Feel-good pet grooming...

Sometimes I feel like a one trick pony. I love my work, and tend to spend my days either grooming pets, reading about grooming pets, writing about grooming pets or teaching others about grooming pets. I have made a conscious effort in my blog to avoid the topic of pet grooming... to branch out a bit. But I am making an exception. Here is a little dog I groomed today. He was not on the original busy scheduel. I happened to answer the phone when his owner called, "I have two very matted Shih Tzu's. I don't suppose you could do them today?" Today was unusually hot and humid, and I had a feeling the two dogs in question really needed us. I wiggled them into the days work load. When I saw them I had to stifle a gasp. They were in horrible shape... their coats matted beyond imagination. Some of the most tangled and neglected dogs I have seen in a long, long time. This photo shows where I have shaved down the dogs back. The coat is so tangled it has peeled off like an orange skin, and is hanging on each side of the pet. He quickly realized I was relieving him of the hot, itchy, pulling fur that encased him, and he stood very, very still while I worked.

His little face was so overgrown and tangled he could barely see. The fur covered his eyes, matted his ears to his head, and even made it so he could not open his little mouth fully. In short, he was a mess. I could not wait to remove the hair from him. I held my breath and went to work. (Why did I hold my breath? He smelled. BADLY.)

After a soothing shampoo and some more clipping, this little guy was so happy he was dancing and prancing. It had been TWO YEARS since he had been groomed last. It is recommended that this breed of dog be groomed every 4 to 6 weeks.

When it was all said and done he had free range of movement of all his limbs, he could see and open his mouth fully. And air could reach his skin. It has been a long, LONG time since I groomed a dog this badly neglected. I wish no dog ever had to be this way, but I did feel awfully good to think that I made him feel better. He pranced out of our shop, head and tail up, a happy little dog. And that, gentle reader, is one of the reasons I am sometimes a one trick pony. I just really like to make dogs look and feel wonderful.