Hounds at Home Holistic Dog Grooming

11/07/2025

Phew this heat is intense! 🥵🥵

Stay safe and keep your dogs cool in this weather. The temperature today won't be reaching its peak until around 6pm tonight so its still going to be extremely hot into the evening, and the high temperatures are set to be for a few more days which means all the buildings and roads are getting superheated and will continue to radiate that heat back making it worse in built up areas. Best option if you do need to walk your dogs is very early morning or late at night and preferably on grass and particularly shaded grass where the ground temp remains cooler.

At these temperatures all dogs regardless of breed or health are at risk of heatstroke, but even as the temp drops a bit in the evening the high risk dogs such as brachycephalic, obese, elderly and puppies are still at high risk.

Remember that tarmac can be well over twice the air temperature in direct sunlight so not only are you risking their lives with heatstroke they can also burn the skin clean off their paw pads.......sadly I have seen this before and its not pleasant!

01/07/2025

*AVAILABILITY UPDATE*

I hope everyone has been surviving the melting heat 🥵 🔥!! Please see below for current list of availability for August and September, as always please don't be stuck, if you don't see a date that works give me a shout as sometimes I have a bit of wiggle room and can swap days around a bit.

Times are approx depending on my travel time to your area.

AUGUST:
Friday 8th - 11.30am
Saturday 16th - 11.30am
Sunday 17th - all day
Tuesday 26th - 11.30am

SEPTEMBER:
Wednesday 3rd - 1.00pm
Wednesday 10th - 11.30am
Tuesday 16th - 1.00pm
Friday 19th - 1.00pm
Wednesday 24th - all day
Saturday 27th - 11.30am

18/06/2025

🥵🥵 HOT WEATHER ALERT 🥵🥵

I'm sure all my fabulous followers are being sensible with their dogs in this heat but it never hurts to share advice.

PLEASE NOTE - I will not be blow drying any dogs in extreme heat, especially dogs that are at risk such as brachycephalic, obese, elderly and puppies. It is absolutely not worth the risk to your dogs life. If you have a full groom booked on a hot day there are a couple of options of what we can do...... we can either reschedule, you can give them a bath the day before and then I will do a dry groom, or if they are getting clipped short I can come and do a dry groom then give them a tepid bath afterwards but will leave them damp to air dry.

Please please do not walk your dogs in the heat of the day, for ANY dog, but especially those in the at risk categories mentioned above. Not only is it incredibly uncomfortable for them, they can burn their paw pads off and could ultimately die from heatstroke.

Remember tarmac can be 30°C+ hotter than the air temperature in the sun! Just put the back of your hand on the road and see how long you can hold it there.

Walk dogs very early or very late (or not at all!), and try and stick to walking on grass in shaded areas. Offer plenty of water often, and at home if they are uncomfortable use things like fans, cooling mats, frozen treats etc to help keep them cool.

If the worst happens and you suspect your dog might be starting with heat stroke you must act fast as it all happens very quickly. Get them inside immediately and pour tepid/cool but NOT cold water gently all over them try and get them wet down to their skin. Concentrate on paws, head and belly as this will cool them the fastest. Then get them into the vets ASAP.

Stay safe everyone and if anyone has any questions please let me know

10/06/2025

Shout out to another fabulous Yorkshire dog business! This place is an absolute god send if like me you have a dog that is reactive or anxious or maybe can't be off lead.......or equally it is just the most fun playground for any dog!!

Centre Barks is well worth the drive to Loversall. As you can see by the big smiles on my two hooligans faces they absolutely love it and can't wait for their next visit on Saturday!

There are obstacle courses, a mini beach, dog swimming pool, and tables and chairs for you to sit down for a chill out. You can even buy yourself a cuppa or a pupcake for the dogs if there are any left! You get sole full use of the place for 50 minutes and there is a ten minute gap between all bookings so that any reactive dogs don't have to deal with the stress of coming face to face with anyone else. It is inside a massive barn so somewhere nice and dry and sheltered no matter the time of year or weather!

There are also some very exciting new things coming soon so please head over to their page and give them a follow to keep an eye on what's happening......we can't wait!

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61567821997935

03/06/2025

As we move towards specialising only in holistic behavioural grooming I thought I would take this time to give some information on how my appointments work and what to expect from them.

The very first appointment will be longer than normal, usually around 2-3 hours. This is an assessment appointment where I will firstly meet you and your dog without any scary equipment with me. I will go over a thorough medical and grooming history of your dog with you to start identifying known issues, and just spend a little time with some treats or playing to let your dog get to know me.

I will then take in my table and kit and set up in a room of your choice to conduct an assessment session on the table. This will introduce all the various feelings, smells and sounds they will encounter throughout a groom, so that I can see what their triggers are and their coping thresholds.

The initial assessment appointment will include a full groom if the dog is able to, but as with all of my appointments at any stage I will only do what the dog can comfortably cope with.

At the end of the assessment I will go over my findings and we will come up with a plan and schedule that works for you and your dog, and I will give you some simple 'homework' for you to do with your dog before the next session.

All initial assessment appointments will now have a flat fee of £100.

The price of further ongoing appointments will depend on the dogs size, coat type, and how much we do in an appointment and I will discuss this at the assessment. If you would like a rough estimate of regular grooming price for your dog please message and I can discuss and give you the possible options that would be available.

The other grooming service I will be able to offer is comfort grooms for dogs with health issues that are high risk to go into a stressful salon environment. With this, the priority is getting everything done as quickly and calmly as possible, and for this reason comfort grooms will not include a bath, they will be a dry short haircut only to minimise the amount of time the dog is under stress. Please message to discuss your dogs individual needs and what is going to be the safest option for them.

Last but not least I will always have availability for nail cutting for dogs, cats, guinea pigs, rabbits and birds so please get in touch if you would like more info on any of this.

02/06/2025

The time has come to close our books to new customers for the time being, as we are at capacity! However we have now opened the waiting list for anyone looking to register, so if you have a dog you would like to be seen by me or would like more info please get in touch 😊

Moving forward we will be focusing solely on the behavioural side of grooming and will only be taking on dogs with behavioural issues, or with severe health issues, which limits their ability to be able to be seen either in a salon or with a traditional mobile van groomer. There will be more info on what this includes coming up, so keep your eyes peeled for more posts.

I am also currently looking into doing my advanced canine behaviour diploma over the next two years to become a certified behaviourist so this is an additional service I will be able to offer in the future either hand in hand with grooming or as a standalone service for any dogs needing 1 to 1 behaviour assessment and training.

I did not expect to be in this position less than two years in to a new business venture! I am incredibly grateful for all the support I have had along the way. Exciting times ahead as I evolve the business into my vision of helping as many dogs as I can 💙💙💙

01/06/2025

**AVAILABILITY UPDATE**

Diaries are booking up much faster and further ahead now, so a lot of my customers now book at least two appointments in advance. Some have even booked all the way to Christmas!

If you still need an appointment or want to add another one on past your next booking please see the list of my next availability. If you need specific dates or times going forward please consider booking more than one appointment to secure the days that will work best for you.

My books are open indefinitely so you are welcome to book as many as you would like!

Some of the clear available days through August and September I have some flexibility to switch those on to different days so if there is a day you need that you don't see please just ask and I will see what I can do 😊

JULY:
Tuesday 8th - 10am Barnsley/Wakefield

AUGUST:
Friday 1st - any area
Friday 8th - any area
Saturday 9th - 10am Wakefield/Leeds
Saturday 16th - 12pm Barnsley
Sunday 17th - any area
Saturday 23rd - 11am Leeds
Tuesday 26th - any area

SEPTEMBER:
Tuesday 2nd - any area
Wednesday 3rd - 1pm Sheffield/Barnsley
Wednesday 10th - any area
Thursday 11th - any area
Thursday 18th - any area
Friday 19th - Leeds/Wakefield/Barnsley
Friday 26th - any area
Saturday 27th - any area

26/05/2025

If anyone is looking for the best possible start for their puppy please come and join me and Rynn on Thursday evenings! Gail is an amazing positive reward based trainer who will help you give your pup the very best foundation to start from. Discounted place available due to late cancellation!

02/05/2025

Is this a "perfect" show standard polished groom?.......absolutely not

Is this perfect for what the dog needs and can cope with?.......absolutely!

I don't often post a lot of pictures because the reality is that a lot of the dogs I work with cannot cope with getting the perceived idea of a "perfect" groom and don't look like what people are used to seeing on social media, but my priority will always be a dogs physical and mental welfare and this may mean spending time working through the process to rebuild broken trust before they are ready for that.

This beautiful (and sleepy 🤣) older lady is Tara. She landed on her paws when she came to her new mum a year ago who is an experienced rescue owner. She has worked with a behaviourist to help Tara through her anxieties and then asked for my help once she was ready.

Tara has some very deep seated fear mainly around being picked up, restrained, and grooming. So we have spent the last 8 months doing short regular sessions sitting on the floor or allowing her the choice to jump up on the sofa herself and just doing little bit by little bit building her confidence and trust in me and her mum.

This week it all paid off when she was finally able to be picked up and put on the table for the very first time. I planned on just trying to clip off some of her coat to keep her a bit more comfortable in the heat, but she did so incredibly well that we managed to clip nearly everything! So she now has her bikini body ready for summer!!

I am incredibly proud of Tara and her mum and how far they have come. They have shown that with enough time and patience even the most traumatised dog can be brought back and stand restraint free being groomed.

18/04/2025

*AVAILABILITY UPDATE*

I have a couple of spaces opened up in early May then we are looking at late May onwards for more normal availability. Get in touch if you still need an appointment, and remember you can book as many appointments in advance as you like 😊

MAY
Monday 5th - 2.00pm - Barnsley
Monday 12th - 12.00pm - Barnsley
Wednesday 28th - 2.00pm - Barnsley
Thursday 29th - 10.30am/ 12.30pm Wakefield/Leeds/Barnsley

JUNE
Wednesday 4th 11.30am/1.30pm Barnsley
Friday 6th 11.00am/1.00pm Barnsley/Wakefield
Thursday 12th 10.00am Leeds
Friday 13th 2.30pm Leeds/Wakefield
Saturday 28th - all day
Tuesday (1st July) - all day

PLEASE NOTE - some of these dates I do have a bit of flexibility on with times/areas and there are some other dates I could potentially open up if required, so if you don't see something that fits for you please just let me know and I will see what I can do for you!

16/04/2025

Massive thank you and shout out to Happy Hounds Grooming Salon for Rynns first ever trip to the groomers!

Yes......I can and do groom her at home to desensitise her to bath, drier, nail cuts etc........ however for puppy socialisation it is crucial she gets that experience in these early weeks of going somewhere new with new people and being left there, and even more crucially having a good experience!

I wouldn't trust anyone else other than Emily to do this for me, she is extremely kind and patient. When I went back to collect Rynn she had had such a good time I think she would have been perfectly happy to stay there all day she certainly was in no rush to leave! 🤣

Bonus........she feels like a cloud and smells like heaven so is in for an afternoon of extreme kisses and cuddles 🤣🤣

14/04/2025

Fabulous post by the BDGA! Now of course my customers do get an inside peek of the industry and get to see a lot of what goes on in the salon and how much work goes in to each dog! So many people comment that they had no idea how much time it took and how many tools, lotions and potions you need for one dog, so I am so glad i get to show you some of it!

What you don't see is the thought process going through my head as I'm chatting away to you about my plan of action..... I'm visually checking every inch of your dog, as I'm lifting their legs I'm aware of joint, ligament and tendon anatomy as to know which way I can and cannot manipulate them, I'm feeling for anything out of the ordinary, and watching the tiniest change in body language to tell me something is wrong. And as many of you will know I will always point out anything I come across that I think is worth keeping an eye on or even needs vet intervention.

You also don't see the hours of driving on the roads playing wacky races, the cramped attempt in the boot of my car to disinfect my table, scissors, blades and brushes in between each client before I arrive at your house, the thorough UV sterilisation of everything once I get home at nighttime, the hours writing up notes on each dogs progress and all the other paperwork and time that goes into being self employed. Most groomers put their heart and soul into this job and go home physically and mentally burnt out at the end of the day.......all for the love of dogs 🐕 ❤️

WHAT YOU DON'T SEE AT THE DOG GROOMERS.......
You dropped your dog off at the salon and picked them up few hours later - fluffy, fresh, and happy. But what you saw was just the tip of the iceberg.

You didn’t see your groomer arrive early to open up the salon, disinfect tools, lay out fresh towels, and check the day’s appointments. You didn’t see them look over your dog from nose to tail before even lifting a brush - checking the coat condition, skin, eyes, ears, nails, and weight.

You didn’t see the careful way they clipped around a wriggly paw, or how they paused to let your dog calm down during the bath. You didn’t notice the matting hidden beneath your dog’s topcoat, or the way the groomer worked slowly to avoid hurting the skin beneath it.

You weren’t there when they spotted a red patch of irritated skin, or a small lump you hadn’t noticed. You heard them gently mention it to you at collection - not to worry you, but because they genuinely care about your dog’s wellbeing.

And after you left, you didn’t see the clean-down , the floor swept, tables cleaned, blades oiled, messages replied to, notes written up for your next visit, and laundry on again.

All of that… for a price that’s often lower than what you’d pay for your own haircut. And your hairdresser?
They don’t have to bathe you, clip your nails, or hold you still while you try to bite the brush.

The truth is ……. dog grooming is so much more than a haircut.

It’s about health, hygiene, comfort, and trust. It’s about knowing dog anatomy, coat types, skin conditions, behaviour management, handling skills, and safe sc******ng techniques. It’s a profession that takes training, practice, and patience.
Most groomers got into this work because they love dogs. But that doesn’t mean they shouldn’t be paid fairly for the physical, emotional, and skilled work they do every single day.

If your dog leaves their groomer happy, healthy and looking good - it’s not by luck. It’s because you have got a good groomer.
So next time, take a moment to thank them. Leave a review.

Tip them if you can. And above all - don’t undervalue them.
They’re doing far more than just washing the dog.

If you want to know more about the trade association for pet groomers and how we support them, contact the British Dog Groomers Association a division of the Pet Industry Federation www.petfederation.co.uk