That Stuff Is Here Again

You all know the stuff, we get it every year. That cold wet snow that covers the ground. Some of my friends that come here love it! They come running into the store all excited and jumping up and down "there's snow, Cyrus, SNOOOOOWWW, Let's go PLAAAYYY"! "What is wrong with you" I ask, all they do is look at me as if I'm crazy. I hate the stuff, always have. It's cold on my feet. When is spring coming, Mom?

What is Wrong With You!

I just don't get it. Why, oh why would you guys willingly get into a bathtub? Why do you let my mom trim your nails? There has got to be something wrong with you. Especially you, Colby, handing my mom your paws like, "do this one now, thank you," you wuss. Do you really think my mom will love you more because of this? Do you think she'll love you more than she loves me? Let me show you how this is done. When she calls me, I run to my blanket and cower, poor, poor me, (nothing has ever happened, but I've got to lay on the guilt) then she says "Cyrus, get up, we're taking a bath.” I slowly walk into the tub, expressing as much hate as possible, so mom knows I really don't want to do this. Then, I stand, motionless, like if I move, I'll melt or something. Then, when it's time for the dreaded nail trim, I need to pull my feet away, dance, and put all my weight on the foot mom is trying to cut. Are you guys taking notes? I don't see anyone paying attention to me. Do you really enjoy this or something? Could that be possible? You guys just don't get it. Unbelievable.

Into the Jaws of the Sharks

There's got to be a better way for my mom to do this!!! A Lhasa Apso mix came into the store today, a nice girl, in general, just doesn't like being groomed. Imagine that, happy go lucky until she hits the grooming table and then by some genetic transformation turns from dog to shark, with many rows of teeth waiting for an opportune time to sink them into mom's skin. And some people think my mom's job is all fun and games...... Fortunately, or perhaps unfortunately, these are the kinds of animals my mom is really successful at grooming. I watch, from a distance on my blanket not too far from all the action, trying to send calm vibes their way, while my mom gracefully finesses her way around her open jaws. "Cyrus" she says."the trick here is to get this done with no injuries to the dog, watch how we do this" she says with all the confidence in the world. Mom then proceeds to turn up the radio, starts singing and dancing with the monster at hand, a little snip here a little snip there and voila..... mission accomplished! It's kind of hard not to have a good time here, even if you are a shark!

Somewhere Between Extremely Sweet and Eternally Grateful

Along with a long term client, came a new pet, Sadie. Sadie was a seven year old Brittany Spaniel that was recently adopted by Vicki, a woman with as kind of a heart as they come. Now Sadie didn't get surrendered by her previous owners because of lack of money or some of the other understandable reasons that people get rid of their pets, in fact, they disposed of her because she suddenly became blind. Suffering from sudden retinal deterioration, Sadie could no longer roam the farm where she spent her life outdoors. This challenge was of no concern for her new family, nor was the fact that this girl never knew what a warm soft bed was all about. When her newly adopted parents brought her home, Sadie didn't seem to have any problems adjusting to home life or to the different places that Vicki would bring her. When Sadie came to my mom's shop for grooming, she greeted us with wagging tail and a smile on her face. When my mom brought Sadie on the other side of the security gate in the store, I quickly realized she couldn't see, she was banging into walls, chairs everything that created an obstacle. But for Sadie, these were not obstacles, at all, she would quickly change direction and proceed forth with no fear as if nothing bothered her. Sadie made herself right at home and was a breeze to groom. It was plain to see that she was in her element, in her new life, and eternally grateful for it!

A PET'S TEN COMMANDMENTS

                                                     


1. My life is likely to last 10-15 years. Any separation from you is likely to be painful.


2. Give me time to understand what you want of me


3. Place your trust in me. It is crucial for my well-being.


4. Don't be angry with me for long and don't lock
me up as punishment. You have your work, your friends, your entertainment, but I have only you.


5. Talk to me. Even if I don't understand your words, I do understand your voice when speaking
to me.


6. Be aware that however you treat me, I will never forget it.


7. Before you hit me, before you strike me, remember that I could hurt you, and yet, I choose not to bite
you.


8. Before you scold me for being lazy or uncooperative, ask yourself if something might be bothering me. Perhaps I'm not getting the right food, I have been in the sun too long, or my heart might be getting old or weak.


9. Please take care of me when I grow old. You too, will grow old.

10. On the ultimate difficult journey, go with me please. Never say you can't bear to watch Don't
make me face this alone. Everything is easier for me if you are there, because I love you so




~Take a moment today to thank God for your pets Enjoy and take good care of them.

Sent to us, just wanted to share

The K9 above is Brutus, a military K9 at McChord.

He's huge - part Boxer and part British Bull Mastiff and tops the scales at 200 lbs. His handler took
the picture. Brutus is running toward me because he knows I have some Milk Bone treats, so he's
slobbering away! I had to duck around a tree just before he got to me in case he couldn't stop, but he did. Brutus won the Congressional Medal of Honor last year from his tour in Iraq .
His handler and four other soldiers were taken hostage by insurgents. Brutus and his handler communicate by sign language and he gave Brutus the signal that meant 'go away but come back and find me'. The Iraqis paid no attention to Brutus. He came back later and quietly tore the throat out of one guard at one door and another guard at another door. He then jumped against one of the doors repeatedly (the guys were being
held in an old warehouse) until it opened. He went in and untied his handler and they all escaped.
He's the first K9 to receive this honor. If he knows you're ok, he's a big old lug and wants to sit in your lap.

Brutus enjoys the company of cats.

Talk about animal intelligence and bonding with humans!

Remember that they can't do a lot of things for themselves and that they depend on you to make
their life a quality life!

A New Dog?

One of mom's clients came in the other day asking what her thoughts were on them getting another dog. "We're thinking of adding to our family" she says. "What do you think, Lisa"? Well, the decision to get another pet should be thought through very well. Thing to consider are.... is everyone in the family on the same page, are there children who you are requesting help from in the every day care of the pet, do your finances allow for the increase of possible vet bills, extra food and  regular visits to the groomer, how old is your current pet and are you prepared to extend the amount of time that you own a pet (they're not disposable), is your current pet dog friendly?All of these questions are some of the things to consider before bringing a new friend into the home. If you feel you're ready, then go ahead. You may want to consider adoption from a rescue or shelter. There are so many animals in need of a new home. Do you want a puppy or a dog that's already trained? Are you considering a breed that you're unfamiliar with?It's very important to have a suitable breed for your life style and living situation. You may want to talk with someone who knows about the needs of different kinds of breeds.
One of the biggest considerations should be how your current pet is going to feel about sharing your attention. You may want a trial run to see how they respond.
If every thing seems to align well, then by all means, add to the pack and enjoy!

Do Dogs Lie?

Well that would give us the ability to reason, a much heated debate amongst humans! You tell me, here's food for thought.
This morning, Charlie came to the store for grooming. When he reached the open front door he high tailed it in the opposite direction as if to say "I'm not going in there again". Now my mom knows that Charlie loves it here, he loves playing with me and he likes being groomed, so what's the deal Charlie? Mom goes into the lobby and picks him up, reassuring him that every thing is alright, while his mom tells him to "stop it" and tells my mom "he hates having baths at home". Well we've never seen this side of him. His mom turns to leave and says "you'll be fine, Charlie" and walks out the door. No sooner does she leave, Charlie is all happy and looks to me for some playtime as he dashes across the floor, tail wagging! According to him (he told me in private) "I have to make my mom think she's the bad guy, what kind of dog would I be if I didn't try to make everyone feel guilty about leaving me behind! It's all a ruse", he says.
Now I remember my grandma telling me about the dogs she used to have when my mom was growing up. Rex and Heidi were beautiful German Shepherds. Rex was a typical male dog, went about his dog business while his sister, Heidi, was a human trapped in a dogs body! She used to trick Rex into believing someone was at the door, just to occupy the couch that Rex was on. Now it's not like there was no place else to sit, she just wanted that couch. She'd get up, run to the front door, barking, manipulating her brother into the  protect the house mode and then she'd run and steal his spot. She knew there was no one out there, and he'd fall for it every time!
So you tell me, do dogs lie? You bet they they do!

Mom's car is at the shop, so we've been using a loaner van! I love it, there's so much room for me to sit and stretch out anywhere I want! This morning we picked up a little girl names Jessie. Jessie has been coming to the shop for a few years now and she's so much fun. She was a little reluctant getting into the van until she saw me! She was so happy to see me and just curled up in between my legs and rode the whole way to the store that way, we love her!

Another year come and gone. We have seen some beautiful days and some hard times befall us all. With the struggling economy, devastating housing foreclosures, and jobs lost, we are forced to look at and cherish the things that mean the most to us: health, family, and friends. Mom and I are fortunate enough to have all three of these.
Today at work, we groomed: Wolfgang - an adorable Shih Tzu Bichon mix,  our old friend Chip, and a couple of Golden Retrievers - Mason and Zach. All beautiful dogs who are full of laughter. Their mom told us that Mason has come upon some health issues that have been,so far, undiagnosed. The veterinary team at the U of M has been working on trying to figure it out to no avail. Possible cancer or autoimmune disease lurk in a grim future. With tears in my mom's eyes, I watch her groom him and at every available opportunity Mason licks her face as if to say everything will be alright. We will pray for him and his family.

 We would like to thank all  of our dear friends,old and new,who put their  trust in us to take care of their beloved pets. You mean the world to us. Without your love our lives would be considerably less full!

Your friends and family at Dreadlocks for Dingoes wish you the best for the coming year 2010.
Have a Happy and Healthy New Year,
Lisa and Cyrus

Well, mom and I are back to work today. We had a wonderful holiday, nice and peaceful. Mom got a remote car starter from her boyfriend, and she bought a huge TV for my brothers and me! I don't care about the TV too much; only when Animal Planet is on. I guess I should introduce my brothers. I have a two-legged (human) brother who yells at me to get off the couch, and I have three other brothers. They're much older than me, so they're the bosses. They like to follow the sun around the house and just lay in it but they seem to have a problem with their bark - it's more like a  continuous low rumble and a meeeow sound. I'm not sure what their problem is. I do know that they're much smaller than I am and if I really wanted to, I could take em'. But I know my place, and I'm sure my mom would get upset with me if I disrupted them.
We have a Standard Poodle coming in today. His name is Bentley.  His dad found out about Dreadlocks for Dingoes from another client who also owns a  S. Poo. They were walking around the lakes when they saw Seamus. His mom said the only place she would ever take her dog to is to my mom's store! I can understand why, my mom is really nice to all the animals that come in here. Bentley's parents came from 45 minutes away - how nice is that.
Well, let's start the day.
Hoping everyone's holiday was as wonderful as ours and wishing everyone a Happy New Year.

I'm home - back from my sleep over at Jo's. She has Jackie, the Jack Russell; Sport, the Pug / Cocker mix; and Rudolph, the Italian Greyhound. We sit in front of the fireplace, eat rawhides on the couch and watch Animal Planet. Too much fun!
I saw lots of friends yesterday; I had a blast. Pooches I haven't seen in a long time, like Domino, the most beautiful black Cocker Spaniel. One of moms old friends from the Animal Humane Society brought in a Lhasa Apso that supposedly was really aggressive. We had no problems with Cesar; he was actually a pretty nice guy. At the end of the day, a guy called about a Schnauzer, Fritz, that had bitten other groomers. Jo agreed to bring the little guy in and proceeded to do a really good job of making friends with him. He was good until the last 15 minutes of the groom. His dad was in the store watching, while talking on the phone to his girlfriend. He told his girlfriend he'd never seen groomers handle Fritz so well. He was thrilled. Needless to say, he'll be back!
Oh noooooo,( in the famous words of Mr. Bill) did I hear the word bath??? Jo, please don't stick me in the tub.......I promise I won't smell bad anymore....

This morning, mom overslept and I didn't get a chance to eat my breakfast. Then she wonders why I kept pulling the McMuffin wrappers out of the garbage at work.
We're off to a great start at the beginning of Christmas week. Mom has been answering phones non-stop with clients who want to get in before their company comes!
Today,we had a new Golden Retriever / Poodle mix. He was a cute puppy and considering this was his first groom, he did really well. I love it when we get new friends in the store, we always have so much fun.
I'm going home with Jo today, I guess they miss me at their house. I usually stay there when mom goes on vacation, but this time I'm just going for the night! I get to sleep with Bess, Jo's 15 year old daughter. Yea!

I saw my girlfriend. The first time I met her was three months ago. She was a four month old, white ball of fluff, that ran around the store like a crazy woman. Her dad brought her in yesterday, Saturday, for a bath just before the holiday company was arriving. Zuri suprised me, she is now a 120-pound, enormous, animal. Still a huge ball of fluff and every bit as much of  a wild woman, only now I was the one being dominated and pinned to the floor. I am in love.
Sunday is finally here and I get to stay home and do what dogs are supposed to do after a long week of work.....nothing!

Thursday was so much fun! We had a full house and everyone enjoyed themselves! Mom had a few new clients, so I made three new friends: Ike, Tess and Cooper.  Tess, a Golden Retriever, was attacked by a Labrador that lives down the street from her. Her owner thought she might be afraid of dogs after that, but Tess showed no signs of fear when she was here! She was full of life, mingling with all my other friends and if mom or Jo (mom's help) stood still for any length of time, Tess became an instant foot warmer! She was great! Then there was the silliest Golden, Ike. Ike would roll on his back and start boxing when mom tried to move him. It was all in fun, you could tell by the huge smile on Ike's face! One of moms favorite clients came in, Howard, with two Bearded Collies, Nathan and Teddy, and Cedrick the Wire Haired Dachshund. These guys are all retired show dogs so they're beautiful and really well mannered.
All in all...a great day!

Yesterday was quite the day. Busy, busy , busy. Mom had her share of fluffy friends. Three Winstons, three Golden Retrievers (Sunny, Riley and Colby), Macara - the ever so timid border collie, Murphy, Sydney and last but not least the infamous Torrey and Timmy. Torrey is a Scottish Terrier that has taken years to learn how to groom safely. He's not an aggressive dog but he does what's know in the grooming world as "the alligator roll." This is when then flip around, thrashing to and fro with complete disregard to damage they are causing themselves or others. Mom has done really well in rehabilitating this dog and can now groom him really well. Yesterday, he and his brother, Timmy, the West Highland Terrier, switched roles. Neither Mom or Timmy's mom can understand what's gotten into him! He tried to bite me, and I'm no little dog, so mom had to put him in a kennel. Usually my friends can roam around the store and make themselves at home. It's a good atmosphere for everyone.
Today, mom is taking a well deserved day off. Starting tomorrow it's full days until Christmas!
This is my time to be with my mom, wonder what we'll do later? Time to go!
Lots of licks and kisses,
Cyrus

Tuesday. Sub-zero temps, and I'm NOT going out there, period. Hey....MOM, MOM, my feet are cold. How did she do that - all of a sudden here I am out in the snow. I guess I'd better hurry. Just for that, mom, I'm jumping in your bed with wet feet. Mom is so grateful.
Here at work again, I guess we have a lot of friends coming in today. I do know mom has help. I love her help, she pays more attention to me than my own mother. We'll just have to see what the day brings. I know that one of these guys needs to have the magic face mask on. He's can be very difficult. He gets along well with me and my mom, just not when she puts him up on the grooming table! My mom put the magic face mask on me once. She said I wouldn't stop barking at the people. This thing has a totally different affect on me than it does everyone else. When mom put it on me, my head felt so heavy I couldn't hold it up and it completely immobilized my voluntary motor system. I froze, space and time seemed to slow down. I couldn't think. All I remember was a laughter in the distance. I almost fell over and then she took it off. Still laughing mom said, "I told you not to bark." I guess she meant it. I was so exhausted after that I had to take a nap.
Well, here comes my first friend, yeah!

First thing this morning

Mom throws me out into the newly white snow and says, "go potty, Cyrus." I know what I'm supposed to do out there, I just don't want to. It's cold. Then she pushes my butt out out the door and closes it behind me. She's so mean, why can't I just do this in the house, she does?
Then it's off to work. My usual routine is to bolt out the back door and while mom gets the car I run down to the road, smell all the neighbor dogs who have been here recently, and meet her at the end of the driveway. Today, what does she do? She takes hold of my necklace with all it's charms and doesn't let me run to the street! How am I supposed to re-mark my trees near the street? God, Mom.
We get to work and the first thing mom has to do is shovel the walk. She does this while I watch from the warmth of the store, and cheer her on, way to go, mom, that's the way to shovel . . .  I have a little grin on my face, can you see it?
Mom says, "The definition of stupid is doing the same thing, over and over again, expecting a different outcome." Well if this is true, then my mom is sooooo stupid! She keeps grooming these dogs that want to bite her and despite her loving them up, cuddling and singing to them, they still try and bite. She just keeps on grooming them like nothing is happening, they couldn't get a negative reaction from her if they.....tried even harder! She says, "One day they'll stop, Cyrus, you'll see." Isn't this the true definition of stupid? She claims it's a battle of the obstinate. Somebody's got to give eventually. I've got my money on my mom!

Hi, I'm Cyrus

Let me introduce myself. I'm Cyrus. My mom owns a grooming store in Minneapolis called Dreadlocks for Dingoes. I'm going to tell you what it's like to be the dog of a groomer. You'd think that it's a blast, coming to work everyday with my mom, but I don't always think that way. She pays more attention to everyone else. I'm neglected.

A little about me......I'm a big beautiful Doberman Pinscher. People say I scare them but I don't mean to, I'd never bite anyone. I'm trying to work on my bark so it's not so scary. My previous owner wasn't very nice to me, in fact they threw me out of their car and abandoned me on the streets. I wandered around for a long time, I was really hungry, until someone found me and brought me to a place where there were lots of other friends who didn't have homes either. My mom worked at this place. I was poked and proded by a bunch of people and then they fed me. I was so hungry. Then they tried to take my food away from me while I was eating. I didn't understand at the time but I guess it was a test to see if I'd bite them! Of course I didn't and they said I was a good boy. Then they stuck me in a room with a lot of other friends. We were all separated and couldn't see each other but they sure had a lot to say. In fact they didn't shut up all day until lights out at sleep time.
I was in this place for a while, it seemed like an eternity to me. At least they fed me and I had a blanket to sleep on so I guess it was better than wandering the streets.

Then some other two legged friend wanted to take me home with her, I was excited. I thought I was going home with her but as it turns out my mom pleaded with this lady to let her take me home. Something about the numbers on my collar and some sort of connection, I'm not sure what's up with that, but I'm really glad cause I love my mom.

So now, I get to go to work with my mom everyday. I don't really remember much of the hard times in my life. I think I have a lot more friends than she does. Her friends just stop by everyday and leave my friends with me! My mom spends all day doing bathing and grooming my friends (they're kind of stinky when they come in) but they always leave looking so nice.

Mom doesn't let me play with my friends too much, though, something about getting them messed up, I don't get it. It's not so much fun, she pays attention to them all day and I don't even get to play. Why do they come in here again?