CurlyClips

Mobile dog grooming service

Grooming dogs in the comfort of their own homes in Bridgend, Cardiff & Mobile Dog Grooming for Curly Coats
(10)

07/09/2024

One trap I try to avoid falling into as a groomer is prioritising a perfect finish over the dog’s happiness.

This can be tricky! A beautiful finish (no sticky out bits, no clipper or scissor lines, perfectly fluffed coat and smooth, even edges) gets a lot of focus in grooming training and CPD courses. If you enter grooming competitions, a great finish will be part of the judging criteria; but even without competing, groomers will be judged regularly on our finish. Owners and people viewing our grooms may not know how closely the cut adheres to the breed standard or how perfectly balanced it is, but they will recognise a well finished groom.

So it’s not always easy to swallow our professional pride end a groom when the dog has had enough, rather than when it’s as beautiful as it could be. But the more dogs I meet who just fear and hate grooming, the more I try to get my priorities right.

The dog who gets stressed by the drier may not have a perfectly curl-free coat.

The wiggly puppy having their first full groom may not be even all-over.

The dog with super sensitive legs may not have tidy feet.

And the dog who has severe grooming anxieties may not even have a full groom that day – they may be bathed at home the day before and given a quick shave off, or we may do one manageable section at a time leaving them wonky for weeks! 🤪

Even my ‘best’ dogs who are usually happy as Larry on the table can sometimes have a bad day, and when those days come I’m not going to push them to achieve our usual finish.

An immaculate finish and after-photo are not worth ruining a dog’s day for 🐩❤️

27/08/2024

❓️Question: Where do my Bridgend area customers take their cars for MOTs?❓️

26/08/2024

'Same as usual?' ... 'No thanks!'

Remember, grooming preferences are not set in stone - it's more than OK to mix things up sometimes! 5 of these 7 dogs had something a little different on their most recent groom to their previous appointments, for all different reasons.

Teddy Wechon has had a poorly ear and the eardrops made his fluff sticky and knotty, so this week he's got short smart ears. We're also trialling putting him and his Cockapoo sister on different grooming schedules for their different coat needs.

Demi Toy Poodle's groom is different every single time depending on how much attitude she's bringing on the day 😂 We always aim for roughly the same thing, but there are no guarantees with this level of sass.

Betty Poochon has spent the last few months trying out litte ear-muff ears, and they were very cute! But her mum has decided they're not quite Betty's style, so we're moving back to a Bichon round head, which I also love.

Last time I saw Elsa Miniature Poodle she had pulled a muscle and was not feeling herself at all. She was in no state to be standing while I scissored little bracelets or pulled her legs around for shavey feet, so we just did a very simple one length all over. This week she's feeling much better so we can re-Poodle her and start growing her poms back in.

And Percy Goldendoodle doesn't have a 'usual' style yet. The first time I met him he was recently rescued and had some matting, we took him super short & easy all over. Now he's settling in beautifully with his family and we're having a try with something a little fluffier.

It can take a year or more of regular grooming to really get to grips with what length, style & schedule best suits dog, owner and groomer alike. And even once it's been worked out, it can still change! Because dogs are living creatures with varying needs, and humans have every right to just change their minds sometimes 😀

Not everyone has to be wildly experimental, but let's all try not to get too hung up on our 'usual'. It's just hair! We cut it off, it regrows, it's all good 🥰🐩❤️

21/08/2024

There have been some exciting goings-on at CurlyClips over the last couple of weeks!

First, we welcomed new curly pal Teddy the Poodle - welcome Teddy 🥰

Lexi & Lucie had a little spruce with some summer colour 💜🩷

I did some holiday cover in a busy salon - always handy for me to make sure I haven't completely forgotten what to do with a non-curly dog!

Plus a Microchip and Groom package for a scrummy litter of Goldendoodle puppies 🥹

And to top it all off, MiniClips and I took a little trip back to England to visit family and friends.

Phew! Back out grooming this week and looking forward to seeing you all 🐩❤️

03/08/2024

Another jammy packed couple of weeks, topped off with some actual real sunshine! 🌞
Fortunately it hasn't been too warm for grooming just yet, so everyone has been able to get their summer trims.

And in some extra good news, I've FINALLY got round to servicing my clippers, so they now sound nice & smooth and less like a petrol strimmer 😂

Thanks to those who were happy to reschedule when I was unwell last week, very much appreciated 🐩❤️

20/07/2024

Watch out guys, it's Sneaky Seed Season! 🌱

Those pesky grass seeds are just way too good at their jobs aren't they!? Many of the dogs I'm seeing at the moment have one or two hiding somewhere in their fluff - particular problem areas are in between the toes, and in armpits.

The problem with grass seeds is that they don't just hang about in the fur. Eventually they will get their pointy end into the skin which can cause open wounds and infection, and if they're not caught quickly they can actually work their way all the way right through the skin and start heading around the inside of the body 😬

So what can we do? Firstly (and I know it's a boring job) check the problem areas after every grassy walk. That will mean spreading each of the toes and feeling down to the skin of the webbing, pulling out any seeds you find. I already shave armpits short as part of any hygiene trim, if you're finding seeds in there regularly I can shave a larger area, and for tolerant dogs I can shave between toes as well. - Just let me know.

I'm not sure when the grass is going to chill out and stop seeding, but I'm looking forward to it. Sing with me now:

🎶Oh I love to run,
but it's the season of the seeds.
When I cross the lawn
They get caught up in my feetses...🎶

Further parody lyrics always welcome 🐩❤️

09/07/2024

I'm in a fortunate position that life is pretty smooth sailing at the moment, but it's struck me this week that this really is not the case for many of my customers at the moment.

Despite being a relatively small client base, these last few months alone have seen career changes, house renovations, major surgeries, health conditions both chronic and emergency, pregnancies, joyful arrivals and painful losses. None of these things are insignificant, and the weight many of you are carrying is not lost on me.

There are two things I wanted to say:
Firstly, if there's anything I can do as your groomer to make things easier, please let me know. We can rearrange appointments and change schedules, you can leave me with the dogs while you get other stuff done, we can talk or not talk, I'm easy. I deliberately build wiggle room into my schedule, so if you need to move things around please just ask.

Secondly, thank you for all being such lovely people and continuing to be kind. So many groomers have daily trouble with rude & nasty customers; I hugely appreciate that even when you all have such huge things going on, this isn't something I have to worry about. You're all awesome and your doggos are lucky to have you 🐩🤍

25/06/2024

It's been a little while eh? We have so much to catch up on!

1. We welcomed new curly pal, Percy Goldendoodle 🥹. Being a recent rescue, we didn't know much about Percy's grooming history, but we did know that he needs a bit of time to warm up to people and that we should take everything slowly and gently. Well he was a superstar! A nice short trim was the best option for his mega curly coat and doggy lifestyle - he liked it so much he showed it off from the top of Pen Y Fan the next day! 😃

2. Oscar and Oakley have both been making steady progress with their grooming desensitisation. By prioritising their comfort over a perfect finish, skipping the stressful blow dry, and muzzling where necessary to keep everyone calm & safe, they are both the proud owners of not-perfect but perfectly-good-enough haircuts. Good job boys 🥰

3. A whole lot more grooming with doggo friends both old and new 😴🐩❤️

01/06/2024

CurlyClips is 7!

Today marks 7 years since I finished my City & Guilds qualification and set up as a self employed groomer 🥳

At the time, the owner of the boarding kennels where I was working kindly allowed me to offer services to our doggy guests, and I set about getting as much practice as I could on my own dogs as well. At the time I wasn't sure what form the business would ultimately take, we suspected we would be relocating at some point but didn't know when or where.

Now all these years later we are in a whole new country with a human puppy in tow, and I have the most wonderful bunch of doggos on my books. In-home grooming for curly coats is without a doubt where I'm meant to be, and I'm super pleased with what little old CurlyClips has become 7️⃣🐩❤️

21/05/2024

You dirty dawg! 🐶

Something about the combination of glorious sunshine and torrential storms we've been having has lead to some extra mucky pups over the last couple of weeks 🙈 I love it! Seeing all that grime wash away in the bath is super satisfying.

It always makes me laugh to hear the words people use for something that is extra dirty or smelly. 'Bumping' and 'buzzing' were two that I only heard for the first time when I started hanging around with a Welshman 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿
I think 'honking' and 'grim' are my favourites to use!

What words do you use to describe your grubby, stinky doggo? 💩🐩❤️

14/05/2024

How does CurlyClips in-home grooming work?

🗓We set an appointment
🚗 I come to your house
🛋We find a safe place for me to set up my table, with access to a socket for the dryer
🛁I wash your dog in your bath, shower or sink
✂️I bring all the equipment I need for a fabulous groom
🐶Tadaa! You have a freshly groomed dog without having to step foot out of the house

In-home grooming can be perfect for dogs who are a little anxious in salon environments, or for owners who find mobile services most convenient. But for plenty of my clients, neither of those are true - they just like me 😉🐩❤️

07/05/2024

Thank you to DL Tyres Bridgend for getting the CurlyMobile back on the road after her slow puncture suddenly turned not-so-slow 😅

04/05/2024

Wowzers what a fun week 😀

Not one, not two but three non-curlies! Cooper cocker, Rudi collie and Eevee springer are now all smooth & shiny, ready to take on all the swamps, streams and brambles they please.

Plus a special welcome to Nellie cockapoo who had her first full groom 😍 She was a super girl and had no knots or matts so we were able to go for a long floofy style.
Well done Nellie 🐩❤️

20/04/2024

Some very serious doggos this week 😂
At least little white pooches Olly and Milo look a bit more cheerful! They must have caught a glimpse of the lovely sunshine ☀️🐩❤️

13/04/2024

We have a new friend to welcome - check out this big golden nugget Oakley 😍🥰

Oakley has had a tricky start to life and is one nervy fella. We aren't really sure what his grooming history has been like, but we do know that he finds lots of things in the world really scary. Luckily he has landed on his feet with wonderful new humans who are working hard alongside Emma at Rat Pack Dog Services to help him feel happier and more comfortable.

And this is where in-home grooming really comes into its own, in my opinion. We don't need to worry about how the environment might be stressing Oakley out during his grooms, because he is home where he feels safe. Instead we can just work on helping him to feel happier with the grooming process - with lots of snugs and sausages! We'll be breaking his grooms down into short, regular sessions to try and prevent him from feeling overwhelmed. It might take some time, but we'll get there 🐩❤️

03/04/2024

Why do I only groom curly-coated dogs?

1. Because they're my favourite! 🥰
Not long into my grooming training I realised that it was the wool & wool combination coats that I was most enjoying working with and looked forward to seeing on the schedule. I love the transformation from scruffy to neat & fluffy and enjoy the whole process of the groom. When it came to setting up my own business, I thought how much more I would enjoy my job if I only ever groomed my favourite dogs.

2. They're what I'm best at 🤓
By dedicating all my attention, practice and CPD to curly-coats, I've been able to develop my skills specifically with these breeds. I do occasional work in a salon to keep my hand in with other coat types, but it's the curlies that I'm best at!

3. They suit in-home grooming 🏠
Trust me, no one wants to deal with the mess of deshedding a husky, golden retriever or even a pug with a high-velocity dryer in a living room! Curly coats are generally low-moulting, so not much hair flies out during the drying process, instead it falls harmlessly to the floor when cut - much more practical for a home environment.

Specialising in curly-coated dogs allows me to do what I love every day, do it well, and bring those skills right to your door - everybody and everydoggy wins 😃🐩❤️

29/03/2024

Happy Easter time everyone!

Spring is springing, time to get out and enjoy those brief glimpses of sunshine I think ☀️🌻

19/03/2024

Podcasts? 🎧

I have finally joined the modern world and worked out how to link my.phone to my car so I can listen to something other than the radio or Finn's Gruffalo CD while I'm driving to and from appointments 😅 Who has any podcast recommendations for me?

Interested in: Dogs, parenting, interesting celebrity interviews, perhaps a little comedy.

Don't fancy: True crime, sport, anything I'll lose track of by only listening in 15-30minute segments, anything I have to pay for 😂

Thanks 😀 🐩❤️

16/03/2024

A few lovely welcomes today 😀

Firstly, to Womble! Now Yorkshire Terriers are not my typical clientelle - they're about as non-curly as it gets 😂 but when Yzma (you know, with the rainbow tail) gained a new cousin from a local rescue and they called her Womble, how could I resist?! Our first groom was mostly about getting to know each other and finding out how Womble feels about grooming, turns out she's a super sweet and tolerant girl. And now a bit more beautiful as well 😍

Secondly, a big welcome BACK to Izzy & Morgy! This most adorable twosome have had a little break from professional grooming and it was so lovely to see them again.

Welcome all 🐩❤️

01/03/2024

Quick reminder that new prices come into effect today 🌼

Hopefully everyone will have received my price increase notice in January with all the details, if not please drop me a message!
Obviously the last thing anyone wants at the moment is for another cost to increase, but I'd like to thank everyone for being so understanding and supportive of this necessary adjustment. 🐩❤️

27/02/2024

Not a huge number of pictures today because I've had a couple of rather calm, quiet weeks in preparation for a chockablock March!

I love having a varied routine with some quieter stretches and some much busier, for me the variety is one of the perks of only grooming part-time and having dogs on lots of different schedules.

The good news is that after reviewing my books I've decided to open up a few extra spaces for new doggos 🐶 The bad news is, they're almost all taken already 🙈 (Check out our lovely new Springer friend - Eevee 😍)

To make the most of my available time I'll be reserving these remaining spaces for dogs who live in an area already on my schedule, and keep within my curly speciality - Poodles, Bichons and all their various crossbreeds.

If you're looking for a new groomer and think your pooch might fit the bill, I look forward to hearing from you 😀🐩❤️

07/02/2024

There's one thing we can say for sure about dog hair: it grows! Not revelatory perhaps, but it's helpful to keep it in mind when we're deciding on our dogs' grooming styles and schedules.

Most of us have a particular hair length that we like best on our dogs, where we really feel they look their best and most like themselves - the Dream Length. And most dogs will have just a few weeks at that length before it grows out and they look different again. So that gives us a few options for grooming:

A) Clip the dog shorter than we really like and let them grow out to the Dream Length

B) Clip the dog down to the Dream Length and then let them grow longer than we really like

C) A combination of both of the above

D) Clip the dog regularly enough that they stay at the Dream Length all the time

And all of these are fine! Of course an increase in length comes with an increase in maintenance, but as long as that is manageable, its all just personal choice 😀 And there's no need to stress if we feel like a groom is shorter than we would like, our dog will grow to Dream Length soon enough

I'm a C owner all day long, how about you?
🤔🐩❤️

27/01/2024

Is it just me or is this January really laying it on thick with the amount of nonsense it's throwing at us?

So many people I've spoken to (ourselves included) have been hit by a barrage of illness, injury, car breakdowns, car accidents, appliance breakdowns, house emergencies and sick & injured animals. I mean, I understand there's always 'something', but there does seem to be an inordinate number of somethings lately!

I don't believe in curses or bad luck or karma or anything, but I do believe that this January needs to chill out and give us all a break. Doesn't it realise its already the longest, coldest, skintest month?!

Feel free to use this post to vent about the January shenanigans (shenJanigans if you will) that you've had to deal with, and then look at the cute pictures of dogs to cheer yourself up 🐩❤️

23/01/2024

Seren's new shavey ears have been bringing lots of chuckles on her windy walks with Sprocket Dog Services today 😂

13/01/2024

3 important pieces of news from this week:

1. I got new Happy Hoodies for Christmas. Not only are they look hilarious, but they are also invaluable for dogs who find the noise of the dryer stressful. Proof that if you lose something enough times and complain to Santa as you're leaving the house that you can't find it enough times, eventually Santa will get so fed up he puts more in your stocking 😉

2. Oscar the cavapoo had his first full groom with me! After struggling with his previous groomer and getting quite grouchy, we've been having regular desensitisation visits over the last few months to help him get used to the process again, and it worked! We had a few grumbles and growls, but with plenty of patience and sausages we worked through them all and finished his groom tidy & stress free

3. Seren has new shavey ears

That is all ☺️ 🐩❤️

06/01/2024

New Year’s morning:
the ducks on the pond
quack and quack.
--Kobayashi Issa

So the first week of 2024 is in the bag. I was going to write some optimistic resolution-y post about looking forward to the future.

Instead, here's a nice haiku about ducks. Let's take a little pressure off new year and just keep quacking 🦆🐩❤️

01/01/2024

New year, who dis?!

I should probably start 2024 with a slightly overdue introduction. This is Badger 🦡😀

After losing our lovely Rupert a few years ago, last year we finally felt ready for a new little fella in our lives. Badger is a Miniature Poodle from a lovely and experienced home breeder. He's been with us a couple of months now and is just the sweetest little lad.

Obviously a proper Curly like this will need plenty of grooming through his life, so he's having regular face & foot trims, blow dries, table practice, and his first proper groom the other day 😊

No doubt you'll be seeing Badger on the page for years to come! Happy 2024 everyone 🐩❤️

23/12/2023

2023 Over and Sprout!

That's me done for another year. And what a year it's been! My first as a working mum 😱
Thank you to everyone who made my return to work so smooth, and for being so welcoming and understanding as always. I was just pondering the other day that I've known some of my grooming clients longer than I've known some of my own dogs. What a privilege it is to have lovely bonus doggos in my life and maintain such longstanding relationships with both them and their owners.

I'm taking a little time off now until the new year, I hope you all have the chance to do the same. Very Merry Christmases to all 🐩🎄

17/12/2023

Variety is the spice of life they say!

What a mixed bag this week or so has been 😀
From the tiniest dog on my books (Demi the Toy Poodle) to the biggest (Dougie the Goldendoodle) and many sizes in between.

Thick coats, fine coats, fluffy coats, curly coats and even a straight double coat.

Full Grooms, tidy ups, desensitisation sessions, some colour.

A dog who needs a muzzle through the whole groom, and a dog who cannot handle any restraint at all; a dog who willingly runs upstairs and hops in the bath; a dog who makes his dad carry him upstairs every single time and a dog who had a wash in the sink because they were having a new bath put in.

Even as a solo, part-time groomer who specialises in a particular coat type, there are still plenty of ways that work stays spicy. Just one more week until Christmas, who knows what it will bring? 🐩❤️

06/12/2023

Eh up, who let you two in here?!

You're right friends, ears aside these two are not very curly. But if there is ever a dog that's going to break by curly-coats-only rule, it's going to be a spaniel 🥰

Some of you may know that alongside my curlies at home, I also have 4 working type cocker spaniels and I just love them. Ross and Cooper here gave me a big dose of spanner mayhem and snugs this week, while also being absolute superstars on the table.

They're now smelling fresh; a little less fuzzy with tidy feathers and non-grinchy feet. Can we all take a moment to appreciate those signature squiffy lips?! 🥹🐩❤️

Address

Bridgend
CF320

Website

http://www.instagram/curlyclipsgrooming/

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Videos

Welcome Winnie 🥰🥰 an absolute superstar for her first Puppy Intro Groom, including: Bath Blow dry Brush & Comb Paw pad clip Hygiene trim Nail clip Feet tidy Face tidy I love being able to start the grooming process nice and early with puppies, to help them get used to all the weird noises & sensations long before they need a full cut. #puppygrooming #doggrooming #doggroomersofinstagram #puppytraining #cute #curlycoatspecialist #puppysocialisation #cockapoo #cockapoopuppy #CurlyClips #CurlyClipsMobileGrooming #CurlyClipsGrooming #CurlyClipsDogGrooming

Beautiful Lucie-Marie trying out a new Asian Fusion inspired style. I think it suits her! 🐩❤

Believe it or not, Buttons is one of my most beautifully behaved dogs for grooming. She is tolerant of everything I need to do, she stands perfectly still and just let's me get on with it... But then as soon as the scissors go down and the camera comes out - a little singing and dancing diva emerges 👩‍🎤💃🐩❤

Georgie Bichon knows that the best way to keep her coat fluffy and tangle-free (even through this horrible weather we've been having 🌧) is regular grooming! Check out that smile and wag when we're all done 🐩❤

Just a little joy for you on a Monday evening. One of our cocker spaniel puppies Cooper having some farewell snugs with his pal CousCous before leaving for his new home at the weekend 🐩🐱❤

This exceptional ball of chocolate floof was the latest to take part in the CurlyClips Summer Special! Chewie settled so quickly into his grooming and treated me to lots of lovely kisses. Good job fella! 🐩❤

All stocked up ready to get back out and tackle those coats. This Rhubarb & Plum shampoo from Milly's is my absolute favourite for getting our pooches' curly coats soft, healthy and smelling delicious 🐩❤

It's hot out there guys ☀️ I've seen lots of people worrying that their dogs are struggling in the heat and thinking of clipping their coat off. So here's a quick video to try to explain why that is probably not the answer! Stay safe everyone 🐩❤

I suspect there are some fuzzy-faced curlies out there! Here's a quick (ish 😬) video to take you through how to safely trim around your dog's eyes during lockdown. Please be super careful and if you have any questions or need more tips specifically for your dog, just send me a message 🐩❤