The Pooch Stop

22/04/2024

Daisy and I ventured into a little bit of creative grooming this weekend trying to learn some Asian Grooming techniques…we tried bell bottom legs….its taken us a while to grow these legs and keep them tangle free in the weather we have had but it’s a start….so if you see her legs continuing to get longer and longer I am not neglecting her we just need way more hair 🤣🥰

19/03/2024

Thank you to Sarah for letting me practice some Asian Fusion on Gabbie & Rosie …our last groom together 😢 This little round muzzle is great for the breeds with beards. As they get older they get more food stuck, more saliva stains and more tangles…a cute compromise and less maintenance. Gabbie dislikes her face being groomed so a little fidgeter, although not perfect easier for mum to comb out.

19/03/2024

POOCH STOP CLOSING

Dear all it is with regret and not an easy decision to make but I will be closing the Pooch Stop business as at the end April. I have had a wonderful year working with your pooches and have learned an incredible amount regarding grooming, health of our dogs and handling which I hope to use moving forward on other canine related activities.

I am honouring all appointments until the end of April and will speak to you all individually over the coming weeks. I am so sorry to disappoint.

Please do feel free at anytime to ask for any advice re your dogs grooming needs at home as I would be more than happy to advise on best tools, brushing and deshedding techniques and how to trim nails etc.

Best Sam, Daisy & Digger

13/02/2024

Tilly brought along her new sister today…Daisy a 10 year old toy poodle who was rescued only a few weeks ago and had never been outside😢 she was amazing, she cried for 15 mins after mum left but I won her over with lots of cuddles and being very calm and quiet…she wouldn’t leave my side …. So I let her sit in the bath and on the table whilst grooming Tilly which helped her gain confidence…by the end she was eating treats, chilling on the sofa and playing as she must have felt so much better being matt free 👏well done Daisy ! 💕

08/02/2024

A moment of reflection….im always striving to improve and although a long way to go I am feeling pretty good about Teddys progress….bottom left first groom…top left latest groom this week…it’s so easy to be really critical but this a vocation of constant learning both in handling skills, behavioural signals, coat condition & preparation and grooming technique so note to self be kinder on myself ! 😉

07/02/2024

If anyone has a spaniel that has not been clipped and would like me to show them some tools you can use at home to take out all that dead coat and help their coat stay tight and shiny do give me a shout…check out Rudy’s pre bath dead hair removal 😮

06/02/2024

Some cuties of the breakfast club today 🥰

02/02/2024

POOCH STOP ANNOUNCEMENT

I can’t believe it’s over a year now since I professionally started dog grooming!

I have so many wonderful clients and pooches however for numerous reasons primarily the onset of carpal tunnel over the past few months which is increasingly getting more and more painful, I have decided I am going to reduce the number of days I operate in the salon and therefore the number of pooches I will groom going forward.

Unfortunately, the viability of a grooming business model is based upon volume and quick
turnaround times and given my ethos is to work at the dog’s pace the carpel tunnel will only get
worse if I increase volume, so therefore I am going to mix working with a small number of your pooches alongside resuming my consultancy business in 2024.

I have thoroughly enjoyed my time with your pooches and I will look forward to expanding my skill set in animal welfare in future years to provide additional offerings, however, in the first instance I will honour my appointments booked in up until the end of March 24 and I will chat with all my clients individually once I have worked out how many I can keep from April onwards.

I am sorry to let anyone down, this has not been an easy decision to reach.

Thank you for your support in 2023.

Best Sam (& my pooch stop assistants Daisy & Digger)

22/01/2024

Mmmm🤔I should have got Daisy to help me 20 tonnes earlier 🤣🐶

13/01/2024

Sarah is fab if this is helpful for any of my pooch customers 🐶

𝗙𝗥𝗘𝗘 𝟭𝟱 𝗠𝗶𝗻𝘂𝘁𝗲 𝗕𝗲𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗶𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘀𝘂𝗹𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻
Do you need help with your dog? If so, we are offering a FREE 15 minute telephone consultation to discuss your dog’s behaviours and develop an ongoing plan for you and your dog >> www.omnidogs.co.uk/product/free-15-minute-behaviour-consultation/

01/01/2024

Happy New Year to you and your pooches 🥰🐶🥳 Hope 2024 is good to you all!

16/12/2023

Really good advice here from master groomer and my tutor Amy so wanted to share 👍

Brush, Brush , Brush….
With the continuing wet weather it is so important to brush your dog even more regularly. We are seeing dogs coming in more matted than normal, so if you want to keep your dog in the normal style it is essential. For many rethinking a shorter style can be a great option.
We have so many owners tell us their dog does not enjoy grooming. No dog is born hating grooming, it’s about creating positive experiences, so early socialisation in a salon to get used to the noises and goings on and brushing at home, so knots and matts do not occur, is an absolute must! . This way brushing is pain free and your dog will have no reason to have anxiety about dog grooming.
Tips for at home grooming,
🐾 Insure you have a good slicker brush and comb
🐾 Make sure you brush up and out from root to tip and can get a comb through .
🐾 If your dog wears a harness extra brushing will be required on all contact points of the harness, so chest and armpit areas etc
🐾 Use a leave in conditioning spray when brushing to prevent coat damage.
🐾 Place your dog on a table, using a rubber Matt to prevent slipping, this will help your dog understand he has a zone where grooming happens, if you have a large dog, place an blanket on the floor in the same location each time.
🐾 groom in short bursts if needed but insure you finish what you are doing if your dog plays up, rather than letting them go straight away.
🐾 do not rub your dog with a towel, this causes friction , which causes matting, squeeze moisture from the coat, brush and leave to dry and then brush again.
🐾 If bathing at home you must insure products are rinsed well and to ideally dry your dog and comb through. Drying in matts makes them constrict tighter.
Remember a dog just wants to be comfortable,
so if short is more practical for the time you can dedicate to grooming and your life style, then they really do not mind. 💜

16/12/2023

I’m sure Tiger wasn’t in Diggers DNA results…. The closest he has come to a squirrel as Daisy usually chases them off ….what focus 😉🐶🐿️

16/12/2023

Daisy’s favourite pastime ….squirell chasing 🤣 love hinchingbrooke woods 👍 she would honestly spend all day there 🤦‍♀️

12/12/2023

Oh dear…this weather is a dog owners nightmare!

Cavapoo & Cockapoo + 1 walk on the Pringle/butt lane route = 1 very dirty bath tub ….

not forgetting the tangles that arise from now being wet and left to dry…don’t forget those combs after brushing to help keep your pooches tangle free!

Good luck 👍🐶💕

07/12/2023

Don’t you just love the cute 🐾 paw pads!!

06/12/2023

On the last leg of the renovation ….ready to collapse in time for Xmas …. A big shout out to Jamie for spending so many cold days getting the outside travertine ready before the big freeze 👏 highly recommend Flawless they have become our work buddies over the past 5 months, nothing ever too much trouble and always with a smile … don’t think I will miss the 7.30 starts every day!!! But little do they know I will never call another company in for any work however little….so they are stuck with us 🤣

06/12/2023

Having a little bit of fun with the renovation….our red room 😉🤣 I am going to be sooooo organised….thank you Flawless team … you took my design on paper and brought it to life….highly recommend Flawless

23/11/2023

I take my hat off to all those fantastic groomers out there…perfecting a style is an art form especially when balancing the needs of the dog. I forget I have only been qualified 8 months and still so much to learn but giving myself a little pat on the back today at the progress of my round heads 😉🤣🥰🐶

23/11/2023

As promised I have booked in all my regulars until End March 24…. !!

I have 1 appt left on the 3 Jan and 1 on the 21st Feb.

As always I will make time to squeeze in those all important nail trims and teeth.

Thank you for your continued support xx 😘

The Pooch Stop

16/11/2023

I can’t believe I am talking about 2024 but as my regular pooches are coming through the door for the last time this year they are booking for next year… this means i am now full for January 2024. Thank you everyone for all your support and being a regular to The Pooch Stop. I will sit down over Xmas and make sure all my regulars have their next few appointments in 2024 to avoid disappointment before opening to new customers. See you all soon xx

16/11/2023

Meet Maddie an 11 year old Hungarian Puli. This breed has a corded coat but this old girl needs a short tidy trim…she was an absolute angel and so glad to see her beautiful little face by the time she left…quite a transformation!

09/11/2023

Not forgetting Dotty and Charlie this week…both nervous of the grooming process but coming on leaps and bounds every time 👍👏

09/11/2023

Freddie, Tia & Rolo today…. It’s only Tia & Rolo’s 2nd full groom so we are still taking time out to play, dryers on in the background to help desensitise, table training, tool desensitisation and Freddie also shows them nothing to be afraid of! In fact Freddie so put out not being centre of attention he just hopped up on the grooming table while bathing the pups waiting his turn 🤣🥰🐶🐶🐶

08/11/2023

Cody came back for his 12 week deshed and teeth clean…. You might remember last time we needed two sessions …we breezed through this in 2.5 hrs and he was a chilled out superstar 😍 I love these gentle giants 💕

07/11/2023

Hands up if you now want a Bernese Mountain Dog 😉 Meet Bonnie ….she had the full works and left a lot lighter … she was an absolute pleasure and took it all in her stride … 💕 she is coming back soon for some finishing touches 👏

24/10/2023

I can’t believe The Pooch Stop has now been open for 6 months … I am so grateful to all my repeat customers for trusting me with your pooches …. I can honestly say that they are all becoming so much more chilled as we get to know each other and communicate better and I work on desensitising them in the areas they’re not too keen on.. I also hope the grooms are getting better too 💕 see you all in a couple of weeks when the The Pooch Stop reopens after an uplift: new doors, flooring, heating and air con 🎉 latest pic of the renovation this week !

07/10/2023

For those of you that know D&D you will know their clean, lovely smelling grooms will last only 5 mins 🤦‍♀️ especially with the river walks and the builders sand pit 🤣

28/09/2023

Freddie, Tia & Rolo visited today…it was Tia & Rolo’s first full groom and they both did amazing ….of course big boy Freddie also showed them the ropes 💕

27/09/2023

Some pics of my lovely pooches so far this week…Milo had a deshed..Denzel a deshed, Cody a teeth clean , Bonnie a meet and greet and intro to the pooch stop and Charlie a full groom and teeth clean 🥰