Hounds at Home Holistic Dog Grooming

31/07/2024

Beautiful Penny on the left had her very first appointment today and of course her equally beautiful sister Ruby on the right didn't want to be left out of the photo!

They are both rescues and Penny really hasn't had a good start to her life. Her owners are doing amazing work helping her settle and build her confidence, and have done the right thing giving her time to decompress before attempting grooming, but today was the day to wash away the rest of her old life!

There were lots of new things to be introduced to and experience for her so we didn't manage to do absolutely everything, but as always I just took everything at her space and didn't push her past more than she could cope with. She did amazingly well all things considered and I'm positive we will just see her improve and flourish every time 💓

24/07/2024

18/06/2024

You remember Mabel that was in recently.....well this is her sister Mavis and her first appointment with me! She is a bit of a nervous girl but did so well today and we managed to find her beautiful face under the fluff!

14/06/2024

This beautiful and very tiny girl is Poppy. She is only 9 months old and had her very first ever big girl haircut! She was very brave and did incredibly well with all the scary things 👏 ❤️

07/06/2024

Summer cuts for everyone at the moment! Handsome Gizmo is an active boy and also likes to throw his entire face in his dinner bowl 🤣 so his owners asked for him to be taken short for this time of year for comfort and making it easier to see all the nasties that come with summer like ticks and grass seeds!

04/06/2024

Another woolly mammoth transformation! Mabel's owners like her short all over for easy maintenance. She is bigger than I can normally accommodate due to the limited size of my table, but she is absolutely amazing at getting groomed and stands so patiently so she is safe standing on the table.

31/05/2024

From woolly mammoth to summer sleek! Beautiful little Abbie sadly had to reschedule her last routine appointment as she was poorly. Thankfully she is all better now but was extra fluffy! Her owners decided they wanted her shorter than normal ready for summer as she was starting to feel the heat on some of the warmer days we have had.

Needless to say she looks just as cute no matter what length her coat is! 🥰

26/05/2024

I am incredibly grateful for such a lovely heart-felt review. It is dogs and owners like this that make me love what I do more and more every day.

It means the world to me that I can give nervous dogs like this the bit of extra time and experience needed to help them work through their fear, and giving them the chance they need rather than having to resort to vets and sedation.

I specialise in dogs with fear and reactivity, dogs with health issues that mean it is safer and easier on them to be groomed in the comfort of their own home, and also owners that may struggle with health, time or transport to get into a salon. I am also able to help with cats and small animal nail clips.

If you feel in-home grooming may benefit you or your dog, please get in touch for more information.

22/05/2024

This very handsome boy is Inky! Now is this groom perfect.......absolutely not. BUT is it perfect for him?......absolutely!!

Today was only Inky's 2nd appointment with me, he is a very nervous boy who can snap and react through fear, and had become so frightened by any form of grooming that his mum couldn't even bring out a brush without him running away. Last time we managed to bath him and trim some of the matts from his back end but that was it, he really couldn't cope with the clippers at all and certainly wasn't ready to attempt the drier. However he had quite a bit of matting underneath his chest that was going to have to come off, so I gave his mum some homework to start desensitising him and counter conditioning to brushing and buzzing noises.

I am so utterly proud of how much he has managed today and of how well his mum has done with their homework. Again we bathed him and didn't didn't attempt the drier, and with mum's help and lots of lovely salmon and liver paste he allowed me to hand scissor his whole body and we even managed to remove all of the matting on his chest so he is going to feel so much better now!

He still has a long way to go and we will get there at his speed when he is ready but what an amazing start for this special boy. ❤️❤️

21/05/2024

Holistic grooming / force-free grooming / fear-free grooming / consent based grooming......the list goes on. What is all this jargon that we are starting to see linked to dog groomers and what are the differences??

I am a holistic groomer. This involves working with the dog as a whole, taking both their mental and physical state into account and working with each dog as an individual for their particular needs. As some of my customers will know, this means that the dogs welfare and needs are always prioritised over looks. This can mean that a dog with anxiety or reactivity may not get a perfect groom first time as I work with them and work out an action plan to help them through their fear, but is something that we will achieve in time when the dog is ready. Ultimately by not forcing the process, and taking things at the dogs speed and carefully reading their responses and thresholds every step of the way, they end up much more confident and relaxed in the long run.

So let's move on to force-free and/or fear-free grooming. Personally I do not agree with using these titles. Now I absolutely do agree with not forcing a dog through things they cannot cope with of course....however this cannot always be guaranteed 100% of the time because you may end up with a welfare situation where for the greater good a dog will have to be forced through something when there is an urgency due to health reasons. A similar situation with using the title fear-free. Now again....of course I absolutely agree with helping a dog through its fear and not forcing a situation onto it that it cannot cope with, but again this is not something that can ever be 100% guaranteed.

Finally onto consent based grooming. This is really the gold standard of holistic grooming, however it can be a very time consuming and expensive process, and not something that can work for me in my current situation as an in-home groomer. Being a fully consent based groomer means working with a dog over a lot of intro sessions and very regular appointments, where the table is kept low to the floor with ramp access and absolutely zero restraints. The dog is always given the choice to walk away from the table and the grooming process whenever they want (so for those dogs i work with who are frightened can you imagine how many appointments we would have to work through just to get the dog to want to sit of its own choice whilst being blow dried or having its nails cut for example). It would be wonderful to be able to do this for my doggies but just not something I can achieve without a specialised salon set up and realistically not something a lot of people can afford. Saying this I always try and bring in consent based practices as much as I can whilst I'm working. Unless absolutely necessary for safety reasons I try not to have restraints on dogs and when I do I ensure they are kept loose so the dog does not feel it is being held up and made to do something. I use techniques like counter conditioning to help dogs deal with the things they are extremely adverse to. And most importantly I always read the dogs face and body language and if they are asking for a break they can absolutely have one as often as they need.

Within the last year I have definitely started to see a shift nationwide in mindset of both groomers and owners of wanting to put the dogs welfare first and move towards a more holistic approach, and this is something I really hope for and will keep striving for.

I hope this has been helpful and given a brief insight into the way I work, however if I have missed anything or if you have any questions please feel free to comment below or send me a message 😊

20/05/2024

After a lovely week away in the Spanish sun it is just as lovely to get back to see my favourite puppers!

Sky was an absolute angel for her groom today, the only struggle was getting her to sit still for long enough to get a photo as her tail was wagging so much 🤣

08/05/2024

Me and the husband are jetting off for a week in the sun! So unfortunately I will not be answering enquiries whilst I'm away, but if you leave me a message I will get back to you as soon as I'm back on Thursday 16th.!

03/05/2024

⚠️ RAPESEED WARNING ⚠️

It’s that time of year again where farmers fields have blossomed into the yellow flowers but, these plants are called rapeseed.

Although it may appear to be a beautiful area to take your dog for a scenic photo, it's important that you're aware you need to avoid this at all costs, not to mention it is also trespassing in some areas and countries !

We have all seen the images online and they're lovely and picturesque but rapeseed is extremely poisonous for dogs especially in highly sensitive canines.

Rapeseed is listed by the Dogs Trust as toxic to dogs if ingested and can cause symptoms such as:

❌Haemolytic Anaemia
❌ Blindness
❌ Damaged Nervous System
❌ Digestive Disorders
❌ Breathing Problems

Even walking through these fields should be avoided by everyone.
In June 2019, a dog was reported to be suffering from severe open wounds after running through a crop of rapeseed.

It's extremely important to seek immediate veterinary attention if your dog shows any signs of rapeseed poisoning.

26/04/2024

Gizmo has been a work in progress getting his coat grown back in. When he was first rescued last year he had to be completely shaved off due to severe matting, even his tail was completely gone, and his skin was raw and sore.......

Fast forward to today and his before and after pics from his groom, and I think we can all agree how handsome he is and what a lovely healthy coat he has now!

19/04/2024

I am now away visiting my Mum in Scotland until next Wednesday the 24th. I am still available on my phone or by messenger for anyone needing any help or needing to book an appointment, but there may be a slight delay in replies in this time. Thank you all, and I look forward to seeing all my fabulous customers at their next appointments 💓

09/04/2024

Milo has gone from screaming blue murder at the terrifying dog-eating drier at his first appointment with me, to being sat here today with no restraints being the best boy and coping so much better with everything! So proud of this sweet boy ❤️

04/04/2024

How cute is this little sassy boy!? Rocco likes to think he is a big scary guard dog but once I got him in the bath he was an absolute angel 😇

14/03/2024

After a very long and busy weekend at crufts buying lots of new equipment and products it was back to normality yesterday, and who better to start that than my favourite doxiepoo Nala! She is an absolute angel for her grooms and gives the best hugs ❤️

05/03/2024

You may have noticed the page has been a little quiet lately........here's the reason why! I would like everyone to meet our new rescue boy Chase! This beautiful lad has come from a pretty poor start and really hasn't experienced much of home life yet, so I've been keeping my diaries a bit quieter than normal whilst he settles in. He is doing absolutely amazingly and has well and truly made himself at home already ❤️

19/02/2024

Can't cope with the cuteness!! Bella is only young and this is only her 3rd ever full groom with me so she is still learning the ropes and all the strange sounds and sensations involved, but she does amazingly well and is the happiest girl! 😍

14/02/2024

❤️Who would like a Valentines Day offer?❤️

Let's share the love! Any of my existing customers can refer a friend, and if they book an appointment, you can both receive 10% off!

Please read the terms and conditions below and feel free to share or tag anyone that might be interested.

Happy Valentines Day!

Terms and conditions:
•The referrer must be an existing customer that has already had an appointment with me.
•The referee's appointment must be booked by Thursday 29th February.
•The referee's appointment date must be before Tuesday 30th April.
•Please make sure anyone you refer quotes your name and this offer when they contact me in order to both receive your discounts.
•The referrer will only receive their discount after the referee has completed their appointment.
•Existing customers can refer more than one person but can only receive a maximum of 10% off any single appointment, so for example if you refer two friends who book appointments you can receive a 10% discount off your next two appointments. There is no time limit for my existing customers to use their discount.
•Any new customer who is being referred can only claim this deal once and cannot be referred by more than one person.
•Offer is subject to diary availability and may be withdrawn early if I become fully booked before the end dates.

12/02/2024

‼️ transformation alert ‼️

Who doesn't like a good before and after! And how stinking cute is little Sky?! She was an absolute superstar for her groom today and gave me lots of kisses and cuddles 💕

09/02/2024

How absolutely stunning is this boy.....those eyes could melt anyone's heart!

This sweet gentle boy had got to the point his mum had to physically carry him to get him across the threshold of the groomers. I believe after having an operation at the vets and becoming fearful of vets visits, he was associating the grooming salon with this negative memory as is so often the case with dogs that are refusing to go in. In just his first appointment with having his mum there with him to cuddle him and feed treats he managed to happily sit or lay down on the table relaxed whenever he felt like it, coped with the whole groom like a champ.....and nearly wiped me out with his lethal tail wagging like a windscreen wiper on full pelt 🤣

Credit for the photo to his mum because I was far too busy yapping and giving him cuddles to remember to take one!

06/02/2024

These two super cute brothers are regulars and are the best boys! They are so chilled out they spend their groom sitting or laying down on the table having a snooze........either that or I am really boring company? 🤣

01/02/2024

*Nail Clipping*

I recently did a successful Saturday in Leeds doing just nail clips for cats and dogs in need. This is something a lot of pets and owners alike are not keen on, and quite a lot have to resort to having it done at the vets which can be very costly.

Would there be any interest in me running semi-regular days doing nail clips where you and your pet can stay in the comfort of your own home in different areas around South and West Yorkshire? Please share to any friends or groups you feel may be interested or comment with your thoughts if this is a service that would be useful.

Nail clips for cats and dogs are £15, small animals such as rabbits and guinea pigs are £10.

29/01/2024

I am now fully booked until 20th February. If you require an appointment after that please get in touch and I will get back to you as soon as possible.

I would like to thank all my amazing customers, both existing and the new ones to come in the next few weeks for your custom so far and look forward to a year of looking after your lovely pets!

22/01/2024

Do you have a nervous or reactive dog? A dog that struggles with separation anxiety and being away from their guardians? Or has your dog been sent home from the groomers and advised vet sedation?

I specialise in dealing with dogs like these by coming to your home and grooming your dogs in their own surroundings and smells where they feel safe. I have done extensive training in dog body language and use a combination of effective communication and positive reinforcement to build trust and confidence.

The beautiful Mabel here is just one example of what can be achieved, she used to be so petrified to go to the grooming salon that her mum couldn't get her through the door and it would take her the whole day to decompress and recover from the ordeal. Her first appointment with me she was frozen in fear but did slowly relax as time went. And now after only a few appointments she now lays down for a snooze, restraint free, and gives the best kisses and snuggles!

I live in Cudworth but will travel up to an hour away for special cases so I can cover most of South and West Yorkshire.

I do not have a set price list as it varies on a case by case basis however if you would like a quote or if you have any questions you would like to discuss please get in touch and I will get back to you as soon as I can.

05/01/2024

Buzz had his second appointment with me today. He is a work in progress but another massive success story of in-home grooming. Poor Buzz had been sent home and refused by other groomers due to unmanageable behaviour, and his owner was advised to have him clipped off under full sedation at the vets. Not only is this extremely expensive but there are always risks with any form of sedation that you want to avoid if at all possible.

By removing all restraints, and working at his speed with his dad there to support him and feed copious quantities of sausages and cheese, he has coped amazingly with the whole process today and we are already seeing huge improvements on only the second appointment. There is not a bad bone in this boys body he is the sweetest gentleman who gives me lots of kisses and cuddles during his groom, he just found the salon environment and being away from home too overwhelming.

I look forward to continuing this amazing boys journey every 6 weeks and keep seeing the improvements ❤️

04/01/2024

I hope you have all had a lovely Christmas and New Year! Back to normality now, and the first dog of the year is the best ever tripawd Foxy!! He gets seen every 6-8 weeks for a full deshed and tidy up and is the sweetest boy ❤️