I guess the lull is over. Yesterday Buddy came to visit my shop. He is a diabetic ShihTzu...about 5 years old with the skin and bones type body of a senior dog. He is a grumbler throughout the entire groom but as long as I move along a a slow and quiet pace nothing comes of his grouchiness. If for some reason he has not had his insulin in the morning he is really crabby though. Yesterday he was just fine. I groom him in a #3 all and scizzor his legs. He came to me with the warning that "no body" could trim his nails unless his owner held him and even then it was a big struggle. Well, he does just fine with me. I leave the nail trim and ear plucking to the very end. By then he is very used to my touch...and I muzzle the little love. He bites for his front nails and for the ear plucking....no ifs, ands, or buts. I determined that on the first visit. He didn't nail me but he was uber fast and could have if I hadn't been aware of his 'difficult' reputation. Our time together was comfortable...he's a good boy...just needs to be carefully and gently handled.