It's the holiday season, and like many other groomers, my schedule is booked through the end of the year.
However, this does not keep my phone from ringing like crazy with people trying to get their dogs groomed at the last minute.
It's not that we don't want to groom your dogs. There are only so many hours in the day, and a responsible groomer who cares about the quality of their service, knows that there must be limits. A rushed groom job can cause many problems. The minimum being a bad haircut. The worst being a dog getting hurt.
Being a responsible pet owner means planning ahead. Don't call around to see who can get you in first, or who charges the lowest price. Both of these can be a sign of the quality of service you will receive.
The most important thing you can do is research. Find out who the groomer is. Get references and shop around. You owe it to your pet for all of the unconditional love they give to you.

Welcome to my blog.
I have so much planned for my weekly blogs. As you see below, I will be taking questions and hope to enlighten pet owners and pet professionals alike about the grooming industry.
What makes me an authority in this field? Check out my resume and you'll see where I'm coming from. My grooming history begins way before 1997, where my resume starts.
However, I'd like to talk about my early experiences in the grooming shop. My father was the first groomer of the family. He worked for a local vet here in Houston. The good Dr.'s wife taught him how to groom. He went on to open his own salon in the Champion's area. I think those were my first memories of being in the salon. I remember going to visit during the day with my mom. I loved seeing all of the dogs lined up waiting to be groomed.
My mother became a self taught groomer when my father was suddenly killed in a car accident in 1977. She was almost 28, had 2 kids, 2 cars, a mortgage, a grooming shop and a 7th grade education. Talk about survival. That's the stuff heroes are made of! She did it. Eventually she opened a second salon in the Woodlands.
I was so amazed by what she did. Grooming has never been a glamorous job, much less in the 70's. She didn't believe in that. Every day she would get up, put on her make-up, do her hair, and dress in designer jeans and high heels. She was the original grooming diva. I would go to work with her everytime I could talk her into it. At the age of 9 Saturday's at the shop meant helping bathe dogs and hanging out at the front desk trying to beat my in answering the phone. It used to driver her nuts! What kind of place would it look like she were running with a 9 year old answering the phone.
Back in those days she didn't have all of the technology that the salons of today have. I don't know how she would knock out 20-30 dogs a day by herself in high heeled shoes. When I would tell her I wanted to be a groomer when I grew up, she wasn't happy. Made me promise I would do something better. Reluctantly I tried.
I worked really hard in school. I was a great student. Had a lot of fun in high school and even managed to take 7 years of math in the 4 short years I was there. The plan, to be an engineer. I figured I'd take a year off of school before I started college.
At this same time, my mother and stepfather, that was always "dad" from the time I was 10, began to venture into manufacturing better dryers for dog grooming. 
A few odd jobs, and the next thing I knew, I was 20 years old and bathing dogs in a grooming shop. My mom's friend taught me how to groom without my mom knowing. It came easy to me. I guess all of the years of pestering my mom with "what are you doing now?" and "how'd you do that" paid off. I was also attending grooming trade shows with my parents helping them to sell their dryers.
I was intrigued with the grooming competitions. It was so much more that just grooming at the shop. And these groomers were kind of famous in the industry. On top of that they dressed nice and fixed their hair and make-up too. I knew it! There was a glamorous side to grooming, and I was caught, hook line and sinker.
That was in 1990. Now here I am, loving what I do. Making a better living than mom thought I could in this industry.
I'm excited about the strides this industry has made and at the same time distressed by the negative information I'm seeing in the media.
I'm ready to take all of my experience and knowledge and give back to the industry that has given so much to me, and my family.