bully mix – Xena Schnauzer Warrior Princess with Lucy, Chia and Riley

Grooming with Mom

Published on February 27, 2023February 24, 2023 by Xena and Lucy19 Comments

Many thanks to Miss Sandee at Comedy Plus for hosting Awww Monday! And thanks to all my readers for joining me in another episode of Grooming with Mom.

Today we have a new groom to present to you, a big Aussie Doodle boy by the name of Basil. Basil’s brother, Chief, comes regularly for his grooming needs. That’s the reason Groomer Mom accepted Basil, even though he’s already bigger than any of her “small dog” grooms. Here’s Basil before his groom.

If this isn’t already Awwww-worthy, I don’t know what is! At four months he still has a lot of growing to do, which means Groomer Mom may have to decline continuing to groom him. But that decision is for the future.

Basil’s Mom and sister stayed to help. He did prove to be very difficult because 1. this was his first time on a grooming table, and 2. he’s a puppy! He had to go into the dreaded sling to get his nails and paws done. In case you don’t remember, here’s Chia in “the sling.”

Getting back to Basil, (sort of) this was the first time Groomer Mom met his Mom and sister. His Dad always brings Chief, but Basil’s appointment was for a Friday when his Dad had to work. Groomer Mom says she gets a lot of her socialization needs met from visiting with her clients, and she really enjoyed the time spent with them while they helped her with Basil. I was also called to come use my powers of Zen to help out, and I was glad to oblige. Groomer Mom forgot to get a picture of Basil when he was finished so his Mom sent us his “after” pic.

Even more adorable, right? This is Lucy, Zen Master and Ace Reporter, signing off with another successful groom.

Clothes! Oh No! by Riley and Lucy

Published on December 11, 2022 by Xena and Lucy21 Comments

Thanks (we think) to The Cat on My Head, for hosting Sunday Selfies.

Hi friends, it’s me, Riley with what should have been a better picture for Sunday selfie. I like to wear this sweater that my pal Lucy gave me for Christmas last year. But it has a tendency to slide down my back.

I really think Mom Amy should have taken better care to help me wear it properly before she took this picture. Oh well, sometimes you get what you get, right?

Uh, hi, this is Lucy. Y’all may know I don’t like to get my picture taken, not even under the best of circumstances. What if things went wrong and I ended up inside that phone thing? What if bad people who I used to live with recognized me and I had to go back there? (Although both Mom and Dad have assured me that as long as I want to live here in my furever home, they will never let anyone take me from them. But still…) Anyhoo here’s my unwilling picture for Selfie Sunday. Oh, and it was me who messed up the couch cover in hopes it would take the attention away from me.

I guess cause I gave my sweater to Riley, my folks thought that I needed something else to keep me warm. I am so humiliated. But Mom says my name is next to the word compliant in the dictionary, so I do what I’m asked. (Please don’t share.)

We love you, Mom, and don’t really blame you. We really hope Santa Paws still comes (and that he forgets to bring us clothes).

XOX Riley and Lucy

Grooming with Mom: Barkley

Published on December 8, 2022December 8, 2022 by Xena and Lucy29 Comments

Lucy, Ace Reporter with another episode of Grooming With Mom on WGWM. And many thanks to Brian’s Thankful Thursday, with special thanks to Brian for hosting it!

Today I have another new groom to introduce to you. We are always thankful for new pups to groom, and this one is no exception. Barkley was one of those little “designer” puppies that gets sold to big dog store enterprises and was purchased by his first owner sight unseen. The woman kept him in a cage most of the time and said she couldn’t get him house broken. Fast forward six months, and Barkley finds himself being carried into a dog shelter. His current owner intercepted the woman and asked to have him. “No problem!” the woman said as she handed Barkley over to the next chapter in his life.

Barkley’s new Mom is crazy about him and has a six-year-old daughter who adores him. It took less than a week to house break this precious little boy. He was sold as a schnauzer/yorkie mix, but neither his new Mom nor Groomer Mom can find those breeds just by looking at him. He definitely has poodle hair! His new, furever Mom is a hairdresser, and was referred to us here at Small Dog Grooming by one of her clients. She takes him to work with her, where he gets to interact with people all day.

Barkley’s first grooming appointment started off with him refusing to have his nails cut, even with his Mom staying and helping. You’ve all seen the picture of Chia in the hanging body device to get her nails cut, right? If not, here it is!

Barkley did great at getting his nails cut while he was “hanging around,” and his Mom thought it was ingenious! The rest of the groom went well, and Groomer Mom got lots of kisses. Barkley got what Groomer Mom calls a “winter cut” where she leaves the hair on his body long. Here he is with his new “look.”

Just for fun, here are his before and after pictures side-by-side. The lighting was different, but the color he is in the “after” picture is his true color. Didn’t want you to think he got a dye job, BOL!

We think his Mom’s clients are going to be very pleased with Barkley’s new look!

That’s it for today, folks. This is Lucy, Ace Reporter, signing off with *wags* on another successful episode of Grooming with Mom.

Riley and Wherever It Is I’m Going

Published on September 27, 2022 by Xena and Lucy21 Comments

Hi Friends. I’ve still got some skin issues going on, so I heard that Mom Amy is taking me to the laundromat today. I guess she’s gonna bathe me there. I’ve gotten used to being tied to the truck’s trailer hitch and hosed down and washed during the heat of the summer, so this should be ok, too.

Chia: No Riley! She didn’t say laundromat. I think she said dermacrat.

Riley: What’s a dermacrat?

Xena: Maybe she’s taking you to vote on what you want done for your itching and stuff.

Lucy: Not to butt in, but I think she said dirtologist.

Riley: Just so she doesn’t try taking me to a different vet. She wouldn’t dare. I love my vet place.

I guess I’ll find out where we’re going in a little while. In the meantime, I’m gonna take a beauty nap, so no more yapping from the peanut gallery.

Happy Wednesday with Riley

Published on November 10, 2021 by Xena and Lucy36 Comments

Thanks to Comedy Plus for hosting Wordless Wednesday Blog Hop.

Hey there, this is Riley here to give you my good news. Can you guess what it is?

Did you notice? No, it’s not that I have an old bone. It’s that I DON’T have something. Here, I’ll give you a hint. When I got up yesterday morning I looked like this:

Yes! I got the ear wrap and the cone off after the nice vet took the stitches out of my right ear flap. I’m so, so, so happy! Thanks, friends, for your pawrayers and good wishes. *wags!* And just in case you want to see me one more time without all that cr… stuff on my head…see my right ear? It’s not a painful balloon anymore! I guess you could say I’m a day early on Thankful Thursday!!