Top Tails with Vanessa Byrne

29/07/2026

Behind the scenes.

22/07/2026

It’s seed season!

The grass is really dry and the seeds seem to be in higher numbers than usual.

We need to be checking our dogs every time they go out.

Check in between toes as well as the rest of the body. If a knot is starting to form it’s probably because there is a seed that’s trapping hair around it.

My top tips for seeds:

🐾Manually check with your hands straight after your walk.

🐾Use a hairdryer to separate the hair and see what’s happening underneath.

🐾Spray detangling spray on to your sicker brush and brush to remove lots of seeds.

🐾Avoid walking in areas where the seeds are really obvious.

If seeds enter the skin the can get infected and track through the body.

In the last two weeks I’ve had two of my regular clients have to go to the vets because of seed injuries. One of them had to have a seed removed from under his eyelid!

08/07/2026

When you tell people you are a dog groomer you get a few different reactions.

“Oh that’s so cool.” Roughly translates to you must cuddle dogs all day.

Or

“Have you ever been bitten?”…I’ll let you translate that.

No one ever asks if you’ve had a hair splinter that got infected (a daily risk, especially when it’s hot) or have you needed shoulder surgery or time off for a bad back?

I love my job, but it takes strength and flexibility training to keep me working safely and a chiropractor and deep tissue massage.

Thank you to J E Sports Therapy for keeping me strong.

09/06/2026

After 14years of dog grooming you learn quite a lot.

The biggest thing I’ve learnt is that there is a groomer for everyone and I might not be the groomer for you.

Some people want cheap.

Some people just want to drop off their dog and are only interested in a great haircut. They don’t want to know how to help their dog get through it or what it takes to achieve the look they are after.

Some people want an appointment in an instant.

Sadly for all of those people I’m not the groomer for you.

Years of experience, keeping up with my knowledge and being fully qualified doesn’t come cheap.

Being a good groomer with lots of dogs on regular schedules mean you do have to wait a while to get an appointment.

But more than anything else I work in partnership with you and your dog. So you will get help with helping your dog. You will get feedback on how they have got on and what has happened during their groom.

Building trust takes time, for you and your dog. Results aren’t instant, but they are long term 🐾

17/05/2026

I try really hard not to work at the weekend. However, when someone sends a beautiful photo through of their dog, well that’s entirely different.

I’ve had the privilege to get to know Daffy since his vet first ever groom.

Happy woofing 15th Birthday Daffy.

13/05/2026

12/05/2026

Mid groom, tongue out Tuesday 😁

08/05/2026

One of the funniest things I’ve witnessed when we were out walking our dog was someone frantically shouting “no, not that one”!

Anyone that regularly walks their dogs on the racecourse common knows the spots where the sinking muddy puddles form and that dog was making an absolute beeline for one of the worst ones.

We felt their pain because Tonka always liked a good roll.

If you’ve got a roller you know the signs, which shoulder drops down to get maximum coverage.

The photos are of Bronte and she loves a good roll too.

This is where I come into help. Yes you can shampoo at home, yes you can try tomato sauce and all the other recommended hacks or you can have a proper professional deep cleanse.

It’s about knowing the right products to do the job and knowing how to use them.

Stink be gone!

I do offer an emergency you’ve had a massive roll service. It’s a 30minute deep cleanse and as much drying as possible within that time.

As you can see Bronte scrubbed up pretty well.

04/05/2026

It can make all the difference when we look at things from a dog’s perspective.

Hope you’re enjoying the long weekend 🐾

02/05/2026

Generally speaking the best best for and after photos never get taken because you are so busy grooming you just don’t have time.
I’m not sure who’s more tired me or Louie 😁❤️🐾