Stress-Less Grooming

08/01/2026

𝙉𝙤𝙩 𝙖𝙡𝙡 𝙙𝙤𝙜 𝙩𝙧𝙖𝙞𝙣𝙚𝙧𝙨 𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙨𝙖𝙢𝙚...

A dog trainer based in Glasgow has recently been found guilty of causing “𝘶𝘯𝘯𝘦𝘤𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘢𝘳𝘺 𝘴𝘶𝘧𝘧𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨” to his own dog, in an incident described as “𝘪𝘯𝘩𝘶𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘦” by the presiding Sheriff.

This post is not about the individual involved. It’s about the importance of researching a trainer’s ethos and approach before you put your dog in their hands.

Because all trainers are not the same.

Some use physical punishment to teach. Some don’t.
Some use tools that cause, or threaten, discomfort or pain. Some don’t.
Some focus only on stopping the behaviour you see. Some look for the underlying cause.
Some consider the bigger picture - health, pain, stress, environment. Some don’t.
Some have invested years in education and assessment. Some haven’t.
Some will treat your dog the way you would want them treated. Some won’t.

Training is an unregulated industry. Anyone - regardless of education, experience or ethics - can call themselves a trainer.

So if it matters to you that your trainer’s approach aligns with your values, do your homework.
If it matters to you how your dog is handled during training, do your homework.
If it matters to you what is done to your dog in the name of training, do your homework.

Please.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

𝘍𝘰𝘳 𝘢𝘯𝘺𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘬𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘵𝘰 𝘦𝘯𝘴𝘶𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘥 𝘢𝘯 𝘦𝘥𝘶𝘤𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘥, 𝘢𝘴𝘴𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘦𝘥, 𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘭 𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘳 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘪𝘴 𝘳𝘦𝘲𝘶𝘪𝘳𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘮𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘢𝘪𝘯 𝘢𝘤𝘤𝘶𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘦, 𝘶𝘱 𝘵𝘰 𝘥𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸𝘭𝘦𝘥𝘨𝘦 𝘢 𝘨𝘰𝘰𝘥 𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘤𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘵 𝘭𝘰𝘰𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘪𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘳𝘦𝘨𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘈𝘯𝘪𝘮𝘢𝘭 𝘉𝘦𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘪𝘰𝘶𝘳 & 𝘛𝘳𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘊𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘤𝘪𝘭 (𝘈𝘉𝘛𝘊) - 𝘸𝘸𝘸.𝘢𝘣𝘵𝘤.𝘰𝘳𝘨.𝘶𝘬

31/12/2025

A new year, and a moment to reflect.

This will be my first full year without Mollie, and this year also meant saying goodbye to wee Barney. They shaped not only my personal life, but the way I work — reinforcing my belief that dogs deserve to be listened to, respected, and worked with as individuals.

This year brought clarity. About my standards, my ethos, and the importance of alignment. Dog-centred grooming only works when the goals of the groomer and the guardian align, and when everyone involved is working toward the dog’s wellbeing. I’m not the right groomer for every dog or every person — and that’s okay.

I’m grateful to the dogs who trusted me, and to the people who chose advocacy over pressure, and wellbeing over a fixed look or outcome from a grooming visit.

As we move into the new year, my focus remains unchanged: supporting dogs who find grooming difficult, working at their pace, and measuring success in comfort, consent, and small, real progress.

So a very warm Happy New Year to everyone here. Here’s to another year of doing the work thoughtfully, standing firm in our values, and doing right by the dogs💛

(Photo of Meg, Mollie and Barney, at a rest spot just below the summit of The Cobbler — a memory I’ll always be grateful for)

25/12/2025

Wishing everyone here a very Merry Christmas🎄🧑‍🎄

16/12/2025

I’m taking some time at the moment following the loss of my beloved companion, Barney. My heart is aching and I really don’t have any words right now.

I’ll be contacting everyone who is booked in this week individually — thank you for bearing with me and for your understanding 💛

05/12/2025

‘As a business person, one of the things I struggle most with is the idea of selling a specific result or end goal.’

Brilliant post from Woody's Holistic Grooming, and I can completely relate to the opening sentence. If we are genuinely going to help your anxious dog to feel better about grooming, it won’t help if our focus is on the end result or specific grooming or style.

As a behaviour-led groomer, I can’t promise you a specific outcome on any given visit, but I can promise that I’ll keep learning and showing up for your dog with kindness and compassion.

As a business person, one of the things I struggle most with is the idea of selling a specific result or end goal. Now I get it, as a consumer you want to know when you part with your hard earned cash you’re getting something for it. But here’s the reality of it…

I work with living sentient beings (i.e. dogs). These dogs have real histories, real emotions, real genetics, and real needs — so me standing here saying that I can guarantee an outcome, would be completely against my own moral values.

I can’t promise you a bath and dry on a dog who is terrified of water and refuses to get into the shower tray. I can absolutely work on their confidence and try to find a way of helping them, but what if the root cause is a severe skin allergy flare up caused by the wrong water temperature? Maybe a shampoo has been used in the past that smelt wonderful but increased the irritation leaving a lasting memory of discomfort. It’s no longer just about desensitisation, but we now need to collaborate with the vets to find the cause of the skin irritation and get that under control before we even think about grooming.

I can’t guarantee I can clip your dog’s nails if they’re suffering with chronic arthritis that isn’t being managed. They won’t allow me to touch their paws because it’s painful not because they’re being difficult. We need to make adaptations, find a position they are comfortable in, set up the environment correctly and most importantly work with the relevant pet professionals to find a good pain management programme.

What about a dog who has past trauma with strangers? I need to earn their trust before I can even think about handling them. I may need to collaborate with a clinical animal behaviourist or one that specialises in social anxiety.

So what can I guarantee? Well that’s simple…

🐾 A consent-based, force-free approach
🐾 A step-by-step plan tailored to your individual dog
🐾 Support, education, and guidance you can actually use
🐾 A safer, more comfortable grooming experience
🐾 A focus on trust, communication, and understanding
🐾 A higher likelihood of long-term improvement when the plan is followed

There is no quick fix when it comes to behaviour.

I offer a partnership — between you and your dog. I become your team, and your shoulder to cry on when it gets hard. We work together to support your dog as best we can.

So no, I can’t guarantee to give you a dog who is perfect for grooming. But I will promise to show up with compassion, evidence-based methods, and a process that helps your dog feel safer and more empowered during grooming.

That’s the real result.

💙A dog who feels heard.
💙An owner who feels supported.
💙A journey that honours the animal in front of us.

If that’s the outcome you’re looking for, you’re in the right place. 💛🐶

03/12/2025

These three little girlies — Dotty, Daisy the Westies, and their new sister Frieda the mini schnauzer — all come from difficult beginnings. Rescued from puppy farms where they were used for breeding, they’ve had a tough start in life, yet they’re now thriving in a loving home thanks to Many Tears Animal Rescue.

Westie’s Dotty and Daisy have been coming to see me for a while, and today I welcomed Frieda the mini schnauzer for her first visit. It’s amazing how kind and well-natured these girls are despite everything they’ve been through 💛

03/12/2025

Rocky — the most honest and faithful wee pal you could have 😍

I’ve been lucky enough to groom him for over 10 years now, and he definitely finds it harder in his senior years.

As dogs get older, they do tend to find grooming more difficult. A full groom that they once took in their stride can become a long and tiring process, and many senior dogs need the whole experience adapted a little because they simply find the full thing too tiring — sometimes even sore.

Rocky’s mum started staying with him once he began finding it harder, and that can make such a difference. It helps with things like his balance during paw and nail trims, and even just having someone he loves nearby to offer treats and reassurance. He has a few health issues going on, and his mum knows him best, so having her there is really helpful for me in understanding how he’s coping each time.

Senior dogs are incredibly special, and I feel very lucky to be able to help them stay comfortable and cared for with gentle grooming 🥹💛

03/12/2025

Neutering is such an interesting and complex topic in dog health!

Take Cooper — you honestly wouldn’t believe these two photos are the same dog. Since being neutered, his coat colour and texture have changed dramatically. He’s gone from his sleek red coat, to his cute fluffy blonde, he’s become much fluffier all over, and his fur is now the type that needs a bit more maintenance and is more prone to matting. He’s also been finding his new, higher-maintenance coat a bit harder during grooming.

This isn’t a post for or against neutering — that decision is always individual, and made with your vet or trainer/behaviourist for all sorts of important reasons. Coat changes are simply one of those quirks that can happen for some dogs and not at all for others. And while they can happen, they shouldn’t put you off neutering if there are other health, behaviour, or management reasons to consider it.

This is the most I’ve seen a coat change like this, but Cooper still looks absolutely gorgeous — just a softer, fluffier version of himself 😍💛

28/11/2025

Lovely boy Sammy spaniel 😍

He’s very sweet and shy when he arrives, and he really benefits from having his mum with him throughout.

He had a light trim of his paws, nails, ears and tail, and on his second visit this time it was lovely to see him looking a bit less shy and a little more relaxed than before 💛

28/11/2025

Merida and Morag 😍 what a lovely pair!

Merida has some hip issues and, while you’d never know it watching her move, there are a few parts of grooming that could aggravate any pain. She also has dermatitis on her lower lip, so we’ve been steadily building up her tolerance for having that clipped short. She’s such a lovely girl — she always tries her hardest, especially with her mum staying to support her, and she’s so polite with her stop signals 🥹

Her little pal Morag is fabulous as well. She’s a bit unsure about her face and leg handling, but with reassurance from her mum and some tasty rewards, we’re able to give her a really positive experience. Such a cutie 🤩

Merida started first and completed most of her groom before having a break while Morag had her turn. It turns out she didn’t really want a break at all — she couldn’t wait to get back up💛