REALLY REALLY REALLY REALLY nervous! My friend Debbie who taught me to groom had a bad accident- she fell down her stairs and hurt her back. When she told me, I was picturing those stairs- very steep, pretty narrow and a long way to fall. Made me wince and shudder. She will not be able to work (she grooms at her beautiful house) for at least a week. I am wondering how she will recover THAT fast. Anyway, she sent one of her clients to me, and I will be doing this dog tomorrow. The reason I am nervous is that back when I was grooming all kinds of dogs, all sizes and cuts, all the time, I did this dog (Debbie must have been gone) The lady is REALLY picky. The dog is sweet, she's a silky terrier and I remember her long. No two groomers groom alike and at my best I was not in Debbie's league. The dogs I have been aiming for in this fundraiser, and as potential clients are dogs that NEED grooming. Usually they have not been groomed in awhile and usually the people are looking for simple and clean. So far I've mostly done 10 strips and that's basically making the dog next to bald. So.... this sweet dog (who has also been sick) is now what, 5 years older? And I remember the lady's pickiness... AND she wants her husband to stay. I don't mind people staying, in fact I think it's good when they know what grooming entails and Debbie has proclaimed me the most gentle groomer she knows, but there are times when you have to be very firm to keep a dog still. (Hoping to God this dog is not senile now, when they get senile they just don't understand and my tendency then is to make them as comfortable and as nice looking as possible without being rigorous.) This sacrifices a lot in the looks area.

Grooming dogs is like doing sculpture in hair with an array of sharp objects, chemicals and strange sensations on a LIVING sentient entity that does not speak your language and who has definite thoughts about the process, thoughts which will be conveyed kinetically. Often there are mournful vocalizations and occasionally, teeth. 

I am SOOOOOOO NERVOUS!!!