Do you ever have one of those days when you know what the day is going to be like by the time your first two customers come in in the morning?
I had one of those days today.
My first customer pulled up 2 seconds before me and hopped out of her car and straight to the dark shop with the CLOSED sign on the door.
You guessed it.
She pulled on the door.
I got out of my car and followed her to the door.
I stepped past her and unlocked my door, and held it open for her.
The whole time she was staring at my car with a concerned look on her face.
"You have dogs in your car," she said as she followed me into the shop.
I could not tell if she was asking a question or stating a fact.
"Yes. They will be okay for a minute." I answered as I bent down to take her dog.
She was not a new customer, we have been grooming her Sheltie for a few years at least.
As I stood there holding her dog, she walked over to my counter and placed her pre-written check on it.
I just love pre-written checks.
Yes, I have asked people not to pre-write their checks in case the price changes.
No, they don't listen.
Grrrr.
"I'll leave the check here in case my son has to pick him up," she said as she turned to walk out the door.
"Same as usual on "Abe'? I asked.
"Yes, call my cell when he is done," she said as she walked past me and 'Abe'.
As she walked out the door, she did a half turn and said, "oh, he shakes so badly when he comes here."
As the door closed behind her, I looked down at the very calm Sheltie in my arms.
He wasn't even quivering a little bit much less shaking.
Okay 'Abe', your Mom must know something we don't know.
I put 'Abe' away and we got our dogs out of the car.
Five minutes later my next customer came in.
She over heard the tail end of a conversation my daughter and I were having about something on the news and wanted to know what we were talking about.
OoooK, keep smiling, I tell myself.
After telling her what was on the news, she sat her dog on my counter.
" How is your family?" she asks.
"Their all fi..., I try to answer.
"How was your Holiday?" she asks.
"It was very ni...., I tried to answer again.
"That's good, after the last couple of groomings 'Moe' (name as been changed to protect the dog) has been chewing on his foot, she said picking up the foot.
"Just that one foot? I ask.
"Yes." she said.
"He doesn't chew anywhere else? I ask.
"No. I stop him and get his leash and take him for a walk so he will leave it along," she explained.
"He could just be chewing it because he is board or it has become a habit," I offered as an explanation.
"That's what my Vet said," she told me while standing there rubbing and hugging her dog.
"Do you remember her?, do you?, do you remember her?" she started asking the dog over and over again out of the blue.
Where did this come from?
I should hope he remembers me, I have only been grooming your dog for about 5 years, I wanted to say.
"How is your family?" she suddenly asked me again.
"Fine," I said quickly reaching for the dog.
Just get out...get out!, my brain is screaming.
"Do you think he remembers you?" she asked me as I tried to get her to let go of the dog.
"I am sure he does," I smiled. It is the only time there is any sanity in his life is when he is with me.
"I am home today, call me on my cell," she said turning to leave.
"Everybody's o.k., right?" she asks one last time.
I nod my head.
So that started the day.
1 Sheltie, a good boy.
1 Poo Mix, a cage shy nervous wreck.
1 Shih-Tzu, man eater.
1 Labradoodle, mega hyper.
1 Goldendoodle, a nervous breakdown waiting to happen.
1 Poo Mix, want-to-be Bichon who's owner always has some small complaint about the last grooming.
1 Cock-a-poo, elderly with attitude, and a bum leg.
1 Poo Mix, very sweet until you touch his feet.
1 Cat, elderly and very matted.
1 Poodle, sweet, shy and a matted puppy cut.
1 Yorkie, full of ticks.
1 Shih-Tzu, 2nd man eater of the day.
Moving on...
One of the man eating Shih-Tzu's has Dryeye, and comes in with crust covered eyes.
Today his eyes were not very bad.
The last time he was in, his eyes were almost crusted shut.
I get a lot of dogs in with hard eye crust and or eye boogies.
There is also more crust under his eyes, down in the folds of his skin.
I hate eye crust and eye boogies.
It always drives me crazy that owners let this stuff build up on their dogs eyes.
The very first thing that I do is wet the dogs face and run water over the eyes.
Then I soap up the face.
While the face is soaking, I soap up the rest of his body.
After the body is soaped up and the eye crust has had time to soften.
I slowly start to pick the softened crust off.
If the crust still does not want to come off easily, I let warm water run off of his head and down over his eyes for a minute.
Then I try to remove the crust again.
When the crust is very soft, it is usually easy to remove.
I use my nails and fingers or a flea comb to get all of the crust out of the hair.
Then I wash the face again.
I did good today.
I didn't make him mad, and in return, he didn't try to eat me.
This is his face after the bath and blow dry.
All of the eye crust is gone.
His Mom and Dad like everything short on his face, so I scissor very close all around and under his eyes.
I try to give owners suggestions on how to keep the eyes clean.
I tell them to clean them everyday, at least once a day, with a warm, water soaked cotton ball.
This is the picture that I show owners to let them see what could happen if they don't take care of the eye crust.
Do you think that will help them keep their dogs eyes clean?
I doubt it...but I try.
Tomorrow will be better..tomorrow will be better..tomorrow will be better. :)
Still working on the website. :(
Happy Grooming, MFF
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