Holistic groom training

Stephanie Zikmann and Jess

Unco-operative dogs in the groom room can result in feelings of exhaustion and disappointment, at least that’s what I’ve observed over the last few years, and it’s not uncommon to see posts on social media from exasperated groomers pleading for guidance in dealing with the latest “demon dog” to pad through their doors.

When we combine these struggles with long, laboursome hours and unrealistic customer expectations, our inexperience as dog handlers and communicators can often lead us down a stressful path if we aren’t careful, leading to total burnout and exposing us to higher risk of injury in the groom room.

There’s no denying that before the birth of The Holistic Grooming Academy, there was a strong demand for more support in the handling of dog’s with more challenging needs. Sadly, our Level 3 practical courses in Professional Styling just weren’t making the cut when considering how best to approach these dogs and this proved to be one of the leading causes of stress in the industry.

While there’s no denying that there has been a recent influx of dogs with behavioural conditions as a result of limited socialisation opportunities during lockdown, behaviour in the groom room has always been a problem. The reason why we are noticing it more today, I believe, comes down to the advancement of science itself which is heightening our awareness of the emotional advancement of other animal species, and the significance it has in the way we work with them.

Concepts like “force-free”, “fear-free” and “holistic” have over the years been understandably ridiculed by many a pet professional because they have either been misunderstood entirely, or taken quite literally. Of course, professional styling is, for the most part, a highly stressful environment and it would

be unrealistic to ever think it could be completely free from stress.

Unlike similar sectors such as training and behaviour, grooming requires a great deal of hands-on, physical contact from the get-go, putting an immense amount of pressure on both the handler and the animal, especially when we think about the task involved in grooming which can be invasive and frightening.

When I embarked on my certification into canine behaviour and compassionate handling through the International School of Canine Psychology, my eyes were opened to a whole new way of perceiving my role as a groomer, and I often joke about how ignorance really is bliss since many of the things I was originally taught at grooming school, is no longer an option for me now that I know more about the significance of choice and consent.

A simple glance back to previous video footage and photos I had taken from within my award-winning salon, would clearly tell a different tale to the captions I had posted. Suddenly, I am more aware of just how important subtle signs are when it comes to building trust and keeping myself and the animal in my care safe.

What I quickly realised was that grooming didn’t have to be a battle of wills between groomer and pet, and that through minor shifts in the process, the entire energy of the environment could improve drastically if only I allowed myself time to persevere.

After two years dedicated to harnessing my new-found skills in handling and observation, I decided to put all I had learned into my own course with the hope I could help more groomers improve their working environment.

The Holistic Grooming Academy was founded in 2020, and the launch of my first course, ‘The Holistic Grooming Diploma’ quickly followed in 2021 after being awarded accreditation status via CPDUK and The Complementary Medical Association. And I didn’t want to provide yet another ‘do it yourself’ course that anyone could sign up to and complete over a couple of weeks either. I envisioned a course that was thorough and advanced enough to challenge groomers to step out of their comfort zone, implement what they were learning as they went and learn to come from a different perspective.

As an online, interactive course consisting of ten-units over a tenmonth period, each unit covers several learning concepts and approaches relevant to the role of a professional holistic groomer. Each unit would require the student to submit a combination of practical and written assessments, marked by one of the Academy’s experienced tutors.

Topics covered include: • Canine Psychology & The Canine Perspective

• Safe Handling and Communication • Positive Training Techniques and Consensual Methods • Self-Care and Compassion • Professional/Client Relationship Retention • The Grooming Environment

Further incentives in taking the course include: • A designated experienced tutor who actively runs a professional holistic grooming business. They are onsite to support, mark and give feedback to students throughout their studies • Monthly student check-ins via Zoom with other students and the HGA team for networking and question opportunities • Monthly ‘live’ webinars and Q&As with Pet Industry leading professionals covering all topics within the course content to help with assessments • Infographics, templates and marketing material that allow the student to carry out procedures the holistic way • Business listing on the only Global Holistic Grooming Directory that is accessible to the general public • A luxury welcome pack which has an array of gifts and material to help the student throughout their studies • Discounts off several recommended courses and products from our petrelated company affiliations

What’s more, I have always loved learning and I feel it’s imperative to ensure that course material and content of all of the Holistic Grooming Academy’s courses are thoroughly researched and scientific evidence

Stephanie Zikmann is the author of Number One bestseller ‘The Magic of Holistic Grooming’ and ‘I Can Be A Dog Detective!’. Stephanie is a Professional Holistic Dog Groomer, Certified Canine Behaviourist and Trainer and Level 2 Let Animals Lead© Practitioner. Stephanie is also a Level 2 Kinetic Chain Release Therapist with over 13-years business provided to back it up to ensure provided to back it up to ensure that information is always that information is always accurate and up-toaccurate and up-todate.

Within the Within the first few months of launching, the Academy had already reached maximum capacity of students of students from all over from all over the world, and the world, and we continue to we continue to welcome more each welcome more each day.

As the demand for a more As the demand for a more stress of our working holistic approach to pet care in general only grows from strength to strength, we are also very excited to have recently welcomed on board a new experienced cat groomer who will be writing and delivering our forthcoming, Holistic Cat Grooming Enhancer Certificate too.

The Holistic Grooming Academy advocates for an updated grooming industry taking into consideration the emotional needs of an animal within the context of a professional grooming environment.

While we have been told our approach is somewhat “unorthodox”, our results speak volumes, and we believe that it’s important to at least consider learning more about what we teach so that we can reduce the stress of our working environments, and help curb the negative association that many professionals and pets have developed over the years. Through our existing affiliations with some of the Pet Sectors most ethical and influential organisations, I am proud to say that we are here to stay and will continue to extend a welcome hand out to any and all pet groomers and guardians looking to advance their toolkit and learn techniques to help pets who struggle with grooming using positive and ethical methods. We are in full support of those who invest in their continual professional development, and actively endorse other training providers who share the same positive and ethical values as us.

experience. She has featured in podcasts, events and Q&As all over the world and has her own column in the UK’s top holistic dog magazine, Edition Dog. Stephanie pioneered her own professional grooming certification, The Holistic Grooming Diploma in 2021 and currently teaches over 100 students worldwide. She runs a private clinic at her home in Scotland and specialises in grooming dogs with trauma.

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