Dog Grooming 101: Running with scissors

So I attended Day 1 of my Basic Dog GRooming course today...

I tot it would be easy peasy...
Why won't it be?
Isn't it all bout washing grime of naughty doggies n trimming their lil paw pads n ears n voila!

No lorrr...

It's probably one of the most mistaken perception people have of pro dog groomers..
Like how pple always think stewardesses have glam jobs.. n tt all we have to do is say "Coffee or Tea?", while batting our eye lashes n sashaying in cabins...

It's an art...
N according to my lao shi... everything starts with how a groomer holds his/her scissors...
Very much like how an artist hold a paintbrush...

So I spent the bulk of my 5 hour class today wielding a pair of my personal trimming scissors...
The right way to hold it... the right way to snip... the right of way (always from left to right)...

It's prolly one of the most difficult things the Dodo has had to learn in her life lor...
It's a skill !! n an artform...

I spent a good part of my last hour dematting...

Unlike brushing a dog's fur, (something dog owners supposed to do everyday for their dogs)
My lao shi gave me this piece of plastic thingy (the size of a med dog's thigh) with rows of yarn on it n i'm supposed to brush it out til ALL the threads r smoothen out from root to tail...

Even brushing has a technique.
Too hard, dog gets brush burn (imagine all yr hair in head getting pulled out roughly when all tangled).
Too soft, I will never get it done..

Manz, I swear if I din used to work my arms in the gym, my right arm would be off the socket now lor... How the hell m I supposed to ever do a whole dog in time!?!?

After dematting, I have to pouff up the stiff fur, ensuring the tuff is all standing straight up, not leaning anywhere to the right of left... (not easy too k, it's all in the flick of the wrist)

N then.. I learn to trim..

i just can't get it completely straight!!!!

It's so hard to maintain the amateur hand on a steady plane... to keep trimming on an imaginary straight plane, to keep the scissor running smoothly, with no other muscle in the hand moving, except the thumb...

At the end of the numerous exercises, my ring finger had a slight bruise on it... n knowing myself, i felt slight naunces of self doubt creeping in...

Am I really cut out for this??
Wat if all my dogs cannot make it lar!!!

What kept me going was my lao shi's encouraging comments.
Coming from a seemingly old grumpy dude w 30 yrs of experience to boast of n being the owner of The Animal Resort, it sure meant a whole lot...

"Not bad, I still haven't seen many of my other students playing w the scissors like u r now.."


"U r a fast learner"


"Okie wat, u have got an inner artistic streak, that i'm sure of", after consulting some hi tech almanac in his palm top n cross ref-ing my chinese d.o.b -___-"

I always seem to have an affinity with strict, naggy men lao shis who insist on things being gotten right from the basic... ;D

I remember my loud, grumpy driving instructor who hated my guts but loved the entertainment in the form of my dare devil stunts combined with horrified shrieks tt I provided him in the confined area of the car.

Ahh... but that's another different story.

Watching my lao shi correct my work, his scissors n steady hand gliding thru the fur... was like magic.
I never fail to feel mesmerized... n felt an instant respect for him..

He has a strict policy on dog grooming...
n told me that as groomers, we should never let the doggie owners tell us wat they want for the dog. Instead, we should be the one deciding the cut.

His mission is to train groomers of high standards, n stressed time n again that we r dog stylists, not dog barbers. (The Animal Resort never does shaving of whole dog, even at the request of dog owners)

Much like hairstylists in highly regarded human hair salons (e.g Le Salon Bis) vs HDB area barbers.

I wondered inside if I would just pass out as a mediocre stylist like those in the Jean Yip, Kimage academy salons... But that's still a whole long way away n secretly, I hoped tt I would be good at this...
..................................................................................

The class was conducted 1 on 1. Though there were a couple of advanced students working on 2 whiny pomeranians n a cocker poo at the back of the class.

Throughout, I heard firm "Dun MoovE!" commands n pattering paws n lotsa frustrated 'tsk tsk' as groomer n dog battle it out on the table... :D

At the end of the lesson, I had to sweep n clean the area around my station...
N I felt so much like clearing my nose as well...
It felt all muffed up with faux fur
N my black tights were coated with a layer of white...

I gathered up my new bag of equipments, cleaned n oiled my scissors, n repacked my unused clipper back into its box.

Drove home w heavy eyelids, n slept thru dinner n tv time....
I think I dreamt of scissors n dogs cos the "snip snip snip" sound of the scissors echoed in my head til it woke me to blog this...

I have to go to Mustafa tomorrow to buy a 1200v n above long nozzled hairdryer that I can kiap between my neck n shoulder ...

Was telling the bf "this is gonna be an expensive hobby, cannot quit fly liao"
Now i know lar, this cannot be a hobby, this has to be my committment. ; ]

N my next lesson is Friday... where I will b working with one of the resort's dogs liao..

I'm thrilled, excited... but scared as well...
i tot it would be all bout the dogs....
But it's all bout the scissors!!! wahahaha~