[Nigel]

Good Morning!

I've been reading for the last week or two and decided to say hello.

My name is Kathy and I have a 15 week old brown and white standard partipoo named Nigel. He is so smart, loving, fun and adorable.
I purchased from a breeder who shows in UKC (partis\solids) & AKC (solids). Nigel joined our family 2 weeks ago.

I also have two Giant Schnauzers and showed them in AKC conformation.
Gus is 7 yrs old and a finished CH. Riley is 5yrs old and pointed but didn't enjoy showing. She is a very conformationally correct and beautiful pet.
She & I took agility classes but never competed. My third GS girl Vixen died after a bout with toe cancer at the age of three. It was very heartbreaking for us. I saw the GS thread and could give lots of insight on the breed so if anyone wants more info pm me.

Last December I opened a SSDW/Grooming salon/natural pet food store/boutique
and am there literally 6 days a week all day, so haven't been able to participate in any dog sports. I'm hoping over the next year to be able to step back a bit and would love to do Rally or even dock diving with Nigel.

Both Gus & Nigel are the store greeters & make quite the stunning pair.
If anyone is in the Schaumburg area look us up, All Things Woof.

I plan on attending IKC this coming year, to visit with all my conformation friends, so if any poodle folks on this forum attend would love to see your poo's.

I am married and have two sons who also love our dogs.

Hope this isn't too long.

Kathy

 

[Olie]

Not long at all and welcome!!

I might add THANKS for your help in some other threads! I think you will fit in great here!!


Oh and we love pictures too!

 

[desertreef]

Not at all, Kathy! (Too long) It was great to get details. Your boy is cute and I'm sure you picked out the perfect pup to blend in with your 'pack'.

I know only part of what you are going through, with the new business. My daughter and I started a natural pet food store, a few years ago. I can't imagine trying to include grooming! After a couple of years, she has taken over just about everything... it's a lot of work, especially with having young children too. The economy doesn't help either. I know you'll be there, 6 days a week, for sometime... but it will pay off later.
You have a good thing going and it's great that your dogs are the 'meet and greet'. It's so good for them and your customers! We have our dogs around all the time too, and now she has brought in a 'shop cat'.

You'll have a busy Christmas season and then take a couple of days off to recoup!

Welcome!
Karen

 

[plumcrazy]

Welcome to the Poodle Forum!! Which 'burb are you in?? I'm not too familiar with Chicago except for our regular "stompin' grounds"... My dad grew up in Melrose Park and we visited my grandparents there every summer (my mom, dad and we 7 kids in the station wagon driving from ND to IL - lots of memories there!!) Every year on the way into the city, my dad would announce loudly to my mom, "Hey, Audrey!! Did you hear that Kiddie Land burned down??" He was so MEAN!! Of course, Kiddie Land had NOT burned down and we got to visit there every time we were in Melrose Park (but I hear it's closed now...)

My mom and dad spent their early married years living in Franklin Park before moving to ND - my eldest 4 siblings were born there... My dad's brother, Uncle Ray, still lives in River Forest... Any of those suburbs near you??

 

[bigpoodleperson]

Welcome!! I live in Rockford, which i a little over an hour west of there.

 

[spoospirit]

Welcome to the forum Kathy! I love your spoo! Thank you so much for a great summation of you and your family. It is so nice to feel like you know someone. I wish you the best with your new shop. Sounds like a great adventure although, I too, realize that having your own business is very time consuming in the beginning. Let's hope for a revival of the economy soon.

 

[Nigel]

Hi Plumcrazy,

I know exactly where those towns are. I grew up in Chicago right off of Irving & Cumberland. Went to Kiddie Land more times than I could remember. Also took my kids there. I'm so sad that it closed, it had something to do with the land lease. They just auctioned off all the rides. I live about 10 minutes west of O'hare now in Wood Dale.

 

[Nigel]

I know only part of what you are going through, with the new business. My daughter and I started a natural pet food store, a few years ago. I can't imagine trying to include grooming! After a couple of years, she has taken over just about everything... it's a lot of work, especially with having young children too. The economy doesn't help either. I know you'll be there, 6 days a week, for sometime... but it will pay off later.

You'll have a busy Christmas season and then take a couple of days off to recoup!

Welcome!
Karen

Hi Karen,

I hope it pays off. We are growing every month and I hope for a very strong December. I used to groom for a shop, had attended grooming school and do my own dogs, but have a groomer working at the store for me. We were crazy busy the two weeks prior to Thanksgiving. Also have the Self-Serve wash with lines out into the store. I'm exhausted but grateful for the business. It looks like we carry many of the same food lines.

I visited your site, your spoo's are gorgeous! I would love to have a silver or white poo someday! I'll try to convince the hubby in about two more years.

Regards,
Kathy

 

[PoodleMom]

Hi Kathy,

Welcome! I currently live in the south side of Chicago, but was born and raised on Taylor Street......I have a 17 week old Cream Standard Poodle and 2 toy poodles (5 yrs & 14 yrs).....I am also new to this forum....I can wait to see how my puppy reacts to the snow :smow: Good luck with your puppy!

 

[ArreauStandardPoodle]

Welcome to the Forum Kathy. Nice to meet you.

 

[bigredpoodle]

Welcome!! I live in Rockford, which i a little over an hour west of there.

OMG I lived in Belvidere for 5 years and worked at the Hoffman house..

 

[roxy25]

Welcome Kathy :hello:

 

[bigpoodleperson]

Really!!! I actually live in Belvidere (its so small that its easier to say rockford)! The hoffman house is still here! Rockford has grown a ton though! Nice place to live. Did you live in town in Belvidere?

 

[bigredpoodle]

Really!!! I actually live in Belvidere (its so small that its easier to say rockford)! The hoffman house is still here! Rockford has grown a ton though! Nice place to live. Did you live in town in Belvidere?

Yes I llived right across the street from Dean Foods next to the Love's (People)
This was in the late 70's early 80's
i worked for the hoffman house as a dining room supervisor God I loved working there....

 

[thestars]

Welcome Kathy. I'm originally from the Milwaukee area and have family in Waukegan. I go through Rockford all the time headed up to Wis.

 

[bigpoodleperson]

What a small world!

 

[Trillium]

Welcome to the forum. Its great to get to know new people

 

[Nigel]

Thanks all for the warm welcome.

This is the first chance I've had to visit the forum since posting a couple days ago. Been very busy at my store, the past two days.

Funny little story: Nigel had a bath Friday after pooping on the floor of the store and managing to step/wallow in it. So this morning at work he is looking like a pristine gorgeous white poodle puffball and leaps up onto my groomers lap as she is taking a sip of bright red koolaid. He made her laugh and she spurted the koolaid out all over his back. He is now a lovely pink/white/brown parti-poo and we were way too busy to rebathe him.

So he got to greet everyone today in his new tri-color coat! I was straight faced telling the customers that the color was natural but something went wrong and it should have been blue because he's a boy. I said that there was a gene found that would color poodle hair by sex while in the womb but it wasn't perfected yet which is how my poor boy ended up pink rather than blue. Had a few of them going but decided to fess up so all of the breeders wouldn't start getting requests for blue or pink spoos. Tomorrow is bath day again.

Kathy

 

[bigredpoodle]

That is a cute story Kathy Very quick minded of you to think of such a story .. HA HA:rock::rock: