Sometimes we need to lower our expectations to allow for growth 🌱 In 2018, I welcomed Lola my Miniature Poodle into our family with high expectations that she would be my “prize possession” — a mascot for my brand spanking new grooming business ⭐️ At that time I was still very early in my understanding of the grooming environment, canine behaviour and even general dog health, having just started training at a local training centre. Did I know that in just a few days my visions for parading around show rings with an immaculately presented poodle would be nothing but a pipeline dream? Nope but I’m glad it happened. There’s no denying that we all feel drawn to things that look cute, so it’s not surprising that the aesthetic side of our industry is as successful as it is — it’s true, we all can appreciate a well-styled dog 🐩 But what happens when you are faced with a dog that simply can’t cope with the demands of heavy styling? Perhaps because they are older, arthritic and less tolerable of standing for prolonged periods of time? Or, maybe they have a skin disorder (like my Lola) which causes increased touch sensitivity instantly making fluff drying a big no-no ❌ There are VARIOUS reasons why a dog might not be able to cope with the technical side of professional grooming, and I’m seeing this more and more in the average companion dog (like 80% of the time). There’s many factors to consider when gauging whether a dog is suitable for strenuous styling, and it’s the duty of the professional groomer to be able to assess suitability and be willing to forgo the urge to ignore. Sometimes it’s possible to work with a dog using counter-conditioning and desensitisation techniques to help make the process more tolerable, but we do have a responsibility to be realistic with our expectations and cast aside our own desires when working and caring for dogs 🐶 Ultimately, it’s all about THEIR experience. My relationship with Lola has certainly improved since I began listening to her limitations and respecting her individual needs not only in grooming but also in every day life.

Join Stephanie and some of the gang as we run through the HGA Skool space!