Willow The Border Terrier
Posted On Friday, May 16th, 2014 byWhat a funny little one I had in today. Her name is Willow and she’s a lovely little Border Terrier. Her Mum told me she could be a bit headstrong and really didn’t like having her nails clipped, so I prepared myself for a tricky customer! Turns out I needn’t have worried at all. When Willow’s Mum left I thought we were going to have some whimpering but she just looked around the salon and then started to investigate. Once I had set up for her bath I called her over and she came and stood by me as if she knew she was going to be pampered.
After a relaxing bath I dried her off and she made herself comfortable on the table, following all my instructions exactly. I was waiting for the little madam I had been warned about to appear but so far, nothing! Willow’s Mum asked for a specific cut, so I set about her with the scissors and clippers. While the back needed to be cut tidily, she asked for the front to be left more natural and the legs feathered. You can see how much neater she looks from the before and after pics.
I had left her nails until last as that sounded like her flash point. I gently lifted up a back foot, took my nail clippers and snip! – off came a nail with no reaction from Willow. I carried on, still mindful that she could get grumpy at any time, but all four paws went without a hitch. As I finished her last nail I just had to give her a big cuddle. She was nothing short of perfect! Her poor Mum couldn’t believe it when I told her she had been so well behaved. “At home she’s a nightmare,” She said. “She only has to see the clippers and she’s gone!” It made me think of my little boy. He sits good as gold for the hairdresser but when I try to give him a little in-between cut you’d think I had him sitting on hot coals. Our kids and pets all like to make us out to be fibbers but we wouldn’t be without them! In the end, Willow thoroughly enjoyed her groom, despite her Mum’s initial reservations. It’s quite usual for dogs to behave differently in a salon environment to how they behave at home – provided they’re given enough time to settle in and made to feel comfortable and relaxed. If your pet is a bit skittish or has been to a large grooming parlour and didn’t enjoy the atmosphere of a busy salon, it might be time to consider a change of pace and look for a smaller independent salon. Because our client base is smaller, we have the time to cultivate a 1-2-1 relationship with you and your precious pet. As for little Willow, I’m looking forward to seeing my new friend back in the salon in 12 weeks time for another tidy and a sneaky cuddle ;)
Steph
Ruby The Labradoodle
Posted On Monday, May 12th, 2014 byAfter a mad morning taking the kids to a birthday party, I spent a relaxing afternoon in the salon with lovely Ruby here. Ruby is a friendly 18 month old Labradoodle with a straight coat rather than the normal curly one. She’s only been groomed once before but acted like she was born in a salon. What a little star.
Her mum asked that she just have a tidy up as she’d started to grow a bit too fluffy. She was right too – there were bits of loose hair everywhere and it looked a bit untidy. After a nice relaxing bath and dry, Ruby was quite happy for me to thin her coat and tidy up those flyaway tufts. She was so relaxed that she even lay down and closed her eyes while I clipped and snipped away!
Ruby enjoyed her treatment so much that she’s booked in again for another 12 weeks’ time. By then her coat will have grown out a bit more and should be in need of another trim. At the very least she’ll enjoy another bath and brush through!
Labradoodle’s coats vary so much that, as a breed, they can range from low maintenance to very high. If you have a long-haired curly ‘doodle it should really be brushed out every day to prevent those uncomfortable matts occurring. Either that or it needs to be kept at a manageable length to fit around your lifestyle.
If you have a Labradoodle that needs some pampering then please give us a call. We’d love to hear from you!
Steph
Fudge The Jack Russell Cross
Posted On Saturday, May 10th, 2014 byFudge here is a lovely little Jack Russell Border Terrier cross who came to us this week in need of a tidy up. This was her first time with a groomer and she was surprisingly well behaved. Even though this was her first time, her coat was in very good condition, largely due to the care and attention of her owners who clearly spend a lot of time making sure she’s comfortable.
Because of her short hair type, Fudge’s owner asked for her to be hand stripped. This is a process whereby dead hair is carefully removed before it gets a chance to fall out naturally all over the owner’s carpet. It also encourages a new wiry coat to grow through. It’s different to a normal furminate, which just removes loose hair, in that it also means removing dead rooted hair. It may sound painful and damaging but it really isn’t. Dog hair doesn’t grow like ours so removing it at this stage isn’t at all painful. Fudge seemed to enjoy the attention and even lay down for most of it.
A good treatment frequency for a dog with Fudge’s coat type is around every 8 weeks but for one that’s as well maintained between grooms as she is this, could easily be extended to 12 or longer. Hopefully we’ll see little Fudge again in a few months’ time. She’s always welcome!
Charlie The Rescued Golden Retriever
Posted On Monday, May 5th, 2014 byA sad tale with a happy ending in the salon this week. This poor old chap is Charlie the Golden Retriever, rescued from some pretty terrible conditions in Ireland. His new owners picked him up on the weekend and as you can see from the ‘before’ pictures, he was in quite a rough state. I’ll admit to shedding a tear when I first saw the poor little chap.
We’re not entirely sure what Charlie’s history was but we do know he was very badly neglected by his previous owners. His coat was very whiffy and in an awful state – it took 5 washes and a huge amount of brushing just to get him looking halfway decent.
Once he’d been dried off, thoroughly de-matted, clipped and brushed through several hundred times, he finally looked presentable. The picture below is the ‘after’ shot and as you can see he looks so much happier.
Despite his background, Charlie was a perfect gentleman in the salon. We could forgive a mistreated dog for having a temper or being slightly wary of new surroundings and new people but he was a lovely dog to groom and no trouble at all.
We’re hoping to see Charlie again in a week for a second bath and dry. He’d been with us long enough as it was and while he seemed to enjoy the attention – and finally being clean! – 4 hours in a groomer’s salon is enough for any dog, let alone one on his first day with new owners.
So, the good news is Charlie gets a happily ever after. He’s now gone to live with his new owners and no doubt will receive all the love and affection he deserves. We’ll keep you posted with his progress as we hear.
Zoey The Toy Terrier
Posted On Friday, April 11th, 2014 byToday in the salon we said hello to cute little Zoey here, an adorable Toy Terrier who needed a good pamper session. She was an absolute dream to groom. She sat still perfectly while she was brushed and clipped, wagged her tail in the bath and was a picture of perfect behaviour when it came time for the scissors to come out. All in all she was the perfect client.
Zoey’s owner asked for a specific shape and cut, so that’s what we did. We left her hair reasonably long, especially around the ears, to give her the Baby Spice look. Hopefully you’ll agree she looks delightful :)
Long haired dogs like little Zoey need a lot of regular attention if their coat is to stay in good condition. Regular daily brushing to make sure the matts stay away and lots of walking to ensure her claws get a natural pedicure. Zoey’s coat was in good shape so she obviously gets well looked after.
In the end she looked a vision of Toy Terrier beauty and we’re looking forward to seeing her again soon.
If you have a tiny Terrier like Zoey and want a groomer who adheres to your styling requirements, give us a call!