Don't let one little fall get you down.

Today was really exciting in the you won't really get it but that's cool because I really really get it and I hope you can just celebrate along with me sense. An amped up Soft Coated Wheaton Terrier came into work today and I seriously thought I was going to meet my Saturday surprise match. He came in scrambling about at the end of his leash like a maniac on methamphetamines while pissing all over the place. Not the scared type of pissing. No no, that would have been to easy. It was the totally intact male, totally insane with a dash of passive resistance that had the likely potential of turning into aggressive defensiveness if handled with anything but delight and laughter. As I live for that type, I stepped up to plate and kept my eye on the... er... ball. Hmm. Not exactly where I was trying to go with that...

His owners were awesome. Each one was saying something that was the exact opposite of what the other was saying except for the part where (and hold onto your hats, this is where it gets super duper exciting) they agreed that they wanted a traditional Wheaton head. Now I know this probably means little to nothing to you but (in my personal whacky and wild world of dog grooming) having the owner of a terrier say they want a traditional face makes me go all celebration mode in my head. Confetti. Cheering. Balloons. Parades. Thrown candy. The works. It makes getting out of bed that morning totally 100% worth it. The rest of the information was kind of a mess but I am the master of breaking grooming instruction code. I know precisely what things like short but not to short, very short but not shaved, don't cut the hair but give a light trim and circle square head mean. Now the husband kept saying they like the coat long and full while the wife proclaimed she wanted a style she could easily maintain because brushing the dog was rather difficult. These things do not coincide no matter how many times you say them together or how many times you smile while saying them. Now I know mister man is at work all day while little miss is at home in a WWF brushing match so I went with the traditional Wheaton cut only very tight and short because I know the man is trying to say he likes the look of the Wheaton while she is trying to say please don't make me attempt to keep this dog brushed out even though I also enjoy the look he is supposed to wear. Pair that with a bad ass looking dog and a vision of me clutching my scissors/clippers and I positively swoon.

I got a before picture of his head and body. Since the dog was such a strung out ADD nutcase (I'm not judging here, I can totally relate) I only got an after picture of his head. He just wanted off the table and I couldn't blame him one bit so I totally flaked out on the entirely finished product. But here's the shots I got of his head. And let me tell you folks, that is a fantastic Wheaton head. See the hair that stays long in the middle of his forehead? That's called a fall. Most Wheaton people want that gone so the dog has a more teddy bear like expression. Both are cute, but the fall... oh the fall... is what does it for me. But then judging from my past, we already knew that, didn't we? ;)

Here he is in all his untouched glory. There is no full body after picture but I assure you, it looks so pissa.


Before magical scissor land


In magical scissor land


After magical scissor land