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 shorn once a year. I had to get their nails and teeth trimmed because they are the next domesticated animal to dog and cat. Alpacas remind me of doodles...lol.
My yaks, being less domesticated, shed their coats once a year. The inside of their fiber is like cashmere and the outside is waterproof. One should NEVER shear a yak. We would take away their own temperature regulation system and harm them. It would put them at risk for skin cancer and other skin issues. Yaks remind me of double coated dogs, such as the Great Pyrenees or the German Shepherd.
When I went to the most amazing, loving, talented, dog grooming academy, (https://www.classypetgroomingschool.com/) I didn't know the REAL journey I was about to embark upon. Dog grooming was in my soul and it was about to show itself! The ONLY thing I didn't learn in class was how the dog grooming "culture" can be volatile and money focused. My naive heart automatically believed everyone would be in it for the benefit of the dog.
Well, here I am....searching for my glass slipper. I'm searching for other groomers, owners, facilities, that have the same heart.
Until then... my grooming is on hold:
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 shorn once a year. I had to get their nails and teeth trimmed because they are the next domesticated animal to dog and cat. Alpacas remind me of doodles...lol.
My yaks, being less domesticated, shed their coats once a year. The inside of their fiber is like cashmere and the outside is waterproof. One should NEVER shear a yak. We would take away their own temperature regulation system and harm them. It would put them at risk for skin cancer and other skin issues. Yaks remind me of double coated dogs, such as the Great Pyrenees or the German Shepherd.
When I went to the most amazing, loving, talented, dog grooming academy, (https://www.classypetgroomingschool.com/) I didn't know the REAL journey I was about to embark upon. Dog grooming was in my soul and it was about to show itself! The ONLY thing I didn't learn in class was how the dog grooming "culture" can be volatile and money focused. My naive heart automatically believed everyone would be in it for the benefit of the dog.
Well, here I am....searching for my glass slipper. I'm searching for other groomers, owners, facilities, that have the same heart.
Until then... my grooming is on hold:
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