groomers groom. 

 

Some of the other grooming contests were not as crowded, because their were not so many contestants as the Poodle group.

The Rescue competition Saturday night was fun to watch.

Most of the dogs found new homes.

The Lip Sync contest on Sunday night was great and hilarious.

We had a lot of fun watching some really great talent and clever lip syncing.

I had my smaller camera with me at the lip syncing, but had forgotten to replace the memory card. 

So sorry, no pictures.  :( 

I met a couple of my blog readers at the Best Shot booth Sunday.

I am sorry that I did not get thier names.

I always feel a little funny and nervous meeting groomers that have read my blog.

I know, I am strange. :/

Anyway, if the groomers I met are reading this....it was very nice to meet you!

 

 

I did get plenty of pictures of the Creative grooms on Monday, and will be posting them very soon. :)

 

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Right? or Wrong?

Over the years I have had many different types of owners walk through my door.

Some owners carry their dogs in and hold them tight until I take the dog from them. (or pry the dog out of their hands)

Some owners walk their dogs in and hand me the leash without much ceremony.

Other owners rush in, shove the dog in my arms, say 'do the same as always....call me', and are out the door and gone before you can blink.

Then there are the owners who walk in my door, sometimes with the dog on a leash, sometimes not.

They walk in and immediately give their dog a stern command to sit and stay.

I stand back and wait to get the okay to take the dog.

Now, I have to interrupt my own story here to explain something about myself.

I have a bad habit.

What is my bad habit?

I let dogs jump up on me to greet me.

I have been doing it as long as I can remember.

I feel that the first meeting, in my lobby, between me and the dog is very important.

I love when dogs run into my shop and jump on me to greet me.

Of course, I have paid for this bad habit more than a few times over the years.

A paw punch square to the chest.

A dogs head smack to the jaw, hard enough to rattle my teeth.

Pee all over my shoes as the over excited dog is jumping all over me.

Knocked backwards into the wall.

Sharp, long toenails to the belly.

All of that and I still let the dogs jump up on me. :)

 I have been scolded by several owners over the years for doing this.

Some owners are very strict when it comes to their dogs training.

If I notice that an owner does not allow, or like their dog to jump up, I am very quick to back off and gently push the dog away till it sits in front of me.

That is if the owner has not already roughly yanked their dog away from me and is scolding both me and the dog.

I also try to very quickly defuse the situation by apologizing and blaming myself for the dog jumping up on me.

The last thing I want in my lobby is an angry owner scolding their dog to try to prove to me that they are in control.

I have had a few pet owners get so angry with their dog, that they yank, yell and put the dog through all of its training paces before they will let me have the dog.

Then they leave the dog with me, and I love up all over that dog and apologize to the dog for the owner that they have to deal with.

Don't get me wrong.

I would much rather deal with a well behaved dog then a spoiled brat dog.

I also teach my own dogs not to jump up on other people, BUT if someone invites my dog to jump up and greet them I don't get upset at the person or my dog.

Anyway, back to my story.....

I have a customer whose dogs I have been grooming for a very long time.

This customer has stuck with me through my shop moving a couple times, grooming out of a van, and back to my current shop.

I groomed this customers first Wheaton till she passed.

The last year of the first Wheatons life I went to the owners house and groomed the dog there, because it was too much for the dog to come to my shop.

Then the owners got another Wheaton.

Where as the first Wheaton was very calm, their new Wheaton is a wild thing.

A very sweet wild thing.

She is very loved, very well taken care of, and very spoiled.

And no......there has not been a lot of training.

I have trained her to be a very good dog on the grooming table.

She is very wild when she first comes into my shop.

She drags her owner to the door, and runs back to the groom room and picks out her own kennel.

She is so excited to see me, that she runs in, crashes into me, and jumps up to get her hug.

When some dogs are dragged in the door for their groomings, and other dogs are shaking out of their skin because they know that their owner is going to leave them for a while, it makes me love it all the more when a dog runs into my shop so happy to see me.

Soooo, I let them jump up on me.

Well, this particular Wheaton came in for her 4 week appointment four weeks ago.

The owner was out of town, so her pet sitter brought the dog in.

Now....here is where the problem starts.

My daughter went out to the lobby to get the Wheaton from the pet sitter.

As usual the Wheaton was very happy to see my daughter and be at the shop for her grooming appointment.

The pet sitter was having none of this dogs wild ways.

She did not hit the dog, but she (kind of forcefully) made the dog sit and got right in her face talking to her in a very angry voice before she would let my daughter take the dog.

When my daughter came back in the groom room with the dog, she was upset.

She told me that she hadn't ever heard any dogs owner sound as nasty as the pet sitter just did.

My husband was also upset by the way this pet sitter was acting.

(He had walked into the lobby just as my daughter was taking the dog from the pet sitter)

We all knew for fact that this particular pet owner would not be very happy about how her dog was being treated.

We talked for awhile as to whether or not we should tell the Wheatons owner.

The pet sitter left the dog at our shop long after we had called her to pick up the dog.

As a matter of fact, we had to call her a second time to make sure she did not forget about the dog.

I also did not like the way she left with the dog.

Yanking on her to sit before they went out the door, and then yanking her neck again to walk without pulling to the car.

Fast forward to today....

The Wheaton was in again for her four week appointment.

Again the subject was brought up as to whether or not interfere on behalf of the dog and tell her owner about the pet sitter.

Now, I understand being responsible for another persons dog.

I also understand having to control a dog that is not well trained and can be wild.

Those kind of dogs give me heart attacks everyday.

I find myself doing some form of training everyday to teach a dog to pay attention to me and hopefully behave for the grooming so that I will not accidentally cut him/her.

I do this training as positively as I can.

My goal is to get the dogs to trust me and not be afraid of me, or the grooming.

Being nasty or mean will not get anyone anywhere.

I don't like or want to get anyone in trouble, but this bothered me (us) so much.

This was a very good customer, with a very sweet dog that I really like.

It came down to...if it were my dog, I would want someone to tell me if they thought that someone, who I have left my dog in the care of, was not treating my dog right.

So, what did I decide to do?

I told the owner.

I told her that the pet sitter did not strike the dog, but that we did not like, nor thought (in our opinion) that the way she treated the dog was necessary.

The owner thought that the pet sitter may have been angry about bring the dog in for grooming, because the pet sitter had wanted an extra $20 to drop the dog off and another $20 to pick the dog back up. (she had never asked for this before)

This on top of the fact that she had also just raised her pet sitting fees.

The dogs owner understood charging for mileage, but thought that $40 for a 20 minute round trip was crazy and refused to pay it.

If the pet sitter was upset with the owner, than she should have refused the job, not take it out on the dog.

There have been a number of pet owners over the years that have really pissed me off, but I have not ever taken it out on their dog.

As a matter of fact, usually when a dog has an a**hole for an owner, I give that dog some extra lovin', because I worry about how that same owner is treating their own dog. :/

The owner was very happy that I told her.

I felt happier that I had told her also....but I also felt like a big old tattle tail.

I hope that I did the right thing.