Creative Styles Pet Grooming

I just got my RapidTest results and they were negative! Whew! Now to just wait out the rest of the quarantine....

Unfortunate news everyone: I was just informed by public health that I had a potential Covid19 exposure last Friday and will be under quarantine until 1/25. As a result, the shop will have to be closed until then. I have already reached out to everyone who had an appointment this week to inform them. I am asking everyone to please be patient with me while I deal with this. I will be working nights and weekends to accommodate everyone who had an appointment cancelled, I will get your pets taken care of as soon as I am able. Dogs will be rescheduled in the order in which they were cancelled. I am feeling fine right now but will be going to get tested tonight just to be sure. I’m really sorry for the inconvenience, this is the last thing I wanted to have happen but I need to quarantine to ensure that everyone stays safe.

My dogs and cats loved their treats last year, and all proceeds go to a great cause!

Dog fun fact of the day: New Zealand only has two breeds that originate from that country. These are the New Zealand Heading Dog (I double checked, it is Heading and not Herding) and the Huntaway. Both breeds are used to herd and control sheep, and the NZHD is the fourth most common breed of dog in New Zealand.

I thought it would be fun to post some doggy trivia/fun facts on days that I’m closed and not posting grooms. I’d like to start out by briefly explaining the history of one of the most recognized styles of coat worn by poodles in the show ring; the Continental, as modeled here by Siba, the standard poodle who won Westminster in 2020. The style has a foundation in function, not looks. Poodles were originally bred as waterfowl retrievers, and would obviously spend a lot of tim...e in the water during hunts. The theory is that for a dog retrieving ducks in cold water, the hair left on the body keep the shoulders and internal organs warm while the shaved areas free the dog up to swim better. The face was shaved short to make it easier for dogs to see and retrieve the birds and tying the hair on top of the head into a topknot would also help keep hair out of the eyes. As conformation dog shows became more popular and grooming tools and techniques became more advanced, it became more fashionable for bracelets and pompoms and other areas with coat left on them to be bigger and fluffier, closer to the more refined look we see today. It’s a cut that requires an immense amount of skill on the part of the groomer to put the pattern on the dog and then even more upkeep on the part of the owner to maintain the look, so it isn’t necessarily the best choice for the average pet poodle. But I have such an admiration for these dogs and how stunning they look in this classic style.

Yesterday was golden retriever day and today is apparently cocker spaniel day. Daisy makes the third one today.

How can you not fall in love with that squishy face? Gracie is so cute but she’s still a puppy so she’s a little devil!

Achilles may look like a scary dog but he’s a big teddy bear and is as sweet as can be.

Doesn’t Sammy look distinguished with her mutton chops and her little beard?

Here’s another pretty golden to star in my Golden Girls remake - who do you think Ella could be?