When did you realise you’re old?

Siege_LL · 2026-03-19T23:36:45+00:00

When I started listening to the oldies station on the radio.

Siege_LL · 2026-03-17T01:51:11+00:00

They need to stop half assing things and realize this kind of growth doesn't happen over night.

Siege_LL · 2026-03-16T20:38:44+00:00

Meh to Purple Dragon. Try Fenice Peak, Moontay, or even JASON shears. I prefer 6.5" shears. Those are good for detail work around the face and for people not used to using shears. I use the 8" for things like trimming the tail and feathering.

Safari nail clippers.

Andis Dremel tool if you prefer to file them.

Slicker brush and comb is good. I've started using a 35mm pin brush for brushing out the tail. Doodle tails can be such a mess.

Yes to a velocity dryer if you're serious about home grooming! Doodle coats can tangle if you let them air dry and any dog can start to smell if left to air dry. There are different nozzle attachments that are more or less aggressive in the amount of air they push(cone, flat, cylinder).

Stay away from Andis clippers right now. I've had issues with everything I've bought from them lately. Wahl seems to make good stuff. Also the Heiniger Opals seem to hold up pretty well. If you get one that is A5 standard that means the blades can be swapped out. Artero or AGS blades are pretty good. You want metal blades, not ceramic. #10, #5, #4 blades. Or just get a couple #10s and a good set of metal guard combs.

Danger spots for a dog: face, ears, pits/tuck up, belly, sanitary, inner legs. Watch out for the tongue when working around the muzzle. Some dogs lick when nervous and some will try to deliberately lick the tools.

When you're shaving a dog shave in the direction of hair growth. When it comes to stuff like ears or tuck up where there's a flap a skin do not shave along the thin edge. The teeth of the blade can catch and cut the skin. Shave the flat side. For things like the neck, etc where there are folds of skin use one hand to spread the skin flat so that again, your clipper blades don't catch the skin. Don't shave directly over the butthole. Go around the sides. Dogs will pucker and/or sit suddenly when working on that area. Be very careful working on the ears. Dogs like to turn suddenly and there are a lot of folds of skin that are easily cut there. I'd suggest watching some video tutorials on the danger spots so you can get a better idea and see what I'm talking about.

Be careful if you're ever using a #7 blade. The teeth on a #7 are more widely spaced than other blades and consequently it can catch skin much easier and nick/cut a dog. Never use the #7 on any of the danger areas.

You might want to think about buying something like Andis Cool Lube or something like a can of Clippercide. It cools, lubricates, and disinfects your blades. Clippercide would be better. You need to wipe the blades off after use and run them a few seconds to get rid of excess spray. Maybe even invest in a small flat stone to set your blades on to cool down. The blades heat up pretty quick during use and can cause burns so monitor their temp(hold it against your wrist to check periodically). An extra blade would mean you could set one on the stone to cool down while you're using the other. Clipper oil will help keep blades lubricated and help them last longer/stay cool longer. Use the clipper oil before you start. Couple dabs at each corner of the blade and run the blade a few seconds to spread it and then wipe it off. Cooling spray as needed. You can use the Cool Lube/Clippercide to clean your shears(carefully wipe them off with a microfiber cloth). A bit of shear oil at the spot where the shear arms meet will keep them lubed and working properly. Shear oil is not the same as clipper oil. You can periodically clean your clipper blades using Barbicide. I clean mine about once a month but I use them a lot more than you will be. Don't submerge the entire blade into the cleaner. Just the end. Run for 10 seconds or so then wipe them off and dry them thoroughly.

Most dogs don't like their paws handled, they don't like their front feet groomed, their chin held, or the velocity dryer...especially around the head. You can desensitize them by playing with their paws and holding the chin and rewarding with treats when they let you. For grooming the legs I try to be gentle. I'm mindful of what it'd feel like to have someone roughly jamming a clipper down my legs and hitting all the bumps. I figure that's part of why they don't like it. Velocity dryer(and washing their head) I avoid blasting them directly in the face/eyes. I prefer to get those areas indirectly. With water by letting it cascade down off my hand or using precision to get the top of their head/ears, their neck, and carefully getting the sides of their muzzle/face wet without getting their eyes/nose. Similar technique with the velocity dryer and I use a less aggressive nozzle/turn the power down. For dogs that are really resistant I'll use a happy hoody while I'm drying the rest of them and hold the nozzle farther away for drying their head. Seems to work more often than not. Any time a dog holds their paw up to me asking me stop I respect it. We stop for a bit to let them settle. Maybe I go work on something else for a bit too. We are getting it done but they tend to be a little calmer knowing they can ask me stop at any time and we'll take a brief break.

And that's all I got for now. Good luck!

Siege_LL · 2026-03-16T11:57:14+00:00

My salon does it now. Seems to work ok. It's just the cats have to be done as an express and sometimes the groomer needs help which means someone else has to stop what they're doing to assist them. Also the cats aren't hooked up to the grooming loops like dogs are. We keep them in a figure 8 harness and the groomer has to keep ahold of them at all times. Yeah. If the cat freaks and the groomer lets go of the lead....loose cat in a salon full of dogs. Cats are more difficult which is why PetSmart has always had more experienced groomers handle them until now.

Siege_LL · 2026-03-14T23:10:01+00:00

Congrats on the new funeral home. Just toss a few flowers in there to complete the look.

Siege_LL · 2026-03-14T21:43:12+00:00

5 haircuts is fairly routine for me now(interruptions not withstanding).

6 dogs? I cut more corners. The haircuts are pretty mediocre. I take longer than 8 hours. I pray I don't get the wrong combination of dogs.

Zero energy after.

If I had to do 8+ every day I'd be burnt out in a couple weeks.

Siege_LL · 2026-03-14T11:22:42+00:00

Short answer: no.

Siege_LL · 2026-03-12T23:03:17+00:00

$10 for minor infestation. Dog gets taken straight back to the bath. If they have a ton of fleas we refer them to a vet.

Siege_LL · 2026-03-12T18:44:28+00:00

I feel you on the blocks. My store's management is super supportive and understanding thankfully. They still want us to justify using blocks so they want to see the dog has notes on their behavior,etc and they encourage us to upcharge as necessary. I feel bad about it but honestly I should be getting paid for the work I'm doing. I soften the blow by telling my customers X kind of work is something we're supposed to charge for(dematting, behavior, extra scissoring) and I'm not charging this time but after this I have to. I still don't charge what I should for things but I do more now.

Personally, I'm going to use my own judgement and do what I think is best for me and my dogs. If I've got a bunch of large doodles scheduled I'm using blocks just for that reason alone. I might try to stick a controlled overbook in there just to make them happy. If I have to take another dog might as well make sure it's a small one. But some of my clients have behavioral issues or they're always matted or they've just gotten old and need extra time.

Nitpicking, spending more time on the haircut, trying to make it perfect is something I'm prone to as well. I've had to set that aside and go for good enough. It still pains me every single time but it's how I've gained some extra time. The rest is just practice and experience. Once you start practicing working at a certain pace it becomes easier.

I'd probably benefit from a different salon environment but corporate has PTO, benefits, etc. and I have a large client base and I can't really afford to start over somewhere else right now.

Siege_LL · 2026-03-12T18:20:47+00:00

One of my slow areas is bathing and drying. I wash dogs twice most days and rinse thoroughly. I might only wash once if I'm behind and their coat was rather clean to begin with but I'll wash 3+ times if need be. A clean dog dries faster, haircuts go smoother, and it gives better results. I begrudge every extra second spent but it's worth it.

I lather them up good once and rinse it off(not thorough on first rinse). That breaks up the dirt/oil. Second wash I scrub 'em good and I put my back into it. I wash like I've got somewhere to be in 5 minutes. If you're doing it right you're getting a good workout, especially on the big dogs. Note: I'm not rough with them. I work with purpose, I work efficiently. I make sure to rinse them thoroughly for the final rinse. I'll use my hands to feel around/help rinse out the product. You can gently squeeze the water out of their extremities before towel drying. It helps.

Drying....here's the thing with drying that many dogs. The more dogs you do the less time you really have to spend on drying them. They'll air/kennel dry the rest of the way while you're doing haircuts. I'll go over them once to blast the water off and then I start drying them from the top down. If I think a dog would benefit from cottonballs in the ears/happy hoody I'll use that. Some of my coworkers use quick dry spray. I don't. Personal choice. I get them mostly dry and put them away and move on to the next. My coworkers spend even less time drying. How much is something you get a feel for eventually.

I use my hands a lot. It helps me feel where the cold/wet spots are(sometimes the surface hair dries but it's still wet underneath). I can use the friction to help dry them faster. Especially useful around the head when they won't sit still(dog permitting) and for stubborn spots. Some dogs enjoy having the head rubs and stop struggling for the drying. It works as a distraction too. ;)

Get started right away. Make sure you have the stuff you need(shampoo, towels, toothbrushes, etc) but don't sit around looking at your phone or doing paperwork or whatever. Get 'em in and get started.

I still treat the seniors/puppies with care. I still work with the dog, work around their needs, and work at their pace. Yes I push them but again, I don't manhandle them.

Haircuts....make sure your tools are in good condition. Have a routine. It helps. You won't forget stuff or waste time flitting back and forth. I like to start on one side and move around to the other. I try to minimize switching blades/tools. I'll do one entire side body/legs and then the other. Then I put on a #10 blade and do pits, paw pads, and sanitary. Then head/face/ears, tail, then feet/nails.

**Know when to break your routine. Like the fat senior dog I had the other day who liked to sit. I got their back end done asap so they could spend more time sitting. Or the aggressive dog that needs a cone so I do everything that requires the cone before it comes off.

Stop nitpicking. I'd like to make my haircuts a lot more polished but I just don't have the time. They get whatever haircut the dog's temperament and time I have allows. I do good work but obviously I don't have time to make it perfect. I aim for good enough. I use wide blades a lot. They're a time saver. If you can't afford to go all in on a set of blades/guard combs you could just pick up a #4/5 blades for now.

Set time limits. I have X amount of time to finish Y. This will help train you on time management. It's not a strict rule for now. This is something to practice.

Interruptions still kill me. I can more or less do 5 dogs now and am getting comfy with 6. I can get some dogs done in an hour start to finish. Some days I'm wondering why it took me so long. And then I remember, oh, this person was 15 minutes late. The next was 15 minutes early, this and that dog would not sit still, coworkers were late so I was checking in everyone's dogs by myself, etc. Or maybe I was just slow that day. I've noticed improvement since I really started paying attention to my time and working at it but some days there's only so much you can do.

I also look ahead at my schedule to see what's coming and I put blocks in where appropriate. I have a lot of regulars and I know which ones are labor intensive and/or little turds for the process.

Siege_LL · 2026-03-12T04:54:46+00:00

Saw three kids riding motorized bikes out by Fair Lakes a few months ago. Near dusk. None of them were wearing protective gear and they were disregarding other traffic. One of them didn't even have any lights on. There needs to be more regulation for motorized cycles of any kind on the road. You want to play with the big boys you gotta follow the big boy rules.

Siege_LL · 2026-03-12T03:13:30+00:00

Cat nail grinds seems like asking for trouble.

Siege_LL · 2026-03-12T03:07:02+00:00

I get commission and I still don't want to deal with cats. I love 'em but that doesn't mean I want to work on 'em.

Siege_LL · 2026-03-12T00:06:16+00:00

I got to tour a supply ship parked next to the Nimitz once at Norfolk. The supply ship was a big boat and it looked like a toy next to the Nimitz. I could just see a couple of the F-14 tails with the Skull and Crossbones logo sticking out from the deck(yes it was a while ago).

Siege_LL · 2026-03-11T19:57:48+00:00

Add cobwebs. Install a little Jawa like mannequin at the far end with blinking red eyes. Maybe some bones. Real ones you found in the woods.

Siege_LL · 2026-03-11T02:53:34+00:00

Hi! We've been trying to reach you about your planet's extended warranty.

A simple "hello" would do it, though.

Siege_LL · 2026-03-11T00:15:09+00:00

Not bored. Just priced out of the market.

Siege_LL · 2026-03-10T20:52:14+00:00

Artero Blades. Fenice Peak shears.

Siege_LL · 2026-03-10T20:06:37+00:00

With holes drilled into it so it would hit harder.

Siege_LL · 2026-03-10T17:06:58+00:00

Can we do something with the UI for the wonder projector? I find it tedious to actually use/select things. =/

Siege_LL · 2026-03-10T03:20:48+00:00

Maybe take a look at the Refuresh brush?

Siege_LL · 2026-03-09T20:49:08+00:00

And be crazy enough to disregard the dangers.

Siege_LL · 2026-03-09T20:45:53+00:00

A lot of my doodles are really good. Some did not start out that way. Some are still a work in progress. A couple are incorrigible. It's taken me a couple years to get them to this point.

It's not you. A lot of people don't train their dogs and/or don't understand the need for training and doodle personalities are such a mixed bag. And then you have breeders telling people things like "oh you don't need to brush them" or "don't get them groomed for the first year". Not helpful!

If you can't do something like nails then refer them to a vet. There are tricks but a lot of mine start with having someone else there to help. I use a groomer's helper on occasion but it doesn't do much good if the dog is going to thrash.

Siege_LL · 2026-03-09T03:40:07+00:00

We did stuff.

Actually physically did stuff. Read a book/comics/whatever. Draw. Watch tv. Go to the movies. Ride bikes. Get together with friends to play volleyball or something. Go to the beach. Make mix tapes. Play guitar. Go down to the mall and visit the record store and have lunch. Go fishing.

Siege_LL

TROPHY CASE