As part of the offering for the referral partnership programme I offer events for my partners. So the week before Valentines Day I headed off for a week of Pop Up Studio to photograph all the freshly groomed fur babies.

It was a very educational week for me. Dog grooming is not a fill in job than anyone can do. The skills, patience and back breaking work involved is extra ordinary. It gave me a whole new level of appreciation for those who are professional groomers tending to our precious dogs.

During the week I saw beautiful well maintained dogs (brushed, faces washed, ears and teeth cleaned) coming into the studio to ones that were not (varying degrees of not). A few puppies coming in for their first groom which was very cute and they energy filled the room. The mature dogs graced us with their presence totally relaxed with the goings on.

Seeing dogs who are highly stressed and anxious as they rarely come into the groomers is destressing for the groomer. Most of anxiety and fear can be elevated.

What groomers what you to know (this is not an exhaustive list):

1. Start your puppy coming in for visits as soon as they can. For a bath, nail clean up and maybe a slight trim as required.
2. Keep to a regular schedule of grooming, your groomer will appreciate it and so with your dog. You don't want to be that owner who needs a double or triple appointment who dog needs to have their coat sheared off due to the pelted coat (matted and tangled that it comes off in one piece). This is very distressing for the dog and the groomer.
3. Regular brushing at home between grooming sessions. This reduces the knots and matting. Also wash their faces - removes eye discharge building up and stains forming around their mouths.
4. At home handle their feet too. Your vet and groomer appreciate this one.
5. Even within a breed their can be variances with their coats, just because you had one before that needed little brushing doesn't mean it will be the same with the next.
6. Training does not stop at puppy school. Keep it up. Teach them to sit, stay, lay down, stand. Makes for a fun activity especially on wet days when getting out is difficult. Training keeps a dogs brain functioning and keeps them from getting bored at home.

All these things make it an extremely fun experience for your furry friends when they head off to the groomers for their spa day.

Dog groomers have an extensive knowledge and they don't mind you asking questions about what you can do at home or providing information on techniques to use.

Hope your furry friends have a great spa day when they are next at the groomers.