Blog
February 10, 2023** Hello and welcome to the idle thoughts and feelings of a dogcentric woman in her 40s..
Today is Friday and I just got home from a long day of playing with puppies, I say playing and what I mean is attempting to get them to stand and let me take their fur off. Not all dogs like this process. My job is tougher when I have to convince them they will feel better and their parents will actually be back to get them. I had a young German Shepard today who acted like I was drilling into her head when I wanted to do was clean her ears. The highlight of the day was a sweet charcoal poodle puppy that wasn't the usual shave down!! On an upside I didn't need a muzzle today. I am really looking forward to opening Divine Canine. Still in the early stages but the is dream going to become reality.
February 11, 2023** Saturdays are ruff
Only working one weekend day means working harder that one day. I feel like we had all the ruff dogs that either have high anxiety or are very foot shy. Unfortunately when they have issues having their feet or nails touched they pull a lot and when they squirm we are not able to be as precise with our clips. It would really help if pet parents would work more on desensitizing their pooches for this daily. Poor dogs just freak out when someone grabs their foot and its traumatizing for all of us. I got myself a foot massage recently and have put it to good use.... Im still eyeing the full body massager that has the zero gravity tilt. Maybe for Christmas this year... lol
February 22, 2023** Wednesday Either the hump or the start of your week..
With my current schedule I am working Tuesday and Wednesday, Friday and Saturday. So Wednesdays are almost a Friday for us. I do like knowing I have a day to myself tomorrow. Grooming 5 days in a row can get stressful and wear the body down. Yesterday in the shop was nuts. We ended up being over booked and I had 9 dogs in and out between 7am and 3pm, granted 3 of them were just bath and nails but it was a ruff day. Looking forward to scheduling my own dogs and knowing what I have on the schedule.
March 3, 2023** Some changes and exciting news.
My current location is Astor, Fl. An opportunity has come along to start my business as I wanted it to be all along. The caveat to this advantage is that I would be opening this business in a completely different city in another state. Thankfully I am taking family with me and already have family there. I am looking forward to getting to know my new town of Princeton, Kentucky!!
Rhysand stopping to smell the tulips
April 24, 2023** Limbo
Patience has never been my strong suit (shocker to all who have known me !) not) For the past month there has been a stall out on the move to Kentucky. I continue to work as a groomer in Deland and continuing my canine education. Rhysand (pictured) and I took a quick trip to Western Kentucky to check out our new habitat! We both loved the feel and expanse of the new location. Hoping to eventually include daycare and overnight boarding to our canine friends. Rhys found a girlfriend of the pooch variety right next door! He also found a love for Grandmothers who spoil him rotten, he was very sad to be home in Florida with just Mom to beg from. lol
May 1, 2023***
What a welcoming month May is! As I embark on this new journey I am reminded why having the right facility and equipment is key to achieving a well groomed pup. I bathed 3 large doodles at someone's home yesterday and woke up today feeling every muscle in my back and legs tight and aggravated. Doing all that bending and crouching down is not conducive to long term grooming (But thats why they pay someone else to do it.. lol)
So rewarding afterwards though when the dogs smell delicious and have a gleaming coat in the afternoon sunshine!
We do have a tentative moving date of May 22.. stay tuned for updates!
June 1, 2023 *** What a difference a Month will make
One month later has me settling in to the sleepy town of Princeton, KY. While bigger than the small florida town of Astor it lacks the fun flavor of any area of Florida. The ambiance here though is quite majestic. Perched as we are on the top of a small rise we get views and sunsets that are awe inspiring. We have spent the better part of 2 weeks cleaning, painting and mowing (3 acres of the 12) I got to watch my first hay field cutting and bailing. It was fun and educational as I was just watching. My little dog grooming studio has been assesed and laid out. Im afraid construction on it will have to wait a little longer. I can manage small dogs occassionaly and that keeps my skills up. For now I am working full time as a Chiropractic Assistant for a local office and the community has been very welcoming so far. <3
July 27, 2023 *** Roots
2 Months ago I made the trek up into the area of my roots. I am loving the laid back feel and all the fresh air. I found a church that is interesting and active. The minister is fun and engaging. The past couple weeks I have found an abundance of jobs, working for the local groomer right in the middle of town as well as possibly bartending at the VFW again! Both places are right up my alley and I would be happy working 6 days a week and doing things I love. Im hoping to meet some more people that like to go to concerts and hiking or outdoors activities I can join. Happy Summer...
August 9, 2023 *** Excited!!
Hello and welcome to an exciting time!!! Things are progressing with the shop here on the property! There was a pause when we discussed buying out a local groomer but her asking price and what was actually offered were not in agreement with our price. So back to starting up my own little slice of heaven. I am really looking forward to having a small shop all my own just me and the dogs. Less distractions and the ability to consult with my clients. I am starting a fear free grooming course online this week. I really hope it helps with those rare scaredy cate. lol
Have a wonderful Wednesday... stay tuned
August 19, 2023 !!!!!! **** Moves
Its time to launch .. time to sink or swim .. OK maybe that is a slightly over dramatic way of putting it. But after so many years of working for other people know you had the talent and knowledge to work for yourself I am about to see what Im really made of.
If your still reading these things.. THANK YOU. Hope your not bored to tears. This is mostly something to inspire me down the road to remember the thoughts an process that brought me to where I am. I am hoping to put up a video next week of my first bath in my new place!! I really hope my excitement and enthusiasm is translating into this blog. I truly love what I do. I just want to play with dogs, make them look and smell great and their owners proud to walk them around town!
October 22, 2023 !!!**** TIme flies when your having fun
Wow, where did September go? I am a little remiss in posting here and I appologize if you have been trying to keep up. I have been posting a lot more on social media. The shop is up and running! Yay, business is starting to pick up. I absolutely love having the time and space to give each dog individual attention. I really enjoy meeting all my new clients and helping them make the right grooming decisions for their furry babies.
SOOO.. I took my sweet Rhysand to 2 seperate dog shows in the area. One at Eddyville founders day and the other at Calvert City fall festival. Wouldnt you know this sweet boy won at both shows!?? He won in the small dog category in Eddyville and the shocking one was in Calvert city where he won best behaved! He did all his tricks and even gave me a whopping bark on command. I love him to pieces and I guess it shows every where we go!
November 18, 2023 !!!*** again I say.. Where did it go!
So... Things are picking up so well. A huge shout out to Luna Veterinary clinic! They have been so supportive. Also Caldwell county animal shelter in town. I am going there to help with a problem case on a compacted coat. Ill have before and after photos for him. I love helping the community as well as my clients. I try to make sure I have appointments available when needed. I am going to have the most Thankful Thanksgiving I have had in a very long time. So Thank you Princeton for welcoming me and my little business <3
Jan 3, 2024!!!****Hope everyone had a fabulous holiday season!
Everything in the shop is picking up delightfully! I am so thankful and blessed to be able to earn a living doing what I truly enjoy doing. There hasn't been enough opportunity to pop in here since the holidays started and that is amazing, and slightly exhausting. Welcoming in 2024 with a huge smile and high expectation!!
March 31, 2024... Here we grow again
We are branching out into dog sitting. I really love being able to work from home, and doing so gives me the opportunity to care for your pet onsite while still continuing to offer one on one grooming. I have been focusing on organizing the shop and adding storage to help keep the facility efficient and soothing for all. Everything has been going so well and I was able to get away at the beginning of the month for a very welcome vacation.
May 6, 2024... *** Communication is key
There are times when everyone has trouble making it to an appointment. Some times it is unavoidable and I understand. I keep my schedule flexible for that reason. But excessive canceling or not showing up to appointments is very disrescpectful and unwarranted in todays age of technology. My calendar tells me when I have a dog, reminds me before hand, I schedule my own appointments outside of work on the same system so I can schedule around it. I would love it for everyone to be more mindful of when your scheduling with others and you reschedule or cancel with in 24 hours of the appointment its very hard to rearrange things and it becomes a blank space in the day. meaning no income and may lead to an increase in prices or having to prepay for appointments ahead of time.
Congratulations Bailey!!
Bailey WON Best in Show at the Black Patch Dog Show 2024!! Such an amazing story for sweet Bailey who was with her Dad in a serious car accident. Our little hero deserves this honor!!