My work is done here...

In case some of you didn't know, this is what I do for a living,and love doing it.
This is Annie,before and after,she hadn't been groomed in months,and so she had to be cut short,but I was able to save her ears and topknot... Annie is one of my favorite makeovers, she is such a willing client. A little sweetheart she is,and her Mom is too.

These are some of my favorites ones to groom, the worst come in,and leave looking and feeling so much better.I fell that it is a win win situation, the clients are happy,the dogs are happy to be clean,and I am happy to know I have done a good job...and got paid too. Not all of them come in looking like Annie, some are regular,coming every few weeks or sooner.
Sometimes, in fact, most of the time I talk to the dogs or cats while I am grooming them, I think it takes their mind off what I am doing, maybe trying to figure out what I am saying,it just seems to calm them most of the time. And then there are times, I tell them, don't bite me, go home and bite your parents, they are paying me to do this! Some will never get used to it,and it is just traumatic for them,and then I just try to hurry the process as much as I can without further scaring them... those that get dragged out of the backyard once or twice a year, and don't come willing.
I have shaved a cat that was 6 years old,and never been groomed,and never flinched, and tried to shave a cat that was never going to go for it,and ended up bouncing off the walls.... Those days, we feel lucky if we leave with all our fingers intact,and no bites... good times!
When I was a little girl, I wanted to be a Vet, and then I found out you have to euthanize some animals, and that was the end of that for me. So,I find this is the next best thing, you are helping them by cleaning them up,and being kind to them,so they have a pleasant experience,it's all about the talking to them.... I think. I talk to my furbabies too,more like kids than I should admit,but it works for us.