Today the schedule said: one dog. One. That is it. Which meant Scoobie had me, an entire mobile grooming van, and my complete attention for the whole afternoon. She used approximately none of that attention to stay awake.
Meet Scoobie
Scoobie is a Yorkie, and she is small. Somebody in chat guessed under two pounds today and I want to be fair to her — she is a respectable five or six. Still carryable in one hand, still the sort of dog who fits entirely on one end of the grooming table, but a professional. She has her dignity.
Her finest feature is her tongue. It lives outside her mouth, permanently, for no reason she has ever explained. She also got her ears tipped today, which gave her that classic Yorkie look, and she finished in a little brown bandana and orange bows. She knew she looked good. She acted like she had always looked like that.
She slept through her own drying session
Here is the thing about Scoobie: she has been my client for years and years, and she used to be absolutely feisty about all of it. Teeth, opinions, the works. Today she fell asleep. During her drying session.
I love this little doggo and I also love a dog who has decided after years of knowing me that this whole situation is basically a pillow. She has become a little puddlebud, and there is something genuinely lovely about watching a dog relax into a routine that used to worry her.
She did get a break partway through, because she recently had surgery on one knee and standing for a long time is not her idea of a good time right now. If your dog is recovering from anything, tell me. It changes how I set up the whole appointment — more rests, less standing, and nobody has to be a hero about it.
Roll, Scoobie, roll
The best moment of the entire day: I put the towel down and asked her to dry off. She did not need to be asked twice. She dropped into a full roll, scrubbing herself along the towel like a very small, very determined car wash. She took a break, then did it again, unprompted, purely because it is apparently the best part of her week.
I have spent years drying dogs with a high-velocity dryer and I am here to report that none of them have ever looked that pleased about the process.
Snacks are the entire relationship
At one point Scoobie got into her snacks and I had to say out loud what we were both clearly thinking: “The only reason she tolerates me? Snacks.” She did not deny it. She is a Scoobie, so she gets Scooby snacks every single time, and that is simply the arrangement we have settled into over the years.
Guard duty, chin trim, and the great leaf emergency
While her chin was being trimmed and her head was being fussed over, Scoobie went on high alert. The leaves were blowing around outside the van and she took up a defensive posture to protect us both. Her tongue was still hanging out the entire time. It would be more convincing if the tongue were more dignified.
That chin trim matters more than people think. The hair under a small dog’s chin catches everything — food, water, drool, whatever falls on the floor — and it holds it against the skin. It is also the part a dog objects to most, because it is right there where they can see you doing it. Scoobie made her feelings known. I trimmed it anyway. Somebody has to do the unpopular work.
For the record, we used about three thousand dollars worth of equipment on this dog today before anybody says it does not cost anything to look cute.
And then she went home
Scoobie was my only dog today, she is finished, and she walked out in her brown bandana with orange bows and a greenie waiting for her. I told her I hoped it was good enough for her mom. She seemed to think it probably was.
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.