Grooming by Amberley

09/07/2025

Summer styles for some cool canine friends 🌞

07/07/2025

This is why some of you may have noticed that I toss treats for nervous pups. It has nothing to do with being afraid of your dog, and everything to do with respecting their emotions.

07/07/2025

05/07/2025

July & August are filling up fast, text today to book :)

27/06/2025

It was such a pleasure to see you again, Oscar 🥰 Thank you for coming to see me while visiting from out of town, and trusting me after your last spooky grooming experience 👻

26/06/2025

Wishing everyone a safe and happy long weekend 🐾
Please note that we are booked up for full service grooming appointments until mid-July!

25/06/2025

One important reason why we do not recommend waiting until your dog or puppy 'needs' grooming to book them in.
This is also something we can break down into smaller chunks, during a Happy Visit, so your dog or puppy is not overwhelmed during the actual grooming process.

✨ THE ‘LET DOGS LEAD’ RULE ✨

Always let your dog have time to adjust to grooming tools before using them!

This simple approach builds trust and reduces anxiety straight away 🐶🤎

THE SCIENCE BEHIND IT:

👉 Dogs process the world through scent
👉 Familiar smells = safety
👉 Unknown tools = potential threat
👉 Time to adjust = time to assess & lower stress

HOW TO APPLY IT:

👉 Set up tools around a familiar space
👉 Place tasty treats nearby
👉 Step back and allow dog to free roam
👉 Advance to next step once dog shows no signs of stress

POSITIVE SIGNS:

👉 Relaxed posture
👉 Making physical contact
👉 Tail in neutral position
👉 Soft eyes
👉 Accepting treats

RED FLAGS:

👉 Backing away
👉 Avoiding physical contact
👉 Body tension
👉 Panting & pacing
👉 Not accepting treats

Next time you want to introduce something, try this approach and let me know how you get on!

23/06/2025

💭 Uncomfortable Truth Time:

Having grooming qualifications doesn't automatically make someone competent.

For example (and I know this might raise a few hackles), after years of working in this industry as an educator, I've seen many qualified groomers who miss basic stress signals, and equally as many unqualified groomers who demonstrate exceptional canine behaviour knowledge.

So before you jump down my throat with, "but what's that got to do with grooming?!" let me say, a great bunch of things actually, and herein lies the problem our sector faces...

The real question is: What does TRUE competency look like in dog grooming?

It's not just about perfect scissor work or knowing about breed standards, is it? ✂

It's also not about advancing your knowledge in behaviour and communication.

TRUE competence is also about making ethical decisions, and putting the individual dog's needs first - even when it means not completing a groom (cue the gasps of horror! 😅).

I want to know: are we measuring success in the right way in our industry?

Or have we lost our way?

What do YOU think makes a truly competent groomer? 🤔

Drop your comments below or if you are feeling brave, why not take part in our anonymous 'Industry Regulation Readiness' survey below 👇

https://form.jotform.com/251703961482055

23/06/2025

Scooby, our sweet senior boy, was missing his sidekick today, so I gave him some extra TLC to make his solo spaw 🐾 day special.

16/06/2025

“Oh rubbish....our nails don’t hurt when they grow.”
I hear you, but let’s look at why trainers, groomers, vets (really anyone who works closely with dogs) will urge you to please trim your dog’s nails or “claws”.

It isn’t always nice to hear but it is an important message.

What happens when your dogs nails are too long?
The toes can start to splay, they can spread our unnaturally.
This affects how the foot can move and place itself.

Did your dog’s toes once sit neatly and tightly together?
Have you noticed they now sit wider apart?
Notice those bigger gaps?
The foot isn't as compact as it one was.

Over time.... the toes can twist and they may have a new way of moving or walking, one their body isn’t built for and it can be very subtle and tricky to spot.

That new movement affects joints and muscles all the way up the leg.
Eventually.... it can impact the hips.
The gait can be affected as well as their whole walking style.

Why does this happen?
Dog nails don’t retract.
They stay long (and for long nails concrete walking may not help at all...it just means more pain).
Long nails can’t sink into hard surfaces.
The toes bend... the joints strain and the foot compensates in unnatural ways.

Will they show pain?
Some dogs will..... many don’t or can’t.
That doesn't mean they’re not in a lot of discomfort.

Pain often shows in unexpected ways...unwanted behaviour, movement and posture.
Pain that is preventable becomes a welfare issue.

We owe it to our dogs to help them live (as much as possible) a pain free life.

Yes...nail care can be hard.
Yes, some dogs hate it and progress can be snail pace slow.

However....we owe it to our dogs to not give up on them or their nails.

13/06/2025

Say hello to Thumper! This big-hearted boy is full of emotions and I'm so grateful his human sister has entrusted me with his sensitive grooming needs.