Total Grooming Magazine April 2020

www.totalgroomingmagazine.co.uk APRIL 2020

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CONTENTS

I

n these unprecedented times, we have an issue packed with advice from the experts on how to mitigate against the effects of coronavirus.

But, it can’t be all doom and gloom, so we review the highlights of Crufts and a profile of the Young Kennel Club Groomer of the Year winner. This competition takes place at Crufts every year and is often the starting point for groomers who go on to be the best in the UK. There’s also help from trainers and behaviourists on keeping dogs happy during self-isolation.

Let’s hope the virus is shortlived. Keep safe and well in the meantime.

Keep your ideas coming. If you would like to feature in the magazine contact: editor@ totalgroomingmagazine.co.uk

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Crufts review

Contents 04 News 14 Crufts review

Editor www.totalgroomingmagazine.co.uk

18 Crufts YKC GOTY 22 Colin Taylor shares his experience of filming in Oz 34 Advice from WSAVA on how coronavirus is contracted

18

Crufts YKC GOTY

38 Heidi Anderton shares her thoughts on how to limit the impact of COVID 19

42 Behaviour - help from the experts on keeping dogs happy during self-isolation

Image courtesy of Simpsons

40 Paws for Thought visits the Hounds of Donnington in Telford

46 Profile on Many Tears dog rescue

Editor

Design and Production

Sue Corfield – editor@totalgroomingmagazine.co.uk

Grant Waters – grant@cimltd.co.uk James Taylor – james@cimltd.co.uk Lisa Humphrey - lisa@cimltd.co.uk T: 01795 509108

© 2020 TGM Publishing Limited, The Goods Shed, Jubilee Way, Whitstable Road, Faversham, Kent ME13 8GD. No part of this magazine may be reproduced or stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form – electronic, mechanical or physical – without express prior permission and written consent of the publisher. Contributions are invited and when not accepted will be returned only if accompanied by a fully stamped and addressed envelope. Manuscripts should be type written. No responsibility can be taken for drawings, photographs or literary contributions during transmission or in the editor’s hands. In the absence of an agreement the copyright of all contributions, literary, photographic or artistic, belongs to TGM Publishing Limited. The publisher accepts no responsibility in respect of advertisements appearing in the magazine and the opinions expressed do not necessarily represent the views of the Publisher. The Publisher cannot accept liability for any loss arising from the late appearance or non publication of any advertisement.

www.totalgroomingmagazine.co.uk APRIL 2020

The home of great grooming products

for the colourful

On the cover:

Commercial Director Mike Smith – mike@tgmpublishing.co.uk T: 01795 509110

Account Manager Becky Smith – becky@tgmpublishing.co.uk

Credit Facilities Manager Natalie Murray – creditcontrol@cimltd.co.uk T: 01795 509103

Total Grooming Magazine | 3

SPONSORED BY

News and Product Round-up Petindex Launches Online Show Guide

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he Pet Industry Federation (PIF) has today launched its Petindex show guide available to pet professionals who register in advance of the event, which takes place from 26-27 April 2020 at the Marshall Arena, Milton Keynes.

The online show guide is easily downloadable as an app onto users’ smartphones, tablets and PCs. The paperless show guide not only reflects Petindex’s aims to champion sustainability, but also ensures that visitors can engage with the event in advance.

The online Petindex show guide features trade stand details, seminar times and information and sponsor details, as well as interactive elements which allow users to feedback in real-

time at the event.

Daniel Everett, Petindex co-ordinator said ‘We are delighted to launch this new app which will be continually updated right up to the day of the show. It breaks the mould of traditional pet trade shows and showcases the innovative approach that we are taking with Petindex, which is positioned differently to other trade shows in the UK, because of its aim to bring all types of pet businesses together, not just the traditional retailer/manufacturer combination.’

Access to the online show guide is

available to any pet professional who registers to attend the event. Upon registration, a code is released allowing people to access the show guide and plan their visit to make the most of their time at the event.

Petindex registration is free and available at www.petindexshow.com

Wetnose Animal Aid – Celebrates 20 years of Helping Animal Causes

T

his year’s Wetnose Day is Friday 18th September and it will be 20 years since husband and wife team Gavin and Andrea Gamby Boulger, who saw that small animal rescue centres were struggling to keep going, first established their fundraiser.

They had run a boarding/rescue kennels of their own in Hales near Loddon, Norfolk but sold the business to concentrate on supporting others.

Sadly, Gavin passed away in 2015 but Andrea continues the work with a team of dedicated volunteers.

“Wetnose visits as many small rescue centres as possible and helps in any way we can – whether it is air conditioners, microscopes, scanners, parrot cages, field shelters or rugs,” says Andrea. “We have helped Pact Animal Sanctuary in

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Norfolk with two hedgehog units worth £1350, Foxy Lodge in Hemsby with help towards new steel pens and donation of £650, Fritton Owl Sanctuary with vets bills and Venue Farm in Norfolk with a £2500 vet bill, and many others on our website, it’s neverending.”

Currently, Wetnose is trying to raise extra money for the rescue centres affected by the recent floods – as well as taking in more abandoned

and desperate animals that have lost food supplies and bedding in the wet weather.

For more information visit: www.wetnoseanimalaid.com or telephone 01508 518650.

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Coronavirus and Pets

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ondon Dog Week’s Official Vet, Dr Stephanie Wenban from Pet Wellness Expert offers advice surrounding Covid-19 and dogs as follows:

Can I pick up the virus from a dog?

There is no evidence that pets are a source of transmission to people.

However, we do know that humans are able to pass Covid-19 on to their dogs.

So far there has only been one confirmed case of a dog showing no signs of illness, testing weakly positive for Covid-19 in Hong Kong. If you do become unwell, it is a good idea to practice good hygiene - washing hands regularly, avoiding kissing the dog and self-isolating.

Have there been any tests to confirm this?

There is no evidence to support dog to human transmission, possible animal sources of Covid-19 have not been confirmed.

What are the chances that other dogs will have the virus like the dog found with trac-es of the virus in China?

The World Health Organisation has stated that there is no evidence that companion animals/pets such as dogs or cats can be infected with the

new coronavirus. There-fore, there is no justification in taking measures against companion animals which may compromise their welfare.

The significance of one positive dog within an entire population is still being re-searched, but it is known that so far there have been no other dogs testing positive for Covid-19. At this point testing in dogs has been more limited whilst resources are largely focussed on humans, so we will know more of the exact figures in time.

What if someone in the family self isolates – how should they then respond to their own pets?

The risk of transmission between humans is from contact with droplets

from an infect-ed person - for example when they cough or sneeze.

These droplets can survive in the environment, and potentially on dog bowls or fur. So, it is best not to allow the dog to mix between infected and non-infected family members.

If isolating alone with your dog, ensure that you have enough supplies such as food and any medication your dog may need. Practice good hygiene, and if you are un-able to walk your dog, try adding mental stimulation such as feeding puzzles or teach-ing them some new tricks, additional training and exercises at home.

Do you advise your pet to be stoked by other stranger/ humans?

Research suggests Covid-19 may survive in the environment for up to 9 days, so it is best to maintain social distance with your dog from anyone experiencing symptoms such as coughing. If you are concerned your dog may have come into contact with a symptomatic person then be sure to practice good hygiene such as giving them a rinse and washing your hands.

However, your dogs will give those selfisolating the extra emotional support and happiness they need during these challenging times.

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COVID-19 Advice Here is a brief summary of the support available for businesses and their staff, as well as the self-employed, and some of the practical aspects. Please bear in mind that the situation is changing on almost a daily basis, so this is correct at the time of going to press: Employees and employers Staff who cannot work due to coronavirus and are eligible for Statutory Sick Pay will get it from day one, rather than from the fourth day of their illness –retrospectively from 13 March 2020.

Statutory Sick Pay will be payable to people who are staying at home on government advice, not just those who are infected, from 13 March 2020.

If employees need to provide evidence to their employer that they need to stay at home due to coronavirus, they will be able to get it from the NHS 111 Online instead of having to get a fit note from their doctor – this is currently under development and will be made available soon.

Employers with fewer than 250 employees will be able to reclaim Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) for employees unable to work because of coronavirus.

This refund will be for up to 2 weeks per employee. The 250employee limit is measured on 28 February 2020, although it is currently unclear how the connected companies’ rules might apply.

Developing a mechanism to enable businesses to recover coronavirusrelated SSP is some months away. In the interim, employers might want to make 8 | Total Grooming Magazine

payments of SSP related to COVID-19 within a special pay element within their payroll set up for this purpose so that they can easily evidence a future reclaim.

HMRC has also been asked whether in the interim there will be any advanced funding for SMEs. A reply is awaited.

Self-employed The Chancellor has just announced a package for self-employed to help deal with the financial effects of COVID-19, The package is to be called The Self Employed Income Support Scheme (SEISS).

The scheme will allow you to claim a taxable grant worth 80% of your trading profits up to a maximum of £2,500 per month for the next 3 months. This may be extended if needed.

Who can apply You can apply if you’re a self-employed individual or a member of a partnership and you: • have submitted your Income Tax Self Assessment tax return for the tax year 2018-19 • traded in the tax year 2019-20

• are trading when you apply, or would be except for COVID-19 • intend to continue to trade in the tax year 2020-21 • have lost trading/partnership trading profits due to COVID-19 Your self-employed trading profits must also be less than £50,000 and more than half of your income come from self-employment. This is determined by at least one of the following conditions being true: • having trading profits/partnership trading profits in 2018-19 of less than £50,000 and these profits constitute more than half of your total taxable income • having average trading profits in 2016-17, 2017-18, and 2018-19 of less than £50,000 and these profits constitute more than half of your average taxable income in the same period If you started trading between 201619, HMRC will only use those years for which you filed a Self-Assessment tax return.

If you have not submitted your Income Tax Self-Assessment tax return for the tax year 2018-19, you must do this by 23 April 2020.

HMRC will use data on 2018-

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19 returns already submitted to identify those eligible and will risk assess any late returns filed before the 23 April 2020 deadline in the usual way.

How much you’ll get You’ll get a taxable grant which will be 80% of the average profits from the tax years (where applicable): • 2016 to 2017 • 2017 to 2018 • 2018 to 2019 To work out the average HMRC will add together the total trading profit for the 3 tax years (where applicable) then divide by 3 (where applicable), and use this to calculate a monthly amount.

It will be up to a maximum of £2,500 per month for 3 months.

HMRC will pay the grant directly into your bank account, in one instalment.

How to apply You cannot apply for this scheme yet.

HMRC will contact you if you are eligible for the scheme and invite you to apply online.

Individuals do not need to contact HMRC now and doing so will only delay the urgent work being undertaken to introduce the scheme.

You will access this scheme only through www.gov.uk. If someone texts, calls or emails claiming to be from HMRC, saying that you can claim financial help or are owed a tax refund, and asks you to click on a link or to give information such as your name, credit card or bank details, it is a scam.

Businesses The dedicated HMRC helpline for businesses and self-employed individuals who have difficulty with paying their tax due to COVID-19 promised at Budget 2020 is now in operation. The number of the helpline is 0800 0159 559.

The helpline can assist with: • setting up a time to pay arrangement, • suspending debt collection proceedings, and • cancelling late payment penalties and (unusually) interest.

2,000 experienced HMRC staff are available on the helpline but it is 10 | Total Grooming Magazine

not completely clear whether this is additional resource or a deployment.

Precautionary requests for time to pay made now may be sensible, to avoid cashflow difficulties later.

Also, arranging additional bank finance now, before cash becomes short, may be a sensible move – especially as there are to be government guarantees to support lending worth up to £330bn.

This scheme will take the place of the current Enterprise Finance Guarantee (EFG) over the coming weeks and aims to provide businesses with easier access to finance during these challenging times.

While the borrower will remain fully liable for repayment of the facility, security to the lender will be provided by the government who will guarantee 80% of the amount borrowed – which will make this an attractive proposition to lender and borrower alike. A range of revolving and term finance options will be made available through CBILS, including: • Business loans and asset finance (terms up to ten years) • Overdrafts • Invoice finance and revolving facilities

(terms up to three years) CBILS is aimed at small UK businesses which are otherwise viable, yet experiencing cash flow problems and interruption to trade due to the escalating spread of COVID-19.

Eligibility, therefore, is limited to those companies with an annual turnover not exceeding £41 million and those without adequate security to obtain funding directly from the lender under ordinary circumstances.

Government will cover the first 6 months of interest payments.

Grants announced in the Budget to small businesses eligible for Small Business Rate Relief have been increased from £3,000 to £10,000.

Finally, the changes on IR35 have been postponed until 6 April 2021.

Home-owners Mortgage lenders will provide threemonth mortgage holidays for those that need them.

We will pass on further details as they become available; our advice though is to make full use of the support that’s available now, before any possible cashflow issues start to show.

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Crufts 2020 Best in Show champion is Maisie the wire-haired Dachshund from Gloucestershire

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fter four momentous days, a new Crufts Best in Show champion has been crowned as Maisie (Ch Silvae Trademark), a Wire-Haired Dachshund, took home the coveted title tonight (Sunday 8th March).

In a packed arena, Maisie, who is two years old and her owner, Kim McCalmont from Berkeley, Gloucestershire, were cheered on as they were chosen by top judge, Anne Macdonald. Maisie’s win, the first ever for a Dachshund was captured live on Channel 4 in a programme hosted

by Clare Balding, and watched online around the world by millions of dog lovers.

Almost 20,000 pedigree dogs from around the world competed at the Birmingham NEC over four days for just seven places in the Crufts 2020 Best in Show final. The other six finalists were Frankie the Miniature Poodle, Pablo the Bichon Frisé, Elsie the Irish Setter, Drago the Bullmastiff, Zokni the Old English Sheepdog and Pixie the Kerry Blue Terrier.

As a breed, the Dachshund is a firm favourite with the British public. It is the only type of dog which comes in six varieties, divided by size and coat type.

The breed standard describes them as faithful, versatile and good-tempered.

Delighted owner Kim, a Kennel Club Assured Breeder, said of their win: “I have to say wow, it’s not very believable at this moment. It’s something you dream of and you don’t ever think will happen.

“It’s the goal that everyone strives for because Crufts is THE show - it really is, isn’t it?

“She just loves her showing, she just loves it. It’s such a joy to take her out.”

14 | Total Grooming Magazine

Maisie and her owner, Kim McCalmont from Berkeley, Gloucestershire

The Reserve Best in Show award was won by Frankie, the Miniature Poodle, owned and handled by Melanie Harwood, from Ramsgreave, Lancashire. It was the second time that Frankie had won the reserve title.

Vanessa McAlpine, Crufts Show Manager, said: “This has been another fantastic year for Crufts, and tonight’s final was exceptional.

“Congratulations to Maisie who helped end this year’s competition on a real high, taking the prestigious Best in Show award with her owner, Kim McCalmont. It has been fantastic to watch their strong relationship together in the ring and they are very deserving winners.

“Well done to all of our other wonderful finalists too. The dogs and their owners and handlers should be incredibly proud to get through to such a prestigious final – it really is a special achievement.

“Crufts is a British institution but it is also adored by dog lovers all over the world and we have been so delighted to see the unique bond between these much loved dogs and their owners, across a range of competitions and activities. Thank you to everyone involved for making the show what it is today.”

For more information, visit www.crufts.org.uk.

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Total Grooming Magazine | 15

Crufts announces the nation’s top canine hero: A Golden Retriever, Leo

Lyndsey Uglow and Leo, winners of the Kennel Club Friends for Life competition at Crufts 2020.

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yndsey Uglow and Leo have tonight (Sunday March 8th) been announced as the winners of the Kennel Club Friends for Life competition at Crufts 2020.

Leo heads up a team of therapy dogs who visit the Southampton Children’s Hospital to provide animal assisted intervention.

Leo and friends have been visiting up to five times a week for the past seven years. The team is made up of six dogs and four very experienced handlers and have helped more than 10,000 often critically ill children.

Leo, was one of five hero dogs shortlisted for the Friends for Life competition in February. The finalists shared their unique stories of the impact that each dog has made on their life, with the nation voting for their favourite. The winner was announced 16 | Total Grooming Magazine

in the Resorts World Arena on the final day of the world’s greatest dog show

by James Middleton.

The proud owner and deserving dog were presented their award and a cheque for £5,000 from the Kennel Club Charitable Trust for a dog charity of their choice. The four other finalists also received £1,000 for their chosen dog charity for making it to the prestigious final.

Speaking about their win, Lyndsey said: “I know it is just Leo and I up here, but we are a team of four handlers and six dogs.

“The fact that the public have recognised us in this way is quite overwhelming and absolutely lovely.

We will share it with the staff and patients at the hospital too, who we are privileged enough to work with.”

Vanessa McAlpine, Crufts Show

Manager, said: “We congratulate Leo and Lyndsey on winning this year’s Friends for Life award; their story highlights the incredibly strong bond we share with our four-legged friends and why dogs are truly man’s best friend.

“Each and every one of the dogs in the final has helped to transform their owner’s lives, showing unwavering devotion and companionship. They are a great example of the positive difference that dogs can make. They are all winners and their bonds will last a lifetime.”

The five dogs which made the 2020 final were selected by a panel of judges from the Kennel Club, where they were chosen for the lifetime of love and loyalty they give to their owners and for the way that they have irrevocably changed their lives.

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C R U E LT Y - F R E E , V E G A N - F R I E N D LY A N D N O H A R S H C H E M I C A L S

G R A B Y O U R G R O O M I N G P R O D U C T S F R O M W W W . M I L LY S . C O . U K

Many Happy Returns to Hunter Hunter McDonald took Groomer of the Year title at this year’s Young Kennel Club (YKC) competition at Crufts and it was his second success – having won the coveted accolade previously in 2017.

T

he 18 year-old from Contin, Ross-shire won YKC Groomer of the Year with 12 year-old Jock, a Border Terrier who is an old hand at Crufts - he last won the overall title for 12-17 year-olds in 2017 with Jock.

Hunter commented: “I ended up on the table right in front of the judges so I was really nervous. I think the judge wasn’t sure I would be able to come in under the three hour time limit but I literally got there with seconds to spare.

“It made the nine hour car trip worthwhile and I’m really happy. All I want is a good night’s sleep but when we get back to Scotland the celebrations will be immense.

“Jock is a mischievous little character.

We started training together when he was five and we haven’t really looked back since then. We do all the strip classes together but he’s owned by my uncle so I would just like to say a big thanks to him.”

To reach the Crufts final, YKC members had to compete in their categories for under and over 12s, and over 18s for Groom Through and Clip/ 18 | Total Grooming Magazine

Hunter McDonald, winner of YKC GOTY, with Jock

Trim & Strip classes.

Caroline Kisko, Kennel Club Secretary said: “Many congratulations to Hunter for winning YKC Groomer of the Year – he showed outstanding talent and we wish him the best of luck for the future.”

For further information about Crufts visit www.crufts.org.uk. If you would like to find out more about the Young Kennel Club and how to join please contact the Young Kennel Club team by emailing ykc@thekennelclub.org.uk or visit www.ykc.org.uk.

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Total Grooming Magazine | 21

My Experience on Pooch Perfect Colin Taylor hits the screens in Oz and shares his experience:

I

n 2019 I was contacted by Channel 7 in Australia with regards to Pooch Perfect, and me becoming a full time judge on this high profile TV show. My answer was a resounding NO. Actually it was: “Hell No”. It felt like the last thing I wanted to do. First off, it was TV, secondly, it was reality TV and lastly, the extremely long flight to Australia wasn’t something I’d ever thought about doing. I had been picked out of a large pool of male stylists from around the world. Why, I don’t know, but they picked me and that did make me feel good. It made me feel like all my hard work in this industry had been appreciated and recognised.

It didn’t end there. It was leaving my dog, Jigsaw, which was a huge factor and also my husband, Coleman, who was still going through his immigration drama, not to mention taking into consideration what Coleman’s thoughts were.

I had this big elephant in the room and no, not my weight (however that also worried me). It was my anxiety and panic attacks which got worse

22 | Total Grooming Magazine

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when I thought of all the above over and over again. With the show being reality TV based, I didn’t know how my profession would be perceived and I wondered how I would also be perceived. I see how people on TV are totally made fun of and at times this can be so cruel - they can edit it in a way that benefits the show and not necessarily me. So at this point the answer was still “NOOOOO”. Even after knowing Rebel Wilson was going to be the host I still said “NO”. I love her, she makes me laugh and I have watched every movie she has been in, but still my gut was saying: “don’t do it”.

Day by day I mulled it over and still didn’t know what to do. My husband, family and friends helped me with my demons and the “NO NO NO” finally turned into a “YES” and led me to signing a lot of paperwork.

At this point I still had six weeks before my husband and I would be getting on a plane, heading into the unknown. On October 31st we landed in Sydney and on November 1st I had a meeting with the producers. November 2nd I went to the location for wardrobe fitting and then filming started.

My life went from being lazy at home and wondering what kind of sandwich to make, to waking up at crazy hours being driven on location to go directly into make-up, then into wardrobe to then be fitted with my microphone.

No time to be shy as I have never been touched by so many men and women in my life.

Then go to set. The first time was just crazy, my head was like “what the hell”. Bright lights, 20 or more camera men and all different people doing their individual jobs that makes this masterpiece come together. Then it’s the time when “The Woman” herself walks in - Miss Rebel Wilson! she walked over and said hi with a warm, welcoming hug .

Rebel is amazing, she might be funny but above all she is professional and she likes to make sure everyone is okay, including the dogs. She is so down- to-earth but that’s no surprise after meeting her sister, Anna, and her mum, who is equally as normal but 24 | Total Grooming Magazine

funny, professional and at the same time everybody’s mum.

Rebel is the star she is today because of these things and I can’t thank her enough for that. She taught me that when I felt tired, to shake your hands and arms vigorously and it will help wake you up. I thought she was nuts but is does actually help. I’m still trying to master the art of having my picture taken but Rebel taught me to “smile with your eyes”. (getting used to that may take a while) she has also taught me things without even knowing it.

Every single person who worked on set, including the producers, directors, drivers, lighting, wardrobe, camera guys, sponsors, EVERYONE, made it so amazing that I didn’t have anxiety or panic once. Yes that’s correct not even once. I was too busy to think about it. I had to focus and make sure what I was saying wasn’t going to turn around one day and bite me on the ass (so to speak).

The anxiety wasn’t even a second thought. I was kept so busy that anxiety

and panic couldn’t get the better of me and I was happy doing a job that I came to love.

I may have worked hard on the show but I have absolutely no regrets as I loved every minute of working on Pooch Perfect. It brought something new to the table, well, my table anyway as I needed something new. I say new as it was a huge learning experience for me.

I’m sure people will have a lot to say when it’s aired and that’s okay as I’m okay and ready for it. It’s going to be an amazing show that families around the world will love. But also this will be so positive for the styling industry and that’s so important as we have needed this for years.

I am so glad my “no” turned into a “yes” and I took on this venture with an open mind. Fingers crossed the show will be a HUGE HIT but let’s face it, Rebel Wilson and dogs is the perfect recipe for the perfect TV Show, Pooch Perfect!

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5 Top Ways that Dogs Enrich Our Lives The vast majority of us acquire a dog for the love and companionship they provide us with. They provide unquestioning love and dogged devotion; it doesn’t matter to our canine companions if we are late home from work or if we look untidy. All a dog cares about is access to us, food, fun and exercise. In these uncertain times, our dogs remain a constant in our lives and can help us through the bad times: 1 Love and Companionship Owning a dog can alleviate feelings of loneliness or depression. After all, we all need someone or something to care for and a dog fulfils that role. The ability to have something to touch and pet is also very important. More and more studies show how important touch is to our physical and emotional health.

2 Physical and emotional benefits of dog companionship • Lower cholesterol and triglycerides.

People with pets have been found to have lower cholesterol and triglyceride levels when compared to people who did not have pets, even when matched for weight, diet, and smoking habits.

• Decrease blood pressure and reduce stress. Studies of people undergoing stress tests or physical examinations have demonstrated that the presence of a dog lowered their heart rate and blood pressure during testing.

• Increased physical activity and functioning. People who own pets often have better physical health due to the need to exercise and care for their pets.

• Predict seizures. Some people who have periodic seizures have reported 26 | Total Grooming Magazine

that their dogs can sense the onset of a seizure before they can. Now it has been found that dogs can be specially trained to recognize some type of change prior to a seizure, and signal the owner of the imminent seizure.

These dogs are called ‘seizure-alert’ or ‘seizure-response’ dogs, and can be trained to signal their owners from 15 to 45 minutes prior to a seizure.

• Alert to hypoglycemia. There are also animals who alert their owners to episodes of hypoglycemia (low blood sugar), which allows the owner to correct the level before serious symptoms develop.

• Adjust to serious illness and death.

Children often turn to their pet for comfort if a friend or family member dies or leaves the family. Grieving adults who did not have a close source of human support were also found to have less depression if they had a pet.

• Be less anxious and feel more secure.

Pet owners tend to feel less afraid of being a victim of crime when walking with a dog or having a dog in the home.

• Relax and reduce everyday stress.

Pets can help us relax and focus our attention away from our problems

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and worries.

• Keep active. Having a pet can help us remain more active. We may not only get more exercise from walking a dog, but we also increase our activity through feeding, grooming, and otherwise caring for our pet.

• Have consistency. Pets provide routine and consistency to our lives.

Caring for a pet can significantly affect our routine and gives us something to do and look forward to each day.

3 Social benefits of dogs • Create a sense of closeness and wellbeing. Families surveyed before and after they acquired a pet reported feeling happier after introducing a pet into the family.

• Generate a topic of conversation. A study in a veteran’s hospital showed that the residents had more verbal interactions with each other when a dog was present in the room than when there was no dog present.

• Promote interaction. Residents in long-term care facilities were more likely to attend activity sessions when an animal was going to be present.

• Generate a new friendship network.

Dogs can break down barriers and provide a conversation ice-breaker.

4 Canine Inspiration Love of dogs and caring for our canine

companions can open the door to business-related ideas. Many dog lovers have been inspired by their pet to start up new pet-related businesses.

Amy Heptonstall in Harrogate initially established her own dog grooming business but has since expanded her salon into a one-stop dog extravaganza with a shop and doggy day care. Her dog crèche has become incredibly popular and she has incorporated games and activity areas for the canines in her care.

As founder and hands-on chairman of Burns Pet Nutrition, John Burns has always recognised the important role that dogs have played in his life.

In a career that spans over 40 years as a vet, conservationist and practitioner of veterinary acupuncture and holistic therapy, it was his love of dogs that inspired a new vision of looking at pet nutrition as a way to correct many common and chronic conditions.

5 Dogs may find something of material value accidental rags to riches Dogs sniff out all sorts of things from sheep droppings to old coins. One dog recently made his owner rich by sniffing out a rare substance whilst walking on the beach.

Yes, a man walking his dog on the beach in Anglesey in north Wales stumbled across what looked like a piece 28 | Total Grooming Magazine

of rock. In fact, it was an incredibly rare chunk of whale poop, and it will earn him at least £7,000 when it is sold at auction.

The substance looks like a rock, but feels waxy, and smells terrible. The walker was alerted to the unusual discovery by the fact that his dog wouldn’t leave it alone. When he picked it up he realised it was too light to be a rock, and too waxy and smelly to be anything else he recognised.

He took it home, looked it up, and discovered it was ambergris. It is produced in the intestines of sperm whales to protect them from the beaks of squid that make up a large part of their diet. It’s popularly known as whale vomit, but actually tends to be pooped out by the whale.

It is used by the perfume industry to make scents last longer. Its rarity means it is incredible valuable and sold by the ounce. Adam Partridge Auctioneers said bids will start at £7,000.

He’s not the first to stumble across his fortune in poop on a beach. In 2012, Charlie Naysmith found a 600g piece on the beach at Hengistbury Head, near Bournemouth. The piece was estimated to be worth around £40,000. He said he wanted to use the money to build an animal shelter.

As you can see, dogs really do enrich our lives in many numerous and varied ways.

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Keep Calm and Carry On Jitka Krizova

Jitka Krizova looks at ways groomers can calm dogs in the salon or, if they are self-isolating at home:

I

’m often asked whether to buy Calming Floral Spray or Comfort Blend and my standard reply is to ask what the problem or issue is.

Both products are calming and relaxing but they aren’t the same. Some of the essential oils I’ve used are the same but most of them are different and have different therapeutic properties and benefits.

Basically, one size doesn’t fit all.

So which product should you use – Calming Floral Spray or Comfort Blend?

My brief explanation of both products comes down to this. Calming Floral Spray is calming and uplifting and Comfort Blend is calming, relaxing and more sedating. In stressful situations, I’d recommend that we use Calming Spray.

Stress We’re all talking about stress and stressing about stress, but what is it actually? Stress is defined as a negative 30 | Total Grooming Magazine

differential between a series of demands and the ability to cope with them.

Simply said, if we, or our dog, are put out of our comfort zone, stress will quickly appear. Not all stress is bad, however. Some stress is necessary for personal growth, development of successful coping tactics.

Demands & stressors Calming Floral Spray aids in coping with these demands in a natural way.

Let’s use if you want your puppy to get used to the car, as an example. If you just put the puppy in a crate or on the back seat, shut the door and then drive for half an hour your puppy will more than likely cry, drool, shake and even get sick or maybe pee and poo.

Don’t you think that there’s too many demands, too much pressure, noise and motion perhaps? A bit much, isn’t it?

After an experience like this, how would the puppy feel when approaching the car next time? Stressed, right? Other stressors in your dog’s life can be visits

to the vets, groomers, fireworks.

Stress is a response to a specific stressor, in this case, the car journey, and stress typically goes away when the stressor disappears. The opposite should now happen when you train your puppy to be relaxed in the car and eventually he/she will enjoy the journeys, especially when something special is waiting for him, like a walk on the beach or in the woods.

Essential oils that are useful when it comes to stress (and that are safe for dogs too) are: • Petitgrain • Roman chamomile • Lavender • Sweet orange and • Ylang-ylang And guess what?! You can find them all in Calming Floral Spray.

Why not just one oil then? Not because more is better, but because well-chosen essential oils work together in harmony and synergy. They interact together and the combined effect

is greater than the sum of their separate effects.

Anxiety I designed the Comfort Blend specifically for separation anxiety, however, it also works for doggy dementia and grief, etc. Anxiety has no identifiable root and sometimes we have to dig deep to find the cause (which is not always successful). It tends to stick around for longer than stress, and it’s more difficult to treat. It’s an uncomfortable inner feeling of fear, worry, nervousness or unease about something with an uncertain outcome.

We’ve all experienced anxiety at some point in our lives… it’s a normal human reaction to some stress, disaster or bad luck, however, some people are constantly anxious to the point where it’s abnormal and interferes with their life.

Now, what about dogs?

A reaction to a short-term, active stressor like an unexpected bang is normal but when those behaviours become routine, they may become… you guessed it… anxiety.

32 | Total Grooming Magazine

Flower oils have their place

Signs of anxiety in dogs are: • Dilated pupils • Panting and trembling • Pacing and fidgeting • Whining • Avoidance of eye contact • Hiding, shutting down and avoiding interaction Comfort Blend, with useful oils for anxiety such as neroli, bergamot, basil,

and ylang-ylang, helps in many of these cases and can bring dogs like this peace and help them to relax.

Work on a dog’s coping skills Can you see why it’s important to work on a dog’s coping skills from an early age? Perhaps leave her alone for a short period of time, play a bit of loud music here and there, drop something on the floor, take your puppy to as many different places as you can and expose them to as many different situations as you can.

A well-adjusted dog finds his home safe and usually a stress-free environment. Just like many other animals dogs will scan the environment for potential threats and if there aren’t any, he’ll relax. If you find that your dog is doing this excessively or seems to be alert all the time, anxiety might be the cause.

An anxious dog might be unable to sit still or relax and it’s really hard to watch. The relaxing and sedating properties of the blend helps those who are emotionally intense and even agitated. Ylang-ylang, which is found in the blend, is known for its ability to slow rapid heartbeat and breathing down which are symptoms associated with anxiety.

We will look at other solutions in future articles.

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WSAVA Reassures Groomers and Pet Owners ‘No evidence that COVID-19 can be contracted from pets’

T

he World Small Animal Veterinary Association (WSAVA) has moved to reassure pet owners following the news that a dog in Hong Kong, quarantined after it had tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 has died. The dog had been released after two weeks of quarantine having subsequently tested negative for the virus.

The dog, a 17-year-old Pomeranian, had shown no clinical signs of COVID-19. However, it did have significant unrelated health problems including cardiac and renal issues and is believed to have passed away from these and old age, possibly exacerbated by the stress of quarantine away from familiar surroundings. The WSAVA confirms that there is no evidence that the dog contracted COVID-19, nor that it could have passed the viral cause to another human or animal.

On March 19, the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD) in Hong Kong announced that a second dog, a German Shepherd, had also tested positive for SARS-CoV-2.

The dog was quarantined after its owner was confirmed with COVID-19.

Although the dog has tested positive, it has no clinical signs of disease. Another dog from the same residence has tested negative for the SARS-CoV2. It also has no relevant clinical signs and has been quarantined. The dogs will continue to be tested for the remainder of the quarantine period.

WSAVA President Dr Shane Ryan said: “While there is still much we don’t know about COVID-19, we do know that the Pomeranian dog did not die from the virus, and the second dog is

34 | Total Grooming Magazine

also showing no signs, either of the disease or of being able to transmit it to other pets or people. The current evidence still strongly indicates that COVID-19 cannot be contracted from pets.”

The WSAVA says its priority is to support its member veterinarians who care for companion animals around the world and it urges pet owners not to panic and, instead, to continue to care for their companion animals and to enjoy their company. In difficult times, such as these we face today, says the WSAVA, pets can play a very positive role, providing companionship to the isolated and lonely.

The WSAVA’s Scientific Committee and One Health Committee have worked together provide Advice to its members and pet owners, which can be found here: https://wsava.org/wpcontent/uploads/2020/03/COVID-19_ WSAVA-Advisory-DocumentMar-19-2020.pdf Dr Michael Lappin, chair of the WSAVA’s One Health Committee and Dr Mary Marcondes, Co-Chair of the WSAVA Scientific Advisory Committee, recommend that veterinarians remind owners to: Keep their companion animals with them if they are self-quarantined Maintain good hygiene practices, including washing hands when interacting with their pets Arrange care for any animals left at home with family or friends should they be hospitalised Contact their veterinarian immediately if they have questions or concerns.

On March 13, IDEXX Laboratories,

Dr Mary Marcondes, Co-Chair of the WSAVA’s Scientific Committee.

an international provider of veterinary diagnostics and software, announced that it had evaluated thousands of canine and feline samples during the validation of a new veterinary test system for SARS-CoV-2 and seen no positive results.

Dr Ryan continued: “We remain very concerned at reports of many animals being abandoned, killed or taken to shelters because their owners fear that they might carry the virus when this is not supported by evidence. In addition to the suffering this causes to the animals concerned, their owners will also cease to benefit from all the positive aspects of owning a pet which are even more important as so many of us are now having to limit contact with other people.

“We urge pet owners to listen to their veterinarian’s advice and to follow our recommendations to keep themselves and their companion animals safe.”

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Training News The International Pet Education Training Network (iPET) has become an OFQUAL regulated Awarding Organisation and is bringing NEW Dog Grooming and Pet Industry qualifications to the UK - specialising in all things canine and feline, being a sector specific awarding organisation

i

PET Network has been a training provider network for the last few years after the founders, Fern Gresty and Sarah Mackay, wrote a new qualification which is commonly known as the OCN Level 3 Diploma in Dog Grooming. The vision was to offer a choice of qualifications to learners where there wasn’t any. At the time, the only regulated Dog Grooming Qualification was from City and Guilds. That was four years ago and subsequently iPET launched a new qualification to the market which training providers all over the UK now deliver. iPET spokesperson said: “We recognise the quality and standard we uphold is not being regulated across all centres delivering the qualification we proudly put our names to. In our network, we have selectively chosen training providers across the UK and Ireland who support our mission, scrutinising their practice to offer the best training to learners. Sadly, that is not the case for all and we have seen a dilution of the original qualification in some areas.

“To fix the problem we are taking back ownership and BECOMING the Awarding Organisation! The application for recognition from OFQUAL has been a complex demonstration of our ability, passion, commitment, knowledge and determination to establish a niche awarding organisation specialising in our industry qualifications.”

Ofqual said on the acceptance letter “Recognition by Ofqual is a mark of quality – it shows that you are able to meet our rules, and that you are able to

36 | Total Grooming Magazine

Fern Gresty and Sarah Mackay

combine expertise in assessment with effective operational delivery. In turn, this provides assurance that learners who take your regulated qualifications have the required level of knowledge and skills in the relevant subject area.” iPET qualifications come with a tight quality assurance process but more importantly, the criteria is being set by industry experts who know exactly what students need to learn but also what appeals to them as consumers.

Simply put, that takes out the middleman; upping the standard, and introducing qualifications that really work in the industry and markets.

They work for pets who deserve the best care available.

They work for learners by giving them valuable skills, breaking down barriers and being accessible.

They work for training providers as

the structure, expectation, reward and market appeal is clear.

They work for OFQUAL as they are on the Recognised Qualification Framework, passing their scrutiny.

They work for trade organisations who can provide industry insight and work with us in development.

They work hard.

Final comments from iPET spokesperson: “We have evolved and will continue to advance. We are working with our current Training Providers during the transition period and thank them so their ongoing support and dedication. We are now welcoming new Training Providers to register their interest and to join us on the journey.”

Tel: 0800 4334700 Email: info@ipetnetwork.co.uk Website: www.ipetnetwork.co.uk

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Education Hadlow PIF Dog Grooming School & Salon Hadlow College, an outstanding education provider and the Pet Industry Federation, the leading trade association for pet businesses, jointly offer professional dog grooming courses.

Faulkners Farm, Ashes Lane, Hadlow, TN11 0AN T: 01732 852 605 E: doggrooming@hadlow.ac.uk Hadlow PIF Dog Grooming School & Salon (Greenwich) Hadlow College, an outstanding education provider and the Pet Industry Federation, the leading trade association for pet businesses, jointly offer professional dog grooming courses.

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Insurance

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Total Grooming Magazine | 37

Lockdown for Pet Groomers Heidi Anderton is principal of Absolutely Animals and London School of Pet Grooming, with over 30 years in the business, Heidi is a highly qualified and experienced industry expert in teaching dog grooming as well as an awardwinning groomer, former Groom Team England member and founder member of the British Isles Grooming Association (BIGA). Heidi shares her thoughts on the implications of coronavirus on groomers:

B

y the time you read this the UK will no doubt be in lockdown alongside its European neighbours and most of the world, during the Covid-19 pandemic. I have made plans to close my dog and cat grooming business in London, my staff will be sent home to comply with isolation requests for the two to three weeks minimum period of isolation and indeed possibly for the foreseeable future. We will also need to postpone and reschedule events which were planned in April. In fact, I know some of you who are in vulnerable situations have already taken yourself into isolation. It’s going to be hard for everyone in so many different ways, but it has to be done.

At the moment, on the run up to the Lockdown we have been busier than our Christmas period, the phone is ringing off the hook. With dog and cat owners pre-empting the inevitable lockdown, having a clean pet in the house seems to come high on the to do list when pets may not see their groomer for a while.

There are two major things for us to consider in this situation, loss of income and the welfare of the animals. Loss of income being the most immediate.

The government has put together packages for all workers to tap into, so

38 | Total Grooming Magazine

Heidi and Prada

let’s hope the financial implications are limited and will see us through these dark days.

The British Isles Grooming Association (www.mybiga.org) has regular updates on their website, Facebook group and email list as well as links to credible sources of information, including the World Health Organisation, Federation of Small Business, British Veterinary

Association and current Government information links, to aid you in this financial crisis. Keep updated and make sure you apply for everything you are entitled too. Keep strong and keep calm.

I personally do believe this situation will become very serious as it has in other countries, but I am optimistic, if we isolate and stay safe, the majority of us will come out the other end healthy and recover financially.

I don’t believe during isolation time there is an animal welfare issue around pet grooming, as the grooming can be kept up at home. Even if it’s not, a dog can go a few weeks and months without much coat care. However, we can all use this time to educate our own regular customers in keeping their pets groomed, healthy and knot free at home.

Please send your clients links of video tutorials to encourage them to groom their pets at home or even better, make your own.

I advise my clients that it doesn’t matter how long the coat is, just that it is kept clean and knot free as much as possible and that in front of the eyes and hygiene areas are kept short, clean and dry. This can easily be done at home with the most basic of equipment which most of us will have at hand.

It will be interesting to see how many owners actually do care for their pets’ coat in the lockdown period. The usual excuses won’t be any good. I know some owners will be meticulous at the bathing, drying and combing of their dog or cat. These pets’ coats probably won’t have a knot in them when they return for their next haircut. And then, on the flip side, we will also all need to have our 7f ’s at the ready, when this crisis is over for those who haven’t been able to upkeep the coat care of their pet. Of course, this won’t always be the fault of the owner and it is important that we are mindful of this when we are required to resolve the situation. I find that wet clipping a matted coat is much easier on a dog and your equipment.

You can also get a longer clip than you can pre clipping.

How matted can a dog’s coat actually get before it becomes uncomfortable or a health issue? If we look at such breeds like the Spanish water dog and alike, they are rarely groomed in their home countries and are shaved short one time per year. They will go all year growing their coat which becomes huge and matted, until it is all shaved off when the nights get warm in early summer. Thus, the process starts again. No doubt it may become slightly uncomfortable for them at the end with the heavy coat, but in our current

My personal concern is not really with the dog’s but with the cats. They are generally such a neglected pet in regard to coat care that I know some will suffer.

situation, I doubt the time frame will be so long.

My personal concern is not really with the dog’s but with the cats. They are generally such a neglected pet in regard to coat care that I know some will suffer. Right up to closure we were still receiving cats with such poor coat neglect; we are literally freeing them from their strait jackets. It’s so sad. Spring is a very busy time for cat grooming and especially for those who have gone all winter without any grooming. Isolation is going to prolong the suffering for those pets, for sure, and this makes me very sad.

I am so proud of our industry in these difficult times, already I have seen individual groomer professionals helping each other with information and support as well as free online webinars. I have seen questions being answered on business and financial queries and help being offered freely where possible. It seems out of the darkest situations there is always some light.

I would like to finish on a positive note. We do have a huge advantage over a lot of other businesses and Industry, our clientele is not lost but only deferred to a later date. We should think ourselves lucky. Our clients will be queuing up when the lockdown is over for their appointment. In no time we will be back to normal.

I hope your losses are minimal and you and your families stay safe.

Big virtual Huggs.

Heidi www.absolutelyanimals.biz

Total Grooming Magazine | 39

Paws for thought...

Debby Knight visits Patricia Taylor-Moore at her newly established salon – The Hounds of Donnington in Telford Shropshire

P

atricia Taylor - Moore (Trisha) is a brand new groomer to the industry and this is her story: I grew up in Ashstead, Surrey with cats and a couple of hamsters but had always wanted a dog. Sadly, it wasn’t until I left home and moved up to the Midlands that I acquired a rescue dog. It was a Bedlington crossed with a whippet called Penny. She was skin and bone when I got her and had been clipped short because of a terrible skin condition, she was a sorry sight . She was nine years old when I got her and she lived for another five years.

Our bond was strong and she helped me through a tough time in my life and while it was painful to let her go the years of joy we had were well worth the terrible sense of loss at the end of her life.

From then on I couldn’t imagine having another dog in my life, but today I have four: another rescue dog, a Jack Russell called Douglas, two ex gundogs Ruby and Lottie and our latest edition a Chow Chow called Bear.

I now live in Telford , Shropshire and

Patricia Taylor-Moore

Patricia’s garden salon

40 | Total Grooming Magazine

am lucky to have a large secure garden with plenty of space fir my dogs to explore.

For over 20 years I worked as a transport manager for DHL , then for the last 10 I was a sales administrator in a local office. In January 2019 I went part time, mainly due to health reasons.

However, things didn’t really work out for me in this role and I felt I really

needed a complete change of career.

After working in an office environment for many years, I didn’t know what I wanted to do. I just knew at the age of 51 I had to do something, after all nobody is going to do it for you.

One weekend in August, whilst visiting my sister in Surrey, we discussed my career options. She suggested working with children

and this idea was a definite “no go” and it wasn’t until I said I would rather work with dogs that the seed was planted. I immediately started to research the possibility of training to be a dog groomer and I was surprised how many correspondence courses there were. I couldn’t understand how anyone could learn to groom a dog without practical, hands-on experience.

It was then that I contacted Debby Knight at The Bristles Dog Grooming and Training Salon in Oswestry. After a long conversation with Debby, discussing the best course for me, she recommended the 24 day course as I was a complete novice. As Debby no longer taught full time she recommended I talk to Debbie Noah at Dazzles which I did . On Thursday November 7th 2019 my new career started.

I carried on my part time job while I trained at Dazzles every Thursday and Friday. The training involved so much more than simply the art of dog grooming - I learned about the temperament of the dog, the cleaning and maintaining of equipment, running a grooming salon and so much more.

I think the most challenging part for me was learning to handle difficult dogs, especially when trying to learn the skills required for grooming itself.

While I was on the course I was given the option to do my City and Guilds Level 2 and, on January 30th 2020, I successfully passed my grooming course along with my qualification.

Looking back, the decision I made and the course I took was definitely the right one. My advice to anyone thinking of going down the grooming career path is to strive for perfection and build a good reputation. Don’t take on too much or more than you can manage too soon, just for the sake of the money. The speed of your grooming will increase together with your confidence and remember to always put your dog first.

Patricia at work

I have now resigned from my office job and over the last few months we have erected a log cabin in my garden.

This is the headquarters to my new grooming business: “The Hounds of Donnington.”

Business cards and flyers are printed and my website is up and running. I offer full grooms, wash and brush ups, puppy familiarisation, hand stripping, nail clipping and microchipping. My husband has qualified in microchipping,

dog training and animal psychology courses too. In five years I would like to see myself as a groomer with a good reputation. Our location would work well as a boarding kennel or dog sanctuary too. I could see myself and my husband ( now retired ) working on these together in the future. This change of career and lifestyle is a far cry from working behind a desk all day and I have never looked back or had any regrets.

Want to feature in Total Grooming Magazine?

Send an email to: editor@totalgroomingmagazine.co.uk, or write to us at: Total Grooming Magazine, The Goods Shed, Jubilee Way, Faversham, Kent, ME13 8GD.

Total Grooming Magazine | 41

Self-isolating – how to keep your dog happy!

Trainer and Behaviourist at Agria Pet Insurance, Carolyn Menteith, explains: With the Covid-19 pandemic meaning self-isolation for increasing numbers of people, dog owners may face a problem. Our dogs need exercise and stimulation, but how can we do this at home?

T

he good news is, it’s not that hard. In fact, Covid-19 may be just the opportunity you’ve been waiting for to improve the bond you have with your dog without even stepping out of the front door.

It’s too easy to think of exercising your dog as just being a routine walk round the usual places - but for dogs, having a chance to play games with their owners can be far more interesting, use much more energy, and be a lot of fun for you both.

The games that dogs really enjoy tap into their natural instincts and give them a chance to do the things they often don’t get a chance to do, but that make them far happier, healthier and content. This improves the dog/owner relationship and can help deal with a whole host of behaviour problems that so often come from boredom and frustration.

Getting started Many games centre around how you feed your dog, or else them working out ways to get food. For most dogs, dinnertime is a pretty boring affair – and to realise why, think of how a dog originally was designed to find their next meal.

Virtually every waking minute would have been spent roaming around, scavenging and sniffing out food – in fact for a dog, it is practically a fulltime job that would occupy them both 42 | Total Grooming Magazine

physically and mentally for a major part of their day. Once they find their food they then have to work fairly hard to eat it as they would have to rip, tear and gnaw. Finding and eating dinner would provide a dog with virtually endless physical and mental stimulation - and allow them to satisfy their hard-wired instincts.

Compare this to how we feed our canine companions: Dinner served up on a plate and presented to the dog with no work needed at all, and in two mouthfuls, it’s gone. Ten seconds of frantic gulping rather than 14+ hours of engaging work – it doesn’t really

compare. No wonder dogs get bored!

To transform your dog’s day, there are a large selection of games and activities you can add in to your daily routine that can enhance your dog’s meal times and make them last far longer - and better still, make you a key part of one of the best bits of your dog’s day.

There are plenty of interactive feeding toys on the market to provide great problem-solving tasks for dogs to work out. Start simple until your dog has got the hang of it - and then you can build up to the more fiendish if you find you’ve got a canine Einstein!

No need to spend money or leave the house You don’t have to spend a fortune though, or even leave the house to shop.

Putting some food into an old toilet roll (if you’ve managed to get any!) or kitchen towel roll and folding down the ends will give your dog a cheap interactive dog toy as they work out how to get the food out.

Put a few pieces of food into an old plastic drinks bottle and see if they can work out how to get them out.

Hide pieces of food under a towel or a plastic plant pot and let them work out how to get them.

Even simpler, and if you are not too garden-proud, you could just scatter your dog’s kibble around the garden and let them sniff it out. This exercises a much-neglected canine sense, their fantastic nose, and for some breeds and types of dogs this can be a total transformative experience as they finally get to do what they were designed for!

Make sure all games are supervised and that everything you use is safe. Give your dog plenty of encouragement and work alongside them so it’s something you do together.

Alongside these interactive games,

there are some enrichment toys that are more just for your dog. One of the best is the good old stuffed Kong toy - a strange-shaped, rubber chew-resistant toy that can be stuffed with food. Make sure the Kong you use is an original one and not a copy, is the right size for your dog, and start off making it easy for them to get the food out of so they understand how it works.

Once they have got the hang of it, you can make it far harder by packing the food in really tightly so they have to work hard to get it out - or you could put it in the freezer and freeze it – or add a bit of cheese and microwave it so the melted cheese holds it all together.

Just make sure you let it cool for at least 30 mins before you give it to your dog.

While Kongs don’t stimulate your dog’s hunting or scavenging behaviour, they do stimulate their gnawing and chewing behaviour. For dogs the act of chewing and gnawing is a great stress buster too so you are getting two benefits in one by giving him part of his daily food this way.

You could of course hide the Kongs in various places to be hunted down!

Start by leaving them in plain sight, then hide them half under something – and then make it harder as your dog

gets good at it. You may want to limit the rooms you do this in otherwise you will have a dog who endlessly hunts under everything and excavates rooms in the hope of finding a stuffed Kong!

The secret to successful dog games is to be inventive – as long as it is safe, anything goes! The other secret is to have as much fun as your dog does.

A positive side to Covid-19 for dog owners (and dogs) is that many of us will be spending more time at home with our canine companions, and introducing interactive games into your routine will pay off in your relationship with your dog long after the pandemic is a thing of the past.

Public Health England states that, as of 13 March 2020 ‘there is no evidence that companion animals/pets such as dogs and cats can be infected with coronavirus (COVID-19).’

Please follow www.gov.uk/ government/topical-events/ coronavirus-covid-19-ukgovernment-response for the latest updates and any changes to advice.

Total Grooming Magazine | 43

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Total Grooming Magazine | 45

Many Tears Rescue In this issue we find out about the valuable work of Many Tears Animal Rescue:

Many dogs that come to Many Tears have serious medical issues and where possible, dogs are treated to give them the best chance of a great life in their new home.

Ailments range from glaucoma which requires the eye to be removed, cataracts, heart murmurs, paralysis, megasophogus, mange, luxating patella and liver shunts.

M

any Tears Animal Rescue was founded in 2004 by Sylvia and Bill Ban Atta.

They moved from the USA where Sylvia had been running a very large but heartbreakingly sad, Humane Society. Having been able to make major changes to the running of the American shelter, she and Bill moved to Wales and started building Many Tears. The name “Many Tears” came from Sylvia’s heart for all the dogs she could not save when she lived in the USA. A Native American once told 46 | Total Grooming Magazine

her that “the soul can have no rainbows unless the eyes have shed some tears”.

Many Tears started on a very small scale but soon grew with the backing of animal lovers who had the same ethics as Sylvia and felt the same longing to help the dogs. Many Tears now homes over 3,500 dogs a year and is extremely busy, but has never lost that special “family feeling”.

Many Tears mainly takes in exbreeding dogs and those on their last day at the pound although whenever they can and have space, they also take

dogs from Ireland and other parts of the world, in desperate need of help.

The rescue is a happy home and has good living accommodation for the dogs with wonderful exercise areas and all dogs go out 2-3 times a day. They often have special walks with volunteers who are always welcome.

Many Tears also has a fostering programme where fosterers from all over the UK collect their dogs from designated drop off points or the rescue. The fosterers are the dogs’ final stepping stone to their forever home

and they remain in their foster home until a suitable application for the dog is received. For some dogs this can be a day, others many months.

Steph Webb Elder is a fosterer who lives in West Wales and often looks after bitches that have come to the rescue pregnant, even caring for more than one litter at a time. Sometimes the bitch has the pups at the rescue then moves to Steph, other times the pups are born at her home. She had the following experience last year: “March the 31st 2019 will be forever etched in my memory, the best and worst day of a pup fosterer’s “career” and something that I would never wish on my worst enemy. It all started out pretty “text book.” Cosey had been left at a rescue pregnant and came to us to have her pups in comfort and warmth.

She was beautiful, loving, gentle but confident which is not something that you often find in rescue dogs. We were expecting a fairly large litter (7 or 8?) as we had been told that she had a tummy full of pups. She didn’t leave us long enough (4 days?) to get her rescanned before she went into labour, her temperature dropped and she went off her food. As the evening progressed her contractions got harder and the first puppy was born. It was amazing and she was obviously a very good

mum, there were long gaps (approx.

2hrs) between pups but at that point I wasn’t overly worried as she knew what she was doing. Then puppy number 5

started to make an appearance and it was quickly apparent that the pup was too big to be born, I couldn’t move the pup back at all and he (as it turns

Total Grooming Magazine | 47

out) was wedged firmly in the birth canal so with a quick call to the vet at midnight we started to make our way there. Cosey was calm for the whole 14 mile journey.

We had placed the 4 pups in a cardboard box with a (luke warm) hot water bottle and taken them with us.

She seemed to realise that we were doing our best to help her and when we got there we were met by the vet and a nurse. They scanned her to see if there were other pups stuck behind the wedged one and we figured there were probably another 4 or 5 pups. It was going to be a big litter but nothing that we weren’t prepared for. They tried to manoeuvre the stuck pup but it wasn’t

48 | Total Grooming Magazine

happening. It was a C Section job and an emergency. As Cosey was prepped for theatre we told her what a brave girl she was and that she would never have to go through this ever again. Then they started. We have an incredible relationship with our vets and are fortunate enough to be in the position to work with them on many procedures.

This time they were actually pleased for an extra pair of hands as the pups kept on coming. 7 more were born by C Section, bringing the total number of pups to 11. It was an insane number of pups to expect an emaciated Springer spaniel mum to raise. We were stood there talking about how often the pups would need topping up with milk in

order to help Cosey cope, when the vet checked her breathing (she was being stitched up at this point) and she was ok. Then the vet nurse checked, within 5 mins, and I will never forget the words “oh my God, she’s gone”. They did all they could but her heart had given out on the table. Poor Cosey’s legacy to the world after being used as a breeding machine was to give her last and everything to making sure that her pups were ok. I was in shock and didn’t know what to do. I was very aware that there were now 11 very hungry HUGE pups that needed feeding and if we didn’t crack on and get on with caring for them, we would lose them all as well. I gave her a kiss on the nose and promised her that we would look after her kids. Hence the litter’s nick-name of “Cosey’s Kids”. At 4 a.m. with day just dawning, we arrived home.”

Steph and her mum and family friend, along with her vet and the Many Tears team for support, went on to successfully handraise all 11 pups, which is a huge achievement. They were all adopted and are doing well in their new homes Many dogs that come to Many Tears have serious medical issues and where possible, dogs are treated to give them the best chance of a great life in their new home. Ailments range from glaucoma which requires the eye to be removed, cataracts, heart murmurs, paralysis, megasophogus, mange, luxating patella and liver shunts. This

means large medical bills from specialist vets (such as eye surgery), so that dogs with cataracts in both eyes have at least one eye operated on so they can see, so that world is not such a scary place.

Heather Wolfe recalls Karisma, an older farm dog she fostered, cast out as ‘not needed,’ who came into Many Tears blind, but had one of her eyes bulging due to glaucoma. The eye was removed and she went to Heather to recover. She said: “Karisma was a happy girl, recovering well, with fur around the wound growing back. She loved the garden, and going for walks on the lead, but then developed a sticky eye in her remaining eye which didn’t respond to eye drops.

“Sylvia asked for her to be taken to my local vet, where, to my deep sadness, it was found that glaucoma was in the remaining eye. Sylvia spoke to the vet on the phone and insisted she received an urgent referral for Karisma. This was arranged for the next day, with the local Eye Specialist Vet, where the pressure in her eye was so great, poor Karisma was operated on that same morning to remove her remaining eye.

“Karisma was so much happier once the eye was removed, and as she had been blind for some time, didn’t miss the eye at all. Sylvia and the team at Many Tears were excellent sorting out this emergency and Karisma now lives quite locally in a loving home, with people who have had experience of blind dogs and were not fased by her affliction. Her fur grew back well covering the wounds. She is a very happy, lucky little dog.”

Fosterer, Sarah Jones, fostered Teo and Tali - French Bull Dog puppies - who arrived at the rescue in an

horrendous state, absolutely skeletal, riddled with worms and awful stomach issues. Sarah stated: “When Sylvia collected them, she didn’t think either would survive but had to give them a chance. Unfortunately, Teo didn’t make it and passed away in my arms after three days. But after a few weeks of

round the clock care at MT (where she went home with staff member, Lisa, every night) little Tali (now Lady) was strong enough to be adopted.”

Thanks to Sylvia, Many Tears staff, fosterers and supporters these dogs and thousands of others are now living in loving homes.

Many Tears is suffering the effects of coronavirus with a fall in donations and a likely ban on rehoming dogs: Sylvia writes a blog on the Many Tears forum and this is her heartbreaking entry from 16-03-20: We are already starting to see the devastating impact of the Coronavirus on Many Tears. There has been a significant drop in donations of food and the impact is enormous as we rely heavily on the generosity of the public not only for financial contributions but dog food and cleaning products.

Unlike nationally known rescue organisations who have financial resources to rely on, Many Tears invests all its money on the ongoing running costs of the rescue. Every

tin of dog food and cleaning products helps so please have a look at the Wish List for items that are always needed.

This is a terrible time for everyone, but I hadn’t expected it to impact on the dogs too. It is truly devastating.

Everyday dogs will die, if adoptions cease, those waiting for a space would have to be turned down. I am taking a HUGE chance still accepting dogs into the rescue, but I believe somehow these dogs will be safe and rehomed to make space for others. The day we are forced to lock down I will need your prayers. I will NEVER give up on the dogs.

Total Grooming Magazine | 49

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Detangling & De-Shedding Dog Grooming Brushes Pet Teezer share the brains behind the much-loved grooming brand, along with top tips for getting the most out of their dog grooming brushes.

Y

ou know how difficult it is to detangle your own hair? Just imagine how it is for a dog who can’t express any discomfort they feel during grooming. We are known for our world-famous detangling hairbrushes and, since launching 10 years ago, it’s been an open secret that dog owners have been using them to give their dogs a healthy and happy coat. In fact, they begged us to design a brush especially for their four-legged friends. So of course, we had to sit up and listen to those who knew best! And there began a three-year passion project of research and testing into our lovable four-legged friends that we think of like family!

It was important to Shaun, the Inventor and Founder of Tangle Teezer, that we didn’t simply re-brand our detangling hairbrush but rather create specialised grooming brushes for both detangling and de-shedding breeds. They had to work brilliantly, have instant credibility and reassure pet owners and groomers that we were

serious about their needs.

We began by understanding the benefits of brushing and grooming your dog at home or in a parlour. We researched the problems that dogs can experience, we listened to owners and groomers and the reactions of the dogs being brushed. Lastly, we tested and retested shapes, sizes and the stiffness and the length of the teeth to give dogs their best ever grooming experience; and being a grooming brush recommended by Battersea Dogs

& Cats Home, it’s a brush that keeps tails’ wagging!

Just as you would spend precious time with your child getting close over a bedtime story, for your dog there’s no better feeling than sharing the love of grooming! It’s undoubtedly a special bonding experience –for both human and pet. Everyone can get involved as Pet Teezer is family friendly. It’s safe for your children to use; it’s gentle, no special skills are required and there’s no ‘right’ way to do it. Pet Teezer works

when brushing in any direction, it’s an important ritual too. Regular brushing helps to protect your dog’s coat and without it, serious issues can arise such as skin irritations and matting, resulting in fur having to be cut out.

Just like our hairbrushes, Pet Teezer’s USP is in the teeth. We revolutionised the hair industry with our innovative teeth and we’re doing the same for pets with our two grooming brushes. Firstly, we looked at what was important for grooming at home. Secondly, we asked what was most important for professional grooming – this was more about doing what owners cannot do themselves such as untangling and sometimes removing matted fur.

With information gathered, we then produced two dog and pet owner friendly designs: de-shedding and detangling. For de-shedding, some breeds of dogs, Pomeranian, Shiba Inu or a Siberian Husky for example, boast a double-coat of hair to keep them lovely and warm. This is shed as the temperature rises or in a centrally heated home. Our palm friendly brush is ideal for shedding longer haired dogs – the ergonomic shape helps reduce wrist sprain during periods of brushing, making your life easier.

A second brush for detangling and de-matting your dog’s coat quickly – and more importantly, gently without any tugging or pulling, even on the finest of hair – was also important.

We bet you’ve noticed them under the stomach and around the legs too, so it helps to gently brush their hair more often. Treating them to regular brushing also helps prevent problems like painful matting and skin irritations.

So how do they work? To detangle, ensure you grip the fur through the teeth and glide the brush through the fur, as opposed to brushing over the top of the fur and not putting any fur through the teeth. To de-shed short to medium flat coats, keep the brush flat on the coat and, remaining in one area, make several brush strokes in the opposite direction of fur growth.

This will lift the fur and expose all the shedding fur that is trapped at the bottom. Next, make brush strokes in the correct direction of fur growth

The soft, flexible teeth of the detangling brush gently but quickly detangle

The firm teeth of the de-shedding brush reach even the thickest of undercoats

over the same area you just lifted. The loose fur will then be taken out of the coat and into the brush. To de-shed thick bushy double coats, use the same technique as you would to detangle; the shedding fur will be removed in the de-shedding brush. The teeth are strong enough to grip on to the fur yet have flexibility to release to stop any tugging at the skin. They will not puncture or cut the skin as they are not metal or bladed which can put your dog in discomfort and pain.

Pet Teezer grooming brushes are available in both small and large sizes, making the whole grooming experience as comfortable as possible for both you and your dog. The soft teeth of the detangling brush are gentle on fur that is prone to tangle.

Using stiffer teeth than the detangling brush, the de-shedding design reaches confidently down to even the thickest

of undercoats.

• Patented flexible two-tier teeth that remove dirt, dead hair and tangles whilst adding shine • Non-metal material so no risk of brush burn from over-brushing • No bladed edges making them safe for the whole family to use • Ergonomic design for a comfortable grip • Safe to use in any direction with no risk of over-grooming Here at Pet Teezer we always love to see how your dog is enjoying the Pet Teezer grooming experience so please tag us on social media and send us your pooch being pampered! And if you haven’t got a Pet Teezer brush in your possession, what are you waiting for?

It’s the brush your dog would choose!

Get your specified brush in a range of colourful colours online at PetTeezer.com or Amazon.co.uk