I'm taking a learn to groom your dog course in January

[Julie and Max]

I've been thinking about taking this 1 day course for awhile, and I signed up for January. You take your dog down to the grooming school, and they teach you how to groom your dog in the style that you want, including nail clipping and everything. It's $200 for the day, which I think is pretty good considering it's about $80 for one groom. You can bring your own tools or use their tools, and they will give you suggestions on good tools to buy. When you leave they give you an instruction booklet and a diagram for reference when you do your first alone grooming. I am pretty excited about it :D 

The only problem I have is that because I am left handed I have to buy my own scissors before I go if I want to learn to do any scissor cutting because they don't have any lefties! I also think I want to get a couple of those mammoth combs for the clippers, because she said they don't have them there and i would like to learn how to use them.

Should be fun though!

[Wendy and Myla]

I would love this!  I think it's a good deal also!  We groom Myla and it's taken 2 years to get to the point where it's only an hour on the table :)  We did buy really good clippers (thanks to the grooming group here) and absolutely love them but I would pay that price just to learn how to do the face alone - that's the hardest part for us!  Oh, and Myla is ticklish on her feet and hates them being groomed, let alone her toenails clipped :)

[Wendy and Myla]

I just re-read this!  No way is it only an hour - we've gotten it down to TWO hours - she is so patient and we do give her a break in between where she does her zoomies (which we call a Zak-attack)! 

[Julie and Max]

Wendy I've been afraid to try due to the face, the sanitary area the paws, okay the whole thing lol! I can't wait to learn. Max is really good about his feet, I'm just nervous to try and make a mess.

[Wendy and Myla]

I know right?  This course will be awesome!!!!  The only good thing that we've learned, is that mistakes grow in fast!  I really wish we had a course like this!  Have fun!!!

[Linda, Charlie Brown and Beau]

Lucky you Julie.  I will be watching for your update after the class.  I think it would definitely be worth it.  I wish they had something like this close to us.  Good luck - I bet you will be a pro at grooming before you know it!

[Julie and Max]

Wendy, I'm sure I'll make lots of mistakes, but I have already learned that from one groomer that mistakes do grow in pretty fast!

Linda I agree it will be worth it, I doubt I will be a pro but it will be easier to keep him from getting to matting length if I can do it myself. There seems to be like a week window where he goes from great to matting like crazy and sometimes it's hard to get an appointment in that time.

[Sue, Murphy and Bella ()*o*()]

What a great idea. I could have used this about 7 years ago when I started "practicing" grooming on my Murphy. No wonder the poor boy hates to be groomed.  My equipment , (maybe a $300.00 investment) has probably saved us over $3,600.00 in grooming over the years.   I still say that even my mistakes looked better than a shave down or poodle look I've seen on DK from many others who were very disappointed with their professional grooming. So keep that in mind too.

Plus its a great training/bonding time with them. I don't know about you, but I rarely have 1-2 hours to spend exclusively on one dog during any given day, but grooming gives them my undivided attention. And treats, so not a bad deal. 

[Cheryl and Finnegan]

This sounds like a lot of fun, Julie.  I wouldn't worry about mistakes.  Doodle hair grows so fast. Looking forward to your update.

[Julie, Eloise & Beasley]

This does sound so fun!  I would love it if there was something like this near me.  I'm sure any mistakes you make will still be fine...it can't be any worse than last year when I grabbed handfuls of Beasley's hair and just started cutting, lol!  Her first grooming appt wasn't for a few more weeks, and there was just SO. MUCH. HAIR.  I couldn't deal with it anymore.  But with that forgiving doodle hair, she looked pretty doodle-shaggy cute within a day.  I'm about to do it again, but I think I can wait 10 more days for her next appt.  I think.  ;)

[BG and Gavin]

Oh fun!  Make sure you post a before and after!