The Mindful Groom

12/31/2025

All of America is experiencing inflation. Including your grooming shop. Cleaning supplies, shampoos, grooming tools, these prices have all risen. A grooming shops overhead has increased.

Your groomers are experiencing this higher price of living right along side you. Please be understanding when you see price increases for your dogs beautiful, skillfully done hair cut.

We are all in the very same boat, continuing to offer our services and doing what we love while making ends meet.

12/28/2025

Are you overwhelmed by how long it takes to rehabilitate a fearful dog?
Progress isn’t measured in minutes.
It’s measured in calm repetition and trust built over time.
Expect setbacks and plateaus.
Celebrate tiny improvements and remain patient.
Practice calm sessions regularly and consistently even if it’s just an hour a day and watch fear transform into trust through repetition.

It’s my experience a puppy has 4 or 5 “tough” grooms before they catch on to what’s expected during grooming. A dog with many poor experiences grooming will need many positive experiences before progress can be made.

12/19/2025

Make a difference

I have some REALLY IMPORTANT NEWS ♥️😭

For years, I’ve seen something that never sat right with me.

As a professional pet groomer, I watched pets go without basic grooming and even veterinary care, not because their owners didn’t care, but because they simply couldn’t afford it. In many of those moments, I covered the cost myself because I couldn’t stand to see an animal suffer when help was possible.

As my platform grew, so did the number of people reaching out from around the world asking for help with vet bills, grooming costs, and emergency care for pets they loved. I’ve continued to help wherever I could, quietly and without judgement, but the truth is I can’t keep doing this alone. The need is overwhelming, and the costs have become too much for one person.

That’s why I’m starting...Barely A Dog Rescue.

This will be a foster based rescue launching in Ontario, focused on pulling very small dogs under 7 lbs from shelters, or accepting owner surrenders, and placing them into foster care. Alongside rescue work, Barely A Dog Rescue will also provide financial relief for veterinary care and grooming costs to pet owners in need. This assistance is not limited to dogs and may support any pet species in need.

Once the charity is fully established in Ontario, the goal is to expand into the United States as well, so we can help even more animals and families.

This isn’t about charity for the sake of charity. It’s about keeping pets with the people who love them whenever possible, and stepping in when rescue is the safest option.

I’m launching a GoFundMe to help kick start the rescue and cover early costs like nonprofit setup expenses (lawyer, insurance, website design, trademarks, etc), veterinary care, foster support, emergency medical assistance, and grooming help.

If you’re able to donate, thank you from the bottom of my heart. If you’re not in a position to give right now, sharing this means just as much.

This has been a long time coming, and I’m so grateful for every bit of support as we take the first step together. 💛

🔗 GoFundMe link in bio & in Facebook comment section

12/15/2025

Pre-shaves

I pre shave if there’s a lot of length but the haircut is requested short. Or the dog is matted.

This should be done with a length or two longer than requested to help ensure a better finish.

Pre shaving cuts down on bathing and drying time. Which is helpful for dogs who struggle with the dryer.

Pre shaving is more difficult on your blades as the coat is dirty. Brushing the coat out first is recommended, this will give you a better finish since the clippers goes through the coat smoothly after its brushed out.

A pre shave is not the finished product and must be worked on more. The dog will still be gone over with clippers once they are all clean and dry.

A pre shave due to matting is unpleasant. Extremely time consuming and groomers don’t get to pick the length. It is simply the length that fits underneath the pelt, which will be most likely a quarter inch of hair or less. If you feel like your tugging and getting stuck to much than you need to go shorter.

12/15/2025

If the dog on the table gets overexcited, the issue is energy. Dogs don’t shift into calm by being rushed — they mirror your pace and energy. Practice a “transition-pause”: stand still, breathe deeply, shoulders back, eyes forward every time you change “activities” Wait for the dog to sit or relax naturally. Don’t move forward until they’ve shifted into a calm state. That stillness teaches patience, and patience teaches surrender. Now you’re grooming with connection, not chaos.

12/13/2025

Basic hygiene you should be doing for your dog more!

1. Trim their nails monthly - This will maintain their length. For shorter nails, do more often. Dremel to get a smooth rounded shape and to get closer to the quick, coaxing it to recede.
2. Clean their ears weekly - dog ear cleaning solition and cottonballs will get the job done.
3. Brush their teeth daily - or at least have an additive for their water and dental bones.
4. Line brush often - check your work with a metal comb.

12/13/2025

My days are filled with Christmas doodles and I love it!

12/12/2025

2 shampoos
Love my ducky
Face squishes
A deep conditioning
Message
Wiggle butt Towel dry
Happy hoodie for the win
Tries to eat me at 1 minute
Paw pads
Dreaded nails
5 all over
Back brushing so much
1/2 teddy bear head
Scissor work
Dapper boi

12/09/2025

“The weather outside is frightful”

Here in Colorado it’s getting cold, there’s snow on the ground and people are pulling out the salt for the sidewalks.

Not all ice-melt products are the same. Regular rock salt (sodium chloride) is highly irritating and can cause chemical burns between a pet’s toes or on their paw pads. Even small amounts that get stuck in the paw pads or are licked off can lead to redness, cracking, blistering, or ulceration (often described as “salt burns”).

“Pet-safe” or “pet-friendly” ice melts do exist but you can’t assume that’s what’s being used on every sidewalk, driveway, or parking lot. Unless the bag or a sign explicitly says it’s pet-safe, treat it as potentially harmful.

Wipe your pet’s paws thoroughly with a damp cloth after every walk in winter, and consider using booties for extra protection if you’re walking in heavily salted areas

12/09/2025

Hi everyone! 🌟 You can support me by sending Stars - they help me earn money to keep making content you love.

Whenever you see the Stars icon, you can send me Stars!

12/09/2025

“I need help knowing what cut to request!”

Know what haircut aligns with you and your pets lifestyle. You won’t want something long if you guys are hiking a lot. You won’t want a long length all over if you don’t want to be brushing all the time. There really are so many different options to choose from that are practical, cute and match your lifestyle.

“Short but not to short” will most likely be a number 4 blade. Just under half an inch. This is a short cut just barely fluffy. This cut will significantly lower the amount of debris brought inside by your dog. This length can go 6-8 weeks in between grooms and should be line brushed thoughly at least once a week.

“Puppy cut” is typically an inch all over but this term means different things to different people so make sure to clarify what you’re asking for. This cut will be fluffy and is a great length for the pet parent who wants to work on growing a long coat. This length of coat should be groomed every 4 weeks. This cut will need to be line brushed at least 3 times weekly and checked with a comb.

“Clean feet” and”clean face” means shaved naked. Like you see on a poodle. This is practical for the pet parents whose dog is chewing their feet, bringing debri inside, getting food stuck to their face, ect. This cut can be difficult for some dogs, discuss with your groomer if your dog is a good candidate.

“Asian fusion” or “teddy bear with a flair” as I like to call it. Short chin, round muzzle. Short bodies, longer legs. It’s a fun style that’s easily modified. This cut is great for the in between pet parent who wants fluffy without as much brushing. Still brushing thoroughly 3 times weekly but the body hair is short so there’s less to brush in that way. This cut should be groomed every 4-6 weeks.