The Transformation

(The Frog and the Prince)

The Transformation

Transforming a Frog to a Prince, can sometimes be a difficult task depending on the total condition of the frog, or in this case the poodle.  Poodles in general come to a groomer because the hair grows so fast and becomes tangled and gnarly, not to mention not very attractive to look at either. I am sure you poodle owners can understand exactly what I am talking about. We hear a thousand excuses as to why the frog looks so bad. Let me tell you right here and now, "it isn't my job to judge you or your home grooming skills". Why it looks that way is irrelevant. It's my job to fix it, and inform you of how to maintain the Prince in your poodle. You came to me because you needed my help, not my criticism. Groomers who yell need to get a life they can live with, or just deal with it.

When you arrive at the groomers I am sure you already feel embarrassed and ashamed of how bad the frog looks. There is no need for any groomer to yell at you or make you feel worse than you already do. I personally know how hard it is to work all day, take care of a household, family,run the kids here and there...  plain and simple the Prince is forgotten in the rush of daily living and turns into a frog. This is totally understandable, and I hate to say it but, it is normal and shouldn't be too much of a problem for most groomers. Unless, you ask for the Frog to be turned into a Prince with longer fluffy styles, then we can have a problem, especially if the frog is matted to the skin and you want, WHAT?  As I have said before we are dog beauticians not magicians. We can do several things to make the frog look and feel better and sometimes the process of shaving it off and starting over, is best. Please don't misunderstand what I am saying here, when your groomer says shave it, don't always take it that she's yelling at you, or she just didn't want to brush it out.  She or he is only informing you of the safest most humane way to fix the poor little frog without putting him in danger of brush burns or nicks and cuts from the sharp de-matting tools necessary for the job. Not to mention, the pain of pulling out those deep matts. Did you ever have to pull tangles out of your own hair? Just think of how the Prince to be, is going to feel all over his poor little body. OUCH!.....................

Starting over isn't so bad, hair grows back, and if you refer to my blog on, Wheres My Hair, then the Prince won't be embarrassed about the new do.

Now let me give you some helpful tips on how to keep your poodle pampered. The first thing is, take a slicker brush made for your dogs hair type, your groomer can show you which one to use, OH, you have one; you say, I see, then use it!  Brush your dog at the very minimum once a week. It should only take you 5 to 10 minutes, you can use a dematt spay lightly over the coat prior to brushing, and this will help take out tangles and make the pet smell a little fresher. When the dog is matt and tangle free, you can wash him if you like, or you can just repeat the process weekly. If you like bathing your pet, you can wash it but only AFTER YOU BRUSHED IT.

Drying Prince to be, is the key to your success. During the drying process, put the dryer down in-between, and bush out the damp coat a couple of times, just enough to separate the hairs, then proceed drying until completely dry and fluffy. This is the only way to maintain that curly coat or it will MATT! Wet hair is like a wool sweater it shrinks and the hair becomes frayed which causes the matt. Brushing is the only way to stretch out the hair and remove dead coat to make it fluffy. Your happy, Puffy's fluffy and your groomer will be exstatic.

Now back to the transformation part, because all poodle type breeds require hair cuts every 4 to 6 weeks, you will need to bring them to a professional groomer, hopefully it will be me. :) but one in your town will do. It's the groomers job, to bathe, fluff dry, do the nails, express anals glands, and clean the ears. She will know which shampoos and conditioners are best to use, and how to style your dog to best suit the breed and body structure. She or he should be able to transform your little Frog to a shining Prince with out blinking an eye. If you are doing your part, we can do ours in a safe humane way. Thus the frog is on the table for a shorter amount of time, less stressed, pain free, no de-matting charges, and the transformed little Prince will be back in your loving arms in no time.

I would just like to reiterate, it is much better to maintain the coat at home, because the outcome of your pets style depends on the condition. In such a case as; you caught a cold, went on vacation, or something went wrong, and you couldn't brush the frog for a week or two, don't worry. A few tangles, and even a small amount of matting shouldn't be a problem for any groomer to handle. If they yell at you, that's simple, take your money elsewhere. There aren't any excuses for rudeness and bad customer service. And thats the Buzz on Doggie Talk

and the Princess too!

{{Huggies for my doggies}}

             Colette