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Beth and Artist Celebrate Matilda, the Algonquin Hotel Cat

PetSugar — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 06:00:07 -0700

Hotel owner Frank Case was an animal lover. So when a stray cat came through his doors in the early '30s, Frank welcomed him in with a champagne flute full of milk. Keeping with the tradition that Frank began back then, there have been many cats that have called the Algonquin Hotel home, and each has earned a sort of celebrity status - children's books have been penned about the frolicking felines! So when Matilda's birthday rolls around, you can expect a huge birthday bash. Benefiting a different charity each year, Matilda ushers in a new year alongside well-groomed cats and people alike. This year, there was even a kitty fashion show. Check out special guests Beth Ostrosky Stern and Artist Knox as they rub elbows with some seriously primped cats in New York's historic Algonquin Hotel.

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Coming Soon! Artist Gets His Own Show

PetSugar — Thu, 07 May 2009 04:00:32 -0700

With an overwhelming majority of you voting him as your favorite to win season one of Groomer Has It, I know you're going to love this news: Artist is getting his own Animal Planet show! Called Beverly Hills Groomer, Artist will be (and I quote) "taking his dream from the hood to the Hills."

But the show won't only be about his daily life as a mobile groomer - Artist will also be taking your questions in an Ask Artist segment of the show. It's like a two for one! We'll be completely entertained with his personality and encounters with the rich and famous, and be learning something at the same time. I'm pretty doggone excited to see Artist take on Beverly Hills, but will you be watching?

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Would You Agree With Unrequested Dyeing?

PetSugar — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 17:30:55 -0700

Rather than recap the entire Groomer Has It episode, I've got a question for you, whether you've tuned in or not. The remaining 10 groomers had to work with some very, very demanding clients – high maintenance pets are nothing compared to high maintenance owners! Singing opera, displaying mommy's picture or offering bottled water every 10 minutes, it was Jessica and Sherri who came out on the bottom of the pack for their grooming challenge. See the controversial choice in the video:

On the one hand, I know how important communication is (and, in a real-life situation, they could have called for permission to dye), it still was an unasked for choice . . . that washes out. Honestly, I'd probably stop him at the dog park to ask about it but what do you think of Jessica's "brazen and ballsy" decision?

Groomer Has It, Episode Two: Did You Agree?

PetSugar — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 16:15:30 -0700

Drama, drama and more drama with clear cliques forming just two episodes in! Since Jessica's mistake last week sent Michael home, she seemed to be in danger this time around. However, after she (and Krista) won the first challenge, they were in the top spot of being able to first pick their pups and assign the others.Naturally they tried to give the most difficult jobs to their enemies but, in the end, Krista and Chicken Joe ended up in the bottom two. According to the regular judges (and guest, Kendra), Krista didn't get all the knots out of her Yorkie and Chicken Joe didn't make a big enough difference. While he claimed he was being sensitive to the pup's skin, Krista seemed to make excuses about the time limits. Looking at both finished pups (at right), I agree neither went far enough – do you agree with the elimination?

Brush Up on Your Grooming Terminology

PetSugar — Sun, 19 Apr 2009 03:00:46 -0700

Can you believe last night's episode?! I'll be sharing my take – and asking for your opinion – tomorrow but 'til then, let's brush up (ha ha) on the terms we learned last year as we tune in each week for Season Two.

PART 1

PART 2

PART 3

Season Two! Meet the Groomer Has It Contestants

PetSugar — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 14:05:28 -0700

If last year was telling at all, I'm excited to tune in and watch these groomers grow (and animals' hair . . . do the opposite) for season two of Groomer Has It. All joking aside, even if you missed the first episode over the weekend, check out this round's contestants so you'll be able to follow my weekly recaps of the new series airing Saturdays at 9 p.m. E/P on Animal Planet.

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Groomer Has It: And the Winner Is . . .

PetSugar — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 17:30:19 -0700

In the final episode of Groomer Has It, the remaining two contestants, Jonathan and Artist, had to beautify one dog from each of the seven groups, in addition to these bonus "mutt magic" pooches seen below! Polar Bear, an adoro Westie/Eskimo pup, and Corey, the Dalmatian/Lhasa Apso mix, were the eighth and final dogs groomed as part of the competition. This week's quick tip was to pay attention to the type of dog you're working with and use appropriate techniques for each type of coat:

With long haired dogs, avoid vigorous scrubbing as to not tangle their hair and don't forget to use conditioner.
For shorter haired dogs, use a rubber brush in circular motions to remove excess undercoat in the wash.

With most of our votes, seems like many of us were rooting for Artist . . . but did he pull through to beat Jonathan, top dog from the very start? Find out in the video clip from the final announcement when you read more.

Groomer Has It: Who Should Win?

PetSugar — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 10:45:24 -0700

For those of you who don't tune in, Groomer Has It is nearing its end with just two contestants left. Before I watched last Saturday's episode, I gave some thought to the (then three) remaining groomers. While Artist (left) is definitely not the most experienced, both Jonathan (right) and Jorge were quick to mention their important clientele and established businesses in NYC, and I feel like Artist, from inner-city LA, has much more to gain by the award of a mobile grooming truck and $50,000. With Jorge eliminated, I'm rooting for the underdog – especially since Jonathan annoys almost all of us – so I totally hope Artist pulls through on the season's finale to be crowned top dog and "Groomer of the Year." Who do you want to win?

Photo: Animal Planet

Groomer Has It Recap: "Down to Business"

PetSugar — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 16:00:33 -0700

Well, this week totally tested the ingenuity of the three remaining contestants on Groomer Has It. Each had to create their own mobile grooming station in a dog park and the one who attracted the most clients, and made the most money, would be the quick-sniff challenge winner. Now Jorge's approach of only asking for donations caused him to come out on the bottom – although several people gave him $20 for his services, another gave him just $2 in change. This week's tip was how to help keep your pup clean and healthy post-park playtime: Instead of going for a full bath each time, or letting him trek dirt in the house, bring a towel and waterless shampoo to brush him off before heading home. It's also a great time to do a flea and tick check as well as peeping his nails and coat to make sure he hasn't gotten any injuries while roughhousing.

See what breed the groomers were challenged with this week (hint: handstripping was involved!), and who was eliminated when you read more.

Jorge, Jonathan, and Artist had to handstrip Border Terriers fresh and muddy off an agility course. This "assisted combing" is when you pull out the hair without breaking it. A knife would break the hair and change the growth of the hair pattern, so the key is to pull out the wiry guard hairs without damaging the short, dense undercoat. Even though Artist had never even attempted this technique before, his pup looked quite good when he was done. At the end of the show, Jorge was sent home leaving Jonathan and Artist as the top two. I can't wait to see who takes home the $50,000, grooming van, and the title of "Groomer of the Year!"

Source: Animal Planet

Do Tell: Communication Issues With a Groomer?

PetSugar — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 07:00:49 -0700

From an accidental cut to a bloody quick, what you see when picking up a pet from a groomer can be a surprise . . . and not always a good one. When trying out someone new, you never really know if you'll get the desired results and you have no guarantee they'll tell you if they messed up. Likewise, not explaining how you want your pet trimmed can also result in one heck of a shock. This pretty pup is Ozzie – CasaSugar's fiancé brought their dog in to the groomer and didn't bring any instructions. Oops! As a result Casa was shocked to find the lovely dog shaved down from her pretty state on the left to a more sheared one on the right!

Have you ever experienced any sort of communication issue with a groomer – either not giving enough descriptions, giving too much, or (hopefully not) any more serious injury? Share what it was, and how you dealt with it, in your comments below!