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Contents

ith days becoming lighter, we can start to look forward to spring and hope that lockdown will end soon. In this issue we look forward to returning to work with tips for improving your business, help to get you started in grooming and lots of new treatment ideas and add-ons. If you would like to feature in the magazine or have some content ideas that you would like us to explore, contact: editor@ totalgroomingmagazine.co.uk Editor www.totalgroomingmagazine.co.uk

News

Contents 04 News 06 News 08 News 10 News 12 News 14 Heidi Anderton explores ways of improving grooming skills whether you’re at work or in lockdown

On the cover: www.totalgroomingmagazine.co.uk february 2021

18 Ways groomers can add value to the salon offer

Editor

Design and Production

Sue Corfield – editor@totalgroomingmagazine.co.uk

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

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

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

26 Jenny Farrell looks at the impact of TV grooming shows on the industry 30 Battersea shares grooming highlights 34 Profile on War Paws and how one Midlands lady is making a difference to pets in war torn countries 42 New treatments

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22 Paws for Thought visits Posh Pets Academy in Birmingham and finds out about Lakhi’s grooming journey

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

© 2021 TGM Publishing Limited, The Goods Shed, Jubilee Way, 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.

Total Grooming Magazine | 3

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et Brands has released a boredom-busting range of bamboozling brain games for dogs of all abilities, meeting the increasing demand for great pet enrichment options. IQuties have been developed in eight fun styles with three levels of difficulty, to harness a variety of food-motivated problem-solving skills, at an ideal price-point for gifting. The range also presents the perfect opportunity to promote customer interaction. Stockists can challenge dog owners to post videos of their puzzlesolving pets on social media, tagging their local pet store. Dogs display two types of intelligence, instinctive and adaptive, with the IQuties toys catering for both. Instinctive IQ refers to innate skills and behaviours, such as sniffing out kibble, whereas adaptive IQ includes an aptitude to problem-solve and learn. Engaging both forms of intelligence is brilliant for mental stimulation, helping to encourage active learning and training.

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Rachel Barrass, Product Developer at Pet Brands explains the importance: ‘There is often a focus on pets’ physical health, but promoting mental health is also essential. This includes ensuring pets’ brains are being sufficiently challenged to avoid boredom and associated attention-seeking behaviours.’ The IQuties range has options suitable for dogs of all ages. Brain games are ideal for use in older or injured pets that have become less physically active. Rachel says: ‘By engaging your pet’s problem-solving skills, you can distract them from pain and reduced access to exercise. Plus, cognitive tasks can help to delay progression of the canine version of dementia*. IQuties are also handy for overweight or inactive pets as they can be used for regular meals to increase feeding time, which can help with weight loss.’ IQuties are brilliant for younger dogs too, and can increase confidence in puppies through encouraging

independent play. This is set to be particularly important for the generation of lockdown pets which is predicted to experience greater levels of anxiety. Rachel adds: ‘Encouraging pets to entertain themselves, when supervised, can help prepare pups for spending more time by themselves.’ Beginner puzzlers will love the challenges such as Paw Hide – a colourful and attractive option to play and learn. While more experienced doggy detectives can try their paw at the advanced selection such as Twist and Flip which incorporates sequential steps to unlock the treats inside. The puzzles are boxed making them ideal for gifting and mail order. IQuties are available exclusively from wholesaler Vital Pet Group. RRP £9.99 - £15. A helpful planogram is available, with two suggested displays depending on space. For further information visit www. petbrands.com

Sleep Study Dogs Trust provides top tips on helping your dog (and you) get a good night’s kip, as study shows puppies sleep less at night than older dogs

nyone who has got a new puppy has always suspected it, but now a Dogs Trust study has at last confirmed it – puppies sleep for less time at night than older dogs and both age groups choose to be close to people, when given the option. The charity’s ground-breaking Generation Pup study, which follows the lives and behaviours of dogs as they grow up, investigated how their sleeping habits change in their first year at 16 weeks compared to 12 months. The findings reveal that while puppies aged 16 weeks sleep for

10 | Total Grooming Magazine

significantly longer than older dogs during the day, they sleep for less time than older dogs at night. By comparison, once a dog reaches one year of age, they are much more likely to sleep for longer at night – matching their human owner’s sleep patterns. The study also threw up interesting revelations about our dogs’ sleeping habits. Given the choice to get close to their humans at bedtime, most dogs (86%) opted to do so. Similarly, as dogs get older, owners may be more likely to let their canine companion sleep in the same room as them. The percentage of people who let

their pooch sleep in their bed more than doubled within the first year, from 13% at 16 weeks to 27% at 12 months. We can also reveal the top five

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most common habits dogs have whilst sleeping during the night, according to their owners: • 73% said their dog shows small twitching movements in their legs. This could be many things but 30% said their dog looked as if he/she was chasing something (or someone!) in their sleep. • 38% said they thought their pooch spent a lot of time dreaming. • 13% said their dog would often snore “very loudly” during the night. • 9% said their dog is known to wake up during the night and have disturbed sleep. The research also uncovered that the most common sleeping position for a dog is stretched out on their side. With more people having welcomed a pup into their life during lockdown, Dogs Trust is providing owners and potential owners with top tips to help settle your dog at night to ensure everyone gets a peaceful night’s rest.

Top Tips: • Include walkies, playtimes and short, fun training sessions within your puppy’s daily routine so they’ve enjoyed using their brains and bodies and have plenty to dream about. • Create the cosiest, comfiest den for your puppy somewhere away from the busier areas of the home so they have somewhere lovely to relax undisturbed. • Evening routines can help prepare your puppy for a good night’s sleep, and if you tend to do the same types of activities your puppy will learn what to expect. • Help your puppy out by reducing anything that is catching their attention, so closing the curtains and settling down yourself can help them switch off. • When pups are growing tired, they might suddenly appear to be very energetic and dash about the home, an activity that is often called the ‘Zoomies’. They can also become agitated or restless and might even start to bark or mouth owners by grabbing their owner’s hands or 12 | Total Grooming Magazine

clothing with their teeth. It can be helpful to know this because often owners think their sudden burst of energy means they need more exercise when they really need forty winks. • Puppies are born into, and generally sleep, in family groups so they need to learn to enjoy being in a cosy bed all by themselves. This can take a little time, but you can help them by staying close by and ready to respond if they appear distressed. Rachel Casey, Director of Canine Behaviour and Research at Dogs Trust, said: “These findings provide a fascinating insight into what the nation’s puppies get up to when the curtains close at night and it’s time to go to bed. “We know how testing it can be for new dog owners to settle their fourlegged friends, especially in the first four months of a puppy’s life, and that’s why we are sharing our top tips for a good night’s sleep. “Whether it’s making sure your pooch has had the right amount of exercise during the day, has a comfy and safe place to settle down or even just

teaching ourselves to recognise signs of tiredness in a dog, these tips could help our pooches to drift off peacefully at night.” Dogs Trust is calling on people across the UK and Ireland with a puppy under 16 weeks of age to sign up to the Generation Pup study, to help the charity learn more about our fourlegged friends. By taking part you could help us gain valuable insights into how our dogs’ health and behaviour change over time, to find new and better ways to care for our dogs. For more information and to sign up visit https://generationpup.ac.uk/

Improving Your Business

Heidi Anderton, principal of Absolutely Animals and London School of Pet Grooming shares her top tips for improving your business in the year ahead. Heidi is an experienced industry expert and former member of Groom Team England and is a founder member of the British Isles Grooming Association (BIGA).

espite the virus pandemic, the world keeps turning and so does the grooming industry. Continually developing and evolving; the grooming shows (dependent on how we are able to compete this year), the qualifications, new opportunities, new groomers, new customers, updated protocols, improved equipment and techniques, the list goes on! This month I am looking at some essential areas which can directly help you to improve your career and business.

Professional Development No matter how you offer your grooming service one thing is necessary in order for you to provide your customers great value: to make the commitment to continuously learn and study what’s “hot and new” in your field. If you spend an hour or more a day to learn about and research your field, you will instantly start to set yourself apart from your competition. Those hours begin to add up quickly and before you know it, you’ve entered an elite category. I want to take this opportunity to mention this elite category as they are often not mentioned in the positive way they should be. This group spend many hours learning to achieve the knowledge and expert skills they 14 | Total Grooming Magazine

Keep learning! Make a commitment to learn what is ‘hot and new’ in your sector

pass on to others, they are often the ones who develop new equipment and techniques, which benefits everybody in the industry - often with no monetary reward. There is a space for everyone in this industry, so please, respect those that are in an elite category and those that are working towards it, because if you work hard enough, you will end up in that category too.

How to find the right study and learning platform: If you want to develop your business skills, grooming skills or learn a new skill to compliment your business, it

is important that you get the right advice and enrol on the right courses to help you reach your goals. To choose the right course, it is important that the teacher possesses the knowledge and skills you want to learn. Courses should be accredited with a recognised provider, such as college or private school. Experts in their field also offer their own certificates of competence in certain skills which aren’t so popular, such as show grooming specific breeds or cat grooming. Recommendation and online reviews can be a great source of assurance. Your grooming association

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may also be able to advise you of the right places to go and begin your research for the right course. One of the other most accessible and common platforms for information and learning, currently seems to be Facebook, there are many groups available, local, national and world wide. Pictures, information and networking is abundant here. You will find people who may have already achieved the goals you are looking to reach who may help you or who are also on their pathway to achieving theirs.

High quality products/ services One of the quickest ways to set you apart from the competition is to provide your customers with high-quality products, as closely priced to your competitors as possible. Quality is everything when it comes to growing your business. Take the time to plan, organise and deliver top-notch quality products/services in everything you do. Groomers mostly fall foul of this when they do not charge enough for grooming their client’s dogs. It may seem a good idea at the beginning to undercut your competitors but if you haven’t worked out your business forecast and have not planned for it, essential costs like holidays, tax and pensions, replacing equipment, investing in updating your equipment and learning new techniques, your business will not last and prosper.

Customer value Providing value in the lives of your customers is extremely important when thinking about creating lasting business success. If you are not changing or adding value to your customers’ lives, your business will hit “stall mode” very quickly. The stall mode is when you truly believe you are doing everything right and working extremely hard, but the results and success aren’t present to show for it. Start asking yourself regularly before you take on a new task or release a new product or service, “What is the value 16 | Total Grooming Magazine

Quality of product and service is key to growing your business

for my customers in this product?” If you can’t think of an ample reason as to why your product or service is of value, then chances are you should go back to the drawing board to plan some new ideas. We have recently launched a new service with an Ultrasound toothbrush, the Cleany Teeth. What I love about this service, is that it has great value for all concerned. Value for the client, the dog, my business and my cashflow. It makes great sense adding this service to my business and the fact that we can make a £45 groom into an £85 groom with a teeth clean. A great service for any pet professional. Great Customer Care I have done a lot of things right and a lot of things wrong over my business career and customer care has sometimes been one of them. Listen, we all make mistakes and some of the best business people fall into this category as well. I see a lot of grooming businesses making this mistake right now and

paying more attention to what they think is right rather than to what the customer has to say. If a customer isn’t satisfied or happy, you have to do everything in your power to make that customer happy. Give them what they want. Even if your customer was the one who was wrong, take the initiative to fix things and correct them immediately. Give the customers options and as much information as you can, so they can make well informed decisions. When you wake up each morning asking for more ways to better serve current customers, you will dramatically boost your business and success rate. Always think in terms of Great Customer Care. By implementing these four simple strategies, you can maximise your success rate, increase profit margins and create longevity in a competitive marketplace. Heidi Anderton LCGI ICMG www.absolutelyanimals.biz

Add-ons and Spa Treatments

This month Heidi Anderton shares some ideas to create extra income from your business. Heidi is principal of Absolutely Animals and London School of Pet Grooming, with over 30 years in the business, she is a highly qualified and experienced industry expert as well as an award-winning groomer, former Groom Team England member and founder member of the British Isles Grooming Association (BIGA).

Little touches can make all the difference

t’s good to see that many of you are providing blogs and online support with coat care tips to your customers during lockdown. When you do re-open fully, you will no doubt be keen to look at optimising your profitability. There are additional treatments that you can look at introducing and I have highlighted some of these below: Absolutely Animals recently introduced a Spa package which was purchased as an extra by nearly all our customers. As it was so well received, we are extending it to mirror all seasonal and holiday events. Some

18 | Total Grooming Magazine

Cat grooming is a great ‘add-on’

of the contents for our spa package included an exfoliating and refreshing facial and a beautiful bow and scent. But this got me thinking! What other add-on’s and spa packages could I offer? We seem to always focus on the hairstyling and not the bathing. It seems like we are missing out here! I for one shall be working more on spa packages and add-on services in the coming year, but I have realised this is also where marketing is so important and how we introduce these services to our clients. Here are some ideas.

Skin and body care spa services can include: • Facials and body exfoliation that may involve the use of de-greasers, deep cleaning shampoos, colour enhancing shampoos, flea repellent shampoos, brighteners. • Massages that include various styles of full body massage, facial massage, and ear or paw massages and treatments. • Nagayu Co2 Skin Therapy Treatment, increases blood circulation and oxygen absorption. Deep Cleaning, odour removing. Improves skin and coat condition Protect pH level and

aids healing. • Emmi Pet - Teeth Cleaning with no abrasions only sonic pulses. • Hydrotherapy treatments, such as whirlpool baths and water treatments You could also extend this to: • Pet portraits and pictures • Bows, fascinators and bandannas • Creative styling – like Mohawks and spiral trims etc. • Colouring – chalking, blow pens and stick on jewels. • Doggy Day Care

Consider what equipment you need to buy You will want to assess the cost of the equipment needed to offer a particular service against the potential for profit. Some services, like hydrotherapy, may require a significant investment, particularly if you need to upgrade your infrastructure (such as installing plumbing lines and running electrical) as well as the cost of the equipment itself. You may find yourself deciding to limit the initial services you offer until your spa has reached a specific threshold of clients, cash-flow and savings to make the additional investment worthwhile. However, if you look at the above list, the outlay for the many is not significant and in fact you might find you are already offering the services without charging for them. With some good marketing strategies, you could increase your revenue.

Decide on the audience you want to attract While luxury day spas have traditionally been seen as a service that primarily appeals only to people, a number of successful pet grooming salons are increasingly designing their services to appeal to pet owners who want more Spa Treatments for their precious pets. You can easily do the same as more people want to pamper their pets and give them the best things in life. As pet grooming is now seen as a necessary regular expense for our best friends that often sleep in our bed! 20 | Total Grooming Magazine

Retailing spa products is a great add-on

It is only right that they have the best experience possible with a choice of relevant, quality products to enhance the beauty and condition of their pet.

Decide on what products you’ll sell A happy, relaxed customer is more likely to be in the mood to want to buy products that can remind them of their pet’s spa experience. That’s why it’s important to offer high-quality products that reinforce the image you are creating for your luxury spa services. Determine what marketing strategies you will to employ Like any retail business, to design a great user experience you will need to employ a variety of tactics to ensure a steady stream of customers, both new and repeat. This can involve things like creating a website to attract new clients and streamline your booking process, offering monthly or weekly specials, discount cards and creating a preferred client email list where you regularly stay in touch with your best customers.

How about Cat Grooming!!! As a dog groomer, you have the most transferrable skills to take on cat grooming. Cat grooming is rewarding emotionally and financially and is not as dangerous as you may imagine with two people, the right tools and skills to

hand. The need for cat groomers is huge, we now have three days available at Absolutely Animals in London and can groom between 20-25 cats a week in these days. Averaging at £65-£160 per cat it can be a skill well worth developing. Cats travel to us from as far as Brighton and Buckinghamshire. A lot of the work we do is actually animal welfare rather than aesthetics. Although we do have some cats in every month for maintenance grooms, most will come in when the owner can’t manage the coat anymore. This may be from a couple of small mats underneath to a full pelted coat. Often coats are left far too long. I just love cat grooming and so do all my staff. We always record the grooming for each cat, as like dogs, each cat has its own personal likes and dislikes. Cats read you more deeply than dogs, so if you are scared and think they might try to bite you, that’s probably what will happen, which is why correct training is essential when grooming cats. Have a look at the few grooming schools in the country for some cat training from groomers proficient in cat grooming. You can find them on www. mypetgroomer.co.uk Meow for now.... Keep inspired, motivated, informed and updated and be happier in your life Heidi Anderton LCGI ICMG www.absolutelyanimals.biz

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Paws for thought... Paws for Thought visits Posh Pets Academy in Bournville, Birmingham and finds out what inspired groomer and trainer, Lakhi to get into pet grooming:

’ve always had a love of dogs for as long as I can remember. We grew up with various breeds, German Shepherds and Wolfhounds plus the usual small pets. So from.an early age I’ve had brush in my hand. When I left home I adopted my first dog which was an English Springer Spaniel and shortly after added a Yorkshire Terrier to my small family. They really bore the brunt of my grooming experiments on the dining table, I’m sure my Yorkie resembled Yoda on more than one occasion and I quickly learned that reverse clipping a spaniel with pet clippers and no guard was a no no ! From then on I have never looked back. I bought my first Afghan a few years after and ended up sharing my life with three. They really taught me the meaning of grooming and they’ll forever be my favourite breed. Currently I own various breeds: Toy Poodles, Standard Poodle , Spitz , Dachshund and Chihuahuas. As a beginner grooming some of the breeds I did quite well in the show ring with two champions to date. I think my inspiration to start grooming seriously came whilst training as a vet nurse many moons ago - seeing dogs come in neglected and how great they felt after a groom was incredibly satisfying. I volunteered at local charities and offered grooming albeit on an amateur basis, but my skill and knowledge grew. I bought every book I could (internet was still in its infancy). My passion grew to what it is today and I have never regretted taking this direction My professional career started when I purchased a pet shop with a friend. We

22 | Total Grooming Magazine

Salon frontage

added different services and eventually thought to add my grooming, although nervous and self-taught it was a great success. At the time I was grooming from home, the odd dog here and there plus the charity cases. It was a roaring success and I remember Carol Flatt being a great mentor whilst starting out, she had an amazing reputation with Poodles and I remember Trevor and Carol delivering an early type drying cabinet to.my shop and at the time I was grooming a mini Poodle in town and country trim. I put the dog away as I didn’t want Carol seeing it (this was someone I look up to so was embarrassed) I remember her saying “let me see” so reluctantly I showed her Ben and the comment of “you’ve achieved a beautiful finish on that dog” made my day. Even more so

Lakhi at work

as I’m left handed and was chopping away with right handed scissors ! As I was self-taught, the greatest learning experience was from

attending dog shows, seeing the trims on the move. I read books till the early hours and shadowed a few breeders. I was the geeky kid that always asked questions! Also I loved the Dezynadog roadshows with their demos. Even to this day, I ask my students to attend dog shows as you learn far more seeing the trims up close and with the dogs moving to see how it all ties in. When I first started professionally, my business partner and I had an old folding market stall, we travelled silly hours in between our regular jobs selling pet products at shows etc, it was hard work but so enjoyable. The first shop/salon came soon after when we took out a loan which we managed to pay off in a year as we ploughed everything back into the business. I kept my other job as a mental health nurse initially and did nights until we were stable enough to take a wage. I think working for other people for a few years with silly hours made me want to work for myself, my dogs were left long hours and I wanted something where they’d be involved - the best decision ever. I love puppies, their first grooms. Making it a pleasurable and a fun new experience, another element is the oldies, they melt your heart and I love working with them and their needs I adore grooming Afghans and Poodles but if I was to have a favourite breed to groom then it would be the West Highland Terrier, my very own Oscar from years past was a demon and cuddle bug in one and I’ve always had a soft spot for them ever since. When it comes to where the industry goes from here, I personally think there should be more in-depth training akin to an apprenticeship but these days people want instant results, the whole world is the same in every sector. There’s always good and bad and it’s best to research rather than rushing in.

Reception area

Working area of the salon

I think legislation needs to start with schools to offer protection to students and to ensure safety is taught above all else. The best advice I can give to upcoming groomers, is that you have to be a people person. Loving animals is not enough.

Great customer service, being able to hold a conversation with a client to ease their worries. Win over the owner and you’ve a client for life. The best advice I was given was to always think about the dog, it’s all about the dog.

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. 24 | Total Grooming Magazine

The â€˜Pooch Perfectâ€™ effect is likely to result in more groomers joining the industry

Trendy Grooming Groomer Jenny Farrell looks at the impact on the grooming world following the latest trend in dog grooming TV programmes:

ith the latest trend of dog grooming programmes and dog grooming competitions on TV in the USA, UK and Australia is there going to be a new trend in dog grooming? It is clearly becoming more popular to have dogs groomed as more and more people are buying Poodle crosses and high maintenance breeds. In addition, it is a fact that during recessions people spend more money

26 | Total Grooming Magazine

on their pets! So, will programmes like this lead to more home grooming and encourage people to get into grooming? As groomers we all know the true picture of dog grooming and in reality grooming is fast paced, highly stressful and physically demanding. You need a very high skill level to do the job fast in order to make money in addition to having extremely high physical ability to bathe and prep the dogs, whilst also having the knowledge of clipping,

scissoring, skin, anatomy, physiology, behaviour, nutrition and business in order to be successful. So as lovely and fun as it looks on telly, grooming is viewed through rose tinted glasses by outsiders. With lockdown in the UK many people are looking to grooming to earn money and the idea of becoming a professional pet stylist is in vogue, however it really is only a select few who can do the job well and enjoy

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it and make money, and those are the people who have the natural ability, skill, knowledge and education behind them. If these shows are giving you ideas of becoming a dog groomer here is some advice: First of all grooming your pet at home is not classed as experience, there is a huge difference between grooming your pet in your own time and grooming dogs to a time frame, to a standard, using the right tools and using them safely. Please do not think if you can groom your own dog you can groom dogs, it is not the case. Get salon experience! This is a must, you really need to experience the environment and the industry and I would get experience in a few different salons so you can see it from different angles. Some salons are chaotic and others are much calmer! Learn the basics first, this is dog anatomy, physiology, behaviour and bathing! Bathing is the most time consuming task and makes up for 80% of the groom. If you are poor in your prep work you will never have a nice result! Prep is key! A good bather and dryer who can brush out, dry and bath the dog to a high standard is crucial. If you want to groom you must get qualifications! MUST! This is ICMG, C&G or equivalent, go to a grooming school. Do not take an online course for goodness sake! Remember grooming is using sharp scissors around a living animal who will move a lot! You must get physical education and to a high standard! As a lecturer in grooming myself, I feel that your teacher will be what makes you. So, look for excellent groomers who will take you on as well! Do not rush training, take your time. Do a good job in a calm way and you will learn correctly and your speed will come with experience! Use nice products and get the best clippers and scissors you can afford they will make your life easier. Lastly, enjoy the process and donâ€™t expect to be a show groomer in your first week! Itâ€™s worth the hassle I would not do anything else! Happy training!

28 | Total Grooming Magazine

Learning to groom correctly is vital

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BLADE SHARPENING Professional 5 star rated sharpening service

Bevelled Edge Scissors

£10

Convex Edge Scissors

£12.50

Available Sizes:

£11

3 3/4F (13mm)...£38.99 7F (3.2mm).......... £30.99

Detailing Scissors

£7.50

4F (9.6mm).......... £35.99 7FW (3.2mm)......£33.99

Clipper Blades

£6.50

4FW (9.6mm)......£40.99 10 (1.5mm)..........£27.99

£7

5F (6.4mm).......... £33.99 30W (0.5mm)..... £30.99

Arco Blade Refurbishment

£11

5FW (6.4mm)......£36.99 30 (0.5mm)..........£26.99

Clipper Servicing

£30

Beveled Edge with Serrations

Wide Clipper Blades

Turnaround via postal typically 48 hours in the workshop. Find us at major dog grooming events and seminars through the year. Alpha Blade Sharpening 15 Station Road Eaglescliffe Stockton on Tees TS16 0BU

/alphabladesharpening www.alphasharpe.co.uk 07760882447

The Mac is a new and completely unique clipper blade cleaning tool to assist the cleaning and maintenance of your standard A5 and wide A5 (available Autumn 2018) clipper blades, improving the finish of your blade leaves while keeping them sharper for longer.

H-42 CLIPPER CLEAN

Product Range

Battersea Provides Lockdown Haircuts for Pets

Sprout before

Sprout after

s thousands look forward to some help with their lockdown haircuts as hairdressers and beauty salons begin to open up again, Battersea is marking the occasion by sharing some of the more extreme grooming staff have had to do over the years. Rebecca Lodder, Rehoming & Welfare Manager at the much-loved animal charity says: “Keeping on top of a dog’s grooming is really important especially if they have a longer coat. Not only will this help to keep them healthy and comfortable, it will also help them look

30 | Total Grooming Magazine

Cheddar before

more their best. “A trip to a reputable professional salon can give your dog a bit of style but we also encourage owners to maintain their dog’s coat regularly by detangling any knots with a suitable brush and washing out any dirt from walks.” For humans, a trip to the salon can be seen as a luxury, but for some dogs it’s a necessity. Here’s a look back at some of the more extreme haircuts that expert groomers at Battersea have sadly seen over the years:

SPROUT – SHORT HAIR DON’T CARE Poor Sprout is a Mongrel who arrived at Battersea in 2019 after he was found wandering alone on the streets with long, matted and uncomfortable fur. Battersea’s groomers carefully clipped him down and gave him a fresh start. He found a new home and left Battersea with a spring in his step.

CHEDDAR – HAIRCUT FIT FOR A KING Staff at Battersea will never know what happened to Cheddar the Chow

Arlo after

Before and after

Chow as he came in as a stray in 2019. Cheddar’s fur had clearly been left unattended for far too long. Battersea’s groomers had no choice but to give him a haircut to ease his discomfort, as well as a new jumper to keep him warm. Cheddar has now found a new home.

ARLO – FUR BETTER FUR WORSE Old English Sheepdog, Arlo’s fur was 32 | Total Grooming Magazine

Cheddar after

so long and matted he could barely see, causing him to walk into walls when he arrived at the beginning of 2020. Arlo’s knots were so bad staff had no choice but to clip him from head to toe – removing a huge 18 kilograms of hair while under sedation. Arlo’s unique look caught the attention of his new owners, who say his soft fur is now starting to grow back. Now more than ever, Battersea needs

your support to help them to continue to be there for every dog and cat across the UK and beyond. Visit battersea.org.uk to find out how you can support Battersea.

WWW.AEOLUSPETUK.CO.UK

TD-901GT

FT-899 Accordion Table

Swan Scissors

From Behind Enemy Lines

Louise Hastie from the West Midlands devotes her life to help stray dogs who eke out a life and dodge bullets in war torn countries. Now, Louise has helped to establish a charity called War Paws which has a shelter in Iraq and reunites soldiers and refugees with the pets they had to leave behind.

nimal lover, Louise Hastie, a 48 year-old English woman and former soldier from the West Midlands, provides veterinary nursing care at Many Tears dog rescue in Wales during her working week and the rest of the time she battles to save pets’ lives in Iraq and Syria. To Louise caring for animals is more than a calling, it is an essential part of her being. She has always loved animals with a passion and after her tour of duty in Iraq, she returned as a contractor to Baghdad and started rescuing and rehoming strays over there, as well as reuniting soldiers with dogs they had bonded with during their tour of duty. Louise explains how her reputation grew: “I rescued a kitten to start with. Of course people soon heard about this ‘crazy British woman’ who had managed to smuggle a cat out of Iraq and into Kuwait and before long I was getting emails from random soldiers asking me if I would help them to get their own cats and dogs out so they did not have to leave them behind. I found myself spending the next few years working a full-time job and then at night making elaborate plans to get other cats and dogs out of Iraq. I formed an organisation called Baghdad Animal Rescue and it wasn’t long before I found myself working ridiculously long hours trying to manage my full time job and get these animals to safety.”

34 | Total Grooming Magazine

Louise Hastie at the War Paws shelter in Iraq

Get a grip! Combs are essential for grooming but, with so many to choose from, which one’s best? In truth, you need a set of combs to work efficiently and get results without damaging the coat or your tools. Switching between these three, you can tackle any breed and coat type with speed and confidence. They're light weight, strong and anti-static, with a unique spine shape to improve grip and control in use.

simpsons-online.co.uk/groommaster

Finishing & Fluffing 4061-041

Medium/Fine 4061-040

Coarse/Detangling 4061-039

GROOM SCHOOL

New Career! Dog grooming training courses available in: Cheshire (Northwich) Kent (Ashford)

For more information contact info@fourpawsgroomschool.co.uk Cheshire: 01606 333765 Kent: 01233 713844 www.fourpawsgroomschool.co.uk

FourPaws_TotalGroomin_Magazine_March2020.indd 1

EDUCATION FOR PEOPLE, FOR PETS, FOR THE FUTURE iPET Network is an Ofqual Regulated Awarding Organisation specialising in qualifications in the Canine and Feline sector. • We are dedicated to animal welfare. • We are focused on people development. • We are forward thinking in the industry. • We are ground-breaking in our approach. • We are working in the pet industry, for the pet industry, fuelled by industry experts. If you would like to discuss becoming a Training Provider, contact us today.

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0800 433 4700

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26/03/2020 12:38

Total Grooming Magazine | 35

Louise in Afghanistan

She then left Iraq and moved to Afghanistan, running an animal shelter in Kabul where she lived with the threat of explosions and violence in an effort to improve the lives of the country’s numerous strays who were fighting their own battle for survival in a terrifying world with scarcely any food and with little hope. In 2015 after a particularly rough few 36 | Total Grooming Magazine

months in Afghanistan, Louise decided it was time to go home so she then set herself a massive challenge: to bring home the five dogs and three cats that she couldn’t leave behind. Louise commented: “Thankfully, it only took a few weeks to raise funds to pay for their trip home, so all I had to do was wait it out for three months whilst they all had their blood tests

ready to come home. We all landed in the UK on 02 Feb 2016, we collected them all from the airport and Joey, Robo, Foxy, Polly and Belle the dogs and Baron, Sherak and Zabba the cats all came to their new forever home with me and my family.” After leaving the shelter, Louise went on to help to build War Paws, a charity that brings hope in the form of food

! w e N BRILLIANT IN PERFORMANCE & QUIETNESS Li-Ion

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240

Heiniger UK Ltd. Phone: 01677 938 870 salesuk@heiniger.com www.heiniger.uk.com

and veterinary care to the many unwanted and forgotten Iraqui dogs (and cats) that suffer injury, starvation and fear on a daily basis. Louise explains how it started: â€œIn May 2016 I contacted Dai Matthews

38 | Total Grooming Magazine

who was running an organisation called War Paws in Iraq to tell him I was home and would love to help as a volunteer. I had spoken to Dai a few years previously whilst I was in Afghanistan and he was doing all he

could for local dogs in Iraq and had managed to get a few of them to the UK. â€œDai invited me to come onboard as a trustee to help move the charity forward and in July 2016 War Paws

obtained official UK charity status and I was taken on as a trustee and started the task of building the charity so we could help more animals. Since then the charity has grown steadily and gone from rescuing just a couple of dogs a year to rescuing multiple dogs and also partners Iraqâ€™s first ever purpose-built shelter. I visit the shelter a few times a year with a vet to perform surgeries and train our Syrian vet.â€? The charity has now has a permanent shelter, food and veterinary care and provides a lifeline to animals in need together with a rehoming service both domestic and overseas.

Can you help to reunite a Syrian refugee with Jacko, the dog she was forced to leave behind? Arwa is 35 and had studied to become an actress in Damascus. The war brought her career to an abrupt end and her life was turned upside down. She and her family and dog had to leave Syria when their home was bombed and she went with other refugees to Lebanon, leaving Jacko with her family. Arwa later headed to the UK and endured the all too familiar dreadful journey and treachery from people

smugglers before reaching the UK and claiming asylum. After her family headed to Turkey, War Paws found temporary shelter for Jacko with an animal rescue in Lebanon while his vaccinations and travel arrangements are being made. War Paws is now fundraising to cover these costs. Arwa has been getting her life back on track in the UK. She is living in London, speaks excellent English

and had a job in a restaurant until Covid-19 struck! Now the restaurant is closing, Arwa has been doing work experience in a dental clinic and is hoping to qualify and work there. She is lonely and is desperate for Jacko to join her in the UK. As a result of Covid-19, War Paws is struggling for funds and are desperate to bring this story to a positive conclusion. If you can help please visit warpaws.org

Total Grooming Magazine | 39

Spa Treatments with the Gentle Touch Spa treatments are a growth area for many salons and can provide a new income stream.

Igroom Charcoal +Keratin Shampoo and Conditioner

urrent restrictions mean groomers are focusing on welfare grooming but just like us, dogs are going to need a lot of TLC and extra attention when restrictions ease. This makes it the perfect time to get your head around the more indulgent spa treatments you could offer in your grooming salon when normality returns. These addons not only have a number of benefits for pets but they will also generate more income for your business. Christies Direct have curated a collection of spa treatments. Here’s a selection of the most popular;

Madra Mor Massage Muds Madra Mor Muds are formulated by a chemist with an immunology background, whose goal was to create a product that cleansed, protected, and rejuvenated all dogs’ skin and coats. These natural products not only target health concerns but the calming smell of natural oils and the process of gentle massage though the coat can 40 | Total Grooming Magazine

Warren London Exfoliating Butter Wash – Milk & Honey

help relax anxious dogs while restoring their skin and coat.

Tropiclean Spa Blueberry Facial Cleanser This facial cleanser is especially popular with white or light-coloured dogs, where tear stains are more noticeable, and will help keep faces and paws dazzling white. While the formula is concentrated to remove dirt, it is also gentle enough to be used on the face and will not sting the eyes. The refreshing blend of vanilla and blueberry effectively cleans and naturally exfoliates without leaving the coat dehydrated. This is a great treatment for all skin types and pets of all ages.

Igroom Charcoal +Keratin Shampoo and Conditioner Take bathing to the next level with this luxurious spa shampoo and conditioner from Igroom. This duo features pHbalanced bamboo charcoal to absorb minerals, toxins, impurities, and other

Tropiclean Spa Blueberry Facial Cleanser & Tropiclean Fresh Paws Treatment -

harmful substances, leaving the pet’s skin stronger and healthier. The unique hydrolysed keratin adds excellent conditioning and moisturiser to the dog’s coat.

Tropiclean Fresh Paws Treatment This luxurious combination of warm vanilla and oatmeal will soothe and restore dry and cracked pads while the dog enjoys moisturising bubbles scented with vitamin enriched bath oils. The Spa fragrance is an inspired blend of vanilla and warm linden. It is will not only soothe their paws but also leaves them feeling refreshed.

Warren London Exfoliating Butter Wash – Milk & Honey This is the perfect formulation to clean, exfoliate, and hydrate all in one! This all-natural product was created with Jojoba beads, which help to naturally cleanse and exfoliate the skin and coat. Contains added botanical extracts which help to moisturise the coat.

Dog First Aid Training Courses and Equipment Animal Aiders Animal Aiders provides high quality and affordable dog first aid courses all over England, ideal for dog professionals, including groomers. T: 01284 811192 or 07758 739332 E: info@animalaiders.co.uk W: www.animalaiders.co.uk

Food Grooming and Hygiene

Grooming Clothing

...Image is everything Jim Jump Designs JimJump offers an exclusive range We all know that style is important in portraying a image for any business. of professional lightweight, fashionable hair resistant clothing that can be JimJump have designed mixed and matched to create your new exclusive high quality and own personal style for everyday fashionable range wear. Give your business a smart of clothing. and professional image as first Our Range impressions count. For more offers exclusive information please contact us on of T: designs 01787 267900 lightweight E: hair sales@jimjump.co.uk resistant W:clothing www.jimjump.co.uk that can be

mixed and Natural Food matched to create your own personal image for everyday wear.

Animal Health Address: 38-40 Broton Drive, Halstead, Essex, CO9 1HB. T: 01787 476400 F: 01787 476998 E: sales@animal-health.co.uk W: www.animal-health.co.uk FB: facebook.com/animalhealth T: twitter.com/animalhealthco

Shampoo

All garments can be washed and

dried within hours for SmartBarf convenient everyday use SmartBarf vegetable and herb which is very important when mix fora busy dogs on a raw fed or home running and successful business. prepared diet provides valuable extra vitamins and minerals for a remember... more complete meal. ‘First impressions count’ E: info@SmartBarf.co.uk more information please contact us on W:Forwww.SmartBarf.co.uk 01787 267900 email us on sales@jimjump.co.uk FB:or visit www.facebook.com/SmartBarf www.jimjump.co.uk

Grooming Supplies Clipit Grooming Clipit Grooming offers an exclusive range of hair protective clothing to include The Clipit Suit. We also develop innovative time saving clipping and grooming accessories. T:07508 188437 E: paula@clipit-grooming.com W: www.clipit-grooming.com FB: facebook.com/clipitgrooming IG: instagram.com/clipitgroom T: twitter.com/clipitG Mutneys Made by groomers, for groomers, Mutneys Professional Pet Care have been manufacturing and supplying professional dog grooming shampoo, fragrances and equipment for 20 years. Our range has been developed within working salons and is produced here in the UK at our Shropshire premises. If you would like to know more, why not speak to a knowledgeable member of the team? T: 08454 68 64 67 or 07968 861 593 E: sales@mutneys.com W: www.mutneys.com

Trade Association For Pet Care Specialists The British Dog Groomers’ Association is a trade association offers dog groomers a range of practical and financial benefits, including insurance, a legal helpline and qualifications. It is part of the Pet Industry Federation family and provides access to invaluable support mechanisms to give dog groomers the skills and confidence to cope with the challenges of running a business. T: 01234 273933 E: info@petfederation.co.uk W: www.petfederation.co.uk

DAVE WESTBROOK

For All Dogkind Awardwinning grooming and wellbeing range for all skin & coat types. Delivering natural, healthy and healing products that are ethically sourced and luxuriously kind to hounds & humans. (Trade discounts available) T:. 020 7148 0316 E: info@foralldogkind.co.uk W:www.foralldogkind.co.uk

PROFESSIONAL SHARPENER 07739186419 We specialise in all dog & horse grooming equipment. SHEAR EASE LTD, FREEPOST RTGX-JEHG-XTTH, RHOSYBOL, AMLWCH, ANGLESEY, LL68 9TR

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ALL INCLUSIVE PRICING NO ‘HIDDEN’ FEES SAME DAY TURNAROUND INWARD AND OUTWARD POSTAGE INCLUDED IN PRICE FREE POSTAGE LABELS AND PADDED ENVELOPES AVAILABLE Burrsville, Frating Rd, Thorrington, Colchester, Essex, CO7 8HT

CLIPPER BLADE SHARPENING • SCISSOR SHARPENING • CLIPPER REPAIR • CLIPPER BLADE SALES

To advertise here please email mike@tgmpublishing.co.uk or call 01795 509110 Total Grooming Magazine | 43

Going Mobile…

Winner

Grooming Van of the Year

The Portable Palace Created from our Revolutionary insulated panel, the Palace provides groomers with unrivalled benefits never seen before in the industry! This amazing new concept was born due to our lining's incredible lifespan - they often out live the vans they were placed in - so we created a demountable pod where your business can be moved on to the next chassis easily when needed - or if you no longer wish to be mobile, you can demount the pod and work from your garden!

• • • • • • • •

As the chassis ages, the Palace can be removed and placed onto a brand new chassis - resulting in a much cheaper cost than having to buy a whole new van and conversion with next to no downtime If the chassis is involved in an accident or breaks down you can simply remove the body, place it on the ground and work from your driveway whilst you wait for it to be repaired. The lining will not out live the vehicle like so often seen with used van conversions. You then have to sell the van & conversion and then buy a new van and conversion and wait whilst it is converted. Whereas with the Palace, you can keep the pod forever and change the chassis as you need to. Once you choose to retire from mobile grooming you can remove the Palace, sell the chassis and work from the Palace in your garden instead of having to buy a parlour or convert a room in your house. When you choose to move home, you can take the pod with you and this portability combined with the size means they will not normally require planning permission in your garden. You never need to buy a Brand new chassis that can depreciate - simply buy used a chassis and then swap them out as they get too old. Smaller than its LWB Van equivalent but provides a more workable space inside that is highly customisable as there are no van strutts or vehicle constraints Can be driven on a normal car driving license Say goodbye to having to buy a whole new van and conversion every few years - simply move your Palace from one chassis to another with zero down time and when the time comes and you no longer want to be mobile, simply

Wet Pet Conversions

01258 837779 www.wetpetsconversions.co.uk

Going Mobile…

Winner

Grooming Van of the Year

Discover your dream work place today

G;Rooms

Our fantastic portable grooming Pods allow you to groom from the comfort of your own garden in a fully waterproof, insulated & professional environment. They are completely self contained - for electric you simply plug the cable provided into your house, for water in you simply attach your garden hose and this is piped straight to your Hydrobath. Waste water is held inside the bath and piped out to a location of your choice. The Pods do not normally ever require planning permission and they can be delivered to even the hardest to reach locations. And if you move house? our Pods move with you! Each pod is fully portable and can be moved an unlimited amount of times. Choose from an unlimited amount of interior & exterior options with fully customisable packages to perfectly suit your budget and design with ever Pod and conversion available on finance from as little as £20+vat per wk!

Trailers

Made from our Revolutionary insulated panel, our VCA Approved Grooming trailers provide the perfect solution if you would like to work from home and be mobile without the running costs associated with a van - with no tax or MOT required with trailers! You can leave the trailer on your drive way or hitch up with your vehicle when ever you need to. And when you have finished being mobile you can permanently demount the trailer from the axels and use it as a Garden Pod!

Vans

Our industry leading dog grooming vans provide unrivalled levels of luxury combined with practicality. Choose from new or used vans or supply your own, we work with you to create the perfect package for your business. Complete with a 10 year lining warranty our conversions outlive and out perform all in their class with a build quality that is second to none. Unlimited optional extras and packages are available including sign writing and free delivery back to you.

New vans Available fully converted from just £68+vat per wk! Portable Palace

Your parlour for life. Our new revolutionary demountable Palace offers benefits never seen before in the industry. Once your chassis reaches the end of its life or is involved in an accident, you simply demount your Palace and work from home or swap it onto a new chassis. If you no longer want to be mobile you can demount the pod and use it as a parlour in your Garden. The palace’s can be driven on a standard UK driving License and are often smaller than their van based equivalent whilst giving you more usable space. Available in a wide range of sizes with unlimited conversion configurations. Available on finance

Wet Pet Conversions

01258 837779 www.wetpetsconversions.co.uk

NATURALLY BETTER

Treat little stinkers kindly!

If you prefer your 'natural' shampoo pure, without chemical scents or artificial colour, give this one a go! Enriched with essential oils to super hydrate and deeply nourish the coat and skin, what's not to like?

simpsons-online.co.uk/showpride 01354 691 830

Showpride PURE Shampoo simpsons-online.co.uk/breeds 1 Litre £ 12 Ref: 4071–144 5 Litres £ 30 Ref: 4071–143