What is a *backyard groomer*? From talk over the years I figure it refers to someone who buys $20-$40 clippers from the local pet store to do their own dog and then progresses to shaving the neighbor’s dogs for some quick cash. They may work out of their kitchen, garage or basement, with no precautions or real knowledge of safety or even cleanliness. They seem eager to pass on any information they may acquire, mostly gossip or old wive’s tales. For some reason people love to hang on to these stories. I myself prefer fact based methods that have been proved! Pet groomers do not have to be licensed. I’m divided on that one. I”ve sat in on Sallie’s... Read more»
I love going down to Pet Pizazz to work on this site. Sally is so dedicated to keeping up on new tecniques and learning new methods. She knows I share her interest and love even though I no longer groom for a living. I was totally excited when she introduced me to Jodi Murphy’s site and video about deshedding theory and tecniques. Jodi Murphy is a two time Master Pet Stylist and has achieved the status of NCMG (National Certified Master Groomer) through The National Dog Groomers Association of America as well as MPS Meritus (Master Pet Stylist Meritus) through the International Society of Canine Cosmetology. These titles allow Jodi to certify groomers to their master pet stylist... Read more»
We are now in week 8 or 9 of Farfelle’s hand stripping. For the record, I’m doing this for numerous reasons: To debunk the myth that once coat is shaved or neglected for years hair texture can never be restored I’ve always dreamed of owning a bright, wire coated griffon I have the time Things are changing so I thought “d do an update and talk about stage 2. I have worked on him for about 1/2 hour per day, give or take. Brushing or carding is producing very little dead undercoat now. I have changed to a medium toothed stripper. You need to be careful when you do this, it grabs quite a few hairs at a time, it is easy to get overzealous and painfully... Read more»
20 Jul
About Debbie (about time!)
I’ve been a puppet, a pauper, a pirate, a poet, a pawn and a queen …I do NOT lead a boring life! I was introduced to Sallie through a mutual friend because who besides a former groomer who does websites should team up with the best shop in the Conway area? I adore Sallie and the other people at Pet Pizazz and they let me share in a piece of what I had to give up when I retired on disability 5 years ago. I was born with a passion for animals, from a very early age I could *understand* their ways and behaviors. I became the local dog walker and caretaker between the ages of 5 and 7. I was fearles but never careless! The most unapproachable dogs in the neighborhood would... Read more»
18 Jul
More about Farfelle
I get emails asking about Farfelle. Where his name came from, what is he really like, so I thought I’d do a little fun article about him. Back in 1953 – 1965 Nestle’s had a wonderful commercial featuring Jimmy Nelson, a puppeteer. He did 30 second skits starring Danny and Farfel. Find more videos like this on www.truveo.com. When I was a kid in the early sixties, I adored that commercial! I would come from anywhere in the house to sing along. As I got older, I vowed I would someday have my own dog named Farfel. It took until 2002 to find the perfect Farfel, but that’s ok. The name Farfel is actually a noodle. By defination it is a yiddish, pellet... Read more»
15 Jul
It’s Me or the Dog!
Another person I admire wholeheartedly as an animal handler is Victoria Stillwell from It’s Me or the Dog on Animal Planet. She has bling, a very deep understanding of dog behavior and has developed many successful methods of positive training. Notice I say *training*, not psychology. She has a way of cutting right to the chase with stubborn owners. Her chastisements are direct without offending, urging people to own up to their contributions to bad behavior. Her instructions are simple to understand, consisting of patience, understanding, positive reinforcement and repetition. I find it to resemble programming, repeat until one can do the motions naturally, without thought. ... Read more»
14 Jul
Shop Scenes
A typical day inside Pet Pizazz! Hard work, beautiful finishes, memorable expressions and happenings that will make you smile. Chihuahua pup for bath and nails, Hadley Case in the tub Huskey shedout, start to finish ] Another huskey shedout, Gizmo and Sassy Dick Fulton and Gracie, Snuggles Krasula. Mimi A thoughtful cutie, Punkie Swartz Kadejia helping... Read more»
12 Jul
Agressive Dogs
Many dogs are taken to the shelter or put to sleep because of aggression. I have learned that unless a dog has been specifically been trained to be aggressive to people or other dogs (fighting dogs, home trained *guard dogs*) their aggression falls into different categories and can be managed. Territorial – usually insecure, taking the role of protecting *their* property, person, food, toys, etc Frustrated – lack of exercise, boredom, too much pent up energy, high prey drive. Dominant – lack of firm leadership leads dog to try to control people and situations. Fear – lack of trust, possibly not socialized properly. It can be very difficult to pinpoint exactly which one is the... Read more»
First thing I’d like to say; this is the absolutely WRONG time to start hand stripping your pet. The old coat will not shed out easily nor will the new hair grow until fall. I decided to start now for numerous reasons: Farfelle is a disaster – his color is a light beige, long and all frizzy undercoat, I have the time to card and comb him for 15 -20 minutes a day to remove dead hair daily. I am getting him into a routine, he gets stripped and then gets a treat. It’s quality time and he don’t run when I ask to comb him. In this past month I have removed amost half of his *frizzies* making it easier to continue when fall comes The first picture is... Read more»
