Thoughtful Paws Dog Grooming
3030 Kilpatrick Ave 211 # 211 V9N 8P1 Courtenay, BC, Canada

The lovely Karleigh yesterday.

Some of today's doggies :)

This is not anyone's favorite January haircut. However, this is the only choice when a dog is this matted. Matting like this is uncomfortable for the dog and terrifying for the groomer. The video does not adequately show the care and effort taken in each stroke of the clipper as I try to chip away at solid mats. It looks like I'm working quickly, but there is a lot of care being taken in those short little strokes not to pull the skin. It also doesn't adequately show my stres...s level. Clippers can't glide through mats. You have to find a way under them and it's not always easy. There is always, always a risk that skin could get pulled into the clipper on a dog that is this matted. Fortunately it did not in this case. Luckily this dog was very complacent. Often dogs this matted aren't used to grooming and don't hold this still / cooperate this well, adding extra challenge. Matting this severe is hard on the dog. It tugs at their skin and is uncomfortable for them. Grooming matted dogs is stressful, and hard on blades and clippers. This is why we recommend that dogs get groomed regularly.

Piper's first bath and tidy was a success :) She really loves treats. And attention.

Just a heads up to do your research when choosing a rescue to get a dog. While there are a few great rescues in BC, there are also many that are not so great. There is lots of information online about choosing a rescue, so I won’t repeat much of it here, but a reputable rescue actually takes the dog in and / or places it for some time with an experienced volunteer foster. The dog should be assessed while in the care of the rescue or foster for health and behavior issues and s...pend some time there before being considered ready to adopt. We recently had a client in with a dog imported by a rescue and the dog had never actually been in the care of the rescue. The dog was brokered into the country by the rescue, and turned over immediately to the new owner at the border. The dog, while cute, has some serious temperament and behavior issues with reactivity and aggression and is a project, not an easy pet. The new owner is a very nice person who wanted to do the right thing and give an unwanted dog a home and is now attached to a dog with issues. It’s an unfortunate situation for all concerned, and a potential liability for the new owner, who paid a fairly high adoption fee for the dog. We gave the new owner as much advice and guidance as we could in the short time that we had with them, and we hope that they are successful, but it’s going to be a significant challenge. See more