Groomer Has It - A Fun Show.

Like a lot of you, I have a favorite reality show. It is on Animal Planet and is called, "Groomer Has It." It is coming to the end, and has been quite interesting. The man that thought this up, is the founder and president of the grooming academy I went to in Lexington, KY called Nash Academy of Animal Arts. His name is John Nash. He and his wife, world renowned groomer, Vivian Nash, work from their home in Lexington, while their daughter, Tayna, runs the school. They also have a school in NJ.

The prize for the winner is $50,000.00 cash, a mobile grooming van (worth at least 50,000.00) and the title of Groomer of the Year. The mobile grooming van is really a great prize. You can go straight to a clients house, hook up to their outside water hose, and groom the client's dog right in front of their house. It is a really big thing out in CA.

It comes on Sat. at 9pm on Animal Planet. Check it out. It is really interesting.

How To Cut Your Dog's Toenails.

My mom cuts my nails after my bath because my nails are softer and it is easier on me!

My own version of how to cut a dog's nails.

When you get your new puppy, start to fool with their feet. For example, maybe I am watching TV and holding the puppy for some bonding time. Take that time to also start to get the dog used to having its feet held and nails done. I massage the foot and between the toes. This will get them used to having their feet held to cut nails.


Types of nail clippers:
Resco Type - guillotine style - for small to medium dogs.
Safari Claw Type - for large breed dogs.



If your dog has white nails, the quik will appear pink. Do not cut above that line! If you do, your dog's nail will bleed and be very, very painful to your pet. Also, believe it or not, a puppy never, never forgets his or her first nail trimming. If it goes good, more than likely, the next trimming will go easier the next time. But, if you quik the dog, then more than likely, they will become "touch-me-nots" when you go to pick up a foot. I give Chance a treat after each foot. That is how I started him when he was just 12wks. old. He knows what the nail trimmer looks like, and gets excited. So funny!



If your dog has dark nails, you start at the very tip, and cut it off. Look at the end of the nail, if you don't see a dark spot in the middle of the cut part, you can tip the nail again. Keep doing that until you see a dark spot in the middle of the last cut you made on the nail. ***NOTE: tipping the nail is just as it sounds. You take just the tip of the nail.***

Last but very, very important. Dewclaws. Any reputable breeder has the dewclaws removed from their puppies before they are sold, except for the Great Pyrenees and the Briard, as AKC standards call for them to have the dews intact. Always trim the dewclaws on your dog. If neglected, they will grow around and back into the pad of the dewclaw.

My suggestion is to purchase a bottle of nail coagulant, most common is Kwik Stop. You can get it online at any of the Petsmarts, Petco, etc...I think that Petmart at the Target Shopping Center, Merritts Ck., Barboursville, WV may have it, or something like it. I hope this information helps.

What To Ask When Looking For A New Groomer, Trainer Or Boarding Facility.

My mom bathes me and I love it!!

The reason I am writing this post is to let people know what questions to ask when shopping around for a new groomer for your pet, or a boarding facility for vacations where you can't take your pet and finally, a training facility to help your pet become not only a member of your "pack", but also a member of society's "pack." If you find yourself in the position of having to find another groomer, trainer or boarding facility, here are a few questions to ask.

GROOMING: 1. How long has the groomer been grooming? 2. Did they go to a grooming school? 3. Are they certified by National Dog Groomer's Assoc. of America or any other Assoc. and do you drug test? 4. May I stay while my dog gets its groom? 5. May I schedule a time to come and look at the area where my pet will be groomed, bathed and dried? 6. Do you use muzzles on certain breeds, even if not needed? 7. Do you use organic products when bathing?

TRAINING: 1. Is the trainer a certified master trainer? 2. Where did they get there training and certification? 3. Do you use pinch collars to train? 4. May I schedule a time to come and view the training area, and see some of your training dogs? 5. Do you have group classes and one-on-one training? 6. What about keeping the dog for a certain amt. of time for training?

BOARDING: 1. What are your rates and do you require up-to-date vaccinations including Bordatella? 2. Do you kennel dogs together that come in together? 3. Do you have indoor/outdoor runs? 4. How many times are the dogs let out to potty? 5. Do I need to bring my own food, bowls, and bedding? 6. May I schedule a time to come and view the boarding area and play/outside area? 7. Do you bathe the dog before pick up, or do I have to request that? 8. At anytime are strange dogs put together? 9. Do you give medications if brought. 10. Do your kennel personnel know animal CPR?

Remember, no question is stupid!

Groomer Has It.

Chance wants everyone to check this new show out! He will be watching, for sure.

The founder and president of the grooming academy I graduated from, Nash Academy of Animal Arts, Jon Nash, just finished filming his new reality show called, "Groomer Has It." It will air on Animal Planet, April 12Th at 9pm.

This reality show will feature 12 groomers that are competing for a grand prize of a grooming truck, $50,000.00 in cash and the prestigious title of "Groomer of the Year." You can view a sneak peak on Animal Planet's website at: http://www.animalplanet.com/.

The Duties Of A Dog Groomer.

This does not deal with abuse, but I wanted to answer a poster's question.

I had a person, anonymously, asked just what does a dog groomer do. Well, I will tell you, as I was a groomer for many years. I am a graduate of Nash Academy of Animal Arts in Lexington, KY, and am certified by National Dog Groomers Association of America, and International Dog Groomers, Inc. This means that I have met the strict standards of the elite certification of both the United States and the United Kingdom.


Our duties include: When a dog comes into a grooming salon, I would look at the dog, ask the owner what they would like done. If the owner says I want my dog to look like it should, i.e. a Scottish Terrier, and the dog is not matted, I would cut that dog in the standard as required in the A.K.C. This means it will look like the picture in the A.K.C. dog book. First, I "rough in" the dog. This means I do a rough cut of the coat, cut the head coat, scissor the eyebrows, clean out the stop (between the eyes), scissor any stray hair at the inside corner of the eyes, shave the private area, scissor around the anal area, clean out the pads of the feet, clean the inside of the ears, and cut the toenails.


Then the dog goes to the bath. The anal glands are expressed in the bath for easier clean up. After the bath, it is blown dry, known as fluff drying. Then the dog comes back to me, and I do what is called "the finish." I go back over the coat with the clippers. (Clippers are used for pet dogs, show dogs are hand stripped) I touch up the eyebrows, and the tuffs on the ears, scissor the skirt for evenness.If the owner wants the dog stripped down, then I take the clippers and use a 5 F or 7F blade, and go over the entire dog. This is called a Kennel Clip. I clean the pads, shave the belly, scissor the anal area, clean ears and cut the nails. We call this "Pads, ears, nails and belly or PENB.


In the bath, the anal glands are expressed, too. Most of your pet dogs are done in the Kennel Clip for easy maintenance at home. On pet Lhasa's and Shih Tzu's, Havenese, or any dog that has a long coat, I try to get the owner to let me do a 1/2" clip for summer, or a 1" clip for winter. This leaves some coat and the dog does not look so skinny and bare. On smooth coated dogs, they usually just get a bath, nails and ears cleaned. The pads of the feet are cleaned, too. On some long-coated breeds that the owner does not want a cut, we just do a bath and brush out, along with the PENB (Pads, ears, nails and belly, including the anal area.)