05/22/2026
A couple of weeks ago I had the absolute pleasure of helping out an incredibly sweet 11-month-old Goldendoodle from SHAID Tree Animal Shelter named Nola 💛
This sweet girl came in extremely matted and needed a full shave down for her comfort. The shelter believes she may have only been groomed once before, so understandably she was very nervous and unsure of the whole process.
But let me tell you… she absolutely amazed me. 🥹
With lots of patience, calm reassurance, cuddles, kisses, and reminding her she was safe, she continued to get more confident throughout her groom. Every little bit of love helped her push through her fears, and by the end she was doing SO well. For a puppy going through such a big groom, and a large transition in life she truly overachieved every expectation.
She is such a sweet, gentle soul and I know she is going to make an incredible companion for someone lucky enough to adopt her. As she continues getting regular grooming and building confidence, she’s only going to blossom more and more. ❤️
I also want to remind people that dogs do not always end up in shelters because they were “given up on.” Life can change for people in heartbreaking and unexpected ways like health issues, family emergencies, deaths, financial struggles, and so many other circumstances can lead to a beloved pet needing a new home.
One thing I absolutely love about SHAID is their wonderful dog program. Their dogs are placed into amazing foster homes where they are loved, cared for, and supported while waiting for their forever families. They are not just sitting in a shelter kennel waiting to be noticed. 🐾
I also wanted to take this opportunity to educate a little on coat maintenance for breeds like doodles and other high-maintenance coat types. Dogs like Goldendoodles typically require professional grooming every 4–8 weeks depending on their individual coat type, lifestyle, and grooming routine at home. Regular brushing at home is also extremely important between appointments and general desensitization throughout their life with only aid in helping them with their grooming appointments!
Matting can happen much faster than people realize, especially with puppies learning to enjoy grooming, dogs that love water or snow, friction areas from harnesses/collars, or coats that are not being fully brushed down to the skin. Often the top of the coat can look brushed while tight tangles are forming underneath close to the skin. These dogs SHED.. this is the reason why they also get matted! They shed into their top cost creating matting and thats why its important to brush often, so that you remove the dead coat ☺️
Severe matting is not just cosmetic. It can become very painful and unhealthy for dogs. Mats pull tightly on the skin constantly, can cause bruising, skin irritation, sores, trapped moisture, infections, hematomas, restricted movement, and make it difficult for the skin to breathe properly. In some cases, dogs can even hide injuries or parasites underneath heavy matting.
Regular grooming is so much more than keeping dogs looking cute, it is an important part of their overall health, comfort, and wellbeing. 💕
A huge thank you to SHAID Tree Animal Shelter for trusting me to help this beautiful girl in need.
I am happy to announce that she is AFOPTED!!!!! 🥰🥰🥰
