Total Grooming Magazine September 2020

www.totalgroomingmagazine.co.uk SEPTEMBER 2020

For more information please see page 4

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Contents

A

s the grooming world adjusts to a ‘new normal’ we find out how grooming shows can still be a success as Premier Groom launches a new ‘virtual show.’

This issue focusses on clipping and trimming with great tips and advice from the experts and recommendations of which products to use and why.

Please feel free to get in touch with questions and any matters that are of concern to you. We will do our best to address these. Keep safe and well.

14 Editor www.totalgroomingmagazine.co.uk

Premier Groom a virtual success with international entries

Contents 04 News 06 News 08 News 10 News 14 Premier Groom a virtual success with international entries 18 Paula Bryan on the best clipping tools

On the cover:

www.totalgroomingmagazine.co.uk SEPTEMBER 2020

Simpsons 01354 691830 www.simpsonsonline.co.uk

22 Heidi Anderton provides a stepby-step guide to clipping and trimming

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

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

34

Sally Hart shares her top tips for achieving a great clip

34 Sally Hart shares her top tips for achieving a great clip 46 Jenny Farrell provides an introduction to getting creative

© 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.

Total Grooming Magazine | 3

News and Product Round-up First Electric Clipper from Mastercut

F

ollowing award winning success, Mastercut launches its first electric clipper, taking on major rivals Andis, Oster and Wahl. This compact ‘corded’ machine features 2 speeds, designed for bulk hair removal and precision clipping tasks. Cutting speed has been tuned to promote the use of regular steel blades, avoiding the expense of switching to ceramics - now mandatory with some rival brands.

Ergonomics clearly play a big part in the design of the Mastercut clipper.

The contoured housing features a soft, smooth and tactile veneer, which looks professional and, makes it extremely comfortable to hold. The girth of the clipper has been streamlined to cater to smaller hands, whilst weight and balance have been thoughtfully aligned to improve handling and prevent fatigue - even with prolonged use.

In use, the Mastercut corded clipper is quiet, emitting minimal vibration, even at high speed.

Its performance is more than capable of tackling a variety of different coat types and textures, cutting smoothly without leaving lines or marks in the coat.

Mastercut’s comprehensive range of detachable blades and comb attachments, make this clipper highly versatile and perfect for salon use.

Overall, the Mastercut corded clipper is an exciting first offering from the brand. Although it faces 4 | Total Grooming Magazine

stiff competition, it delivers a good balance of performance and features that are certain to have consumer appeal. If you’re looking to buy new or replace an existing clipper, this is a very capable machine worthy

of consideration. If you’re thinking of switching brands, it couldn’t be easier. The Mastercut clipper is fully compatible with the blades and accessories of rival brands. Available at Simpsons www.simpsons-online.co.uk

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Huge price hikes for popular breeds during lockdown revealed

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ew statistics show prices for some of the UK’s most desirable dog breeds reached record levels, as some sellers exploited demand for puppies during lockdown. Dogs Trust can reveal these breeds are among those most likely to be illegally imported into the country via puppy smuggling, a cruel practice the charity have fought against for several years.

Dogs Trust’s research has revealed that the asking price for five of the UK’s most sought after breeds and the five breeds most often smuggled into the country – Dachshunds, English Bulldogs, French Bulldogs, Pugs and Chow Chows - shot up between March, when lockdown was announced, and the end of June this year, when lockdown started easing.

The charity has reviewed advertisements from the last three years on some of the UK’s largest classified advertising websites, and prices for Pugs, Dachshunds and Chow Chows have never been higher, whilst English and French Bulldogs have also seen significant price hikes.

The most expensive of the breeds, English Bulldogs, advertised for as much as £2,140 on average in June compared to an average of £1,637 in March - although some listings reached as high as £9,000. (1)

The data reveals the average price increased by: • 89% for Dachshunds – £1,838 in June compared to £973 in March • 67% for Chow Chows – £1,872 in June compared to £1,119 in March • 31% for English Bulldogs – £2,140 in June compared to £1,637 in March • 52% for French Bulldogs – £1,905 in June compared to £1,251 in March • 56% for Pugs – £1,064 in June compared to £684 in March Millions of people have been working from home and demand for puppies has 6 | www.christiesdirect.com

soared during lockdown, with Google searches for ‘buy a puppy’ increasing by 166% since lockdown was announced on 23 March.

Sadly, since the beginning of lockdown, the increase in demand for puppies has meant Dogs Trust’s Puppy Pilot scheme, which rescues smuggled pups at the UK border*, has continued to be busy, despite restrictions on movement being in place. Between the beginning of lockdown and the end of June, the charity rescued 43 puppies that were illegally imported into the country from Central and Eastern Europe.

These dogs were destined to be advertised online for extortionate prices, sold to unsuspecting buyers, while cruel puppy smugglers make huge profits. If sold, they could have fetched an estimated £80,000 for their puppy smugglers.

The charity – which has been campaigning to raise awareness of puppy smuggling since 2014 – also saved 12 heavily pregnant mums during

lockdown, who have given birth to 56 puppies worth around an additional £100,000 to cruel smugglers.

Dogs Trust is urging people to be alert to the perils of buying via online adverts, to avoid being duped, or Dogfished, and to remind potential new owners to never hand over a deposit before seeing the dog in person**.

This comes against the backdrop of people contacting Dogs Trust to say they have been victims of scams during coronavirus lockdown.

Experts from the UK’s leading dog welfare charity say that experience tells them that in the coming months, and years, more dogs than ever will face the risk of relinquishment. Dogs Trust estimate that up to 40,000 more dogs could be at risk of abandonment in the fallout of the coronavirus crisis.

Together, with the support of the public, the charity says the UK public can help ‘Change the Tale’ for smuggled pups when they need it most.

They urge people to give what they can by visiting www.dogstrust.org.uk/dogcrisis.

SIZE MATTERS

You’ll notice the difference Go bigger – you’ll work faster and produce a smoother finish If you need a set of clip-on blades, look no further than Mastercut. They have ultra-sharp teeth, the’re built to last and, most importantly, they offer excellent value for money.

If you have a little more to invest, why not consider switching up to our super wide blades?

They’ll save you loads of time by: Clipping a wider path so you cut much more coat in one pass Producing fewer tramlines - so you’ll get a smoother style without needing to go over work you’ve already done

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Mastercut blades simpsons-online.co.uk/breeds 7F £ 21.50 Ref: 4026–106 7Fw £ 33.00 Ref: 4026–1 2 1

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Former Vet of the Year Brian Faulkner tackles 31 marathons in 31 days for ‘homeless with pets’ charity StreetVet

F

ormer Petplan Vet of the Year Brian Faulkner completed 31 marathons in 31 days throughout August – in aid of the remarkable charity StreetVet, which offers free veterinary care for animals of the homeless. He ran the length of the country, from John O’Groats to Land’s End, ending up there on Monday 31st, his 50th birthday.

Brian, who was born in Cookstown, Northern Ireland, but now lives in Hacheston, Suffolk, had never run more than 10 kilometres until four years ago. However, after being challenged to run the London Marathon during a lively 4am drinks conversation at a veterinary conference, he took the race in his stride. He went on, the next year, to run 10 marathons in 10 days.

But StreetVet’s amazing work has inspired him to push himself further and embark on this even more gruelling journey. Well-wishers can check his progress and donate at: www.jogle2020. co.uk.* StreetVet is a multi-award winning veterinary practice, with a difference.

Its 500+ vets and veterinary nurses are volunteers – and its consulting rooms are the streets of Britain. Established in 2016, it has performed over 4,500 free consultations for pets of people of ‘no fixed abode’. It currently operates in 16 towns, cities and regions around the UK, but has plans to roll out to many more, such is the scale of the homelessness epidemic.

Brian had seen StreetVet’s work and was desperate to do something to help it raise much-needed funds, especially given the shocking plight of rough sleepers with dogs during Covid-19.

Only 10 per cent of homeless hostels and shelters allow pets. Most homeless people feel they’ve lost everything else; they simply won’t give up their beloved dog too, in order to secure a bed. So they stay on the streets.

Therefore, in addition to its veterinary care, prior to lockdown 8 | www.christiesdirect.com

StreetVet had been researching and piloting aspects of a new ‘accredited hostels’ scheme.

It gives these establishments practical help and advice on how homeless dog owners can be housed together WITH their pets. But during the pandemic the offer has also had to stretch to encompass those hotels and B&Bs co-opted for emergency accommodation.

Brian Faulkner Jade, Sam and the team hope to launch the first official StreetVet Accredited Hostel before the end of the year.

StreetVet’s co-founder Jade Statt explains: “The preference would always be to keep the dogs and their owners together. The importance of the human-animal bond and the comfort it brings to people should not be underestimated, especially in times like this.”

Brian was named Petplan UK Vet of the Year in 2008 after having been runner-up in 2007. He is now the insurance provider’s national media and PR vet. Petplan supported him on his ‘31 Marathons’ mission.

He is a true polymath. He graduated from Edinburgh Vet School in 1995 and worked in mixed practice before studying for an MBA at Nottingham Business School and then a further masters in [human] applied positive psychology.

Brian set up and developed four veterinary practices in Suffolk and will launch a fifth, in Aldeburgh, later this year. He founded the veterinary

training organisation Colourful CPD and has worked in over 250 veterinary practices as a clinician, consultant and confidence coach. He’s also founder of The British Veterinary Receptionist Association and the Accredited Veterinary Receptionist Awards.

He is past president of the UK Society of Practising Veterinary Surgeons and is associate honorary professor in veterinary business at Nottingham University. Last month Brian was awarded the title Fellow of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (FRCVS) in recognition of outstanding contributions to the veterinary profession.

If that weren’t enough he’s also an accomplished speaker, not just at veterinary conferences around the world, but he even won the UK and Ireland Toastmasters International Humorous Speech competition in 2014.

Further information on StreetVet can be found at: www.streetvet.org.uk.

Brian is on Instagram at: @vetwhisperer.

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Petitions Committee disappointed at lack of action from Government on ‘spiralling’ pet theft issue

L

ast month, following a string of petitions with more than 250,000 signatures, the Petitions Committee called for the Government to ensure the value of pets is fully recognised in the law and for pet theft to be made a specific crime.

In a letter to the Secretary of State for Justice, Committee Chair Catherine McKinnell MP and Committee member Tom Hunt MP urged Ministers to ensure that sentencing options available to courts acted as a real deterrent for those who commit pet theft crimes.

The letter also set out options for the Government on how to achieve this, and urged Ministers to take urgent action to amend legislation.

Formally responding to the Committee in a letter published in July, the Rt Hon Robert Buckland QC MP, acknowledged the impact of pet theft as causing “deep distress” for pet owners.

The Minister also said he recognised the “strength of feeling among campaigners regarding this issue” but reiterated that the Government has no plans to take further action in terms of legislation against those committing acts of pet theft. In his letter, the Secretary of State for Justice stated he was satisfied that current laws cover the crime of pet theft.

10 | www.christiesdirect.com

The response from the Government comes as recent research by DogLost showed thefts surged 65% amid lockdown – compared with the same period last year. The figures will add to concerns raised by pet theft reform campaigners, whose research has shown that the number of thefts is continuing to increase year-on-year.

Expressing disappointment at the response from the Government, Chair of the Petitions Committee, Catherine McKinnell MP, said: “Pet theft is a truly callous crime. It strikes at the heart of families and the evidence is showing that every year the Government fails to take action the problem is getting worse.

“With the issue of pet theft now spiralling, it is incredibly disappointing that the Government have decided against taking action and bringing forward tougher sentencing for this awful crime.

“Petitioners have been pressing Parliament and the Government on this issue since 2018, with more than 250,000 signatures on petitions urging action to be taken.

“With significant cross-party consensus and public support on this issue, the Petitions Committee will continue to raise it with the

Government and look to ensure there is opportunity to challenge their response by scheduling a Parliamentary debate to ensure the petitioners concerns continue to be heard.”

Petitions Committee Member, Tom Hunt MP, said: “Pet theft is a particularly cruel crime, robbing people of a cherished source of companionship and causing untold harm to the animals themselves.

“I’m disappointed the Government has set out that it has no plans to make pet theft a specific offence in its response to the virtual discussion I chaired with the campaigners behind the Pet Theft Reform Petition.

“In the absence of a specific offense for pet theft, pets are classed by the law as inanimate objects, with their theft usually resulting in no more than paltry £250 fines. This punishment simply doesn’t reflect the serious nature of the crime.”

The letter sent last month by the Petitions Committee calls for the Government to bring forward legislation, by amending either the Theft Act or the Animal Welfare Act, to create a specific new offence of pet theft with an appropriate sentencing range to deter thieves, and provide a punishment that reflects the true impact of pet theft.

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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.

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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!

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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.

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Premier Groom Goes Digital Joanne Angus explains how it worked:

T

he first ever UK online grooming competition was held on 2nd August 2020. The advantage of an online show meant the entry was multinational with over 160 dogs from around the UK and from as far away as Korea and Australia.

The organisers of PremierGroom , Summit Groomer Training Group and Red Cape Ltd, worked with the Whippet Media team to bring the show to life. Whippet Media ensured the smooth running of the day with the complexities of getting all the groomers on line at the right time with the judges ready to observe.

The objective was to encourage more groomers to enter the competition arena who would not usually compete, either through lack of confidence or travel restrictions. Each groomer worked either in their own salon or home and was able to work without the pressure of an audience (even though there were thousands watching!) and was able to be comfortable and confident whilst grooming. With three new classes for this year’s show – Virgin for first time competitors, Model Dog and Asian Freestyle the range of classes covered all levels of experience.

Our judging panel represented all four countries of the UK and with our fresh colour scheme of red, white and blue it was truly a national event. The panel of judges watched the groomers every move to ensure judging was thoroughly carried out without actually touching the dog. All judges judged the model dog class and made the choice for Premier Morning and Afternoon winners from the winners of the classes.

14 | Total Grooming Magazine

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Total Grooming Magazine | 15

Judges Sarah Lydon (Scotland): Beginners Christina Jones (Northern Ireland): Intermediate Verity Hardcastle (England): Virgin Pammie Carmichael-Hogg (England): Asian Freestyle Georgia Fuller (Wales): Open Pete and Becki Ensell (England): Champion This year competitors took up the challenge and demonstrated their skills in competing for one of the many fantastic prizes on offer with the ultimate awards of Premier Morning Dog and Premier Afternoon Dog each carrying a £750 cash prize sponsored

by Wahl and Ravenstein. The classes were judged with prize money and rosettes for the top three placings and rosettes to 6th place. Additional prizes were awarded for the Robert Halliday Scissor Award and the Spectators Special Award, which was judged by the public from all the first place winners.

Alongside the main event were webinars run expertly by Whippet Media throughout the day. Subjects were Veterinary Tips by Sophie Bell, Dealing With Diva Dogs by Tasha Anderson, Salon Creative by Nikki Smith, Tax and Accountancy by Teresa Bowe, Norfolk Hand Stripping by Lesley Harpham and Pet Trim Poodle

by Philip Langdon. Ticket holders are able to watch these webinars over again through a private Facebook group.

Premier Morning Dog winner Sponsored by Wahl– Hannah Scott – Beginner Class - Bichon Premier Afternoon Dog winner Sponsored by Ravenstein - Cheryl Howard – Champion Class- Kerry Blue Robert Halliday Scissor Award – Lia Henderson – Open Class – Cross Breed Spectator Special - Hannah Scott – Beginner Class – Bichon Beginners – Sponsored by Summit Groomer Training Group 1st - Hannah Scott 2nd - Chimaera Rawlins 3rd - Natalie Bennett 16 | Total Grooming Magazine

4th - Melissa Hovell 5th - Mia Davies 6th - Debbie Cairns Intermediate - sponsored by RedCape 1st - Mia Hallam 2nd- Amy Gilbert 3rd - Lucy Smith 4th - Katie Jayne Adams 5th - Rebecca King 6th - Gemma Cornish Virgin – sponsored by Top to Tail Clothing 1st - Cassandra Stephens 2nd - Margaret Burgess 3rd - Rihanna Farnworth 4th - Sharon Moar 5th - Jordan Cummins 6th - Ruth Graham Model Dog – Sponsored by Alpha Blade Sharpening 1st - Susan Zeestraaten 2nd- Hober Szabolcs 3rd - Alison Avery 4th - Judy Kim

5th - Corinna Verschuren 6th - Rachel Downes Asian – sponsored by The Scissor Boutique 1st - Woo Young Jean 2nd - Emma Darlington 3rd - Anna Brown 4th - Stephanie O’Connor 5th - Jacquelyn Webster 6th - Elaine Hammond Open – Sponsored by WetPets 1st - Chan Ik Byun 2nd - Tiff Saywell 3rd - Kris Upton 4th - Emma Yorke 5th - Tiff Jennings 6th - Tom Heaton-Clarke Champion- Sponsored by Groomers 1st - Cheryl Howard 2nd - Jo Silk-Smith 3rd - Mich Dale 4th - Corinna Verschuren 5th - Carol Ponce 6th - Lorna Humphreys

Handmade for tail-waggers

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

Clippers Guide Paula Bryan, Co Founder of Groomers Online, daughter of David Grimes who formulated the Groomers Evening Primrose Oil and Royal Jelly Products. Director of the Pet Care Trust before it became PIS during 20062009. Heavily involved within the grooming industry for the past 25+ years to include the founding of the Festival of Grooming. Managing Director for Blades Services and recently Clipit Grooming to include the Clipit Suit.

B

uying a clipper for your business can be quite daunting, especially if you recently started on the road to becoming a dog groomer. In order to determine which clipper is the right one, it comes down to either personal choice or recommendations. As there are so many styles and designs, it can be very over whelming, so in this guide we help to break down the different clipper types so it helps you make the right decision when buying your next clipper.

Most salons are constantly presented with dogs that have not seen a brush from one week to another. For the animal’s welfare, the easiest way to shift that matted coat is by taking it all off with a set of heavy-duty clippers.

Professional dog clippers come in a variety of speeds, but typically groomers work their equipment hard, so it is essential you buy a robust machine and ensure you take good care of it by maintaining it well.

Clippers have got faster and faster,

18 | Total Grooming Magazine

and as every groomer believes, the faster the machine works the quicker the coat comes off. However, it is not always speed that wins the day, it comes down to technique. Allowing your

clipper to run through the coat with no pressure will give you a better finish.

It will also protect your machine from friction and overheating. Friction can wear your clipper blade very quickly,

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simpsons-online.co.uk/mastercut Total Grooming Magazine | 19

that is why clipper manufacturers over the years have tried new steels and coatings on blades to reduce friction and heat.

Clippers can be one of the costliest investments that you need to make for your business. Time and time again I have seen over several years, dog groomers making no intention of looking after their clipper and blades when sending in for repair or sharpening. Regular maintenance will save you pounds and extend the life of your clipper, as it only takes a few minutes at the end of the day to undertake.

Firstly, I ask, who reads the manufacturer’s warranty and instructions off their new clipper?

This handy recommendation could help save the life of your clipper. One area that is never covered at college is the maintenance of your equipment that includes clippers. By reading the instructions it will give you guided details on how to change the clippers 20 | Total Grooming Magazine

blade drive assembly. Many times, when you think your clipper blade is dull it can be caused by either trapped hair in the cutting system or a worn blade drive assembly.

Hair and grease are unavoidable when clipping. Static within the hair structure is attracted to nylon and plastic. As you clip, hair is sucked into the clipper and it sits around the moving parts and can cause serious damage, eventually effecting the performance of your clipper.

When researching for the right equipment, groomers tend to buy trimmers that are designed to trim small difficult areas like pads, ears and around eyes, but fail to remember these trimmers need as much attention as the larger robust machines. When looking to buy a trimmer, always look for a model that the blade can come off easily. This will allow you to remove the blade and brush out the excess hair. As with heavy clippers, trimmers also need cleaning and oiling frequently as the

blade tend to be surgical, so the top and bottom cutter are closer together, which means the blade gets tighter quicker and causes friction and overheating. You also tend to find with trimmers the unit is a sealed hand piece, which does not allow the machine to be serviced. With some trimmers, if they stop working the only place they are fit for is the bin.

Contact details for Clipit Grooming: Tel: 07508 188437 www.clipit-grooming.com

Good clipping techniques

Heidi Anderton, principal of Absolutely Animals and London School of Pet Grooming, explains best clipping techniques:

A clean coat will help achieve a good finish

Choosing the right blade length and width Achieving your correct choice of length of blade, is essential to the required finish. To do this you will need to take into consideration the thickness of the coat, the part of the pet you are clipping and the direction that you are clipping in. Some tips: • You can measure the amount which will be left on by holding the blade parallel to the dogs’ body and viewing from the side, where the blades will cut the hair.

22 | Total Grooming Magazine

• 5f and shorter will leave the look smooth • 4f and longer will leave a more “fluffy” look • Start longer if you are unsure and reduce the length until you reach the desired result Dog grooming blades also come in wide sizes which can quite dramatically reduce your clipping times and leave you with less clipper marks than a conventional blade width. A fantastic purchase for larger breeds.

Holding the clipper and the blade correctly Hold your clipper like a big pencil!

Hold it from behind and keep your arm, wrist and hand relaxed. You can twist the clipper around in your hand to access some difficult points on the dog or slightly move it from side to side to follow the contour of the dog’s body.

Holding your clipper properly is not only important for your own health and safety but this will also have an effect on how you can feel what the clipper is doing. Is it clipping through the

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hair easily or is there resistance?

For example, if the coat is matted you will need to change to a shorter blade so it can easily cut under any matting – never force a blade through a matted coat!

Clip using the correct amount of pressure Each length of blade will need to be used at a slightly different angle, and constant mild pressure to leave a uniform length on the body coat.

Remember when clipping legs which are very fragile and sensitive to the clipper, avoid using any pressure or contact with the legs. This is especially important on smaller and fine boned dogs as you will find they will object very quickly to pressure on legs.

Imagine the dog is as fragile as an egg when applying pressure to equipment.

Clipping with the coat direction Usually you would clip with the lay of the coat on all breeds. Clip in long strokes, re-clipping half of each stroke using an even pressure on the blade to get an even finish.

Clipping against the coat direction On some breeds such as poodles’ feet 24 | Total Grooming Magazine

and face it is widely known to “reverse clip” (clip against the lay of the coat). Usually this is carried out to leave an even and tidy finish when navigating the fine bone structure. Clipping against the coat can have undesired side effects such as clipper rash or irritation to the skin. We know these can be avoided with a better choice of blade length Heidi Anderton and by keeping the blades cool and clean but………. there are other benefits which occur with reverse clipping. Used on the body, reverse clipping will leave a beautifully even length on those coats which are made up of different textures and will also eradicate clipper tram marks – especially useful on some West Highland White Terriers and some clipped Jack Russell Terriers.

Other good clipping techniques If you have a good eye for finish, you can use your clipper as a blender (skim blending) and as a sculpturing tool. You can use it to not only set the pattern on the dog but to blend the lengths

between the shorter and longer areas of the dog. This can be achieved by clipping away from the dog in the blending area at a constant rate. You can set in the pattern very quickly using this technique, cutting down your grooming time dramatically and setting your balance of the dog. If you are not so confident to skim blend with a shorter blade, then you can change the shorter blade to an attachment comb to blend in the blending lines.

You can also use your clipper for setting in the rear and front angulation, producing the required result quickly and efficiently

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A dog’s nose is wet to help absorb scent chemicals.

Amazing Canines Jitka Krizova shares… 5 Amazing Dog Facts:

A

s dog owners, we know that our dogs are our most loyal companions. We usually know a lot about the breed we own and we’re also curious about anything dog related. Here are five interesting dog facts that I recently found and some of them are actually quite hard to believe!

1) A dog’s nose is wet to help absorb scent chemicals.

We don’t really know why is our dog’s nose is wet but we worry when it’s dry.

Healthy dogs have a wet nose, not?

We’ll chat about this another time but for now, we’ll focus on why a dog’s nose is wet.

A dog’s nose is wet because the 26 | Total Grooming Magazine

dampness enhances the absorption of scent chemicals. The moisture on their noses is not just water but is, in fact, a special mucus that helps to absorb the chemicals of a scent. Dogs then lick their nose to “read” the message which helps them understand what’s going on around them.

Wet noses are also one of the ways that dogs can regulate their body temperature and cool down because they don’t have normal sweat glands like we do. Dogs also sweat from their pads and use panting as a means to lower body temperature.

2) Three dogs survived the sinking of the Titanic.

I never knew about this one and found it fascinating. According to Vetstreet,

there were dozens of dogs on board the sinking ship and three of them made it. These lucky three survivors travelled in first class. They were all small and kept in their owners’ cabins instead of in the onboard kennel. Lady, a Pomeranian puppy, was saved by her owner, Margaret Hays, who wrapped the dog in a blanket and sneaked her onto a lifeboat (apparently, people assumed she was carrying a baby.)

The other dogs who made it to land were a Pekingnese named Sun Yat-sen, owned by Henry and Myra Harper, and another Pomeranian, owned by Elizabeth Rothschild.

Unfortunately, the rest of the stories don’t have such happy endings… for dogs as well as people.

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Total Grooming Magazine | 27

3) A greyhound could beat a cheetah in a long distance race.

Most of us already know that the fastest land animal is the cheetah which can reach a speed of 70 mph (113 km per hour). Even though the cheetah is an amazingly fast runner she can only maintain that incredible speed for about 200 to 300 yards (274 meters).

The really fast dogs are Greyhounds, Whippets, Salukis, and Afghan hounds.

They are called sighthounds since their job is to spot their quarry by sight and run it down. They have a characteristic shape: a huge chest to accommodate large lungs to gulp oxygen and their oversized heart as well as a narrow waist that allows them to bend their body so that every stride carries them more than a body length.

The Greyhounds’ ability to reach top speed quickly is amazing! At maximum acceleration, a Greyhound can reach a speed of 45 mph (72km/h) within its first six strides from a standing start. No other land animal (except the cheetah) has that degree of The Saluki is the oldest dog breed

28 | Total Grooming Magazine

acceleration.

Did you know that a Greyhound would actually beat a cheetah in a long distance race! According to Psychology Today, Greyhounds are excellent long distance runners. They can keep their speed up to 35 mph for up to 7 miles.

Although cheetahs are incredibly fast, they can only keep the speed up for about 200-30 yards.

4) The Saluki is the oldest dog breed.

Did you know this? I thought it would be one of the hounds like the Pharaoh hound (only maybe because of the name lol), or another hunting breed. I guess I wasn’t that far off.

According to The Guinness World Records, the world’s oldest known breed of domesticated dog is the Saluki.

It is believed to have emerged in 329 BC. Saluki dogs were revered in ancient Egypt, being kept as royal pets and being mummified after death. There are carvings found in Sumer (present-day southern Iraq) which represent a dog, closely resembling a Saluki, which dates

back to 7000 BC.

5) A Bloodhound’s sense of smell can be used as evidence in court.

According to PBS, a Bloodhound’s sense of smell is so accurate that it can be used as evidence in a courtroom.

The Bloodhound has an outstanding ability to read terrain with its nose. It is primarily due to a large, ultrasensitive set of scent membranes.

Researchers have estimated that a bloodhound’s nose consists of approximately 230 million olfactory cells – scent receptors. 40 times the number in humans. Our olfactory centre is about the size of a postage stamp. And a dogs can be as large as a handkerchief ! How cool is that!!

Here’s another amazing fact about Bloodhounds…. they can follow tracks that are over 300 hours (12.5 days… so you don’t have to count) old and can stay on a trail for over 130 miles!

Amazing!!

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Is dog grooming stressful to some pets and if so how can we tell?

Animal behaviourist, Dean Hart, shares the findings of his latest research:

T

here is a growing concern among dog groomers and students to ensure the wellbeing of dogs and cats within grooming salons. On the one hand, some handling and restraint methods currently applied are criticised and there is pressure for improvement, while on the other hand such criticisms of these methods are disputed and are often defended by influences within economical and commercial demands.

Debate around the assessment of animal welfare and an animal’s ability to cope within its environment, especially within the grooming salon, is often subjective and reliant on anthropomorphic description and personal perception. But welfare assessment can become far more objective and meaningful when we fully understand animals and when they can provide evidence of how grooming is being perceived by themselves, but how could this be possible?

Well, research methods within animal behaviour have developed successfully to do just this by measuring different ways of how animals can appraise their environment, their experiences and their own state of welfare. Current research being undertaken is assessing direct measurement of cardiac output and saliva cortisol measurements to explore the hypothesis that inappropriate handling, the application of certain restraint equipment and restraint methods applied within dog grooming significantly reduces animal welfare by evoking considerable distress and fear based behaviours. (Hart & Hart 2016).

If we think about it for a moment,

30 | Total Grooming Magazine

when we are exposed to situations where we feel under a great deal of pressure we often show both physiological and psychological indicators of stress, therefore we can reason and sensibly assume that animals are the same. By being able to determine different methods of measuring stress and fear we can determine if an animal is experiencing things in a negative way and substantiate arguments for improved animal welfare.

However, it is necessary to consider that there are many factors that can influence stress responses in dogs and cats and this can cause considerable individual variation in stress measurements. This could present a problem when attempting to take measurements of stress within different grooming salons across the UK where there is little uniform

approach to professional practice, animal behaviour and the application of handling and restraint methods.

This lack of control over factors makes it potentially harder to interpret welfare ‘in general’ across all grooming salons. When assessing stress within grooming environments, there are a significant number of contextual, situational and environmental stressors involving auditory, olfactory and visual stimulation to consider. Many of these have the potential to cause heightened arousal, anxiety, stress and phobic

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responses as they are most likely perceived as aversive experiences and aversive stimuli. This is particularly prevalent where an animal has not had opportunity for habituation prior to be exposed to the full ‘grooming process’.

It is relatively easy to measure stress parameters non-invasively to assess the welfare of an individual animal if you can read and interpret animal body language, body movement and understand vocalisations of the species concerned. Behavioural assessment is also useful in determining welfare and supports the interpretation of cardiac performance and saliva cortisol but only if the assessor can fully understand animal behaviour and contextually driven influences. This would suggest that a dog or cat groomer must be proficient in animal behaviour and handling to be suitably competent in determining if the animal in their care is distressed.

During the early development of this current research, evidence has been found to firmly establish that certain canine behaviours such as changes in posture, changes in the state of locomotion, circling, crouching, sighing and stretching have frequently been observed by the researchers indicating a clear stress response from various dogs during various stages of the grooming process. Where there has been excessive physical restraint there has been observations of panic, learned helplessness, passive stress auto protective and redirected aggression with no significant recognised correlation to the age, breed or gender status of the dog. Where there has been observation of low body posturing, this indicates acute stress in dogs as previous scientific research has concluded that a very low posture is concomitant with saliva cortisol responses. Earlier research including (Beerda., et al 1997) has also scientifically proven that short lasting sudden presentation of aversive stimuli and certain forms of restraint cause considerable heightened behavioural responses, increased saliva cortisol and elevated cardiac performance again indicating acute stress in dogs.

32 | Total Grooming Magazine

Interestingly, additional findings have also demonstrated that behavioural observations have continually been unnoticed, misunderstood and misinterpreted by novice, untrained or newly qualified groomers.

To be precise with the intentions of this ongoing research it is not to assign blame or make assumptions regarding the levels of compassion or concern for animal welfare within grooming but rather to help promote objective measurements for improved assessment of stress and fear thus to enhance welfare within the industry and to this point the research should be very welcomed. In reflection, this research continues to provide clear evidence for the need of professional training and ongoing continue professional development within animal behaviour in addition to the need to further evaluate the application of certain forms and methods of physical restraint and associated equipment.

Key Words: Anthropomorphic – Means treating or describing animals, gods, and other objects such as Teddy Bears as if they are human in appearance, character, or in their behaviour.

Cardiac performance (output) – Is the amount of blood the heart pumps through the circulatory system in one minute. The amount of blood put out by the left ventricle of the heart in one contraction is called the stroke volume.

The stroke volume and the heart rate determine cardiac output.

Cortisol - Cortisol is a stress hormone produced by the adrenal glands.

Saliva Cortisol - Measuring cortisol levels can be an important part of diagnosing stress and fear to monitor animal welfare. The testing of salivary cortisol levels, rather than blood or urine cortisol levels, is increasing in popularity among researches and other professions because it potentially causes less stress and is potentially noninvasive.

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Total Grooming Magazine | 33

Clipping tips and tools

Groomer and trainer Sally Hart shares her advice on clipping tips and tools:

I

was rather excited to be asked to write a piece on clipping and my favourite equipment.

Simples! After all, I’ve been doing it for years. I sat down to write and realised, that whilst I often watch others’ clipping technique, I rarely observe my own. I decided to take a few videos for research (and this was a great excuse to try out my new, adjustable iPhone holder).

Well, let’s just say, it made for interesting viewing. For the most, part my clipping technique is as I expected, and thankfully I appear not to have as many bad habits as I thought. But my goodness, that face! My clipping expression is truly something otherworldly.

Coat Type & Prep Before we can get on with clipping, it is important to have a well prepped coat, without this, you will not achieve the flawless results we all strive for. Coat type is an important factor in how you prep your dog, affecting your choice of shampoo, conditioner (or not), extra products, drying technique, nozzle, equipment, etc. (This is another topic for another time) Once you start clipping, you want to be sure that the coat is ready for the style and finish you want. Removing the dead hair and undercoat means less resistance for the clippers, and having the hair laying smoothly and with the natural lie of the coat, leaves you with a better finish. This is particularly important with silky and drop coats.

For wool coats, having the hair fluffed up and full of volume means you can clip and acquire that lovely crisp 34 | Total Grooming Magazine

finish. And wire coats often need extra attention to removing the dead undercoat.

Clippers Without clippers we would not be clipping, so perhaps they need a mention.

Clipper maintenance is paramount.

Clippers that are clogged with hair, excess oil and grease, or have a worn blade drive, can have a detrimental effect on your clipping. Dragging, leaving lines, and running too slowly, are just some of the things we can avoid with good maintenance.

When it comes to clipper brands, we are extremely lucky to have a wide variety. Our choices will be made by personal considerations and needs.

I am an Andis girl!

I have used Oster and Wahl, but always come back to Andis.

Way back in the grooming ‘Dark Ages’ and particularly in deepest Africa (ok, South Africa isn’t so off the beaten track, but it was far behind in grooming products), the only option for clippers were the Oster Golden A5.

Now, I still have a couple of pairs, AND they are still working 25 years

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But they are heavy, get hot and are not as ergonomically designed as modern clippers.

For me, the Pulse ZRll clippers are the fastest running and most comfortable to hold. Being cordless means a heavier clipper, but less drag from the cord pulling the back down, and much more manoeuvrable.

My second choice would be the Oster 3000i. Not quite as fast as the Pulse, but slightly lighter.

Wahl and Heiniger vibrate too much and this vibration can cause issues with carpal tunnel syndrome and HAVS (Hand-Arm Vibration Syndrome), so this rules them out for me.

Speed is another factor that really influences your clipping, and the more powerful the clipper the better the finish but remember that faster clippers will heat the blades up quicker, so you will need spare blades.

Blades & Comb Attachments As with clippers, maintenance is of utmost importance, not only for that clipping finish, but also for the life of your blades. Well maintained blades do not need sharpening anywhere near as frequently.

Clogged hair, excessive oil and all the other unmentionables that we find in dogs’ coats, (I particularly gag at finding poo or other unnameable gunk between clipper blades’ teeth), can be detrimental to your blades and this is why prep work can help extend the life of your equipment.

Choosing your blade or comb attachment to suit the coat type and ultimate style is the first step to great clipper work. For instance, we can emulate the course look of a handstripped dog by using a comb attachment or skip tooth blade. Also, by using a longer blade it allows for easier blending, so I try to avoid going too short for any coarse coated dogs or styles that require lots of blending work.

I find the Mastercut wide blades and comb attachments are indispensable.

Not only do they clip more coat at each pass, but they allow for a better finish.

36 | Total Grooming Magazine

Technique Once you have chosen your weapon, armed it with the selected blade, and you have your prepped dog ready, it is time to get that coat off.

Routine is important. For me, it prevents me missing bits, and means I won’t be going back over areas, or moving the dog unnecessarily. For most dogs, maintaining routine is better too. If every visit, things are done in the same order, they will find it less stressful and are, usually, more accommodating.

Being right -handed I find it easier to start on the right side.

On most coats back brushing the coat, just before clipping, can help to achieve a better finish, quicker and with less clipping.

Wool coats need to be lifted up as much as you can before clipping to leave a neat crisp finish.

For coarse coated dogs that I want to maintain that coarseness, texture and appearance, as much as possible, I do not back brush.

I start clipping from the withers to the tail and then down the sides and over hips and shoulders, following the direction the coat lies. Using long strokes, rather than lifting and replacing the clippers. This helps leave a better finish and means less times going over the same area. (Thankfully, watching the video of myself showed that I use longer strokes than I thought).

To avoid differences in length, maintain the same angle and pressure when you clip. Keeping the skin taut will avoid divots and it more comfortable for the dog.

For the neck and chest, I clip down to the breastbone, and then out towards the shoulders. To avoid uncovering the whorls on the chest, I often clip these with a blade length 2 higher to prevent the balding.

Reverse clipping is a technique that often pops up in topics in Facebook grooming groups. This is a technique I rarely use, and most instances are for specific areas, like poodle and

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Bedlington faces. Reverse clipping, with a short blade, the body coat on a breed whose coat naturally lies flat and close to the skin, can potentially cause damage to hair follicles. The resulting alopecia, commonly known as coat funk, does not always occur after the first reverse clip, with the frequency, age and health of the dog being a contributing factor. For me, I prefer to eliminate the possibility of causing a disrupted regrowth.

Final comments In a nutshell, clipping is like most of our grooming, it is not a case of just turn the clippers on and go. There are many various aspects that need to be considered before we start and for the best results, getting the preparation done correctly, makes the outcome we desire easier to achieve.

Get those phones out and film yourself. You will learn a lot. And look out for your own ‘clipping face’

38 | Total Grooming Magazine

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ince we launched our life changing detangling hairbrush in 2007, Tangle Teezer customers have never stopped asking, if not begging us to design a brush for their dog. Every day at TTHQ we’d be sent or tagged in photos or priceless videos of a dog enjoying being brushed with a Tangle Teezer. So of course, we had to sit up and listen to those who knew best – our customers!

Since then we’ve had staggering success with our detangling and de-shedding brushes, so what was the next step? To accommodate the Puppy category of course! We researched the problems that puppies can experience and listened to advice from professionals. Lastly, we tested and retested shapes, sizes, the flexibility and the length of the teeth to ensure puppies know from a young age that the grooming experience can be fun!

Just as you would spend precious time with your child, for your dog there’s no better feeling than sharing the love of grooming! Regular brushing not only can keep puppy coats knot free and hygienic, but it also builds discipline. A puppy’s coat constantly changes up to 9 months old, making grooming routines essential. It’s safe for your children to use as no special skills are required and there’s no ‘right’ way to do it. Pet Teezer works when brushing in any direction and just like our hairbrushes, The Power’s in the Teeth.

So how does it work? Grip the fur through the teeth and glide the brush through the fur, as opposed to brushing over the top and not putting any fur through the teeth. The intelligence in the teeth are strong enough to grip on to the fur yet have flexibility to release to stop any tugging at the skin. The

40 | Total Grooming Magazine

Pet Teezer Puppy Brush delivers the gentlest of brush strokes with softflex teeth that glide effortlessly. The innovative two-tiered teeth detangle, brush away skin flakes and encourage oil glands to develop without brush burns or irritation to the skin. Perfect for sensitive areas such as behind the ears, beneath the tail and creases of legs.

The benefits of Puppy grooming: • Maintains a healthy skin and coat • Improves circulation • Reduces stress and blood pressure – in both human and puppy • Helps you notice unusual lumps and bumps, parasites or scratches How often your puppy needs to be groomed depends on what kind of breed they are. Puppies with long hair

may need to be groomed more often than puppies with short hair. This is because this hair gets dirtier easier and matted more easily. Dogs with long ears, such as cocker spaniels, may need more attention to be paid to this area; if any dirt is left there, it could lead to an ear infection. It is important to brush your dog’s hair if it gets matted, especially if you own a long-haired dog.

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Neuro Linguistic Programming in customer service – part 3 Groomer and trainer, Terri Hardwick, shares the next instalment of how NLP can improve a groomer’s performance:

I

n my previous article about using Neuro Linguistic Programming in customer service I touched on a cognitive bias that may affect our decision making when dealing with customers and how attentional bias may hinder the customer experience when dealing with matted doodles.

Once we’re aware of that possibility it can enable us to make a more balanced decision. We can also make better decisions by training the ‘Wise Mind’.

It is normal for us to tend to be overly emotional or overly rational in our behaviour and decision making.

When you use both emotion and logic together you have adopted the wise mind and can respond more effectively

42 | Total Grooming Magazine

and successfully. It is possible to train the wise mind using Dialetical Behaviour Therapy that evolved from Professor Marsha Linehan’s work in the 1990’s. Training your wise mind and knowing about other cognitive bias’s can enhance the customer experience and reduce the risk of complaints or turn a complaint around.

When I first became a dog groomer, I occasionally served a customer from the older generation who owned a double coated dog and who’s belief was that ‘real’ dogs, namely shepherds and collies in my experience, didn’t need bathing.

Their coats looked after themselves apparently. I would dread grooming their dog on the rare occasions they

came so the dog could have a ‘birthday treat’ or a dry scissor around the bum.

The coats were greasy, the skin was crying for a wash, the dead hair was felted and the dog was unused to the grooming environment and process.

Their children grew up with these outdated beliefs and so believe that their biannual visit to their groomer is indulgent and can’t understand why we want to charge them extra and then why their beloved dog does not come home looking like a show dog.

Education of these owners is key but takes time because they are likely to favour information that is consistent with their existing beliefs (that a visit to the groomer every 6 months is

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more than sufficient) and this is called confirmation bias.

Neuroscience suggests that we are more optimistic than realistic about what will happen to us in the future thanks to optimism bias. If you use this to our advantage and can help that customer visualise a better future with the help of your services, you could increase the frequency of their visits. Realistically, that dog owner isn’t going to suddenly start coming every 6 weeks but you may be able to get them to come every 12 with some subtle selling techniques.

Quality visual merchandising, a strong portfolio, quality photography and your knowledge can be helpful in selling.

Another cognitive bias we should all be aware of is anchoring bias.

Anchoring bias is when we focus heavily on the first piece of information 44 | Total Grooming Magazine

we receive when making a decision and discounting the rest. When a new enquiry comes in and a new customer is asking how much it would cost to have their dog groomed, make the first information you give them your selling point and the price the last. Use that optimism bias to sell your services to them so they have made their decision to book their dog in before you even mention the estimated price.

If you saw my talk on the iPet Network stand at Crufts back in March, you’ll have heard me talk about the ‘Human Communication model’. According to the author of the book ‘The Psychology of Optimal Experience’, our brains receive more than 2 million bits of information from our five senses every second, and according to the memory theorist George Miller, we can only process

around 5-9 bits of information per second. We build our perception of the world based on the information we receive through our visual, auditory, kinaesthetic, olfactory and gustatory senses. Ask yourself what sensory information your customers receive when they enter your salon and use your services? Do they smell disinfectant, wet dogs or shampoo and cologne? Do they hear music or dogs barking and crying, or worse, Groomers shouting? Do they see a visual merchandising display, certificates on the wall or un-swept dog hair and a stressed Groomer? How does this all make them feel?

I ended my talk a Crufts with one of my favourite quotes which is “if you always do what you’ve always done, you’ll always get what you’ve always got.”

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Colourful & Creative

Groomer, Jenny Farrell, takes a closer look at creative grooming and gives hints and tips on getting started:

O

ne of the many things I am asked about dyeing dogs’ coats is: Is it cruel? Is it safe? Why do it?

Well why is easy – it’s fun, creative and allows a stylist to be more out there with more than scissoring. However that said, there is still a fair amount of scissor work involved in creative grooming so it’s not all about the colours and dying.

Is it safe? Basically, yes. As long as you use the proper products and know what you are doing, stick to vegetable based dyes, DO NOT EVER EVER BLEACH a dog’s coat and DO NOT dye near the eyes, nose and mouth or other sensitive areas unless you are very confident! Always do a tiny patch test (tummy, inside lower thigh is best).

Is it cruel? NO! There is nothing cruel, the dyes used are conditioners with vegetable tint, no chemicals. In fact if anything these are pretty good for the coat as they are left on for about 3040 min which is basically an intensive condition soak.

Preparation A plastic bowl Latex free gloves A dying brush with plastic comb Plastic hair clips Hair Dye (make sure you use a safe dye such as manic panic, vegetable dye or chalk) A dog who will tolerate being groomed for long periods.

Getting started First of all you need a clean brushed out coat with no matts, grease or sores on the skin.

I would advise to make sure your dog is not sensitive to the dye with a tiny patch test before anything!

Once you have your dog prepped 46 | Total Grooming Magazine

you can start applying the dye, if you want a weaker colour you should add conditioner or shampoo to the dye, this weakens the pigment and the results will be more subtle in comparison, or choose a pastel shade.

When applying the dye make sure you apply the dye evenly. To prevent dye getting in places you don’t want, you can apply Vaseline (I use conditioner) to the areas you want to keep clean. If you are dying long hair, you can apply foils. To apply foils, separate the hair and place a foil at the base of the hair line underneath the hair you are looking to colour, once colour has been applied fold the foil upwards and secure with a blunt end

hair pin if needed.

Once applied to the areas depending on the dye used (I am using a conditioner manic panic colour)

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leave the colour for 30 min (less if you want a lighter washy colour). Once the 30 min is up you can rinse.

I always shampoo my dogs after a dye as it ensures all the product is removed from the skin and hair, this prevents run off in the rain, furniture and so on.

Rinse the dye for 5 minutes to ensure all the product is out and dry your pooch!

Once dry you can restyle or reset the style to achieve the look you are going for. I have reclipped the face, body and feet, scissored the pompoms, Wilma’s ears were pink before so I shaved them again on a 10f.

For the final touches all accessories, I have used a slide on head detail and glitter for the EXTRA effect!

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Different ways of colouring dogs Stencilling Another method of creative colouring is using stencils, stencils can be homemade or bought online and are an easier method for colour novices. You can use blow pens, chalk or dye to create a stencilled pattern, this method is best suited to short hair or shaved areas.

To achieve this look place the stencil on the area you would like to dye, apply the dye with a brush or using blow brush technique. Leave the stencil on until the dye has set and gently peel away from the coat. You can reuse stencils so this is a good idea for Christmas or Valentine’s occasions.

You can make a stencil by using card to print out your logo or shape, laminate the sheet and cut out the areas you want to be your stencil. Laminating the card will ensure you can reuse the stencil, if you are doing a one off, there is no need to laminate however, if using a wet dye it may become soggy and not the best result

Aerosol This way is great if you want to do a whole dog but is very messy and the paint is chalky so wipes off easily, aerosols are ideal for semi-permanent (temp) stencils or adding background colour for a bigger piece.

48 | Total Grooming Magazine

Blow pens Not a fan of blow pens personally, I find them a bit messy and hard going but lots of creative groomers really like them especially for adding depth and detail to work. For example, outlining and so on. You can purchase these online or from grooming shows). They are really fun, inexpensive and great for stencilling!

Free hand Free hand is best left for people who have some experience in coat handling and dying, this is my preferred method as I like to pick and choose which section of the coat I want to colour, I also like to blend colours so using a brush and painting hair I can achieve a mixture of colours that blend into one or sections that blend together see the

photo Wilma’s pink top is faded using this method.

I hope you find this interesting and helpful! I thought it would be a good idea to do a dyeing feature before Halloween and Christmas! Good luck getting messy!

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