Lovely By Nature Grooming

I absolutely LOVE grooming dogs.  It's one of my passions!  I feel in tune with the animals...I can FEEL them.  I feel their insecurities, their fears.  I know when the trust has been established and I can move in one direction or another with them.  They are so incredible.  They can't speak their stories, but they are apparent if one can just be with them...without judgement, with patience and compassion. I love being present with the dog, with their emotions, with the way I move and hold them....being present with the tools I have in my hands while I am shaping the coat of the dog.  I love fiber and knowing the difference between all of the textures, lengths, shapes, health and colors of their coats. My love for fiber actually started with my alpacas and yaks.  Each alpaca having a different quality of fiber, even though they are all alpacas!  Some fiber soft and more luxurious, some more coarse and scratchy.  Alpacas have to be sh...

I have worked in an institutional setting while grooming and now I have my "own" sacred space that I was allowed to set up how I wish.  While nesting in this space I was provided, cleanliness was the first thing that came to mind.  I moved in and really wanted every corner and shelf cleaned up and ready for a new beginning.   Thinking about air flow, energy flow and a comfortable environment, I placed my furniture in places that was going to allow dogs and people to "float" through the salon with ease and enjoyment.  The furniture I moved into the salon is mostly made of wood and natural materials, with the exception of my tool box.  Of course the grooming table and bath tub are not made of wood.  ;) The colors in the environment make a difference for myself and my clients' humans. :)  Thinking about the walls, colors on the walls, what the floors are made of and the color of that material are all part of the bigger, sacred salon pictu...

Grooming is such a meditative, loving, and just incredible, specialized craft! The grooming path showed itself to me in the fall of 2018.  I had an opportunity to go to an amazing grooming academy and I jumped on it.  I had no idea it was going to change my life like it has and my heart was going to be so full! I ALSO had no idea the grooming "culture" had so many unhealthy or unwelcoming aspects to it!  Drama in the salons, groomer's with control issues, groomer's who may just not know, or who may just not be connected to the animal and how they are feeling in any given moment during these intimate processes....crazy lighting, institutional settings, loud noises from dryers to music to voices and other dogs....all while we touch, move, instruct and handle these amazing, animate, breathing, beautiful furry friends... as we use sharp tools all over there bodies! I go on to say, the products we use on these breathing beings should be healthy, non toxic and worth...