People often ask me who grooms my dogs. The answer is me. For a number of reasons. The main one is that the dogs I rescue are usually seniors, and will sometimes have loose or jowly skin. They might also have what are called skin tags, warts, lumps and bumps. In our experience, most groomers shave them down to the skin and cut open these blemishes, which are then prone to infection, especially if they do not have antibacterial blades that they wash down well after each dog. The other reason is razor burn, which often happens when the trimmer runs hot because they are trying to get as many dogs done as they can. A third reason is the bonding experience. Some dogs are resistant to being groomed, but most cockers know when they are being helped, especially when the weather starts to get warmer and their heavy coat can start to become a nuisance. Time for that puppy cut! A fourth reason is money-at $65 to $100 per groom, with my boys needing a trip about every month to two weeks in the case of Mr. Peppy the tri-color cocker, who had fur like a thick plush stuffed animal, it makes dollars and sense to groom them myself. I invested about $200 for everything I needed, and about another $40 on books and a DVD, and now look at them. Handsome, eh? It does take time to get the hang of it, but seriously, if you just want a puppy cut with no fancy skirt, you CAN do it! There’s nothing better than a clean and happy dog, except of course for all the cocker kisses that you get when they say thank you for being the bestest pet parent ever!