Four Dogs Needing Homes

Great News!!! Four dogs groomed by the students last week were adopted- Royal, Frank, Nana, and Sable!  Today the students of Zoom Zoom Groom's Academy of Pet Grooming, pampered four more beautiful dogs from the Humane Society.  I am so proud of these students.  They are doing wonderful grooms on these fabulous canines, plus they are providing them with love and compassion.  Have a look at their work.... and maybe.... just maybe...... you may know of someone looking for a wonderful companion.

www.zoomzoomgroom.com

It Felt Sooooo Good!

Today our students at Zoom Zoom Groom's Academy of Pet Grooming were blessed with the opportunity to groom 6 dogs from the Regina Humane Society.  The students require dogs to groom and the Humane Society has dogs that need to be groomed- what a better way to network!  ZZG was buzzing today, and all the groomers fell in love with each and every one of these adorable canines. Below are the students talking about the dogs they groomed.  We hope the videos will help to promote their adoptions.  A clean dog is a healthy dog, and a healthy dog needs a place to call home.  Please if you are considering a new pet, think about the dogs and cats at the Regina Humane Society!  We know there are six residing there that smell awesome after their special spa day at Zoom Zoom Groom.
www.zoomzoomgroom.com

A ZZG Thanksgiving- 10 Reasons I am Thankful!

10.  the amazing staff at ZZG!  The people within the Zoom Zoom Groom walls are loving, caring professionals who consistently give their best to our clients, both two legged and four!

9.  the fact that I love my job!  I look forward with great enthusiasm to go to work everyday and be with my ZZG family.  It is such an inspiring, positive environment- plus a great place to laugh, dance and sing!

8.  the fact that ZZG makes a positive difference in the health of our furry friends!  It feels amazing to see the changes from the cat or dog that enters the building, to that which leaves!

7.  the opportunity to make a difference in the lives of our students at Zoom Zoom Groom's Academy of Pet Grooming.  Presently, we have 6 remarkable individuals, who are passionate to learn about this wonderful industry!  It feels amazing to have the opportunity to once again teach, and learn!

6.  the venue in which all things can happen.  We are blessed with a building in which we can house our mobiles, offer an "IN" Salon, and have a school as well!

5.  the dogs and cats that look at us with their big trusting eyes, and allow us to do what we need to, in order to create grooms to the owner's requests! I so agree with the following:
"Dogs have given us their absolute all. We are the center of their universe, we are the focus of their love and faith and trust. They serve us in return for scraps. It is without a doubt the best deal man has ever made." - Roger Caras

4.  our phenomenal clients who are family as well! ZZG clients are passionate about their pets and entrust us enough to share them.  We are so appreciative of your faith, kindness and generosity.  It is an honor to make your life along with your pets, more healthy and happier!

3.   for the passion, motivation and excitement of the staff to continuously learn and improve.  Together, we have decided to better our skills by continuing education through the International Professional Groomer's Association and complete our exams to become not only certified, but Master Groomers. This validates, that these individuals are striving to be the best of the best.  I am so proud of all the groomers at ZZG!

2. a family consisting of an amazing husband Randy, three sons (Colton, Zane, and Keegan), and a furry babies-  Gracie, Kennedy, Bitsy, Flower and Zoomey, who all support and encourage my crazy ideas!

1.   my health, in which I can do all the above things that make me so incredibly happy.  I am a breast cancer survivor and I am so grateful and blessed that my many angels (family, friends,and staff included) have helped me through a year of learning, strength, love and growth, that can be nothing short of miraculous!!!  Thank you, Thank you, Thank you!

ON BEHALF OF ZOOM ZOOM GROOM, RANDY AND MYSELF, WE WISH ALL A HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

With it Being Roughrider Season- This May be Something You Would Like to Pursue!!!??

How to Train Your Dog to Get You a Beer

By Jerry James Stone

The only thing more enjoyable than a nice cold beer is enjoying one that someone else got for you. C’mon, you know I am right. The couch is just too darn comfy.

That said, saying the words “fetch me a beer” rarely ends well. You are more likely to end up in the doghouse than with an actual beer. And we don’t want that. Well, don’t worry…this awesome tutorial provided by WikiHow takes care of that. These simple instructions will help you train your dog to fetch you a cold one so you can spend more time at your PlayStation.
If you don’t have a dog, well, that is step one. Get a doggy! You can find quite a few beer-fetching ones over at PetFinder.

READ MORE: Drink Up: Chemistry Keeps Beer Fresher, Longer
Opening the Fridge
1. Tie a rope or a tug toy to the door of your fridge. You can also wrap a treat inside the towel to make it more enticing. This is how my other half usually gets me to do chores.
2. With your dog next to you, say “Get me a beer” or whatever command you have chosen for this action.
3. Say “Get me a beer” and encourage your dog to pull on the towel. Give praise and a treat every time your dog pulls the fridge open.
If your dog happens to be the size of Marmaduke, this is going to end badly. Like, “fridge landing on top of you” badly. I suggest borrowing a neighbors dog.

Grabbing the Beer
4. Put the beer can on the lowest shelf of the fridge so that your dog can reach it. It helps to clear out any stuff around it. If necessary, wrap something around the can so the dog can grab it more easily. And put something against the fridge door so that it stays open without you having to hold it.

READ MORE: Beer Good for the Bones

5. Give the “drop” command so that she drops the can into your hand. Give praise and a treat. Repeat until your dog can pick up a beer can and put it on your hand using only verbal commands.
6. Move further away from the fridge. Rinse and repeat.
Closing the Fridge

7. Open the fridge door slightly.
8. Dangle a treat so that your dog gets up on his hind legs and leans with his front paws against the door.
9. Move further away, leaving the fridge open. Tell your dog to “Close it”. Reward your dog whenever he closes the fridge.
Putting It All Together
10. Stand close to the fridge. Ask your dog to “Get me a beer”. He should now be comfortable opening the fridge door. While the fridge door is open, tell the dog to “fetch”.
11. Have him put the beer in your hand and reward him. Repeat but this time say “Close it” after he grabs the can and reward him profusely after he’s brought you the beer.
12. Move a little further away and say “Get me a beer”. Your dog should open the fridge door but if he forgets to, just grab the beer or close the fridge, and remind him verbally.
13. Reward him when he brings you the beer (having done everything he was expected to do). Keep doing this and eventually most dogs will complete all of the tasks with a single command: “Get me a beer”.

Tags: Beer, Food and Drink

Dog News Close to Home

Treats Pour In From Around The World After Boy Creates Bucket List To Thank Dying Service Dog (PHOTOS)

Posted: 08/14/2012 1:21 pm Updated: 08/14/2012 2:48 pm

A 14-year-old Jack Russell terrier called Bingo has gotten his very own bucket list in the last few weeks of his life.
Bingo was given to the Winnipeg-based Hein family in 2005 by the National Service Dogs to help with 11-year-old Cole's undiagnosed medical condition, the Winnipeg Free Press reports. Cole would suddenly stop breathing and would often require CPR to revive him.
The organization trained Bingo to respond when Cole stopped breathing by barking to notify others.
While Cole can now work through the disorder himself, the dog has helped save the boy's life several times in the last few years and was even inducted into the Purina Animal Hall of Fame in 2010, according to Modern Dog Magazine.

Recently, Bingo was diagnosed with Canine Cognitive Dysfuntion Syndrome, and the Hein family was told that the dog had only weeks to live.
Determined to make Bingo's last weeks "fun and delicious," Cole decided he wanted to thank his dog with a 'lick it list,' the doggie-version of a bucket list.
"He told me he is making a lick it list so I said 'oh, a dog's version of a bucket list' and he said he didn't know what that was," Mandi Hein told the Winnipeg Free Press.
The family has set up a Facebook page to allow people to send treats for Bingo. "I've made a list for her final days on Earth. I want to take her on one last public outing to Ruckers. I want to walk her around the block twice. And I want to get her treats from around the world," Cole told WPF. Fortunantly, Bingo's veteranarian bills are covered by a pet insurance policy.

 

The 'lick it list' has been a huge success. "Cole is doing the happy dance. He is teasing Bingo about her new treats coming," Mandi told the Winnipeg Free Press during a recent interview.
The Bingo Hein Facebook page now has 676 members, with people writing in from Egypt, Singapore, New Zealand, the U.K., Finland, the U.A.E. and Australia.

What A Difference A Year Makes!

As you may or may not know, Zoom Zoom Groom’s Academy of Pet Grooming opened this week with a full class! I am so excited to teach the amazing individuals in this group. Just prior to the opening, 13 staff and family members attended Super Zoo in LasVegas. There, ZZG Veteran groomers had the opportunity to meet and learn from some of the top grooming professionals in the world. Learning venues such as these are crucial in this industry in order to stay current of the latest technologies and to become leaders ourselves in techniques and skills. Not only that, it provides motivation and excitement and a desire to become better- master groomers. Perfect timing…… our first day of school (just two days after our return from Super Zoo) was filled with shared enthusiastic experiences. You could see the students eyes light up as the news spewed out. I feel these bright individuals have an opportunity to become incredible groomers and future leaders in an industry that is presently booming. What’s so amazing is I have the honor of being a part of it! Due to the fact I had taught elementary/middle years for 18 + years prior to opening Zoom Zoom Groom, it would be expected I could walk right in without any apprehension. This just wasn’t the case. I was nervous! The pressure …… I want to see each and every one of these individuals succeed and be prosperous. They trust me with their future. As our first morning progressed, it became evident to me that my biggest contribution could quite

possibly be my passion, love and excitement.

As with many first day introductions, it was important for my new students to know a little about me. What I did not realize was how emotional I would get when filling them in on the history of Zoom Zoom Groom. The reason why I call this blog “The Difference a Year Can Make”, is the fact that almost one year to the day, I was undergoing surgery to remove a Breast Cancer Mass. The big “C” had got me! No one knows the emotions involved in this procedure unless they have actually lived it themselves. It was a year ago that my (2011-2012) staff was also at the Regina Airport to go to Super Zoo, and I waved good bye – my operation was scheduled for the second day of the show. One of my hardest days ever! Following the surgery was 6 months of extensive treatments and a whole lot of feelings I had never experienced before- both physically, and emotionally. Friends, family and staff kept things going and encouraged me to be strong.

My voice got a little shaky explaining this part of my adventure, but I felt my students needed to be aware, especially because there would be three days in their program when I would be absent due to my remaining treatments. Many of them had no idea, and I’m sure they were not expecting their teacher to be crying on their first day. Joy was the reason for this, not regret, not “why me”. Joyous emotions because here I am one year later and life couldn’t be more of a contrast than that of a year ago. I am living my dream today, doing two things I love immensely (teaching and grooming), and best of all I am feeling my normal self, which at times during treatment seemed impossible. When speaking about acquired learning’s,........ the past several months have taught me about the following blessings: my family, friends, staff & strength.

Gratitude Wall

On our first day of classes the students were instructed to create personal posters for our “Gratitude Wall" which will hang for their entire session. Daily reflections will be added to these posters of things to be grateful for. Other students, as well a myself, can write on the individual posters when good deeds are done. After two days many of the posters are filling up. The students are enjoying the positive thoughts they were receiving and expressing. Today, as I walked into the room, I couldn’t figure out why they were huddled together in the classroom corner. As they backed away from the wall, once again, they stirred my emotions to the core…. There on the wall was a poster they created for me filled with words of encouragement, and thankfulness for giving them this opportunity. Yes, a year can make a difference!!!!!

We are all so excited at Zoom Zoom Groom for the school. The entire staff is loving the enthusiasm of our young entrepreneurs. All of us have the opportunity to contribute to the education of these individuals and it feels awesome! The students themselves will be contributing to the Barkz and Bytes blog- sharing their learnings- good and bad. Their stories will be coming soon. I wish these students the best in their program, and encourage them to stay strong, even when things get tough- reinforcing the fact that today may seem rough, but an hour, day, month or year can make a complete difference. I am living proof of that! There are always better things to come, and the rough stuff just makes you appreciate these positive times more. Here’s to a fantastic first session at Zoom Zoom Groom’s Academy of Pet Grooming! The quote ZZGAPG has adopted is as follows:

“Education is not preparation for life; education is life itself.”
― John Dewey

Lets do this session one students, and thanks for adding me to the gratitude wall- you have no idea how much this means to me!!!!

We are taking names for the 2013 session happening January 2013- If you are interested check out the website ..
www.zoomzoomgroom.com
Please contact us at 306-533-9155

A Star is Born

The Amazing Pebbles.....AKA "Toto"!

If you haven't heard by now, Kaila's dog Pebbles is "Toto" in The Prairie Skies Wizard of Oz, being performed for its final week.  The history behind her achieving this role is not clear to me, but what I do know is she filled a different dogs paws that struggled with the role, just days before the production began.  As you know Zoom Zoom Groom's staff is diverse, with many of them having great knowledge of dog training and conditioning.  What we are all perplexed about is the speed in which Pebbles not only learned her role, but does it brilliantly!  The most interesting part is she was trained by the actors/ actresses themselves.  We want them to come give us a training in-service!  What can possibly take weeks or  months to train, these individuals did in just a few days.  Pebbles is reading hand signals and cues, which is no small feat.  If you have seen the musical, you will observe her coming and going off stage when required, stealing a hot dog from the fortune teller on cue, barking at the wizard and more! It's flabbergasting what she does, and she loves it!  Everyday Pebbles is picked up by from Zoom Zoom Groom at 4:00 by a cast member, and she is racing out the door.  When she arrives at the venue, she dashes out of the car and onto the stage.  She takes a few seconds to look at the "would be crowd", and darts off to behind the scenes in the back.  She is thriving on the stardom!

My son, Zane has the role of the Tin Man (Hickory).  I thought I would take the staff to see the show, after all there were two important individuals in it.....Zane and Pebbles.  Needless to say, as much as they loved Zane`s performance, the focus was on Pebbles. 

Zane jokes that Pebbles has taken all of the performers lime light.  A review was written in a local  paper and it goes like this.....`Even if the show ended up being a complete disaster and everything had gone inexplicably but entirely wrong, it would have been saved by Pebbles the dog who played Toto. I’m not much on small dogs, but every time she came on stage, I had to resist running on stage and stealing that dog for being so damn cute. She didn’t even do anything! She had no lines and was either carried, led, or told where to go on stage, and she still managed to be a star simply because she was that adorable.

We are so extremely proud of both Tin Man and Toto.  If you haven`t seen the musical, it`s the perfect Saskatchewan event.  It`s in the country, and outside....  Amazing!  The following is a link to Prairie Skies website.  Before the week is over my husband and I will be back for our fourth time to see the Wizard- mainly to see Pebbles (LOL)- just kidding Zane.....you too!  Love ya, big guy!


We`re off to see the Wizard, the wonderful Wizard of Oz!!!!!!! 

 http://www.prairieskiessk.com