Charlie is one of those dogs who shows up and the whole day gets easier. He has been coming to the Vroom Grooms van for a long time now, and every single visit he reminds me why I love working with senior dogs.
Charlie is a senior Boston Terrier. He is gray around the muzzle, a little slower to hop into the van than he used to be, and absolutely certain that he is the most important person in the room. He is not wrong.
Why Charlie Stands Out
Most senior dogs I groom have earned their attitude over years of steady routine. Charlie is no different. He knows exactly what is about to happen when the water warms up. He has opinions about the dryer. He has strong feelings about how I hold the clippers near his face, and he is happy to share those feelings, gently, with his whole entire face.
What makes Charlie special is how patient he is with himself. He does not rush. He does not get dramatic. He just takes the appointment one step at a time, and when we are done, he leans against my leg for a minute like he is thanking me without saying a word.
Senior Boston Terrier Grooming Notes
Boston Terriers have a short coat, but they need regular grooming because of a few breed-specific things:
– Their face folds need to be cleaned and dried every appointment. Moisture trapped in the folds is what causes the redness and irritation most owners worry about. – Their eyes are big and exposed. I always check for any discharge, redness, or cloudiness in the lens while I am up close. Charlie has some lens cloudiness I keep an eye on for his owner. It is not a vet diagnosis, just a groomer observation. – Their nails grow fast and their feet are small. Clipping them takes patience because the quick is closer than you would think. – Their coat sheds more than people expect. A good blow-out is the difference between a clean Boston Terrier and one who is leaving white hair on your couch.
What Charlie Taught Me About Senior Dogs
There is a version of senior dog care that focuses on what the dog can no longer do. Charlie is the opposite. He shows up, does his appointment, accepts a towel rub, and walks out looking like a brand new gentleman. The lesson is that age is not a problem to manage. It is just a different pace of work.
If you have a senior dog and you are worried about whether grooming is still a good idea, the answer is almost always yes. We just go a little slower, pay a little more attention to how they are holding up, and skip anything that is not serving them that day.
Charlie has been doing this for years and he has not missed an appointment yet.
Want to Watch the Live Groom?
I stream most of my grooms live over on Twitch at DogGroomerNicole. Senior grooms like Charlie are some of my favorites to share because they show what mobile grooming really looks like, slow and steady, dog first.
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.