It's a Cats Life

ticks

It's no surprise to anyone living in this area that ticks are plentiful. Or at least, it SHOULD be no surprise...if that last sentence does surprise you, I'm concerned. Carroll County is covered in the little bastards.

I really hate ticks.

But not this tick! Actually, watching The Tick is almost guaranteed to make me fall asleep. I don't know why, but it does. Thanks to the husband's iron fisted control over our Netflix queue, I've been able to test this theory. And I've been sleeping quite well this week!

Anyway. Yesterday  Haiku, my friend Andie of Andies Doggy Do's, her Aussie, Steed and I went for a nice long walk in the woods. What a beautiful, perfect afternoon for it! We went walking back on the Union Mills Equestrian Trails. The dogs had soooo much fun! Since us humans were wearing white shirts, it was easy to see that we were picking up some ticks.

*worried*
 

Uh oh.

Well, when we got back to the truck, we checked over the dogs.

ZOMG!

They were infested! We started picking them off...then I decided I was just gonna bathe Haiku before I went home. Andie wasn't, she was just gonna pick them off. A few minutes and a million ticks later, she decided she was going to bathe him too! So we went back to her shop and spent an hour bathing, flea combing and picking ticks off our dogs.

Can't we just stay home and watch The Tick? And chew stuff?

 

Ticks are usually really bad around here. Especially this time of year, which is also when some people start thinking it's time to lay off the Frontline. BAD CHOICE. Haiku has picked up ticks at Morgan Run in January. Generally speaking, it's not cold enough, long enough here to stop using preventatives. And fleas? Never. But that's for another day. Definitely ask your vet for questions about avoiding fleas and ticks, what to use, how to use it and when to use it. Trying to rid your home or yard from them? Call a licensed exterminator. I'd don't have any recommendations (sorry!) I just ask my dad, since he's an IPM specialist.

Keep in mind that spot ons like Frontline are not a repellent. They won't protect your dog from getting fleas or ticks ON him, but it will kill them once they bite the dog.

Next time we got woods walking I'm using a repellent! If I find a good one I'll let you know.

SPOOOOOOOOOON!!!!!!!!!!!

A Good Read

I was really excited when I went to the Westminster Public Library last week. I found 2 great dog books. One is The Power of Positive Dog Training by Pat Miller. Big thanks to the Carroll County Humane Society for donating it!

You should check it out next time you're at the library. I've only gotten through the first part but it is FABULOUS! Anyone that owns a dog, plays with a dog or is thinking about getting a dog should read this. 

I can't wait to start up Haiku's training again. I've been super busy with "things" and "stuff" this summer and our training has been neglected. I"m gonna read a few more pages and when I get home, I'm pulling out our itty bitty yummy treats and doing some training! 

 

Haiku is home power napping. She loves training and is saving up all her energy for it!

Pictures

At some point about 500 pictures accumulated in my computer's trash can. Not all of them were supposed to be there. So I've been sending some time trying to figure out which should be kept and which to delete. Then I get to sort them out into folders by breed...it's been fun.

I found some fun ones though.

  

Haiku's ball on a rope

 

Looking for Santa

 

bliiiiiink!

 

There's a reason that Scottie is wearing a bandanna on her head. A good one. And one day I'll have a post sharing the reason why. But not today. It's more fun to make people guess!

Transformation on Bond Street!

This post is so far overdue I can't even remember when I groomed this dog! It was an impressive, heroic feat and I promised the owner I'd have a post about her boy up on the blog within the week.

I think it was the last time I was sick this summer. I've been sick again, which made me think about it. I also groomed another dog impressively blowing coat recently, which also made me think about it.

Anyway. Bear is a Chow/Shepherd mix. He's a very handsome boy, with a shiny dark coat that is oh-so-thick most of the year. As is typical, he tends to blow his undercoat about twice a year, once in the spring, once in the fall. His owner does a great job of keeping him brushed out so my job is fairly easy. I mean, a hairy dog is a hairy dog!

So I was kinda surprised when Bear came in looking like this

 

Usually when you see this light colored tufty stuff it's easy to gently tug it out. It's actually kinda fun to do. It comes out easily and is very rewarding. You get a huge pile of hair and the area you were pulling from is all dark and shiny. But with Bear, it wasn't coming out easily. His owner wasn't having alot of luck brushing it out and was frustrated. To be honest, *I* wasn't having alot of luck brushing it out either!

Before the bath

 

After Bath

You'll notice that most of that dry, tufty hair is gone. Gone! It's because I'm amazing. Warm water can help open up the pores and follicles and help release blown coat and there are a couple different in bath things that help further...

 

...but I like to think it's because I'm amazing.

After some cage drying, I finished up his groom and he looked like this:

 

It's a miracle!

It took minimal effort to finish the job. Bear went home sleek and handsome. A dog like this will always have some amount of shedding. But nothing like what he had before! Bear was very good for the entire procedure. A real gentleman. While this took a great deal of tub time, the pulling and tugging was minimal, much less than the traditional brush-until-it's-gone. And the results were much nicer.

Could his owner have done a better job? This time, I'm gonna say No. His undercoat, while needing to come out, hadn't fully released and was still pretty attached. Regular brushing wasn't having much effect on it, but it was aggravating to Bear. He really did need to have a pro do the job. Technique, knowledge and experience really comes into play with grooming dogs, even on a "simple" bath and brush. Some creativity doesn't hurt either!

This year I've seen some unusual shedding out from different types of dogs. Bear who had this half released blow out, a collie didn't blow hers until the end of July, Labs and shepherds blowing way early in March. Who knows.

Not me!

The Faux Retriever

 

Hi! I'm Sid.

Sid's mom called Clip Clip Hooray looking for a place to get her dog, Sid, groomed. She described Sid as a rescue dog of unknown breeding that they were calling a Flat Coated Retriever. Now we know Flat Coateds have Newfoundland blood way back and Sid certainly had patches of Newfy hair type. Thick, cottony, browned out patches to be exact. It was kinda ugly.

 

Post bath and brush out, ready for the magic.

See the browned out fuzz on his chest and the front of his legs? YUCK. Most of his coat is a coarser hair that reminds me of a Curly Coated Retriever, although he is wavy, and not really curly. I digress.

Now I *think* in the past Sid had gotten a 'one length all over' trim, which isn't what his owner wanted, at all. She wanted him to look like a RETRIEVER. You know who loves retrievers and thinks a good time would be clipping a goldendoodle into a Golden Retriever show clip?

Me!

So rather than just try and trim Sid up, I took a little length off the body, using a comb attachment on my clippers to rough in the coat growth patterns of a Golden. I used a #4 blade to shave the fluff of the front of those legs and bushwhacked the crazy ears. I cut the tail in the correct flag shape. I thinning sheared the fuzzies on top of his head flat.

I ended up with...

 

Of course I cut off the top of his head in this picture, but you get the idea. Instead of just shortening his ugly fluff, I clipped it off short and sculpted him into a more ideal Retriever clip. See the difference? Doesn't he look much more tidy and typey? Before you might think "FUZZBALL!" but after you'll be thinking, "Man, there goes a sharp looking retriever!".

 

 

I was giddy with excitement and pride over his groom. I thought it turned out FAB U LOUS. I showed him off to his owner when she picked up. She seemed...reserved. I couldn't tell if she was happy or not. I figured that it wasn't what she wanted or expected and I'd never hear from her again. Well! I got a call the other week and it turns out not only was she happy with his new style, but was very pleased that he came home "calm and relaxed". Not only did she think I did a great job cutting his hair, but she liked my quiet little shop and low pressure attitude.

I groomed Sid again in very similar styling, but this time I took the legs and ears a little shorter. He looked pretty darn good! But I didn't get any pictures. I'm sorry. But go back up and look at the before and afters. THAT is the joy of having your dog groomed at Clip Clip Hooray. I do my best to groom your dog to your desires! Even if it's weird, unusual or trimming to look like another breed. If I can figure out what you want and your dog lets me do it, you too can have the Faux Groom!

Some days aren't *so* bad

Today has been a day. I've been in frequent contact with FedEx about my 15 missing pounds of Blueberry Nibbles. Every time I talk with them I become even angrier than I already was. And I was pretty angry. Still am.

BUT! I got my Petedge delivery, all 4 big boxes of it. It's like Christmas opening them up, playing with the toys, seeing what I ended up getting...sometimes I order stuff and forget about it.

 

This picture might not seem impressive, but trust me, there's a lot of toys there!

And clothes...

 

This box is PACKED with clothes! Winter coats and sweaters were on sale :) Plus, I ordered a few doggie life preservers.

Lots of balls, small toys and a super cute pink princess unicorn toy that I might have to have for my own! Some more dental care products...I'll be making my own dental kits, which will include the Petrodex enzymatic toothpaste, finger brush and double headed toothbrush, just like the prepacked kits, but save me a bit of money, which means I don't have to raise the price for you. Plus the brushes are in prettier colors than boring ol' red.

As part of my ever expanding gift section, I got some adorable canine cookie cutter kits. Next week starts Phase II of my mini remodel! Soon I'll have some really nice display options for everything. Can't wait!

This little guy was in today for a grooming.

 

I've had a run of Bad Westies recently, so I was very leery about accepting ANOTHER Westie client. But, I decided to give him a try and he was great! And so very, very cute.

 

Cute?  What, where? I'm gonna chase this "cute"!

I'm so bad at Westie heads.

By Demand!

More pictures! I've finally gotten around to it! Here's what I've been up to the last couple of months:

Wyatt, a young English Springer Spaniel.

 

You talking about me?

He gets done in a reverse 5F, keeping him nice and short and easy for his family to deal with. He's also a good boy, though a bit silly!

 

No, I"m not sure why his lip is like that...like I said, he's a goof.

Speaking of Good Boys, we also have Sid, who we're calling a Flat Coated Retriever, I have a whole post of this guys grooming. But that's another day.

 

Required Haiku pic. I boxed up a gazillion Kong Wubbas for a friend out in Colorado. Haiku spent the whole afternoon snuggled up to the box, hoping to get shipped too. Here she is as the realization she doesn't get to go live with Gracie kicks in.

 

So sad, the life of a Haiku.

I've been getting lots of new, exciting stuff for spring!

 

Little palm sized farm animal toys and crinkleflies! Fun fact: the dish thingy they're in came from a winter flower arrangement Ethan gave me the day Clip Clip Hooray opened. Awwwwww!

Let's see...one more pic than I gotta get to work....what should it be..?

 

This is Jinger, a super sweet old lady Golden Retriever. I groomed Jin for the first time a couple months ago, and I tried a new shampoo out...while the other products in my sampler from a highly respected company worked GREAT, I found the first one that didn't. But of course, I didn't realize this until I started grooming her at 1pm...for a 2:30 pick up. Oops. No choice but to rebathe her with my trusty Tropiclean Aloe Moist! Her family had to wait a few minutes for me to finish, but they laughed over the re-do and seemed to appreciate that there was no way this groomer was going to let their dog look anything less than perfect! Plus she's coming back! Guess they like CCH :)

More in store. Pictures, stories, shameless promotions, news and stuff! When? I dunno. Today is laundry day, so after my doggies go home at lunchtime I'll be washing towels all afternoon. OH! Part 1 of Operation: Revamp Clip Clip Hooray was started yesterday! Big thanks to my awesome FedEx guy! Can't wait to show off the new changes as they're completed!!!

proper incentive

So this morning my husband was at the bottom of our stairs putting his shoes on. Crack was lounging at the very top of the stairs. I had just let Haiku out of her crate and started walking downstairs. I got to the bottom and realized Haiku wasn't following me. I called for her. Whistled for her. No Haiku. My husband points out that Haiku is still in the hallway because she can't go past the cat.

Two choices. Stand at the bottom of the stairs yelling at the dog to come. Highly unlikely to happen, since she can't get past the cat. Or, walk upstairs and pick Haiku up and carry her past the cat. Well, three choices. I could convince the cat to move, allowing Haiku safe passage downstairs.

Now the thing is, when Haiku is completely focused on her surroundings, she won't go past the cat. She's too smart. Or at least, has a good grasp on past experiences. Sometimes the cat likes to bap her if she gets too close. However, if Haiku is being super exuberant, not paying attention or sees something REALLY GOOD that she REALLY WANTS, or any combination of those, she's not even aware the cat exists.

So I chose option 4. I found a piece of dried liver and once Haiku realized I had a SUPER YUMMY TREAT she went leaping OVER the cat, bounded down the stairs and sat at my feet in a blur of Cavalier joy. She got her treat, I got the dog down the stairs without effort and the cat was only mildly perturbed at being leapt over.

Beth Rex and Clip Clip Hooray LLC would like to remind you that allowing your pet to jump hurdles on the stairs is incredibly dangerous and stupid.

That being said, here's my challenge for the next month. Figure out what is your dogs favorite treat. Is it dried liver? His favorite ball? Bacon? I don't know! It's your dog, find out what he thinks is The Best Thing EVAR. Then, use it as an incentive to get your dog to do something you want. Coming when you call? Call him, let him realize you have Super Awesome and once he comes bounding over, give it to him immediately. What a good dog! How about if he chews on your socks? Don't scold him. First offer a trade. I'll give you this hot dog for my half chewed sock. Take the sock, give him the hot dog, everybody wins! Except for the sock. Next time make sure that sock gets in a drawer. Etc, etc, etc.

Here's the deal. Try doing this for the whole month of March and then tell me how it went! You can email your story to me at clipcliphooraygrooming@gmail.com, call me at 410-848-6863 or stop in the store at 2D Bond Street in Westminster. Or leave a comment on a future blog post I'll do at the beginning of April. Why bother? Well, besides the fact that it will help you and your dog get along a little better and give you an insight into positive training, if you share your story and then visit Clip Clip Hooray, I'll give you a Free Reward! A bag of treats, a ball or a stuffed toy, whatever works best for your pup. OR, bring your dog in for a Free Nail Trim and File if you'd prefer that reward instead!

Haiku is resting after a game of tug of war. Haiku loves tug and I never have a problem ending the game or taking her toy away from her. Why? It's not because I'm "the dominate one" or bigger and stronger or anything like that. It's because I always give Haiku something better when I stop the game or take her toy. If I take her toy mid game I give her a cue (gimme), she gives me her toy, I give her verbal praise (good girl!) AND a reward (a treat OR give the toy back). When we're done the game I give her a chewy or a treat that takes longer than 2 seconds to consume. Or I let her outside or take her for a walk. While she's not looking I put her toy away. By the time Haiku is finished with whatever I gave her, she's no longer revved up from playing and is ready for whatever I want to do next, even if it's just hanging out on the sofa. She's happy, I'm happy. Like I said, I've never had a problem taking anything away from Haiku because she knows I'll give her something as good and probably better. Sometimes it takes a little planning ahead, like having her chew bone located and ready for a trade off or having my shoes on to take her out for a walk right away. Sometimes we just play our way over to the treat jar for an easy swap.

Heidi - a story of a dog

This is Heidi, she's an older cockapoo. She's got some yucky skin, allergies and sometimes feels a little sore and stiff. But she's a sweetie.

Heidi was the very first dog groomed here at Clip Clip Hooray that wasn't a friend or family dog! She saw the store developing on her walks and when it was finally open, Heidi and her owner stopped in to say hi.

Now, Heidi is a little bit nervous and tends toward some separation anxiety issues. So her dad decided it would be a good idea to bring Heidi to CCH  waaay before her first grooming appointment. That way, Heidi could get used to the store, get used to me and feel comfortable about her surroundings. And when it was time to be dropped off, she'd feel a bit more at home.

And you know what? It works! Heidi is still a little anxious when she's here, but it's not "new". She's used to coming in to visit. (They still stop by once in awhile during their walks just to say hi.)

Does Heidi love being groomed? No. She never will. It's something she just doesn't like. I use my ivac clipper to help it go faster and easier. Less fuss, less manipulating her legs and paws. It helps. She doesn't *like* being at CCH, but she isn't scared, worried or destructive. She doesn't think I'm a horrible evil person she gets tortured by every couple of months. She doesn't love me, but I'm not too bad!

Her owner mentioned that she doesn't like being in small spaces, so Heidi gets a 'big dog' cage when she's here. Like all my older dogs she gets a couple towels to lay on, instead of just the regular floor grates. It all helps.

Heidi asks, where's your "red eye fixer NOW? hahaha!"

A couple other things that help make Heidi less anxious when she's here.

1. Her dad is relaxed and happy.

2. Her hands me the leash, pats her on the head and leaves.

3.He is calm and relaxed when he picks her up.

Ok, that might seem silly to you, but it makes a HUGE difference to the pet! An owner that is calm, leaves easily and comes back greeting the pet in a relaxed manner WILL help that animal be more relaxed and confident! It's true and I see it (of lack of it) every day.

Things YOU can do to help your anxious dog!

Plan ahead. Don't be rushed. Don't treat new experiences like they're scary, of course your dog will be scared if you act like they should be! Stop by and visit first, the groomer, the boarding kennel, the daycare. Let your pet get to know the location and the people BEFORE he's boarded/groomed/whatever.

This is important!When it's time to leave, say goodbye, give your pet a pat or a hug ONCE and leave!!!! Don't look back. Just good bye and go. No crying. No turning and running back. No kissy-mummylovyousomuch! It's sooo much easier on your dog if you leave. Walking back to him repeatedly will confuse him!

If your dog has separation anxiety, or you think he might, I urge you to start working with a trainer or behaviorist. It won't "just go away" and often gets (MUCH) worse over time. Getting another dog for company usually isn't the answer. Working with a professional will help you avoid making the problem worse and teach you how to work with your dog to make life better for him.

Caution: Do NOT use punishment based training, like shock collars, yelling or other negative "teaching" methods. Your dog is already scared, panicked, anxious and worried. Adding to it will not help the behavior and will only confuse and scare your pet more.

There is a great article in The Whole Dog Journal if you want to do some more reading. Lemme look up the month....it's in the July 2008 issue. You can order individual issues from their website. The Journal is also fairly inexpensive and has so much information in each issue that it's definitely worth getting a subscription! The article recommends I'll Be Home Soon by Dr Patricia McConnell. I haven't read this one yet but having read many of her other books and following her blog I imagine it's well worth a read.

So this is a long post. I get calls from A LOT of people that are afraid to leave their dogs at the groomer. Most cite separation anxiety as the reason. Most often the dog is fine, it's the owner! But many dogs are at least a little worried when it comes time to spend the day somewhere strange. I hope this helps owners realize that with a little effort and planning ahead, they can make Grooming Day easier on their pup!

Haiku is Front Page News!

But you already knew that. Haiku is pretty awesome. But today she really is on the front page of the Westminster Eagle! Turns out photographer Nicole Martyn (yay! I got her name right) got a super cut pictures of Haiku resting her chin on my head, as is a typical Haiku resting 'pose'. Kym Byrnes wrote a FANTASTIC article that appears on page 6. And by fantastic, I mean that not only did she make me sound incredibly well spoken and knowledgeable, but she also did some research of her own to complete and compliment what I had said. Plus she added a good warning about the dangers of ribbon and chocolate. I was (am) really impressed with how well thought out and written the article is! I can't remember the last time I felt that way about a newspaper article.

A huge, huge thank you to both Kym and Nicole!!!!

And of course, CCH in the Westminster Eagle!

I gotta go pick up some copies!