GROOMER HAS IT: Interview with Vanessa

 

After grooming dogs for 10 years, Vanessa realized just a year ago that she has an uncanny ability to “speak to and understand dogs” and says she can understand dogs as if they were humans. Judging by her dog’s reaction to her and the way she related to guest judge Janice Dickinson, I’d say that it was not unexpected that she was the sixth groomer clipped from the Groomer Has It competition. Vanessa was kind enough to answer CDW’s questions regarding her experiences on the show:

CDW: It’s obvious that you really care deeply about dogs. What was the real problem with the dog you had to groom in the grooming challenge?
First off, the dog had a coat that no matter how groomed, it wouldn’t make much of a difference in the dogs overall appearance. So there wasn’t much I could work with it. Secondly, the dog had years and years of mistrust towards humans that I could simply not undo or reverse that. The dog was 13 years old and I figured if I couldn’t gain his trust then the most I could do is give him a decent cut while dodging the teeth!

CDW:  You said your spirit guides weren’t available to you that day; are you most usually able to communicate with them when you’re working, or is there a particular subset of pets that seem to pose some sort of barrier to your guides?

I don’t use my spirit guide to groom dogs! If I communicated with every single dog I groomed I would never get any work done! Spirit guides help by giving advice…in my LIFE, not to what haircut to put on a dog and so forth. And no, dogs do not present any kind of barrier against them.

CDW: What was your favorite of all the challenges you participated in, and which was your least favorite?
My most favorite challenge was the the creative grooming challenge where we groomed standard poodles. I love using color and trying new things. And I love poodles!! My teammates were great to work with as well, and we had fun together. My least favorite challenge was with the dog massage. I felt that the whole time I had to focus on calming KRISTA down as well as the dog!

CDW:  Was there any skill or technique that you learned during your experience on Groomer Has It that you feel will be an asset in your own private grooming practice?

Yes I did learn a few things but I’m not telling

CDW: Who did you feel like you bonded most closely with in the Dog House and do you think you?ll maintain contact with them? Who did you relate least to?

I bonded very closely with Huber. He’s a very kind person but really funny too. Because of where we live in the country though I realistically don’t think we will be able to maintain contact. Micheal, on the other hand lives very close and I intend to maintain contact with him. I least related to Jessica because she has a lot of growing up to do.

CDW:  Until Groomer Has It, what was the most unusual grooming request you ever received?

Probably to make a standard poodle look like he’s a horse!

CDW:  What, if anything, was the most interesting or surprising thing you felt, or were told by any of the dogs who were on the show with you?

I would say it was surprising how many of the dogs we used knew why we were using them. They were all very intelligent. They all seemed to know we were competing against each other.