Helensburgh Dog Grooming

14/11/2025

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14/11/2025

This fine boy is now ready for whatever the weekend has in store! Great way to destress after a long week! Scrubs up well! Helensburgh Dog Grooming

12/11/2025

Some happy customers enjoying a perfect pamper while escaping the race n and wind of November!

05/11/2025

Had the pleasure of this beautiful doggie company this rainy afternoon! Perfect day for a wee trim and pamper!

31/10/2025

There are three situations where co-operative care training won’t work.

‼️Pain - this is a big one! If something feels uncomfortable for your dog, then they won’t want to do it. It’s not always something big either, it could be pain from hunger or exhaustion, I definitely won’t take anything in if my stomach is rumbling. But in some circumstances, a dogs unwillingness to do something could be a red flag, maybe they don’t want you to touch their tail as they’re suffering with back pain and the tail is an extension of the spine?

‼️The wrong environment - if a dog doesn’t feel safe in their environment then they will struggle to learn even the most simple tasks. Think of it as having to learn how to use a pencil in a war zone - your fight or flight system will take over pretty quickly.

‼️Trainer error - no-one is perfect, and we all make mistakes at times. However, when teaching co-operative care, we need to try our very best to be clear and consistent. There’s no point teaching your dog they have a choice to get on or off a platform and then holding them down on it just to get one more snip in. This is where confusion comes in and the training becomes null and void.

In a grooming salon, whether that be a conventional one or even a one to one set up, there’s a risk of one of those three factors coming into play.

How many owners do you know who say they need to drag their dog into their grooming appointment? To me, this generally means the dog doesn’t feel safe inside. This isn’t necessarily due to the groomer, it could be the noises or smells, maybe they don’t like other dogs? Maybe it’s the fear of their most trusted person leaving? It’s the wrong environment.

Have you ever heard of a dog needing to be muzzled to have their paws handled? What about one who will snap each time you try and brush their ears? Maybe that dog suffers from recurrent ear infections, or maybe they have a skin infection that is aggravated by the scented shampoos being used? A dog with arthritis may struggle to stand for long periods of time. It’s pain.

Groomers aren’t taught much on dog behaviour as standard, and so a lot of the methods of helping dogs prepare for grooming rely on flooding techniques. This means continuously exposing the dog to something until they appear to “get used to it”. What in fact more often happens, is that the dog shuts down, freezing into submission whilst subconsciously the issue gets deeper and harder to correct in the long run. It’s trainer error.

I am so passionate about helping pet owners and their dogs have a relationship built on trust.

The thought of co-operative care scares so many people, they think it takes too long or that their dog will never get it but I’ve seen it happen and I’ve seen it happen quick.

With the right support, awareness of the barriers and a commitment to put in the work magical things can happen, and one day we can say that co-operative care is the norm and not the niche.

What worries do you have around co-operative care? How could I help you to overcome those?

31/10/2025

What a joy to have this boy back for a rainy afternoon pamper! Our Pablo

28/10/2025

28/10/2025

Today in Mexico, honoring deceased pets has become a growing tradition during the annual Día de Mu***os (Day of the Dead) celebration, with many people setting up special altars called ofrendas on October 27th, the night before the main festivities begin. These altars are dedicated to pets and include items like their favorite food, water, toys, and marigold flowers, which are believed to help guide their spirits home. Some believe the pets arrive first to help guide the human souls who follow later.

25/10/2025

We have two cancellations today. Have an awesome day everyone. Helensburgh Dog Grooming

24/10/2025

From a fellow groomer and a great teacher

When I first started grooming almost 8 years ago, I experienced dogs who would growl or snap at me. I followed methods taught and recommended by fellow groomers such as adding restraints or muzzles but it only made the issues escalate until the only option was to refer them onto a vet.

As I’ve increased my knowledge and learnt more about canine communication and consent based handling those incidents became few and far between. In fact, I couldn’t even remember the last time I had a “near miss”.

However, in the last few months I’ve had two pretty bad injuries, neither of them were during the actual grooming session, they were afterwards when they were going home. The injuries left me feeling broken and as if I’d failed the dog in some way. I beat myself up for weeks, doubting my abilities. I wondered if I’d become over confident, missing smaller warning signs or if I’d buckled under the pressure of expectations. No one wants to admit they can’t help. It’s never been about money for me. In fact one of the main reasons I offered my sessions so cheaply when I first opened was because I wanted people to invest in proper behaviour support instead of me. I never felt like my services were as important.

But the truth is, both of the dogs in these incidents went on to have a medical diagnosis of underlying pain. I had said numerous times that I suspected pain and thankfully the guardians took me seriously.

Neither of the dogs in my opinion are or were aggressive. They are dogs who are quite literally screaming for help - and sadly I have to put my hands up and admit that I don’t have what they need.

As a groomer, I’m not here to diagnose or treat discomfort. But it is my job to recognise when there’s a bigger problem and get the dog and owner on the right path.

Truth is, I need to get better at trusting my instincts. I need to be firmer with my limitations.

I am bloody good at what I do, but there’s a reason I choose to collaborate - so to flip one of my favourite phrases around… I may be the professional you want, but I’m not too proud to admit when I’m not the one you need. And if that’s the case, I’ll help you find the right one.

🐾

24/10/2025

Another happy customer waiting for a lift home!