tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2686914143400476609Wed, 20 Jan 2010 22:38:20 +0000Like a sculptor in an earthquake, a professional pet groomer is a balancer of aesthetic obsession, practicality, athleticism, efficiency, patience, and perseverence. <p> Somewhere between passion and objectivity there stands a perfectly groomed companion animal.</p> <p> ....</p> <p> And an exhausted groomer. Cuz he sure wasn't standing like that the whole time.</p>http://www.k9design-grooming.com/blog/vania@k9design-grooming.com (K9 Design Dog and Cat Grooming)Blogger21125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2686914143400476609.post-3952137109697493788Wed, 20 Jan 2010 21:29:00 +00002010-01-20T17:38:20.165-05:00Many clients ask me for training advice and help with specific behavioral issues. It's tough sometimes to give them a short answer! Changing behavior can be very challenging out in the world with all of its complications and conditions and distractions. And there are so many options! But when you boil it down to its most basic level -- at the level of operant conditioning, as described by B.F. http://www.k9design-grooming.com/blog/2010/01/operant-conditioning.htmlvania@k9design-grooming.com (K9 Design Dog and Cat Grooming)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2686914143400476609.post-2570201791926434280Wed, 30 Dec 2009 16:25:00 +00002009-12-30T13:30:44.374-05:00I've long believed that setting goals is a great way to lend clarity of purpose and a sense of power and control to the otherwise overwhelming vastness that is the future. It's like editing your potential. And it's something that I've always done quite naturally. In fact, as a young child, I was notorious for making proclamations about how things are, how they ought to be, and how they would be.http://www.k9design-grooming.com/blog/2009/12/setting-goals-for-new-year.htmlvania@k9design-grooming.com (K9 Design Dog and Cat Grooming)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2686914143400476609.post-1142702242969215685Fri, 06 Nov 2009 21:14:00 +00002009-11-11T20:26:12.014-05:00The best kind of grooming is regular grooming. Whether your pet is a fluffed out poodle princess or a seasonally shedding sheltie, there is an appropriate grooming interval that a discussion with your groomer about the specific needs of both you and your pet can help reveal. If that interval is 4-6 weeks, as it typically is for most drop-coated or curly-coated breeds, or closer to 8-12 weeks, http://www.k9design-grooming.com/blog/2009/11/winter-grooming.htmlvania@k9design-grooming.com (K9 Design Dog and Cat Grooming)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2686914143400476609.post-6208873866537759022Wed, 28 Oct 2009 15:23:00 +00002009-11-11T20:54:43.631-05:00Recently, I was listening to an audiobook called Book Yourself Solid: the fastest, easiest, and most reliable system for Getting More Clients Than You Can Handle Even if you Hate Marketing and Selling by Michael Port and Tim Sanders. Although it seems at first glance to be a handbook for pulling in huge numbers of people, the book actually emphasizes quality over quantity. By cultivating http://www.k9design-grooming.com/blog/2009/10/my-ideal-client.htmlvania@k9design-grooming.com (K9 Design Dog and Cat Grooming)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2686914143400476609.post-3000975176553943011Sat, 25 Jul 2009 13:12:00 +00002009-07-25T09:21:26.432-04:00Yesterday, my shop assistant and I spent our evening over at Solon Home Days with the Kelley's Kritters booth and some adoptable kittens. I brought over the two remaining "dumpster kittens," who are staying at my house. Although they were initially a bit anxious about the crowds, they relaxed after a while and enjoyed a lot of affection from passing children. Kelley found a home for one kittenhttp://www.k9design-grooming.com/blog/2009/07/solon-home-days.htmlvania@k9design-grooming.com (K9 Design Dog and Cat Grooming)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2686914143400476609.post-6535948655038881420Sat, 27 Jun 2009 15:11:00 +00002009-06-27T12:09:07.285-04:00Almost a decade ago, my husband, Mike, was turned on to reiki by a friend of his. He said that over lunch one day, this friend -- Christy -- put her hand over his on the table and said, "Just keep talking, don't pay attention to your hand." At some point during the conversation, Mike began to feel a strange sensation. It was the feeling of a hot, swirling energy on his hand. "It was very http://www.k9design-grooming.com/blog/2009/06/reiki-time.htmlvania@k9design-grooming.com (K9 Design Dog and Cat Grooming)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2686914143400476609.post-6436175422695737410Thu, 04 Jun 2009 13:28:00 +00002009-06-04T10:37:58.908-04:00Yesterday a client dropping off mentioned that there were some "kittens out there.""Where?" I asked."We saw them as we were driving in," she replied.She saw three, huddled together, next to the dumpsters, as a matter of fact.Another client had also spotted them and the two of us managed to wrangle them up. The first was easy to catch. The other two darted back behind the dumpster, amid the pileshttp://www.k9design-grooming.com/blog/2009/06/adventures-in-kittens.htmlvania@k9design-grooming.com (K9 Design Dog and Cat Grooming)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2686914143400476609.post-3610981699493885377Thu, 28 May 2009 13:53:00 +00002009-05-28T10:22:37.832-04:00In the spring and summer, a lot of clients come to me for shave downs. While the right haircut and regular grooming can certainly help keep pets more comfortable, in most cases, the length of his coat is really not contributing a whole lot to the problem. Dogs don't regulate their temperature the same way people do. Humans sweat and the evaporation of that moisture helps us cool off. Dogs http://www.k9design-grooming.com/blog/2009/05/beating-heat.htmlvania@k9design-grooming.com (K9 Design Dog and Cat Grooming)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2686914143400476609.post-5750146128243665371Thu, 28 May 2009 12:21:00 +00002009-05-28T20:40:33.748-04:00This is the time of year when the hair starts flying! I've been shearing shedding dogs and matted dogs alike like sheep since the weather warmed up. Cats, too! Here are some insights about spring and summer shave-downs.1. Non-shedding dogs with extensive matting, matted cats, and shedding dogs with packed undercoat are not the only pets who can benefit from a good, short clip. In fact, I http://www.k9design-grooming.com/blog/2009/05/shave-time.htmlvania@k9design-grooming.com (K9 Design Dog and Cat Grooming)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2686914143400476609.post-1243824176718225863Sat, 16 May 2009 14:19:00 +00002009-05-16T13:49:24.919-04:00"Sometimes I think the primary difference between how my dog and I experience fear is that he tends to be afraid when there is legitimate danger, while I have the capacity -- and the inclination -- to scare myself with my highly evolved mind in the absence of any real threat." - Thom Rutledge, Embracing FearWhile I love the insight behind this statement, I think dogs are not quite immune from ourhttp://www.k9design-grooming.com/blog/2009/05/more-on-anxiety.htmlvania@k9design-grooming.com (K9 Design Dog and Cat Grooming)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2686914143400476609.post-1039960000069143409Wed, 29 Apr 2009 20:40:00 +00002009-04-29T18:09:03.601-04:00There really is no such thing as stress-free grooming, but with some understanding, practice, patience, and cooperation, it is certainly possible to minimize your pet's stress level throughout the grooming process. Some animals naturally resonate at a more anxious frequency, but the goal should always be not perfection, but continuous improvement. So here are some tips to help your pet find hishttp://www.k9design-grooming.com/blog/2009/04/stress-less-grooming.htmlvania@k9design-grooming.com (K9 Design Dog and Cat Grooming)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2686914143400476609.post-4398290194749969147Thu, 23 Apr 2009 12:51:00 +00002009-04-23T09:37:34.746-04:00I spent a few moments outside this morning plucking loose coat from my shepherd/ lab mix, Hoffa. She has a lovely, soft blonde coat and sheds minimally throughout the year. Twice a year, however, she sheds with a vengeance. Of course this is spring shed and her downy white undercoat is releasing in preparation for the warm weather ahead. Her peak shedding lasts a week or two and everything shehttp://www.k9design-grooming.com/blog/2009/04/inspiration.htmlvania@k9design-grooming.com (K9 Design Dog and Cat Grooming)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2686914143400476609.post-6735605987506551843Thu, 09 Apr 2009 13:32:00 +00002009-04-09T10:34:52.675-04:00One of my biggest stumbling blocks in working with animals and pet owners is that I often feel useless as a teacher. I've always struggled with sharing knowledge, not because I want to keep it to myself -- on the contrary! -- but because the greatest powers I have are all locked up in my intuitive side and defy my attempts to translate them rationally to other people. That last sentence probably http://www.k9design-grooming.com/blog/2009/04/power-to-teach.htmlvania@k9design-grooming.com (K9 Design Dog and Cat Grooming)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2686914143400476609.post-1185713044307663609Wed, 18 Mar 2009 14:16:00 +00002009-03-18T18:10:13.578-04:00It's been quite a tumultuous winter, full of highs and lows. It's been a bumpy ride personally, professionally, politically... Right now I think a lot of people are feeling like we're riding a roller coaster in the fog -- can't see the ups and downs coming or the turns approaching, but we're moving fast and, with a few spectacular exceptions, the general trend is downward -- and there's no clearhttp://www.k9design-grooming.com/blog/2009/03/because-life-looks-better-when-sun-is.htmlvania@k9design-grooming.com (K9 Design Dog and Cat Grooming)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2686914143400476609.post-845415409302706016Fri, 06 Mar 2009 13:57:00 +00002009-03-06T10:13:50.549-05:00puppiesdogsrescueadoptionPuppy season is here. They are wriggling, fuzzy, bundles of puppy breath and pure joy. Everyone knows that. But, in true animal rescue advocate fashion, I'm here to give you a list of reasons why you should not get a puppy.1. Puppies don't interview reliably. Seriously, unless you are an expert temperament tester or have a magic spell that translates genetic information into future personalityhttp://www.k9design-grooming.com/blog/2009/03/puppy-season.htmlvania@k9design-grooming.com (K9 Design Dog and Cat Grooming)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2686914143400476609.post-2693128517548669702Fri, 20 Feb 2009 13:35:00 +00002009-02-20T10:12:12.119-05:00In uncertain times, value is key. We are all reexamining our budgets, our habits, our futures, and making whatever adjustments make sense. We start to look at things in terms of, "Do we really need that?" and, "Is this a good deal?" We all like to throw around our hard-earned cash on "frivolous" things from time to time, but what is the definition of frivolous? Isn't something that simply and http://www.k9design-grooming.com/blog/2009/02/grooming-value.htmlvania@k9design-grooming.com (K9 Design Dog and Cat Grooming)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2686914143400476609.post-6161032620370440358Thu, 19 Feb 2009 13:54:00 +00002009-04-27T12:47:48.140-04:00catkirkegrimferalIn Norse mythology, the Kirkegrim guards churches and cemeteries against evil spirits. Commonly in the form of a black dog or a dark, child-sized man, our Kirkegrim takes the form of a little, wide-eyed black cat. He was a feral kitten, tricked and trapped out of his life in the parking lot and transported into a strange new world of people and other cats and a few dogs. He's lived in our house http://www.k9design-grooming.com/blog/2009/02/pet-profiles-kirkegrim.htmlvania@k9design-grooming.com (K9 Design Dog and Cat Grooming)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2686914143400476609.post-7818881251954873903Wed, 18 Feb 2009 14:03:00 +00002009-02-19T10:38:27.581-05:00intuitionpurposerationalizationSetting goals has never been my forte. I'm good at foregone conclusions and great at rash decisions. But goals? Those are structured, planned, budgeted, executed. We -- free spirits, intuitives, emotional beings -- no, we don't have goals. We make plans, we have ideas and dreams, but that's not the same thing. We get stuff done, sometimes big, amazing things, but we're driven by this moment, http://www.k9design-grooming.com/blog/2009/02/purpose.htmlvania@k9design-grooming.com (K9 Design Dog and Cat Grooming)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2686914143400476609.post-7385781566914525387Tue, 03 Feb 2009 14:10:00 +00002009-02-03T12:52:38.962-05:00straybulldogrescueThis past Sunday, my husband came home, found me in the living room and said, "Honey, there's a dog in the street. Should we go get him?"I grabbed a leash and headed out there to see what was going on.What I found was an SUV stopped in the middle of the street, the couple who owned the SUV standing off the street in someone's driveway, and an American Bulldog begging for a scratch or a scrap. Thehttp://www.k9design-grooming.com/blog/2009/02/bulldog-in-basement.htmlvania@k9design-grooming.com (K9 Design Dog and Cat Grooming)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2686914143400476609.post-6701380749962857632Thu, 29 Jan 2009 19:55:00 +00002009-01-29T19:35:55.491-05:00hiringemployeejobI am currently in a tentative hiring mode. I say tentative because I'm not in a hurry. I'm taking it slow. It is very challenging for me to trust someone else to come into my space, share my responsibilities, touch my equipment, interact with my clients, and otherwise affect the business that I have so carefully and lovingly set up here. Hiring is not something I have a great deal of experience http://www.k9design-grooming.com/blog/2009/01/professional-perspective.htmlvania@k9design-grooming.com (K9 Design Dog and Cat Grooming)2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2686914143400476609.post-2211136486985271441Wed, 28 Jan 2009 13:33:00 +00002009-01-28T17:24:01.986-05:00wintersnowMy favorite aspect of the independent grooming shop is the sense of community. I've always believed that grooming should be cooperative -- not simply a service provided but a real partnership that exists to enhance the lives of dogs and cats and the people who love them. I strive to create this in my business, to communicate openly and honestly with my clients, and to share my years of animal http://www.k9design-grooming.com/blog/2009/01/welcome-to-snow.htmlvania@k9design-grooming.com (K9 Design Dog and Cat Grooming)0