08/08/2026
These are the days I LIVE for. š„¹
Call me crazy all you want, but THIS. This is rewarding beyond measure.
Today I intentionally stacked my schedule with what I call my Rehabilitation Dogsādogs who, before finding me, had reached a point where sedation was considered necessary just to get through a grooming appointment.
And today? We had some BIG wins.
š¾ Dog #1:
HER FIRST FULL GROOM. š¤Æ
And when I say full groom, I mean everythingāfull body, legs, sanitary, nails, ears, paw pads, armpits, beard, belly AND tail.
And hereās the part Iām REALLY proud of:
NO muzzle & NO cone.
She was PHENOMENAL.
What makes me even prouder isnāt just that we finished the groom. Itās how she communicates now.
Her old response when she became uncomfortable was snapping or trying to bite.
Now? She stops and asks for reassurance.
Basically: āHold on. I need a secondā¦ and maybe a snuggle.ā š
So we snuggle. She gets the reassurance she needs, and when sheās ready, we keep going.
THAT is rehabilitation.
š¾ Dog #2:
This dog has come LEAPS AND BOUNDS from their first appointment.
In the beginning, grooming tools touching them at all was a huge ask. Their bum? Absolutely not happening ādonāt even think about touching it.
Today we completed almost an entire groomāincluding the bum, tail AND sanitary.
For another dog, that might sound like nothing.
For THIS dog? It is HUGE.
š¾ Dog #3:
Today was their VERY FIRST GROOM WITHOUT MEDICATION.
And they did GREAT.
What we learned today is that this dog doesnāt need medication to make grooming possibleāthey need time, patience, accommodation and someone willing to listen to them.
Their back was done with clippers, and everything else was carefully hand-scissored because thatās what worked best for them.
Three completely different dogs.
Three different histories.
Three different comfort levels.
Three different places in their grooming recovery.
And THAT is why individualized care matters so much.
There isnāt one magical technique or timeline. My job is to figure out what each dog is communicating, meet them where they are, build a plan around that individual dog, and keep moving forward at a pace they can actually handle.
Sometimes success is a full groom.
Sometimes success is finally trimming a bum.
Sometimes success is discovering they can accomplish the groom differently than they ever have before.
Progress is progress.
This is the work I do.
And THIS is what fills my cup. ā¤ļøš¾
