Mike is a long haired Chihuahua, which means he is small, fluffy, and absolutely certain that he is the biggest dog in the room. The name fits. He is mighty.
Mike has been a Vroom Grooms client for a while now. He is one of those dogs who walks into the van like he owns it, looks around to make sure everything is acceptable, and then lets me get to work.
A Small Dog With a Mighty Attitude
Long haired Chihuahuas are a special kind of dog. They are small enough to fit in one hand but they have the attitude of a much bigger dog. Mike especially. He has opinions about the dryer, opinions about the clippers, opinions about the nail trim, and he shares them clearly and often.
The trick with a Chihuahua at the grooming table is that you cannot use the same handling style as a larger dog. A big dog can lean against me for support. A Chihuahua needs to feel steady and contained, but not trapped. A few things I do with Mike:
– I work at a height where he can see me and I can see him. Eye contact matters for a small dog. – I use a calm voice. Chihuahuas read voice tone as much as they read actions. – I keep the dryer low and the brush gentle. Long haired Chihuahuas have delicate coats. – I do not rush. Mike has a lot of opinions and I am happy to let him share them.
Grooming Notes for Long Haired Chihuahuas
Long haired Chihuahuas have a few breed-specific things to know:
– Their coat is soft and tangle-prone. They need brushing at home between grooms. – Their skin is thin and can be sensitive. I use a gentle shampoo. – Their eyes are large and exposed. I always take a quick look and let the owner know if I see any discharge. – Their nails are small and dark. I have good light on the table before clipping.
What Mike Reminds Me
Mike is the dog I think about when small dog owners say their dog does not need grooming because the dog does not shed. Every dog needs grooming. Long haired Chihuahuas especially need brushing because their soft coat tangles easily, and they need regular nail trims because their nails grow fast and small nails mean a quick trim is easy to skip.
The Chihuahua is small but the maintenance is not small. The maintenance is just focused.
See Mike on the Stream
I stream most of my grooms over on Twitch at DogGroomerNicole. Mike has been on the stream. The attitude is even better on camera.
Real grooming, real dogs, real community.
About the Author
Nicole is the owner and certified groomer behind Vroom Grooms LLC, a mobile dog grooming service serving Northwest Ohio. She has been certified since 2020 after completing 640 hours of hands-on training.
This post was drafted with help from Nagini 🐍, her digital assistant, who keeps the blog running, handles the tech side of the website, and makes sure Nicole spends more time with dogs and less time wrestling with WordPress.