Heather's Country Clips Small Dog Grooming

12/04/2025

Sharing this from a rainbow bridge page. Many of my clients have said good bye to a cherished pet this past year. 💓

The Christmas That Broke Me Wasn’t the First One Without My Dog… It Was the First One They Forgot He Existed.

My heart didn’t break the day my dog crossed the Rainbow Bridge.
It didn’t even break when I packed away his toys or when I washed his last blanket.

No.

My heart broke on a December morning, staring at a cheerful Christmas invitation that didn’t mention him at all.

My name is Margaret. I’m 76 years old, living alone in a quiet condo in the suburbs of Chicago, and I want to tell you about the Christmas that almost shattered me — not because of my dog’s death, but because of how quickly the world moved on from him.

The world forgets pets quickly.
But grief doesn’t.

For twelve wonderful years, Christmas at my house belonged to Buddy — my golden retriever with the jingle-bell collar and the tail that knocked over every decoration I owned.

He was the heart of my holidays.
He was my noise, my purpose, my morning alarm, my reason to smile.

And when my husband Frank died, Buddy stayed.
He stayed when the kids moved out.
He stayed when the house got quieter and the winters felt longer.

He stayed until he couldn’t.

This year was my first Christmas truly alone.

A week before the 25th, my daughter Jessica texted:
“Mom, you’re welcome to come over Christmas afternoon if you want!”

Afternoon.
If you want.
No mention of Buddy. No, “We miss him too.”
No space for the soft ache I carry every single day.

I typed back:
“Sounds lovely! I’ll bring something sweet.”

Because that’s what grieving pet parents do —
we hide our heartbreak so we don’t sound dramatic about “just a dog.”

Christmas morning came.
For the first time in twelve years, there was no wet nose nudging my hand.
No jingling collar.
No warm weight at my feet.

My home was clean. Too clean.
His stocking hung up because I couldn’t bear to put it away.

I made a single cup of coffee and sat in a living room decorated for a little soul who would never knock over my tree again.

And the silence — God, the silence — felt like it was swallowing me whole.

Around noon, I drove.
I passed houses with cars stacked in driveways, kids running outside, and dogs wearing little red sweaters.

Every window I looked through showed a family — complete.

And I realized something about losing a pet:

People expect you to move on long before your heart is ready.
They think grief ends when the pawprints fade.
They forget the way your entire world tilts when a furry angel leaves it.

When I arrived at Jessica’s house at 4PM, the noise hit me like a wave.
Kids laughing. Dogs barking. The smell of roast in the oven.

Her dog, Milo, ran to the door wagging his tail.

Everyone said, “Merry Christmas!”
But no one said Buddy’s name.
No one asked how I was doing without him.
No one remembered the piece of my heart that didn’t make it to December.

I smiled.
I ate the cold turkey.
I laughed when it was appropriate.

But inside, it felt like Buddy died all over again — because the world had moved on, and I hadn’t.

On the drive home, the truth settled in my bones:

Losing a pet isn’t just losing “an animal.”
It’s losing the one soul who made you feel like the center of someone’s universe.
And the hardest part is grieving alone, while everyone else goes on like nothing changed.

So if you know someone who lost a pet this year, please hear me:

Call them.
Say their pet’s name.
Ask for a memory.
Acknowledge the empty space beside them.

Don’t assume they’re “fine.”
Don’t assume they’ve “healed.”

Because someday, you’ll understand:

The greatest gift you can give someone who lost a pet…
is simply remembering that their love never died.

12/01/2025

I will be putting all my Christmas photos in this album/post.

12/01/2025

11/23/2025

As December approaches, bringing winter weather with it, I anticipate a highly active weather month. My December schedule is now fully committed, leaving minimal room for adjustments. If a major storm coincides with your scheduled grooming appointment, rendering travel unsafe or uncomfortable, I am willing to accommodate rescheduling. I have allocated two emergency backup days just prior to Christmas and may be able to accommodate additional appointments on other days if feasible. Nevertheless, I kindly request that you try to avoid rescheduling this month unless absolutely unavoidable, as I am committed to honoring all scheduled appointments, even if it necessitates walking to the end of my driveway to retrieve or deliver your dog amidst unfavorable weather conditions.
After January 1 I have no issues at all rescheduling your appointment if the weather is bad.

11/16/2025

WHY GETTING YOUR DOG GROOMED IN THE WINTER IS SO IMPORTANT

With winter upon us, my grooming clients may be considering the impact this will have on their dog’s grooming routine.

Although popular belief is that dogs don’t need grooming as often in the winter, it’s just as important to groom them during this time as any other time of the year, particularly if they spend a lot of time outdoors.

At Heather's, we want to use our professional expertise to help your clients care for their dogs this winter. In this guide, we’re answering the most frequently asked questions on winter grooming, to aid you in looking after your dogs during the winter months.

From scheduling grooming appointments to advice on keeping a dog’s coat in check between visits, our essential tips will help keep dogs at their happiest and healthiest during the winter.

Do dogs need grooming in winter?
Whether your dog spends more time indoors over the winter with fewer walks or it’s out just as much as in the summer, it will still need to be groomed.

Although popular belief is that a dog’s hair should be allowed to grow out during wintertime to keep it warm, this can be more detrimental than beneficial. Suppose a dog’s hair is left long and isn’t regularly groomed. This can cause the formation of uncomfortable mats and tangles, leading to skin irritations and infections. I encourage clients to keep regular grooming appointments and establish a regular brushing routine for their dogs between visits.

Keeping dogs well-groomed and short during winter also helps keep their coats more manageable for their owners and makes keeping them clean easier.

Double-coated breeds, such as pomeranian, shelties, etc, have a soft undercoat for insulation and a thick, dense outer coat. Generally, these breeds love the great outdoors, so they should be groomed regularly to remove loose, moulting fur and prevent mats and tangles from forming.

When a dog’s undercoat becomes severely matted and tangled, it can’t fulfil its main function of regulating its temperature making it more susceptible to hypothermia, alongside the common skin problems and discomfort associated with complicated mats and tangles.

Regular brushing between appointments can prevent this and should be practised, regardless of the season. As a general rule, I recommend the following brushes to keep on top of your dog’s coat in winter:

• A slicker brush is a great choice for long-haired breeds. It helps to maintain the top coat and remove any loose hair.
• A bristle brush works well for single-coated breeds as it helps to spread oils around the dog’s coat and prevents tangles from forming.
• A de-shedding rake is good for double-coated breeds as it gets down to the undercoat and removes loose or dead hair.
• A metal comb is good for all breeds, especially coats that require clipping

***Learning to line brush your dog is a great tool to keep your dogs coat maintained between grooms. Im more then happy to show you the proper technique to line brush/comb!

Does dog hair grow faster in the winter?

The seasons impact the speed of growth of a dog’s coat. The longer daylight hours stimulate fur growth in the lighter summer months, so hair grows faster than in the colder, darker months.

However, this doesn’t mean that dog owners should reduce their dog’s appointments during winter. A regular trim can help to maintain the coat and prevent it from becoming overgrown and tangled.

Here are some other reasons you should continue regular winter grooming appointments:

• Bathing, brushing and moisturising help to eliminate mats and tangles. Regular appointments can help you keep unruly mats and tangles under control.
• A dog’s nails wear down less in the winter as the ground is softer, and they spend more time indoors. By keeping up with regular grooming appointments, we can keep your dog’s nails under control to prevent them from becoming uncomfortable, snapping or splitting.
• As the hair between the pads continues to grow, it can collect snow, dirt and chemicals from de-icers, making it painful for a dog to walk and exposing them to ingestion of toxic chemicals. I advise washing your dog’s feet after winter walks to prevent pain and discomfort and check between the pads and toes for any lodged hard objects.
• Artificial heat can cause a dog’s skin to dry out and flake, so it’s important that your dogs appointments are kept up so I can monitor the condition of your dogs skin, which can easily be cared for with a gentle moisturising shampoo and conditioner. Regular grooming you do between appointments removes dead skin and spreads natural oils throughout the coat. Winter grooming prevents dry skin from cracking.

How often should you wash your dog in winter?

How often a dog needs bathing during winter depends on its lifestyle and coat type. If a dog spends a lot of time outdoors, it may require more frequent bathing to eliminate dirt and bacteria from its coat.

If a dog regularly visits my grooming salon, you should schedule appointments as normal in the winter. I encourage clients to increase appointments should their dog’s coat become difficult to manage with the changing weather.

Suggestions after outdoor winter walks:

• Fully dry their dog’s coat when they come home from a walk. ** DO NOT rub your dog with a towel as that encourages matting and tangles. Wrap the towel around your dog or the damp area and gently squeeze the towel against the fur until suitably dry. Using a peoples hair dryer while you brush the hair on low warm/cool setting will help the area to dry
• Brush and comb their dog frequently and thoroughly to prevent mats and tangles.
• Bathe them only when necessary with a good moisturising shampoo and conditioner to prevent the skin from drying and always follow up with a complete to skin comb or brush out.

Do dogs get cold when you shave them in the winter?

A dog regulates its temperature very differently from a human, with heat leaving its body through panting, the pads of its feet.

If they spend a lot of time outdoors in the winter, double-coated breeds need their undercoat to be kept healthy and intact, which they rely on to keep them warm in colder weather. Brushing a double coat helps to loft and trap their body heat between the layers keeping them warm. A clumped up undercoat traps moisture under the layers making their skin susceptible to hotspots and infection.
If a dog’s coat is matted and tangled beyond repair, shaving may be your only option to help restore it to health and prevent skin allergies and irritations from developing. However, this should only be used as a last resort for double-coated breeds.

Single-coated dogs such as Maltese are okay to be shaved as their hair doesn’t regulate their temperature like a double-coated dog’s does. If your single-coated breed gets shaved in the winter and you notice that it shivers, a good insulating dog coat with a slippery lining to prevent friction mats will keep them warm while out.

So should i get my dog groomed during winter, as frequently as summer! Yes!!

11/13/2025

By the way, did you know we also offer farm-fresh, free-range eggs for sale? Our hens are raised with love and care, with access to the pasture, and we think you'll taste the difference! Our eggs are available in brown and a variety of fancy colors - let us know if you're interested in purchasing some!
$5️⃣ doz.

11/05/2025

I am writing to bring to your attention that only a limited number of appointment slots remain available in December, specifically during the first week of the month. To ensure a December appointment, I recommend booking without delay. Once all available slots are filled, I will cease accepting bookings for December.

10/23/2025

A CONVERSATION ABOUT PERCEIVED VALUE:

A customer asked a groomer how much it would cost to groom their dog.

The 40 lb dog had some matting. The groomer gave an estimate of $100

The customer responded: That’s seems really high.

The groomer asked: What do you think is a reasonable price for this job?

The customer answered: $60 maximum

Groomer responded: Ok, then I invite you to do it yourself.

The customer answered: I don't know how to.

Groomer responded: Alright, then how about for $60 I'll teach you how to. So besides saving you $40, you'll learn valuable skills that will benefit you in the future.

The customer answered: Sounds good! Let’s do it!

My friend responded: Great! To get started, you are going to need some tools. You will need a slicker brush, a comb, nail clippers, a dremel, ear cleaning solution, cotton balls, hemostats, pet clippers, clipper blades, a dematting tool, dog shampoo and conditioner, a couple different shears, etc..

The customer answered: But I don't have any of those tools and I can't justify buying all of these for one job.

The groomer responded: Ok. Well then for an additional $15 I can rent my tools to you to use for this project.

The customer answered: Okay. That’s fair.

The groomer responded: Great! We will start the project on Monday.

The customer answered: I work Monday through Friday. I’m only available on the weekends.

The groomer responded: If you want to learn from me then you will need to work when I work. This project will take 2+ hours so you will need to take a half day off work.

The customer answered: That means I’m going to have to sacrifice my pay for half a day or use a vacation day!

The groomer responded: That’s true. Remember, when you do a job yourself you need to account for unproductive factors.

The customer answered: What do you mean by that?

The groomer responded: Doing a job completely from start to finish includes time spent to plan the project, set up your tools, wash and fold towels, travel time, gas, set up time, clean up, and waste disposal amongst other things. That’s all in addition to the actual project itself. We will need to walk your dog and expend some of its energy before the groom, that’s where we will start on Monday so I need you to meet me at the park at 7am.

The customer answered: At 7am! My work day doesn’t usually start until 8am!

The groomer responded: Well then you’re in luck! My plan is to start the groom by 8am. But to do so we have to start at 7am to get towels ready and tools prepared.

The customer answered: You know, I’m realizing that a lot more goes in to a job than what a customer sees in the finished project. Your proposal of $100 is very reasonable. I would like you to handle the project.

CONCLUSION:

When you pay for a job, especially a custom job, (whether it’s a physical project or digital project) you pay not only for the material and the work to be completed. You also pay for:

✔️ Knowledge
✔️ Experience
✔️ Custom Skills
✔️ Tools
✔️ Time to plan
✔️ Time to prepare
✔️ Professionalism
✔️ Work Ethic
✔️ Excellence
✔️ Discipline
✔️ Commitment
✔️ Integrity
✔️ Taxes
✔️ Licenses
✔️ Sacrifices
✔️ Liabilities
✔️ Insurance

If you request a proposal for custom work to be done, please don’t disrespect a service provider by trying to get them to lower their prices.

If their proposal exceeds your budget, there’s nothing wrong with getting other proposals.

Just remember.. you get what you pay for.

👉🏼 SERVICE PROVIDERS: Know your worth and be confident in it.

👉🏼 CONSUMERS: Recognize their worth and be respectful of it.

Sharing this to support all my friends, family and clients who are Entrepreneurs, Business Owners and Tradesman.

10/15/2025

Important notice: December appointments are extremely popular, and all available slots are already filled two weeks prior to Christmas. We encourage you to schedule your December appointment immediately to avoid disappointment. Once the December schedule is full, it will be closed, and no additional dog bookings will be accepted.

10/09/2025

A veterinarian at a recent veterinary conference has raised alarming concerns about the rampant corporate takeover of the veterinary industry. She reports that veterinarians are inundated with weekly calls from corporations and private equity firms seeking to buy their practices. This aggressive pursuit is drastically driving up the cost of veterinary care and adversely affecting patient services.

"I want to tell you about a conversation that I had with another vet while I was at the conference. This vet, she's the owner of a six-doctor practice. The practice has been in business for over 75 years. She is only the second owner, so it's always been owned by an individual, and she and her husband own it now, and it's a very successful practice.

What she told me is that she's getting older and she's starting to think about retirement, and she has probably eight or ten more years of being in practice. And after I asked her, I said, are people bombarding you? Are corporations bombarding you to buy your practice? And she said, yes, they are. It's constantly, every single week, she has multiple corporations that are approaching her with great offers to buy her practice. And she said what the problem is, is that this practice is worth a lot of money, and the corporations will pay more for my practice than anyone else. And she said, when I go to sell this practice, I would be willing to take a loss to be able to sell the practice to an individual instead of a corporation.

But she said my friend actually just did that. She took a loss for the value of her practice and sold her practice to an individual. And then the individual that she sold her practice to for a loss, basically flipped her practice like you flip a house. That individual only owned her practice for two months, and then she resold the practice to a corporation and was able to make a considerable profit after only owning it for two months.

So this is a huge problem in the veterinary industry. When I'm at this conference with all of these very boutique, artisan, amazing veterinarians that are so passionate about what they do, the biggest thing that they talk about is this corporate takeover of the veterinary industry. Mars now owns so many of the vets, so many of the ERs, and now animal insurance companies. So it's just steamrolling the industry and it really affects the patient care and every step of the process.

So what can you do about it as a consumer? Seek out veterinary hospitals that are owned by an individual. Call them, ask them who owns them. Because the only way that we will change this situation is if the consumer becomes more knowledgeable about the process and gravitates toward veterinary practices that are owned by individuals, so that they're not worth as much money to corporations anymore. This is what we all have to do together, is to support small businesses and small practitioners in order to have better patient care, better outcomes, and more passionate veterinarians that aren't a slave to the corporate industry."

10/01/2025

A Global Pet Foods now in Simcoe in the Whitehorse Plaza

07/16/2025

Had to share:

***I am a 21st century dog.***
-I'm a Malinois.
Overskilled among dogs, I excel in all disciplines and I'm always ready to work: I NEED to work.
But nowadays I get asked to chill on the couch all day everyday.

-I am an Akita Inu.
My ancestors were selected for fighting bears.
Today I get asked to be tolerant and I get scolded for my reactivity when another approaches me.

-I am a Beagle.
When I chase my prey, I raise my voice so the hunters could follow.
Today they put an electric collar on me to shut up, and you make me come back to you - no running - with a snap of your fingers.

-I am a Yorkshire Terrier.
I was a terrifying rat hunter in English mines.
Today they think I can't use my legs and they always hold me in their arms.

-I'm a Labrador Retriever.
My vision of happiness is a dive into a pond to bring back the duck he shot to my master.
Today you forget I'm a walking, running, swimming dog; as a result I'm fat, made to stay indoors, and to babysit.

-I am a Jack Russell.
I can take on a fox, a mean badger, and a rat bigger than me in his den.
Today I get scolded for my character and high energy, and forced to turn into a quiet living room dog.

-I am a Siberian Husky.
Experienced the great, wide open spaces of Northern Europe, where I could drag sleds for long distances at impressive speeds.
Today I only have the walls of the house or small garden as a horizon, and the holes I dig in the ground just to release energy and frustration, trying to stay sane.

-I am a border collie
I was made to work hours a day in partnershipwith my master, and I am an unmistakable artist of working with the herd.
Today they are mad at me because, for lack of sheep, I try to check bikes, cars, children in the house and everything in motion.

I am ...
I am a 21st century dog.

I'm pretty, I'm alert, I'm obedient, I stay in a bag...but I'm also an individual who, from centuries of training, needs to express my instincts, and I am *not* suited for the sedentary life you'd want me to lead.

Spending eight hours a day alone in the house or in the garden - with no work and no one to play or run with, seeing you for a short time in the evening when you get home, and only getting a small toilet walk will make me deeply unhappy.

I'll express it by barking all day, turning your yard into a minefield, doing my needs indoors, being unmanageable the rare times I'll find myself outside, and sometimes spending my days sunk, sad, lonely, and depressed, on my pillow.

You may think that I should be happy to be able to enjoy all this comfort while you go to work, but actually I’ll be exhausted and frustrated, because this is absolutely NOT what I'm meant to do, or what I need to be doing.
If you love me, if you've always dreamed of me, if my beautiful blue eyes or my athletic look make you want me, but you can't give me a real dog's life, a life that's really worth living according to my breed, and if you can't offer me the job that my genes are asking, DO NOT buy or adopt me!

If you like the way I look but aren't willing to accept my temperament, gifts, and traits derived from long genetic selection, and you think you can change them with only your good will, then DO NOT BUY OR ADOPT ME.

I’m a dog from the 21st century, yes, but deep inside me, the one who fought, the one who hunted, the one who pulled sleds, the one who guided and protected a herd still lives within.

So think **very** carefully before you choose your dog. And think about getting two, rather than one, so I won't be so very lonely waiting for you all day. Eight or ten hours is just a workday to you, but it's an eternity for me to be alone.