Grooming with Mom: Laslo

Lucy, Ace Reporter back with a first time groom. Read on…

Laslo is a 5 month old Yorkie, and she was here for her first groom. Through the years, Laslo’s Mom’s family have brought all their yorkies to Groomer Mom. Her Mom held her for her nails, and the first nail Groomer Mom cut bled. So, since G.M. had not cut it very short, she decided to just use the dremel on the rest of the nails. Not! Poor Laslo freaked. Maybe next time…
Here is Laslo before her groom.

Laslo was not happy about the groom, either. It was all so new to her. And the bath…let’s not even talk about the bath. Groomer Mom -with her owner’s permission – tried CBD oil. It didn’t help. A kind but firm tone of voice did help. And treats. Lots of treats. Here is Laslo as she waited for her Mom to come for her.

We hope to see Laslo again in the near future!
Lucy, Ace Reporter, signing off with another successful groom.

Chloe Does Selfie Sunday

Xena: This is the first day of the Halloween month. Yesterday Miss Della brought our yorkie friend Chloe for a groom. They live less than a half mile from us “as the crow flies.”

Chia: Or “as the dog runs.” I think I passed their house last week when I escaped and stretched my legs chasing the neighbor’s black cat back to another road behind our subdivision.

Xena: Yep, that’s why there are now eight inch garden stakes all the way along the chain link fence around the dog lot.They hope you can’t squirm under the fence anymore with those holding it down.

Anyhow, Miss Della sent us a sweet picture of Chloe on her front porch, so we invited Chloe to do the Sunday selfie this week.

Thanks so much to Miss Della for the picture and The Cat on My Head, for hosting Sunday Selfies!

Xena Schnauzer Warrior Princess

Grooming with Mom on Thankful Thursday

Thanks to Brian for hosting Brian’s Thankful Thursday!

Lucy here, with another episode of Grooming with Mom on Thankful Thursday. We’re all real thankful today and every day that Groomer Mom’s Small Dog Grooming business is thriving, and that she’s able to offer the kind of service that creates a less stressful environment for all the pups who come to be groomed.

Today I have a new dog to introduce and a second groom on a puppy. First, the new pup.

This is Annie, a three-year-old Berma-doodle. This is the best picture we could get of her before her groom. ( I think she was looking at me, her Zen Dog.)

Annie used to belong to a family who had a lot of health issues and related expenses. When it became too much for them to take care of her, her new Mom got her. She may be three, but she’s still very puppy-ish, and very “busy” on the table. Here she is after her groom and bath.

Oops, looks like Groomer Mom missed a little strand of hair hanging on her ear. That’s OK, she clipped it after this picture was taken. Isn’t it funny how pictures show up things that someone might miss after staring at the dog (or anything) for over an hour? See ya’ next time, Annie!

You may remember Pippa, a tiny 4-month-old yorkie who was here for the first time back in February. Oops, just remembered that we never told you about Pippa. Groomer Mom forgot to get an “after” picture and when Pippa’s Mom sent her one, she forgot to have her Ace Reporter report on it. Wonder what we can do about Groomer Mom’s memory… So, better late than never, here is Pippa from February at 4 months of age. You can figure out which one is the “before” picture, BOL!

Shortly after Pippa had been here she fell off her people sister’s lap and broke her ankle! She was diagnosed with weak bones. How awful is that!

Now, three months later, Pippa came back for a “full” groom. Previously, Groomer Mom just did some touch-up, what she calls a “mini-groom.” This time Pippa’s Mom wanted “the works!” Her nails had gotten really long but were no bigger around than a tiny pin. And her hair had gotten long, too. Pippa was extremely good on the table, just like was used to it. Groomer Mom kept showing her the tools she was using and talking sweetly to her, and Pippa just let her do what needed done! And you can bet that Groomer Mom was extremely careful that Pippa didn’t fall or jump off the table! Here she is, seven months old, before and after having her “second-ever” groom.

You can probably see that she’s grown some, but she’s still really tiny, probably not more that a couple of pounds. We hope she stays well and comes back to see us soon!

What are you thankful for today?

Lucy, Ace Reporter, signing off with *wags* and *smiles*.

We Lost Another Dear Friend

This is Lucy back again, with the sad news of losing another one of our friends. Those of you who have been with us for a while might remember Chaz, the mighty Toy Yorkshire Terrier. What he lacked in height he made up for in personality. Chaz, along with his sister Chloe, have been visiting Groomer Mom regularly since January, 2017.

At the beginning of May, Chaz began the brave battle for his life. It seemed like everything bad started happening at once, ending when the lymphoma made his life too miserable to stay on this side of the rainbow bridge. His Mama and Daddy are absolutely heartbroken…Chazzie was his Mama’s heart dog. Sadly, many of you know what that’s like. Right now, though, we want to celebrate Chaz’s life in pictures. The first set are from his grooms, as well as from times he stayed with us.

Chaz

This second set are pictures his Mama sent us. Isn’t he a doll baby?!

Goodbye, precious boy. We send you our love and hope we will all be reunited some day on the other side of the Rainbow Bridge.

August 3, 2011 to May 30, 2022

Grooming with Mom on Awww Monday

Hey there folks, this is Lucy, Ace Reporter with another episode of Grooming with Mom. Let’s shout out a huge thanks to Comedy Plus for hosting Awww Monday!

Today we have three new grooms to wow you with. These folks found Groomer Mom on our local Nextdoor app. Let’s start with Rudy, a six pound yorkie who hadn’t been groomed for a while.

Besides pooping and peeing all over the floor, he was (mostly) a good boy. Here he is after his groom.

Now I can hold up my head with pride! Thanks, groomer lady.

Next up is Ollie, a four pound senior citizen yorkie. Groomer Mom failed to get a “before” picture, but she does want me to note that he was the best behaved of all three…other than pooping and peeing on the floor, of course. He was in constant motion, so this is the best picture we could get.

I didn’t know my eyes are so big! Can I go home now?

Finally, here is Trinket, the smallest of the trio, weighing in at two pounds. She was scared and very “active” on the grooming table. She also found it necessary to “relieve” herself all over the floor. Next time the yorkies three will have to stay in their kennels when they’re not on the grooming table or in the tub. Here’s Trinket’s “before” picture.

Trinket’s Mom gave specific instructions on how she wanted her groomed. After Groomer Mom took this picture she cleaned up some hairs sticking out. She also wanted to cut the hair along the sides of her face, but Trinket’s Mom wanted it left, so don’t blame us!

Wags and wiggles from Lucy, Ace reporter, wrapping up today’s session of Grooming with Mom.

Grooming Molly, Cooper & Zeke

Lucy, Ace Reporter, with a story about 3 new grooms.

Once again, JoJo’s Mom sent a co-worker to Groomer Mom. This new client has three pups: two yorkies and a yorkie/dachsund mix. I guess if Chia is a Jacksund, then Zeke would be a Yorksund?

Groomer Mom offers what she has named “winter grooms” when the weather gets cold. With a “winter groom,” the pups gets their face and paws groomed, along with their “private” areas and little touchups where needed. Of course it also includes the removal of ear hair, a nail trim and/or filing, and a bath and brushout. Her clients love this option, and I think the pups appreciate it, too.

Why don’t we start with Zeke? He’s 6 1/2 years old, a quiet, gentle soul, and the largest of the three. This is Zeke after his winter groom.

Do you like the manly tie Groomer Mom gave him for Christmas?

Next up is Molly. She came to us right after her 7th birthday. It is noteworthy that she is JoJo’s mother. This is her pre-groom picture.

All three pups were in similar condition, but this is the only pre-groom picture available.
Here is sweet Molly after her winter groom.

Last up is Cooper, who is 7 1/2 years old. You may have noticed a pattern here…they are all six months apart in age. Cooper is the smallest and wildest of the three. His Mom said she wanted his hair very short around his eyes. And remember, Groomer Mom did not take hair off anyone’s body and legs. In this shot, Cooper is done and ready to go home.

Their Mom was thrilled with the grooms and the price and included a nice tip. Groomer Mom told her they were all good pups and she would welcome them back. Afterward, the new client texted asking if the pups did ok for her, and asking if she would do them again when the time came. Mom reassured her that all went well and answered absolutely!

Today we are joining Brian’s Thankful Thursday, with special thanks to Brian for hosting it!

That’s all for this week’s edition of Grooming with Mom. Lucy, Ace Reporter, signing off until next time.

The Last and the First

Lucy, Ace Reporter here on the Groom Beat

I hope everyone had a good entry into the new year of 2022, the year of the Tiger. I am here to tell you not to fear, I do not have any reports on an uprise of tigers in either residential neighborhoods or “out in the country.”

Instead, I would like to share with you the last groom that Groomer Mom did in the year 2021 and the first one in the year 2022.

Small Dog Grooming’s Final Grooms of 2021:

Slider (L) and Peyton (R) were the second family who started coming to Groomer Mom for their beauty appointments when she opened her current shop in our home. Their first appointment was in January of 2014. This time, Slider, a large Yorkshire Terrier, got his ears shaved because of intense matting. His Mom said, “He looks more like a terrier now!” If you would like to see what he looked like before his ears got shaved, you can click here.

Now, for Groomer Mom’s first groom of 2022:

Groomer Mom asks that you please excuse the white area on the top of JoJo’s head. The effect Groomer Mom used on the photo amplified the shine from the overhead light. Please use your imagination and pretend it is all the same color as the front of her head. *sigh, the allowances I make in this reporting gig*

JoJo, another Yorkie, is a more recent addition to Groomer Mom’s clientele. She started coming in April of last year. JoJo’s Mom brings her every four weeks without exception. Today, as well as last month, were mini-grooms, which means her hair is left long on her body and legs to help keep her warmer in the colder months. JoJo’s Mom has been staying to hold her for her nail trim and to have herpaw pads shaved. She’s just terrified! Her Mom said that even though JoJo’s been with her since she was a little puppy, she has always been fearful. We are grateful that her Mom entrusts her to Groomer Mom’s care. Our hope for her is that she realizes she is safe here and will eventually relax and not be afraid.

That’s all today. Please check back this Thursday for a report on our newest set of grooms!

Also, we want to thank Comedy Plus for hosting Happy Tuesday.

Lucy, Ace Reporter, signing off.

Aww Monday Grooms: Daisy May and Benny (again)

Lucy, Ace Reporter here on the Groom Beat with another new groom. But first…

We are joining Comedy Plus with much thanks for hosting Awww Mondays.

Once again by referral we got in a new pup to groom. Daisy May is a seven-month-old Yorkie, and what a good and sweet girl! No before picture necessary, as she wasn’t a “mess.”

Her folks are going with the traditional cut on her coat, so they asked for what Groomer Mom calls her “mini-groom.” They wanted the top knot in a bow and the hair over her eyes cut short but not too short. After seeing this, everyone agreed it would look better left long, so it will be allowed to grow out. Here she is while waiting on her ride home.

Benny was here about a year ago, and we don’t think he’s been anywhere else to get groomed since that. If so, it’s been quite a while! He’s 3 years old now, and still a crazy pup. Here he is before his groom this time.

He really should learn better manners than to stick out his tongue at the groomer.
Groomer Mom accidentally cut one of his black nails too close to the quick (that’s a technical term in grooming) and although it didn’t bleed, it hurt. He reacted with his teeth. Then he was scared and kept “biting” at her until my Dad came down and held him. He still kept doing that throughout the groom until Groomer Mom gave him “the talk.” Then he mostly stopped. Groomer Mom realized he wasn’t really going to bite her, so she just kept telling him to stop it while she continued on with the groom.

His Dad said to leave his beard a bit long, and his body shaved, but not too short. Once again, his ears were so matted that they had to be shaved. Here is the end result.

Look! He isn’t even sticking his tongue out at Groomer Mom anymore. Groomer Mom told his dad that he was too skinny – she could count his ribs and feel his backbone and his hip bones – and to feed him more. Wow! That’s a first! It’s usually, “He (or she) could stand to lose a pound or two.”

Bye, bye Benny. See you in a year, BOL!

With licks and wags from Lucy, Ace Reporter on the Groom Beat

Grooming with Mom – JoJo

Lucy, Ace Reporter here on the Groom Beat.

Today we have a new yorkie to introduce to you. You may rememer Chaz and Chloe, long -time clients and friends. Their Mom knows JoJo’s Mom. So when JoJo needed a new groomer, her Mom asked, “Who grooms your yorkies? They always look so good on Facebook.” We got four-year-old JoJo in the next day, right after Chaz and Chloe. Here she is after her groom.

Her Mom said it had been four weeks, and apologized about how bad she looked when she dropped her off. Groomer Mom just kinda scratched her head at that one. Four weeks. Not long.

JoJo was scared and saying No! with her mouth when it was nail cutting time. Thankfully Dad was home during the groom and held JoJo in his arms while Groomer Mom trimmed her nails. With just her here and not a lot of barking and other stuff going on, we hope, with time, she will start feeling safer and less afraid. Her Mom loves her very much, so JoJo feeling better will make her happy, too.

JoJo’s Mom said she had been looking for a groomer who worked out of her home instead of one of these drop off and leave all day places. She was thrilled when she came back for her an hour and a half later and asked to make her next appointment. She said the last groomer had her coming every two weeks. (Well, that explains the apology for four weeks.) When Groomer Mom said she grooms her own dog every four weeks, and JoJo would do well with that, she booked the appointment right then.

We are happy to welcome JoJo the Yorkie to our grooming family!

Lucy, Ace Reporter, signing off with another successful groom.

We are joining Comedy Plus with much thanks for hosting Awww Mondays.

Chloe and Chaz Visit

Lucy here with a different kind of report today.

First, Riley has been here with us for about a week. At first he missed his Dad a lot, but he’s settled in and plays with me and adjusted to our “sleep all night” and “regular feeding times” routine.

Riley: My bowl’s empty Mom Amy. I think I could eat a little more.
Lucy: His bowl’s empty Mom, and come to think of it, so is mine.

Do you remember Chloe and Chaz who come to get groomed? They’ve been coming for so long, you probably don’t. So let me re-introduce you to them, which won’t be hard since they are staying here with us while their Mom and Dad run off to Gatlinburg to have a jolly good time. Let’s start with the fast and easy one. This is Chloe.

Where you see her is where she stays. The door’s always open, but she only comes out to go potty (sometimes even outside). Her Mom thinks she was abused as a very young puppy and has never gotten over it. Her dogtor even thought one of her ribs might have been broken. She lets Mom reach in and lift her out and hold her and doesn’t even seem to mind Mom grooming her.
Riley stuck his head in to say hello and you shoulda heard her growl at him. He just laughed and left her alone, which is what she wanted anyhow. This morning Xena stuck her head in Chloe’s kennel (I think she was checking for food). Xexe has learned to back fast and far in her Freestyle training, and she put it to good use this morning when Chloe growled at her!
The other thing about Chloe is she wouldn’t eat her first supper and breakfast here. Mom tried cooked chicken, her dry food, and Riley’s canned food. No luck.

So last night Mom cooked up some hamburger and Chloe ate it all. Here’s her and her brother’s breakfast this morning. Chicken, ground beef and canned dog food.

They both cleaned their plates. Their folks are coming to get them after lunch today. I guess that’s why Chazie got a bath.

Chaz is an outgoing and friendly little guy. He walked in our house like he owned the place. From the start, he wasn’t even afraid of giant Riley or mouthy Xena. He never causes trouble either, he just wants to get along and do whatever the rest of us are doing. So of course, we’ve all treated him proper, just like one of the pack. Riley’s even careful not to step on him, BOL. Chaz does have to wear his belly band all the time in the house or he will “mark” everywhere.

• 

• 

Chaz loves my Dad. He calls him Big Jeff. If Dad, er, Big Jeff is sitting down, Chaz is in his lap. You can see from this picture just how tiny Chaz is.

• 

• 

When Dad’s not available, Chaz hangs out with Mom. On the left, he stole my office dog bed. He stayed right there with Mom all day, helping her with her office work. She said he did a great job, especially in the “staying out of the way” and “lending moral support” categories. On the right, he has crashed with Mom in front of the TV while she watched another episode of Netflix’s Call the Midwives.

• 

• 

Chaz and Xe teamed up to beg for more food. They are both terriers, you know. Chaz recently lost most of the teeth – well, he didn’t exactly lose them – the dogtor pulled them during his teeth cleaning. Boy oh boy was his Mom ever upset! Our Mom would have been furious too. She is never ever, not ever going back to that vet, and said she might try our dogtor. So on the right, Chaz is watching Xena get her teeth brushed. It was his turn next, but there was almost nothing left to brush. Poor puppy. Now we know why he isn’t eating his dry food.

Well, we just heard from their Mom that they are leaving soon for home and will be here after lunch. We’ll end today’s report with this picture that she included with her text.

Bye, bye Chaz and Chloe. I think I might actually miss you!
Love and kisses, Lucy

Awww Monday with Chief

We are joining Comedy Plus with much thanks for hosting Awww Mondays.

Hi, Lucy here. This isn’t an official “Grooming with Mom” post by me, Ace Reporter on the Groom Beat. But it has to do with one of our newer grooms.

You may remember that each time Chief comes, we’ve been noticing the color changes on the puppy’s hair. Mom predicted in October that he had reached his adult coloring. Chief was here last week, and we want to look back to see if there is any change.

Chief is still a very active and wiggly puppy. That means that both grooming and photographing can be challenging. Here are just two of the photo failures.

• 

• 

And here are post-groom pictures of Chief since he started coming to us for his spa day.

• 

  July 3

• 

  August 13

• 

  October 7

• 

  December 11

I think Mom’s prediction was right. What do you think? You can click on each picture to biggify it.

Lucy (Ace Reporter) giving you wiggles and licks

Grooming with Mom on Awww Monday

Hi again friends. Sometimes Mom feels bad that she doesn’t have a puppy picture of me. I assure her that I looked exactly like I do now, just smaller BOL! Here, let me show you what I mean.

Left: How I think I looked as a puppy. Right: me now.

Today, instead of reporting on new grooms, I’m taking my reporter hat off to show you an awww moment. Slider is a pup who has been coming here for a haircut and bath since January of 2014. I’ve shown you pictures of him, but to refresh your memory – or for those of you who weren’t with us then – here’s a pre and post groom look at him.

• 

• 

OK, maybe not much difference, but it makes his Mom happy.

The new thing I wanted to show you is his puppy picture his Mom shared with us today. Can you even believe it’s the same pup?

I hope to be back soon in my Ace Reporter mode to show you more of Mom’s grooms.

Thanks to Comedy Plus for hosting Awww Mondays.

Love and kisses, Lucy

Ella and Achilles on Vacation: Day 2

Achilles: So, Lucy, to continue with telling you about the stuff I have to put up with at home… that pig! After all this time, he hasn’t even learned our language. He goes around grunting at us and using body language that me and Ella can’t understand. I used to try to stay out of Morty’s way, but it gets so tiring.

Lucy: But what does he do? And what do you do, my darling?

Here, let me show you Morty’s latest travesty.

I was sleeping peacefully on the couch when he jumped up, laid down next to me, and threw his back leg right across my nose, in front of my eyes. Aghh! I guess it could have been worse…

Lucy: What did you do, dear? Did you bite him?

Achilles: No, no, no. I might look big and intimidating, but you should know I would never hurt a fly. Well, maybe a fly. But I’m a pacifist, like you. Sometimes I get a bit worked up when I see other boy dogs, but I try to keep it under control. Anyhoo, here’s what I did.

Achilles: Enough about me. What have you been doing, beautiful?

Lucy: Hmmm. Mom’s been extra busy grooming during this COVID thingy. I’ve been working tirelessly helping her.

Sometimes I catch the hair so she doesn’t have to sweep it up. And when the pup on the table is nervous, sometime this makes them laugh!

We’ve been getting quite a few new and “haven’t been here for a long time” dogs in to be groomed. The last one was a tiny Yorkie puppy. Dog, was he a handful. Literally.

• 

• 

• 

Chief: Let me go! I don’t want whatever you’re selling!

Finally, Mom agreed to let him lay in her lap while she worked on him.

Mom must have taken her patience pill that day. She said that Chief is only about three months old, and this is his first groom. First grooms are hard on everyone, so she tries to make sure the pup doesn’t get scared.

Achilles: How did it end? Did Chief survive? I’ve never been groomed, or even watched a groom.

Lucy: Like you showed me pictures to explain things, I’ll do the same for you. Here’s how it all ended.

• 

  Chief “before”

• 

  Chief “after”

Achilles: What happened to the table in the “after?” Did Chief get so light from losing all that hair that he floated?

Lucy: BOL! Mom just played with the picture so that Chief was the sole focus, BOL!
Give me another kiss and then let’s go see what Ella’s doing and if my Mom’s fixing us anything for lunch.

To be continued…

Grooming with Mom – Landry, Dallas and Bonnie Blue

Hi folks! This is Lucy Ace Reporter on the Groom Beat. Today I am here to tell you about three of the worst messes my Mom has groomed, all from the same owner.

This is the “before” picture of Landry, an 8-year-old shih tzu.Landry was at the vet in October, and you can see on his back where the techs there tried to shave him down. They said they couldn’t do any more and stopped. From October to now, that hair has never grown. When he came to Mom, his legs, tail, ears and face were completely matted, some clear down to the skin. Urine and feces were in his back leg hair. Landry didn’t want groomed, and he kept trying to bite Mom. Even a muzzle wasn’t enough – he was going crazy. Super Hero Dad to the rescue! Dad held Landry while Mom shaved him all over, even his face. He got a good bath and ended up looking like this. Landry seemed much happier by this point. You can sorta see how overweight Landry is. He can hardly stand up. Mom thinks it’s his thyroid, especially with the hair not growing on his back, and asked his Mom to get him checked.

Mom’s next challenge was Dallas, a 12-year-old Yorkie, who is diabetic. She forgot to get a before pic, but he looked something like this. Most of Dallas’ hair wasn’t as matted as Landry’s except for his legs. Mom had to muzzle him to shave his legs and feet, but Super Hero Dad did not have to be called. You can’t really tell from his “after” picture, but Dallas is also very overweight.

The final dog of the trio is a 10-year-old Pomeranian, Bonnie Blue. Let’s just get right to her “before” picture.Mom brushed Bonnie for a whole hour, using a dematter, a horse curry comb, and a slicker brush. She thinks she brushed enough hair off to make another dog. Bonnie also had to be muzzled for her feet with Super Hero Dad holding her, too.I don’t know if I am supposed to say when Mom has favorites, but I am going to tell this time. Bonnie Blue stole Mom’s heart. Doesn’t she look happy after her groom? She even gave Mom a thank you kiss on the nose. Unfortunately, under all that clean fur is another fat, er, overweight dog.

Mom – and especially Dad – hope the lady brings Landry, Dallas and Bonnie Blue back before they get in such bad condition again.

This is Lucy, Ace Reporter on the Groom Beat, signing off

 

 

Extra-Thankful Thursday

Today is Thanksgiving Day in the U.S. Xena and I have been thinking about what we are thankful for, so here goes.

First we want to say how thankful we are for Blogville and all the friends and support we have gotten. You are happy when we are and sad when we are. When Angel Lexi went over the bridge, Mom could not have made it without all of you. And oh, yes, although it is a very fun virtual reality to live in, we know the peeps and pups who make it up are real.  We love you!

In our little corner of Blogville and the world, we are thankful for the family dogs who came before us and had the hard job of training Mom. On birthdays, they taught her to say, “Let them eat cake.”This is from Sammy’s birthday on the fourth of July. Every year, Mom used to keep 10 dogs for that whole week, so they all helped Sammy celebrate his birthday. Freda was Mom’s first schnauzer.

Lexi: This picture is from my 10-year-old birthday party. I had a Healthy Choice meal with my Mom and Dad and then my very own cake shaped like a dog. I know, kinda’ weird, but Mom meant well. Can you see the happy all over my face?

But it took Lexi to teach Mom to say, “Let them eat McDonalds.”

I love birthdays and I love Micky D’s!! This is all for me!

We are thankful for our friends who we know in the furs.                                   Gracie, who never comes to see us anymore.

My (Lucy’s) bestie, Ella.

                                  The big lunk, Achilles. (We love you Achilles.)

And our newest buddy, Chaz.

And we are thankful for the memories of our friends who are now waiting at the Rainbow Bridge.

And our blogger buddies who have gone on, too.

We are so very thankful for all of our blog buddies still with us, too. We would love to meet you all in the furs, like Mommy did with Angel Lexi’s boyfriend, Noodle.

We are both especially thankful for really yummy food.

beef, kale and sweet potato

We are thankful for our Mom and Dad, who love us and give us a good home.

And I am thankful for you, Xena. I love you!I love you, too, Luce the Deu…I mean Lucy. XOX 

And, in the spirit of this holiday, we are both thankful to be red-blooded American dogs, born in the U.S.A. What was it I heard the other day? Oh yes, American by birth, Southern by grace, BOL!

We hope everyone has as much to be thankful for as we do! Happy Thanksgiving to all our furiends. Be sure to go to the the blog hop today by clicking on the picture. 

Love, licks, and wags, the Southern girls: Lucy and Xena Schnauzer Warrior Princess

 

 

 

Grooming Annsley

Mom had a new groom today. She told me the story of how the nice lady found out about her grooming. Are you ready for this? The lady’s UPS delivery man told her! He saw her little tiny Yorkie and told her that his 15-year-old yorkie died not long ago. He said my Mom was a good groomer and gave her Mom’s name and phone number. (And boy, oh boy, did Annsley ever need groomed!)

Mom was concentrating when Annsley showed up and forgot to get her “before” picture, but she looked something like this (thanks for the pic, Mr. Google.)

She had big mats and little mats, and medium sized mats. But that’s nothing compared to Annsley’s story.  When she was a little more than a year old she was rescued from a cage in a crack house. (I sure would hate to live in a house with cracks, too.) Other than to be made to have puppies, she had spent almost her entire short life in that cage. In the meantime, the nice lady had just lost both her parents. She had intended to get a yorkie, but with her tragic losses, she had forgotten all about it until a rescue person brought Annsley into the vet where the lady worked. Right then and there the lady fell in love with her and they have been together for three years now.

Anyhow, because of the cage she had to live in when she was so young, she would freak out about the metal cages at any groomer’s. She would shake so hard that the lady had to give her pills before taking her. Plus, the last groomer cut her skin in two places (and made her look bad by shaving the hair down the center of her nose).

After hearing the story, Mom remembered John the UPS man, who had told the nice lady about Mom.  She remembered how John loved his tiny yorkie with all his heart. Mom thought maybe this was also a God-thing. Today, when Annsley came, she shook a tiny bit, but seemed like she wasn’t hardly scared at all. Mom had promised to not put her in a cage and that she would be the only pup in the grooming room. Annsley did great, even without any pills! When the lady…

(Xena) Lucy! Can I tell the rest, huh, please? I’m the one who got to play…oops, I think I gave the rest away.

(Lucy) Yep, you did. But the rest really is your story, so go ahead.

(Xena) Well, you see, the lady couldn’t come get her for about 87 minutes or hours (Mom: it was a half hour) so she said to go ahead and let her come upstairs and play with me and Lucy. Woo hoo!

Hi, I’m Annsley.

Hi, I’m Xena. Why do you keep running away from me?

I don’t know where I am and you’re bigger than me.

I won’t hurt you, I promise. Come on, let’s play.

Who’s that outside? That’s Lucy. She’s my sister and she’s wa-a-a-y bigger than you and me both. You don’t have to worry, she wouldn’t hurt you.

Well, I think I’ll just stay here until my Mom comes.

So that’s the story of how I almost got to play with a dog smaller than me. Maybe next time…she’s coming back in six weeks.

I am Xena the Schnauzer Warrior Play Puppy Princess

Surprise Saturday Grooms

Emmy “before”

Last night I heard Mom tell Dad that it seemed odd that she didn’t have any grooms for this weekend. Right after that she got a message on the neighborhood apple or appie or something that said, “Do you by any chance have an opening to shave my hateful old bity this weekend? If not it is ok. She’s beyond trimming she is getting matted so a shave except for her face will be necessary.” The person left her phone number, so Mom texted her back and said sure, come at 9:30 on Saturday. The lady warned Mom that her Shih Tzu bites, which is why she is such a mess. “Emmy” even tries to bite her Mom when her Mom tries to brush her. I think that is a very, very bad dog. I would never bite anyone, especially my Mom. But Mom has done well with supposed biters in times past, but she has also been bitten – especially by shih tzus. As it turned out, Emmy was a handful on the table and took a long time. She tried to eat my Dad for lunch when he held onto her so that Mom could cut her nails. Dad was brave and did not shirk his duty, and every nail got safely cut. At one point, Emmy calmed down and looked Mom in the eyes. Yeah, Mom melted. After her bath, Emmy got still and let Mom finish up her face and head with no argument.

I think they might have become friends. Emmy is already scheduled to come back in two months. When her Mom came back to get her, she said that Emmy and another dog were rescued from a house where the owner had died. Two other dogs didn’t “make it.” She has lived in her new home for four years. She hates the man there too, so maybe her first Dad was mean to her.

Thank you Miss Amy for helping me feel better. I’m 14 and still a pretty girl!

So, just before Mom started grooming Emmy, another new person called wanting her little yorkie groomed.

Bella is a tiny, four-year-old Yorkshire terrier (yay, another terrier like me – well, maybe not exactly like me). Oh, and Bella is a sweetie, just like me! Bella’s peeps didn’t tell Mom that she was a matted mess before they brought her.  Her Dad told Mom exactly what they wanted, and even showed her a picture they found on the internet. I guess that’s just Mom’s job, to turn matted messes into something pretty, right?

That’s it for this week’s edition of Grooming with Amy. We hope you enjoyed it.

Love and wiggles, Lucy.

More Grooms by Mom

Hi, this is Lucy. I don’t get to meet most of the dogs Mom grooms. I don’t really even know what “grooms” means. So I will turn my blog over to Mom today to tell you all about it.

Lucy, you are one lucky dog to not know what it is to be “groomed.” But I do try to make the experience as good as I can for my little four-legged friends. I have been blessed to get the sweetest dogs coming to be groomed, and Chaz, Lizzie, and Shaggy Bear have been no exception.

I got the teacup yorkie, Chaz back in for his third groom with me. This time his Mom felt comfortable enough to leave him and go do other things while her little boy got beautified. I promised pictures last time, so I did better by at least getting an “after” of this five-year-old boy.

Next, Lizzie is a second-timer coming to me. She is a five-year-old shih tzu/ basset mix.  Lizzie has a beautiful coat, but gets hot, so her Mom has me shave her. Look at those little basset legs!

Finally, another good boy, eleven-year-old Shaggy Bear – and was he ever! This was another second time groom with me. The first time was the middle of February. Shaggy Bear lives only a few houses down the road from me.

Shaggy Bear’s grandma made his mom give him a bath the day before his groom. Last time, I had to bathe him twice before the groom and once after, mostly because of fleas. They also took my advice on flea and tick prevention and all I found under all that hair this time was some old flea dirt from before the fleas were killed.  His grandma brought him and she has already booked his next groom in six weeks. With him beginning to come to me regularly, I may be able to talk them into a nicer-looking style and maybe share my “green bean diet” for him, too. No wonder he gets so hot! I renamed this dear shih tzu “Sugar Bear” after he got groomed!

That’s it for another episode of “Grooming with Amy.” Have a great weekend!

 

Grooming: Yorkies and a Morkie and Updates

There has been a letup in most activity post Easter, including grooming. I got three dogs in this week. The first two have been coming to me every five weeks since 2014. They were referred to me by my original clients in our neighborhood, whose sweet pups I groomed last week. Because of the good care they get, there isn’t a lot of difference in the before and after pics. Both these pictures are “before.”

Slider, on the left, is a full-sized Yorkshire Terrier, with the very fine Yorkie hair. He always gets a scissor cut.  Slider is about seven or eight years old and he’s usually the cause of his folks being late to their grooming appointment. He gets the vibe of where they are going and runs and hides. Even so, he’s a very good boy. I do have to watch him carefully on the table, though, as he’s a “jumper.”

Here they are “after.” Peyton on the right is about six years old now. Slider’s folks answered an ad for a Yorkie for sale. When they went to see her and talked to the man selling her, they decided that she was not a Yorkie, and was stolen. They decided to buy her just to give her a good home if they couldn’t find her real owners. She’s smaller and longer than Slider, and is the darling of her little boy and dad. Have you caught the theme in their names yet?

Now I’m handsome!

Petey is one of my new grooms that I had mentioned in a previous post, but had neglected to get pictures. This was just his second time here. Doesn’t he look proud to be groomed? Pete is a ten year old Morkie (Maltese and Yorkie). As I mentioned previously, the breeder was selling these designer puppies for $1000, but giving away the males. Yep, his Mom snagged this dear boy for free. They live just around the corner from us.  Isn’t it funny that his Mom didn’t find me until I advertised my business on the Neighborhood website? She was so pleased that she posted Pete’s picture with a great review on the site today.

Finally, two updates. I mentioned in A Happier Nextdoor Story that Sadie Jo, who had come to me for the first time, was having some symptoms that I thought needed to be checked out. The vet agreed there was something wrong, but the bloodwork was only slightly off. Last week she died of pancreatic cancer. It was a huge shock to everyone, and her Mom is grieving hard.

Now for the good news. Angel Lexi asked for prayer for Sophie the schnauzer for an ugly-looking tumor on the bottom of her left ear. You can see it in the picture in the post. A lot of you responded with POTP and many prayers, and I can’t thank you enough. The biopsy came back benign and they will have the tumor removed soon. God is good.