Okay. Okay okay okay. I’m the Lion. You know the one. Deep breath. I’m writing this down because somebody has to, and apparently today it’s me.
Nicole ran the van today. She was dressed as my Dorothy, which is confusing, because she is Dorothy, so the only real difference was the dress. Somebody in chat told her the shoes were glass. She said, very kindly, that Dorothy wore red ruby slippers and that they were thinking of Cinderella. Then she went and groomed three dogs, which is braver than anything I have ever done.
Three dogs. Three! I counted them twice, and then a third time, just to be sure.
Cagney
Cagney is a mini doodle, and Cagney is a silly girl. Nicole said “You’re full of it, girlie.” She also said Cagney is awfully cute, which is how they get away with it. I would know. I get away with a lot.
Cagney put all of her weight on one foot so Nicole could not do the other one. I know that trick. I have done that trick. Nicole said, “I’m not letting you get your way. This is not happening with me, little lady.” Then, “Trust me, you’re going to feel a lot better after this.” Cagney did not believe her. I did not believe her either. We were both wrong.
It took two and a half hours. Nicole said so. I would have fainted at the twenty minute mark.
Lacey
Lacey is Cagney’s sister, and Nicole said it best: “Even your sister, completely different attitudes.” Which is true of sisters everywhere.
Lacey is also a mini doodle. Lacey had armpit knots. I did not know dogs had armpits. I know now, and honestly I would like to go back to not knowing. Nicole said, “You’ve got armpit knots too, don’t you,” and then, “let’s shave your armpits,” and Lacey was a very good puppy about the whole thing.
Then Nicole said, “Can I see your belly button now? I bet it’s just as knotted as your armpits were.” I had to step outside for that part. I came back in. She was right.
Oh — and Nicole was sure there was a ghost in the van. She kept seeing something move in the back and there was nothing there. Or maybe a chipmunk. I want everybody to know that if there HAD been a ghost, I would have handled it. Probably. I would have screamed first, but I would have handled it.
Kona
Kona is an Akita, and Kona is new. New dogs are scary. Not because they are scary — because I do not know them yet, and I do not know what they think of me.
Kona was not scared at all. Nicole said, “Look how pretty she is. You’re a beautiful girl.” Then later, “You are so chill. You are the chillest freaking dog ever. I love you.” And then the part that got me: “I want to hug you and squeeze you, but you’re new to me and I don’t know if you would like it yet.” That is the whole thing, right there. Asking first.
Kona got her feet done and mostly did not kick. Nicole told her, “It’s not that scary. It’s not that scary, big baby.” Kona said she knew she was a good girl. She is right. She is.
Nicole also said Kona is her Toto today, except Kona would not fit in the basket and she would have to get a bigger one. I would have carried her. I am very strong. I am not always brave, but I am very strong.
So that is three dogs, one Dorothy, and no ghosts. I checked. I checked twice, and then I checked again, because checking twice has never once been enough for me.
If I only had the nerve. Well. I did it anyway. Turns out that is the same thing.
Until next time, my furry friends!
Catch the Action Live! Want to see these grooming transformations happen in real time? Tune into the solo live stream over on Twitch at DogGroomerNicole. Whether we are tackling tricky coat conditions, working with different breeds and weight classes, or just enjoying some puppy cuddles, you can watch it all unfold straight from the van.
While you are watching from your laptop or desktop, please take a moment to click the link below the stream to learn more about Folds of Honor, a phenomenal charity we are incredibly proud to support.
See you all on the road!
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.