On the first day of Christmas my true love gave to me, an 8 week old puppy.
On the second day of Christmas my true love gave to me, 2 kinds of bowls for my 8 week old puppy.
On the third day of Christmas my true love gave to me, 3 squeaky toys for my 8 week old puppy.
On the fourth day of Christmas my true love gave to me, 4 kinds of treats for my 8 week old puppy.
On the fifth day of Christmas my true love gave to me, 5 cute outfits for my 8 week old puppy.
On the sixth day of Christmas my true love gave to me, 6 paper towels to clean up after my 8 week old puppy
On the seventh day of Christmas my true love gave to me, 7 pick up bags for my now 9 week old puppy.
On the eighth day of Christmas my true love gave to me, 8 pair of shoes to replace mine from my 9 week old puppy.
On the ninth day of Christmas my true love gave to me, 9 rug doctor rentals for my 9 week old puppy.
On the tenth day of Christmas my true love gave to me, 10 computer cords to replace mine from the 9 week old puppy.
On the eleventh day of Christmas my true love gave to me, 11 obedience lessons for my 9 week old puppy.
On the twelfth day of Christmas my true love gave to me, 12 apologies for getting me an 8 week old puppy.
Christmas is a wonderful time for giving, but think before you give someone a living creature to take care of for the rest of its life. Not everyone appreciates a baby animal that requires lots of attention, training, and care. You can give lots of things if you are a pet lover, you can give money or donations to your local animal shelter for the animals there at Christmas. You can give your time to volunteer at a shelter or rescue. You can give a donation to a shelter in your friends name as a gift.
You can adopt an older dog that is already past the puppy stage that may not get a new home. Everyone wants puppies. Who can resist them? But they grow up, and like children they go through stages of disobedience, and bad behavior and housetraining can be a real issue. Sadly, many of those same adorable puppies end up at the animal shelter due to their owner’s inability to deal with their issues.
If you can’t adopt a pet, donate some treats, or toys or food. Donate your time and take a dog for a walk and get him out of that kennel for a while. Make a shelter dogs Christmas merry and bright, even if just for one day.
You can give all year long and not just at Christmas. Rescues are always searching for foster homes to house homeless dogs until they can find an adoptive home. Call your local animal shelter or rescue, or look some up on the internet. Do what you can to help out the homeless animals in your area.
Give gifts of your time to your neighbors by walking their dog for them, checking on them to make sure they have food for themselves and their pets when the weather doesn’t permit them to get out.
Time costs nothing and is easy to give.
On that note, I just found a poem I’d like to share, author unknown.
My dear canine friends, I've a story for you.
I beg you to listen: what I say is all true.
Your Humans are human and can't help their behavior,
They get all confused 'bout the birth of their Savior.
See, it's that time of the year, when the humans are hopping.
"No time for our walk today, gotta go shopping.
And tomorrow we have to put up all the lights.
You understand, don't you? You'll be all right?
"No time for your Frisbee, no time to throw balls.
Got to wrap all the boxes and deck all the halls.
"I'm sorry," they say as you're back in your crate,
"Office party tonight, we won't get home til late.
"So you sit in your crate for a very long time.
You're warm and you're safe and they know you'll be fine.
But you're bored and you're worried and you don't understand
Why this time of the year things get all out of hand.
As if rushing around like a nut's not enough,
They keep filling the house up with all kinds of stuff.
There's holly and candles for all to see,
Then to prove they've gone starker's THEY BRING IN A TREE!!!
Yep, fellow dogs, they bring a pine tree right in
They put glass things on the branches and plug the lights in.
You think "Hey! Indoor plumbing!" But they say, "Get away!!"
"This is Our Special Tree for Our Special Day."
And don't think for a moment those tree balls are for you.
Though they bounce on the branches and call you, they do!
You haven't been chasing your own ball for weeks,
Or played tug o' war with your toy that goes "squeak."
As their Big Day approaches, their tempers grow short.
They're tired and stressed out and all out of sorts.
They've spent way too much money, whatever that is.
On gifts, decorations, and on something called "status."
See, they're only humans, and they always forget
It's not about presents or getting in debt.
The Birthday they're celebrating is all about Love
About gifts of the Spirit, sent from up above.
And that same great Father who sent them his Son
To teach all the humans to love every one,
Sends us to remind them, my good fellow hounds:
We exemplify love with positively no bounds.
So when their Big Day is ending, their presents unwrapped,
And they've eaten their feast and settled down for a nap,
That's the time when we dogs can show by example
That it's just about love, and can give them a sample.
They will feel something’s lacking, will see something's missing.
This is the time you can teach with your kissing.
They've ignored you for weeks with their rushing around,
Still you shower them with Love - the True Love of a Hound.
Whisper quiet, Dear Dogs, "It is not about Things!"
"It's not about buying new cars or rings."
The True Gift of Christmas is Love, sweet and pure.
And at Love, none can out do a dog, that’s for sure.
December 3, 2007 Baby, it's COLD outside!
December 3, 2007
Baby, it’s COLD outside!
This time of year always bothers me, not just because I’m not a “winter” person, (if I had my druthers I’d be a snowbird heading to Florida or Hawaii for the winter), but because so many pets are kept outside all winter long without adequate shelter.
I know there are those who believe animals should live outside. But dogs with short coats really don’t have enough to keep them warm.
For example, I hate to admit this…but once upon a time, I was one of those people who left all the animals outside. Not because I wanted to, but because my parents didn’t believe in animals in the house, and gee, lucky me, I married a guy just like them! We used to have Dalmatians. One cold day, I’ll never forget, Dottie came up to the back door, looking in at us shivering. I told my husband, “Oh, let her in, she’s freezing!” He wouldn’t let her in. Gave me excuses of she has straw in her dog house, or she has a heat lamp in the barn, if you bring her in now she’ll get sick when she has to go back out., no dogs in the house! Like a fool, I actually listened to him and let him get by with that. It was so hard to watch my dog shiver, while I sat in my warm comfortable house. I felt like the world’s biggest heel. Today I am truly ashamed of myself that I allowed that to happen.
Well, growing up does wonderful things to a person, it made me a whole lot more confident, and I stopped “asking” permission to do stuff. I just did it. Soon our pets became house pets. Every complaint he had I learned to ignore. My backbone grew finally and I was able to stand up to him and do the right thing. Never again would I allow animals to suffer due to ignorance. Today we have 3 dogs, a cat, guinea pig, turtle, and fish as pets in the house, all cozy and warm, as it should be. The turtle even has a tank heater.
I know that some pets prefer to be outside, some have ultra thick coats that were made to endure harsh winter weather, but use common sense. If you are cold, your dog is bound to be cold too! If your dog is inside, you won’t have to worry about his water freezing either. If your husband is still bound and determined to complain and make life difficult, maybe you should put your hubby outside in the doghouse, and bring Fido in. Your dog won’t complain because you are everything to your dog. He loves you like no other. Don’t you wish your husband was as quiet and attentive? Meanwhile, your hubby can get used to breathing the crisp outdoor air and sleeping in an itchy, straw filled doghouse with frozen water to drink. Be sure and put a chain around his neck too, just to keep him out of trouble.
Now I can say I’ve “reformed” my husband. He’s learned that pets in the house are not a bad thing, and if he thinks they are, tough noogies. I’ve tried to compromise with him. I don’t let them in our bedroom at night to sleep with us, so my cold feet have to get warmed up on my husband instead of the dog. Of course, after he goes to work in the morning my dogs know the bed is fair game, and they are happy to snuggle in with me and keep me warm.
What’s not to love about pets in the house? They clean the floors; trust me there is not ONE crumb on my floor. They don’t complain about anything. They don’t leave their shoes where they don’t belong, and they don’t hog the remote!
He’s learned that when I bring a new pet into the house, all the complaining about “you don’t need another dog” is simply a waste of breath. I finally had to tell him this a few years ago, I said “You’d think after seventeen years you’d realize that I always get my way.” Well that must’ve had an impact on him, because he hasn’t said a word about any new critters since then. It’s good to grow older and speak your mind! Now I realize why the red hat society exists! Save me a hat girls, I’m coming to join you in a few years!
Baby, it’s COLD outside!
This time of year always bothers me, not just because I’m not a “winter” person, (if I had my druthers I’d be a snowbird heading to Florida or Hawaii for the winter), but because so many pets are kept outside all winter long without adequate shelter.
I know there are those who believe animals should live outside. But dogs with short coats really don’t have enough to keep them warm.
For example, I hate to admit this…but once upon a time, I was one of those people who left all the animals outside. Not because I wanted to, but because my parents didn’t believe in animals in the house, and gee, lucky me, I married a guy just like them! We used to have Dalmatians. One cold day, I’ll never forget, Dottie came up to the back door, looking in at us shivering. I told my husband, “Oh, let her in, she’s freezing!” He wouldn’t let her in. Gave me excuses of she has straw in her dog house, or she has a heat lamp in the barn, if you bring her in now she’ll get sick when she has to go back out., no dogs in the house! Like a fool, I actually listened to him and let him get by with that. It was so hard to watch my dog shiver, while I sat in my warm comfortable house. I felt like the world’s biggest heel. Today I am truly ashamed of myself that I allowed that to happen.
Well, growing up does wonderful things to a person, it made me a whole lot more confident, and I stopped “asking” permission to do stuff. I just did it. Soon our pets became house pets. Every complaint he had I learned to ignore. My backbone grew finally and I was able to stand up to him and do the right thing. Never again would I allow animals to suffer due to ignorance. Today we have 3 dogs, a cat, guinea pig, turtle, and fish as pets in the house, all cozy and warm, as it should be. The turtle even has a tank heater.
I know that some pets prefer to be outside, some have ultra thick coats that were made to endure harsh winter weather, but use common sense. If you are cold, your dog is bound to be cold too! If your dog is inside, you won’t have to worry about his water freezing either. If your husband is still bound and determined to complain and make life difficult, maybe you should put your hubby outside in the doghouse, and bring Fido in. Your dog won’t complain because you are everything to your dog. He loves you like no other. Don’t you wish your husband was as quiet and attentive? Meanwhile, your hubby can get used to breathing the crisp outdoor air and sleeping in an itchy, straw filled doghouse with frozen water to drink. Be sure and put a chain around his neck too, just to keep him out of trouble.
Now I can say I’ve “reformed” my husband. He’s learned that pets in the house are not a bad thing, and if he thinks they are, tough noogies. I’ve tried to compromise with him. I don’t let them in our bedroom at night to sleep with us, so my cold feet have to get warmed up on my husband instead of the dog. Of course, after he goes to work in the morning my dogs know the bed is fair game, and they are happy to snuggle in with me and keep me warm.
What’s not to love about pets in the house? They clean the floors; trust me there is not ONE crumb on my floor. They don’t complain about anything. They don’t leave their shoes where they don’t belong, and they don’t hog the remote!
He’s learned that when I bring a new pet into the house, all the complaining about “you don’t need another dog” is simply a waste of breath. I finally had to tell him this a few years ago, I said “You’d think after seventeen years you’d realize that I always get my way.” Well that must’ve had an impact on him, because he hasn’t said a word about any new critters since then. It’s good to grow older and speak your mind! Now I realize why the red hat society exists! Save me a hat girls, I’m coming to join you in a few years!
November 19, 2007 Grooming Shows
Grooming Shows
Well I finally made it to the Dallas, Texas U.S. Pet Pro Classic this year and competed in the creative invitational competition. Our theme was the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader and we took Jasmine and Bogey. Bogey I turned into a football.Yes I know, this is Colts country and honestly my heart is with the Colts, but I was going to Dallas, and doing a Colts theme there could be deadly! My boys were even in on this, their first competition. They worked really hard with me to help me get some money ahead to make this trip. Drew helped me bathe dogs while Lane was busy helping me organize tools and clean up. I’ve never taken my kids with me before to grooming shows simply because for them it would be boring to listen to seminars and it would be too nerve wracking for me to watch them and try to learn stuff at the same time. It’s not exactly a place for children. This year however would be different. They were “props” so to speak for our entry. They were dressed as the Dallas Cowboys in full football gear. Big thanks to my clients David and Brenda Landes and Dave Huckleberry for supplying me with football gear!
The show manager told us to be downstairs for a meeting at 7:30 a.m. on Saturday, the day of the show, no easy feat for me the “non-morning” person. We were informed on how the show was going to go, when we would go on our tour of Southfork ranch and when we would eat. We were told to have our dogs and displays there by 3:00 p.m. This cut into my prepping time considerably. I was planning on 5:00 p.m.
Prepping a dog for a contest like this has got to be the hardest thing any groomer has ever done considering you can’t dry the dog in a hotel room, and the drying room they set up for us could only accommodate one dryer at a time or the circuits would blow. I took a shortcut. I found a self-serve dog wash in the vicinity who gave me a generous discount since I was a contestant! Things were going just bit too smooth for my luck, so true to Sandy Blackburn fashion, as I was loading up the van to head to the dog wash my van was dead as a doornail. I left a map light on from the night before, that could be when my cell phone also was mysteriously lost, sigh. Luckily for me, I knew several people in the hotel at the trade show so I went up to one of my equipment suppliers Curtis Hanvey and begged him for a jump start! He was most gracious and dropped everything and got me going. What a guy! My oldest son Drew went with me to help get the dogs ready. While I was busy dyeing Bogey, Drew went to work bathing Jasmine. Even the guy that was working at “Dirty Dawgz” dog wash helped me wash and dry the dogs. Lane stayed with my mom at the hotel and went to the trade show with her and her dog Suzy who made a wonderful demo dog for some groomers and vets putting on seminars.
We finally had to leave the dog wash about 3:45 p.m. I knew it wouldn’t take us long to get there and set up and judging wouldn’t start until 5:00 p.m. so we made it to Southfork’s Oil Baron’s Ballroom to put up our display. Every one of the creative contestants did a fabulous job! I am proud of my entry even though I didn't have enough time to prep them as I would've liked.
My dog Jasmine did a great job jumping thru a hoop with streamers on it as her introduction and did a fine job jumping up and dancing, to the music as did my little football Bogey. As you can see he sits up and was ready to punt!
We may not have placed, but we did have the "cuteness" factor. Hey the football players weren't bad either!
The best parts of the trip were seeing my groomer pals again, and I met my late dog Katy's rescuer Debra Bryant. We cried together, I thanked her and gave her a copy of the book, Petfinder.com Presents Second Chances, Katy's story is in it. She and her husband came by the hotel before we left so we could meet each other in person. That was great!
Well I finally made it to the Dallas, Texas U.S. Pet Pro Classic this year and competed in the creative invitational competition. Our theme was the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader and we took Jasmine and Bogey. Bogey I turned into a football.Yes I know, this is Colts country and honestly my heart is with the Colts, but I was going to Dallas, and doing a Colts theme there could be deadly! My boys were even in on this, their first competition. They worked really hard with me to help me get some money ahead to make this trip. Drew helped me bathe dogs while Lane was busy helping me organize tools and clean up. I’ve never taken my kids with me before to grooming shows simply because for them it would be boring to listen to seminars and it would be too nerve wracking for me to watch them and try to learn stuff at the same time. It’s not exactly a place for children. This year however would be different. They were “props” so to speak for our entry. They were dressed as the Dallas Cowboys in full football gear. Big thanks to my clients David and Brenda Landes and Dave Huckleberry for supplying me with football gear!
The show manager told us to be downstairs for a meeting at 7:30 a.m. on Saturday, the day of the show, no easy feat for me the “non-morning” person. We were informed on how the show was going to go, when we would go on our tour of Southfork ranch and when we would eat. We were told to have our dogs and displays there by 3:00 p.m. This cut into my prepping time considerably. I was planning on 5:00 p.m.
Prepping a dog for a contest like this has got to be the hardest thing any groomer has ever done considering you can’t dry the dog in a hotel room, and the drying room they set up for us could only accommodate one dryer at a time or the circuits would blow. I took a shortcut. I found a self-serve dog wash in the vicinity who gave me a generous discount since I was a contestant! Things were going just bit too smooth for my luck, so true to Sandy Blackburn fashion, as I was loading up the van to head to the dog wash my van was dead as a doornail. I left a map light on from the night before, that could be when my cell phone also was mysteriously lost, sigh. Luckily for me, I knew several people in the hotel at the trade show so I went up to one of my equipment suppliers Curtis Hanvey and begged him for a jump start! He was most gracious and dropped everything and got me going. What a guy! My oldest son Drew went with me to help get the dogs ready. While I was busy dyeing Bogey, Drew went to work bathing Jasmine. Even the guy that was working at “Dirty Dawgz” dog wash helped me wash and dry the dogs. Lane stayed with my mom at the hotel and went to the trade show with her and her dog Suzy who made a wonderful demo dog for some groomers and vets putting on seminars.
We finally had to leave the dog wash about 3:45 p.m. I knew it wouldn’t take us long to get there and set up and judging wouldn’t start until 5:00 p.m. so we made it to Southfork’s Oil Baron’s Ballroom to put up our display. Every one of the creative contestants did a fabulous job! I am proud of my entry even though I didn't have enough time to prep them as I would've liked.
My dog Jasmine did a great job jumping thru a hoop with streamers on it as her introduction and did a fine job jumping up and dancing, to the music as did my little football Bogey. As you can see he sits up and was ready to punt!
We may not have placed, but we did have the "cuteness" factor. Hey the football players weren't bad either!
The best parts of the trip were seeing my groomer pals again, and I met my late dog Katy's rescuer Debra Bryant. We cried together, I thanked her and gave her a copy of the book, Petfinder.com Presents Second Chances, Katy's story is in it. She and her husband came by the hotel before we left so we could meet each other in person. That was great!
November 5, 2007 Matchmaker
November 5, 2007
Matchmaker
I recently found myself in yet another service I’ve happily provided for my clients, “matchmaker”. Not the kind of matchmaker that sets up people, but the kind of matchmaker that finds the right dogs for the right people.
One of my clients who is at a young 97 years of age, asked me to find him a dog. His dog had passed away and he was lonely and needed a companion.
I set myself to work on the internet searching http://www.petfinder.com/ and of course found dozens that would be just right for him. The problem was of course, well he’s 97. The odds are good that the dog will outlive him, or at least have to live with someone else if he got sick or ended up in a nursing home.
I had to ask him a lot of questions, such as who will take care of the dog if you get sick? He assured me that he had “people” to step in. I asked about his daughter, if she would be willing to take the dog, he said he was sure she would but he hadn’t asked her. So I kept inquiring who his “people” were that would take care of the dog and he told me he had “housekeepers” (he lives in assisted living) that took his old dog in when needed and returned her when he was able. I asked him to have her call me so I could ask her a few questions, as I know the rescue groups were going to ask me. He said he would and she called me the next day.
I grilled her on her pet life at home, what kinds of pets she has, and if she would be willing to take on the responsibility of another dog should she have to and possibly it could be permanently one day. She assured me that yes, she would and I found a kindred spirit, she rescues lots of animals and has a farm full of them. She put my mind at ease and then I was confident I could speak with the rescue organizations and let them know that the dog would have a permanent home with someone who would care for it, and love it, and has a plan B should something happen to him.
It helps that I’m involved in rescue myself, and I know better than to match up a puppy with a 97 year old person, or a dog that is bound to be more headstrong and dart out the door as soon as it’s opened.
My client had Shelties in the past and it turns out that Shelties are the perfect breed not only for him, but also for his “housekeeper” and her menagerie of pets at home. I was not about to match him up with a dog that wouldn’t mesh with her life as well because it’s very likely that she will end up taking care of the dog at least temporarily at some point.
Well I found him the perfect little Sheltie online. She’s 5 years old, spayed, up to date on vaccines, heartworm medicine and flea prevention and calm and happy to be in someone’s lap! The rescue wants to meet my client in person naturally, so we go tomorrow to meet her and take her home. I told my client to be ready for a road trip; I was picking him up and taking him to Terre Haute to meet his new companion.
He was thrilled that I found him a buddy; I was thrilled that I did too, before he grabbed just anything out of the paper. Many times, when a person wants a dog, they get the first thing available, and it ends up being a nightmare and not the perfect match. I can temperament test dogs and I know the rescues do too, so I also grill them on what they know about the dog.
Good rescues foster dogs for a while before placement so they can temperament test them and match them up with the right homes. Being 97 isn’t a barrier to pet ownership, or at least it shouldn’t be, as long as there is a back up plan should something happen to you. Not every next of kin wants our pets; unfortunately that is how many of them come to be in rescue.
I believe there is a dog out there for everyone. There are rescues who have programs of “seniors for seniors” matching up older dogs with senior citizens. Face it, we could all die in a car crash tomorrow or get hit by a truck regardless of our age. We don’t know what tomorrow holds so it’s important to have a plan for your pets should something happen.
So before you adopt it’s important to know your breeds, their traits, and temperament of the individual dog and be aware of your own lifestyle and if you have the time commitment and the resources to really take care of a pet the right way and make sure you have a back-up plan to provide for them if you can’t.
October 12, 2007 It's Howloween!
October 12, 2007
It’s Howloween!
It’s that time of year again when the streets will be full of witches and goblins going door to door for candy! What fun! I love Halloween because it brings out my creative side. I try to make costumes rather than buy something for my kids they will only wear one time. Of course you realize my kids aren’t the only ones dressing up for Halloween. The dogs have to get into the action too! Don’t worry, it’s not torturing them, they seem to enjoy it and love the attention of course!
My dogs have gone trick or treating with us almost every year. One year I made my Collie into a scarecrow and my black Standard Poodle into a witch, complete with green face! I’m sure that’s how my interest in creative grooming began. Then one year I turned my Poodle into The Incredible Hulk, made her body green and put a pair of my son’s shorts on her, tattered the legs and wrote “The Hulk” across the rear. I made a hole for her tail to poke through and she loved the attention she got! The one thing I didn’t plan for was her having to go to the bathroom, and well let’s just say she had a couple “accidents” while we were out trick or treating! When we went downtown for the merchants trick or treat, she really stopped traffic…literally! She had people taking her picture; we kept getting stopped for photos. It was great! We made a theme that year, my youngest was Superman, and he was 3 at the time. My oldest son was Spiderman, he was 6 and Katy my dog, was The Hulk. The problem was everyone kept telling the kids to step aside so they could get a picture of the dog. I’m the only mother I know who can upstage the kids with the dog!
This year, if you’re downtown you’ll recognize us I’m sure. We are heading to Dallas, Texas in November for a creative grooming class, so I figure I’ll show off my entry for the hometown before we go…I’m turning my Poodle Jasmine into a “Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader”. We have recently adopted a Bichon Frise, Bogey, and he will be coming to Dallas with us. He is going to be a “football”. I’m glad my dogs put up with me!
People ask me all the time, isn’t that torture to your dog? No! They actually enjoy it! Jasmine will jump up on my table by herself, ready for being fussed with. I can’t say she enjoys a bath; she doesn’t like it, and hides from me if she thinks one is coming. But she enjoys every other thing about grooming. The bath is just one of those things she has to put up with before the fun stuff comes.
If you are dressing up your dog for Halloween, remember a few things:
Make sure your dog is comfortable in the costume. Some dogs like to be dressed, and others don’t. I know Jasmine doesn’t like to wear hats, but Dreamer does. So dress them according to what they will tolerate. Make sure it fits well and you dog won’t step on it while walking.
Remember, not everyone loves your dog. We went trick or treating and some little girl was unfortunately going to every house we were and we kept running into her and she was terrified of dogs. Every time she saw Katy she screamed and cried. Stay clear of kids who are afraid of dogs.
Keep your dog under control! Keep your dog on a leash at all times and carry pick up bags with you! Your kids may get candy, your dog may get treats too, but if your dog leaves a gift on someone else’s lawn you will not be welcome there anymore, so pick up after your dog.
Remember dogs can be afraid of those scary costumes people wear too, and with all the extra attention, some dogs don’t tolerate it well and can get snappish. If your dog isn’t having a great time, don’t push it. Not all dogs enjoy kids reaching out for them quickly to pet them. If you have any doubts on how your dog will behave, don’t chance someone getting bitten, leave your dog at home in a safe place away from the door and trick or treaters.
If you make a costume for your dog that includes pants, remember to cut a space out for your dog to urinate! (See second paragraph above)
If you do get a few treats for your dog or share some of yours remember some very important things. Chocolate, especially the unsweetened bakers’ chocolate is dangerous for dogs to eat. If your dog has allergies to wheat, corn or soy and you get a few dog biscuits, it’s likely that at least one of those ingredients are in those…(you can come to my house at 1205 S. Brady St., I’ll have some dog treats that are ok for allergies to wheat, corn or soy.) Raisins are toxic to dogs! Do NOT feed your dog raisins, grapes, macadamia nuts, and watch out for candy that is sugar-free because it may contain xylitol a sugar substitute that is toxic to dogs.
If you take your dog trick or treating with you, remember your camera, keep all of the above in mind, and have some fun!
P.S. Oh almost forgot! I did manage to get my own website up and running, visit me at http://www.groomroompetspa.com/ Thanks! Sandy
It’s Howloween!
It’s that time of year again when the streets will be full of witches and goblins going door to door for candy! What fun! I love Halloween because it brings out my creative side. I try to make costumes rather than buy something for my kids they will only wear one time. Of course you realize my kids aren’t the only ones dressing up for Halloween. The dogs have to get into the action too! Don’t worry, it’s not torturing them, they seem to enjoy it and love the attention of course!
My dogs have gone trick or treating with us almost every year. One year I made my Collie into a scarecrow and my black Standard Poodle into a witch, complete with green face! I’m sure that’s how my interest in creative grooming began. Then one year I turned my Poodle into The Incredible Hulk, made her body green and put a pair of my son’s shorts on her, tattered the legs and wrote “The Hulk” across the rear. I made a hole for her tail to poke through and she loved the attention she got! The one thing I didn’t plan for was her having to go to the bathroom, and well let’s just say she had a couple “accidents” while we were out trick or treating! When we went downtown for the merchants trick or treat, she really stopped traffic…literally! She had people taking her picture; we kept getting stopped for photos. It was great! We made a theme that year, my youngest was Superman, and he was 3 at the time. My oldest son was Spiderman, he was 6 and Katy my dog, was The Hulk. The problem was everyone kept telling the kids to step aside so they could get a picture of the dog. I’m the only mother I know who can upstage the kids with the dog!
This year, if you’re downtown you’ll recognize us I’m sure. We are heading to Dallas, Texas in November for a creative grooming class, so I figure I’ll show off my entry for the hometown before we go…I’m turning my Poodle Jasmine into a “Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader”. We have recently adopted a Bichon Frise, Bogey, and he will be coming to Dallas with us. He is going to be a “football”. I’m glad my dogs put up with me!
People ask me all the time, isn’t that torture to your dog? No! They actually enjoy it! Jasmine will jump up on my table by herself, ready for being fussed with. I can’t say she enjoys a bath; she doesn’t like it, and hides from me if she thinks one is coming. But she enjoys every other thing about grooming. The bath is just one of those things she has to put up with before the fun stuff comes.
If you are dressing up your dog for Halloween, remember a few things:
Make sure your dog is comfortable in the costume. Some dogs like to be dressed, and others don’t. I know Jasmine doesn’t like to wear hats, but Dreamer does. So dress them according to what they will tolerate. Make sure it fits well and you dog won’t step on it while walking.
Remember, not everyone loves your dog. We went trick or treating and some little girl was unfortunately going to every house we were and we kept running into her and she was terrified of dogs. Every time she saw Katy she screamed and cried. Stay clear of kids who are afraid of dogs.
Keep your dog under control! Keep your dog on a leash at all times and carry pick up bags with you! Your kids may get candy, your dog may get treats too, but if your dog leaves a gift on someone else’s lawn you will not be welcome there anymore, so pick up after your dog.
Remember dogs can be afraid of those scary costumes people wear too, and with all the extra attention, some dogs don’t tolerate it well and can get snappish. If your dog isn’t having a great time, don’t push it. Not all dogs enjoy kids reaching out for them quickly to pet them. If you have any doubts on how your dog will behave, don’t chance someone getting bitten, leave your dog at home in a safe place away from the door and trick or treaters.
If you make a costume for your dog that includes pants, remember to cut a space out for your dog to urinate! (See second paragraph above)
If you do get a few treats for your dog or share some of yours remember some very important things. Chocolate, especially the unsweetened bakers’ chocolate is dangerous for dogs to eat. If your dog has allergies to wheat, corn or soy and you get a few dog biscuits, it’s likely that at least one of those ingredients are in those…(you can come to my house at 1205 S. Brady St., I’ll have some dog treats that are ok for allergies to wheat, corn or soy.) Raisins are toxic to dogs! Do NOT feed your dog raisins, grapes, macadamia nuts, and watch out for candy that is sugar-free because it may contain xylitol a sugar substitute that is toxic to dogs.
If you take your dog trick or treating with you, remember your camera, keep all of the above in mind, and have some fun!
P.S. Oh almost forgot! I did manage to get my own website up and running, visit me at http://www.groomroompetspa.com/ Thanks! Sandy
September 19, 2007 I'm going "spa" in my salon now
I'm going "spa" in my salon now
I recently went to Chicago to a grooming show. These shows are held around the country and have seminars for groomers on all kinds of grooming subjects, business subject and offer demonstrations for grooming certain breeds of dogs. I’ve been attending this show in Chicago for the past 6 years. Every year no matter how much you think you know, you always come away with new tips and tricks and get that breath of life back into you so you can’t wait to get back to your own salon and use them. I’m sure hair shows for beauticians are similar.
The shopping for products at the shows is amazing! New products to try out, new shears to try on, grooming equipment, shampoos, conditioners, rinses, mousses, texturizers, volumizers, de-tangling products, tools, books, grooming clothes, as well as some fun gifts and things to sell in your salons. Well, all I can say is, I shopped ‘til I dropped. I always buy my shampoos and conditioner to last the entire year. Shows usually have specials and you don’t have to pay shipping when you can bring it all back in your car. It wasn’t until I added up my receipts that I realized how much money I spent! ACK! Guess I’ll be busy grooming dogs to make up for it.
I did discover a new product recently, and tried it out, and luckily, the company was at the show and had more of it for me to buy. It’s called “South Bark’s Blueberry Facial” for dogs. Oh my, the dogs turn into wet noodles when I use it on them. It works wonders on the nervous dogs, the blueberry aroma calms them down and I simply wash their face in it, and massage their faces and the dogs are in heaven. It has been a Godsend for the anxious dogs! I’m so impressed by the product I’m going “spa” in my salon now. Everyone gets a blueberry facial with their grooming. Dogs that hate baths seem to relax with this product, which makes me feel good too. That’s the entire point of grooming, not only to make the dogs look good, but feel good too! Happy dogs make happy owners and happy groomers. I’ve always kidded my clients about bringing their dogs to the doggy spa, but now, it’s not a joke. I only wish I could get the same treatment for me!
There are grooming competitions as well, and I can only dream of having a dog that looks that good, most are retired show dogs that the groomers use, which does give you an edge when grooming. After all I can’t make my poodle with her faults (albeit not noticeable to most people) look as good as a show dog. So while I can’t make her look perfect, (she’s perfect in my eyes anyway), I can enter her in creative grooming competitions. In the creative grooming class, you aren’t trying to make your dog look like the breed standard; you are trying to create something off the wall and unique! You get to use colors and dyes, and carve designs in the coat! You can even turn a standard poodle into an entirely different animal! I’m truly in awe of the creative groomers I’ve watched over the years. I’ve even entered a few contests myself, I turned a client’s standard poodle into a Clydesdale two years ago and won third place, and the year before that I won second place with my dog groomed to look like a tree with fall leaves, not an easy feat to color a black dog! Last year my dog Jasmine was turned into a “lobster,” complete with background of a restaurant, and I was dressed like a chef serving her up to the judge. Unfortunately, we didn’t place last year, but the competition was FIERCE! I would hate to be the judge of that class, because you are judging on the creative aspect, plus the execution of the design and the background or skit, and it’s an art. Art is in the eye of the beholder. In a regular class a judge is comparing the trim to the breed standard, did they show correct angulations of the rear legs, etc. However, creative grooming is an entirely different and fun class, and while I didn’t enter this year, because I’m saving my creative entry for Dallas, Texas in November, the entries were FABULOUS! The bad news is I will be competing against them in November and I’ve been wracking my brain to come up with something to top them. This is NOT going to be easy. They keep raising the bar and it gets harder and harder to compete! I’m enclosing a photo of two entrants in the creative class. These groomers are fabulous and wonderful people with a lot of talent!
On the left is “Wild, Wild West” a horse…and on the right is “Hoochie Poochie”…well the name speaks for itself!
And you thought groomers just scrubbed dogs….
September 5, 2007 Lost in Cyberspace
September 5, 2007
Lost in Cyberspace
I want to apologize to my readers who may have missed my column in the paper a few weeks ago. It seems when I emailed my column to the editor, it got lost in cyberspace, and she never received it. Sometimes I hate computers, although I really don’t know what I’d do without one now after using mine daily for the past several years. I’ve really become dependant on the internet for news and updates and it’s been an invaluable resource for researching information and looking up things. It has become the new library. My motto is, have a question? Look it up in the great big box of everything! Then internet has been my classroom, my encyclopedia, my teacher, my doctor at times, and has put me in touch with people all over the world that can share their life experiences with me at the click of a button.
I received a compliment the other day that I’ll never forget, a client told me that one of the things she loves about me is not that I’m local or convenient, or that I’m a nice person too, but that I will get the answer to a problem and not give up until I do. That was so touching to me, because that is how I work. I want to get to the root of the problem; I’m not satisfied until I do. A friend once told me that when I put my mind to something I’m a force of nature! Somehow, I never thought of it that way, but it describes me to a “T.”
I started grooming dogs 10 years ago. I volunteered at a vet clinic in Crawfordsville to learn it from their groomer. They thought I had a “knack” for it, and soon asked me if I’d like to work there so I did on my days off from my job at Bank One. I worked there until I was about 8 months pregnant and couldn’t reach the dogs anymore! That’s the problem with being “vertically challenged,” my arms are short too!
I opened up my own shop when my son was 5 months old, but I have to admit, I didn’t know much. It wasn’t until I discovered the “internet,” that I really began learning things about grooming I had never known until that point. I had avoided getting a computer because I didn’t want to “chat” with anyone; I just wanted to send email to my friends and family. Little did I know what was about to happen. I became hooked on finding information, and I found some online groomer groups that have put me in touch with seminars around the country, I’ve met some of these groomers at those events and we stay in touch. The wonderfully talented groomers who have shared their tips and tricks with me over the years have taught me more about grooming that I could ever have learned at a grooming school or by apprenticing with another groomer. They have been there for support when things go wrong, and they’ve given honest critiques. Through them, I’ve learned business strategies, marketing techniques, and a number of things you can’t learn on your own. I have the value of their years of experience, and luckily, they are generous enough to pass on their experience to me. I am truly blessed.
This is not to say that everything you read on the internet is the best advice or necessarily the truth, but I have enough sense to check out the rumors, ask others if something I read is feasible, and I usually find my way. This has allowed me to pass on important information on pet care to my clients, and to my readers, because you can’t hear everything you need to know on the 6 o’clock news.
The internet has opened up doors for me that I couldn’t have imagined! In fact, I was contacted by email in April by Adams Media to write a book! What are the odds of that? I wasn’t looking to write a book, it came to me, and so “The EVERYTHING Dog Grooming Book” will be published in August of 2008 and be for sale. To say I’m excited is an understatement; I have spent my summer writing this book and am currently in the revision stage. I get to leave my “mark” on the world! I’m sure without the internet that would never have been a possibility.
I’ve found some wonderful websites I’d like to share with you, I frequent these sites often, and I think you’ll find interesting information on pet care that you can use.
http://www.thepetcenter.com/ This site has articles by Dr. T.J. Dunn D.V.M. that are important and helpful to anyone with a pet. I’ve actually spoken with Dr. Dunn on the phone, and found him to be well informed, open to new information and a very valuable resource. In fact, I recommended him to be the technical advisor of my upcoming book, which he graciously did.
One site that has kept me up to date on the dog food recalls, and it also has some great articles on it is http://www.itchmo.com/ I get daily updates from this site, and can keep up with the latest pet news.
I’m also in the process of developing my own website, so hopefully soon I’ll have that web address for you. Yes, the internet has opened up a completely new world for me, and my career in grooming, training, and writing. Even though sometimes things go wrong and get lost in cyberspace, it’s something I would rather not live without, and those of you who may be intimidated by the internet, trust me, take a chance, look up some information and you’ll soon find yourself hooked! Who knows what doors the internet could open up for you.
Lost in Cyberspace
I want to apologize to my readers who may have missed my column in the paper a few weeks ago. It seems when I emailed my column to the editor, it got lost in cyberspace, and she never received it. Sometimes I hate computers, although I really don’t know what I’d do without one now after using mine daily for the past several years. I’ve really become dependant on the internet for news and updates and it’s been an invaluable resource for researching information and looking up things. It has become the new library. My motto is, have a question? Look it up in the great big box of everything! Then internet has been my classroom, my encyclopedia, my teacher, my doctor at times, and has put me in touch with people all over the world that can share their life experiences with me at the click of a button.
I received a compliment the other day that I’ll never forget, a client told me that one of the things she loves about me is not that I’m local or convenient, or that I’m a nice person too, but that I will get the answer to a problem and not give up until I do. That was so touching to me, because that is how I work. I want to get to the root of the problem; I’m not satisfied until I do. A friend once told me that when I put my mind to something I’m a force of nature! Somehow, I never thought of it that way, but it describes me to a “T.”
I started grooming dogs 10 years ago. I volunteered at a vet clinic in Crawfordsville to learn it from their groomer. They thought I had a “knack” for it, and soon asked me if I’d like to work there so I did on my days off from my job at Bank One. I worked there until I was about 8 months pregnant and couldn’t reach the dogs anymore! That’s the problem with being “vertically challenged,” my arms are short too!
I opened up my own shop when my son was 5 months old, but I have to admit, I didn’t know much. It wasn’t until I discovered the “internet,” that I really began learning things about grooming I had never known until that point. I had avoided getting a computer because I didn’t want to “chat” with anyone; I just wanted to send email to my friends and family. Little did I know what was about to happen. I became hooked on finding information, and I found some online groomer groups that have put me in touch with seminars around the country, I’ve met some of these groomers at those events and we stay in touch. The wonderfully talented groomers who have shared their tips and tricks with me over the years have taught me more about grooming that I could ever have learned at a grooming school or by apprenticing with another groomer. They have been there for support when things go wrong, and they’ve given honest critiques. Through them, I’ve learned business strategies, marketing techniques, and a number of things you can’t learn on your own. I have the value of their years of experience, and luckily, they are generous enough to pass on their experience to me. I am truly blessed.
This is not to say that everything you read on the internet is the best advice or necessarily the truth, but I have enough sense to check out the rumors, ask others if something I read is feasible, and I usually find my way. This has allowed me to pass on important information on pet care to my clients, and to my readers, because you can’t hear everything you need to know on the 6 o’clock news.
The internet has opened up doors for me that I couldn’t have imagined! In fact, I was contacted by email in April by Adams Media to write a book! What are the odds of that? I wasn’t looking to write a book, it came to me, and so “The EVERYTHING Dog Grooming Book” will be published in August of 2008 and be for sale. To say I’m excited is an understatement; I have spent my summer writing this book and am currently in the revision stage. I get to leave my “mark” on the world! I’m sure without the internet that would never have been a possibility.
I’ve found some wonderful websites I’d like to share with you, I frequent these sites often, and I think you’ll find interesting information on pet care that you can use.
http://www.thepetcenter.com/ This site has articles by Dr. T.J. Dunn D.V.M. that are important and helpful to anyone with a pet. I’ve actually spoken with Dr. Dunn on the phone, and found him to be well informed, open to new information and a very valuable resource. In fact, I recommended him to be the technical advisor of my upcoming book, which he graciously did.
One site that has kept me up to date on the dog food recalls, and it also has some great articles on it is http://www.itchmo.com/ I get daily updates from this site, and can keep up with the latest pet news.
I’m also in the process of developing my own website, so hopefully soon I’ll have that web address for you. Yes, the internet has opened up a completely new world for me, and my career in grooming, training, and writing. Even though sometimes things go wrong and get lost in cyberspace, it’s something I would rather not live without, and those of you who may be intimidated by the internet, trust me, take a chance, look up some information and you’ll soon find yourself hooked! Who knows what doors the internet could open up for you.
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