This is Benji:

Benji first visited Paws of Par when he was a tiny puppy. He was a happy, very lively little boy, who feared nothing, loved lots of attention and did everything at 100 miles an hour. So what changed?

Well at Paws of Par it’s always super busy and when it came to Benji needing his next groom, unfortunately, because he hadn’t  been booked in in advance, there wasn’t a space. So, his mum decided to use another groomer, his coat was getting long and knotty and he was desperate for a trim. He was groomed by a mobile groomer and his mum felt happy that he was close by. However, after his groom, where he was clipped very closely to remove his tangles, Benji became withdrawn and sad.

A few months later his mum contacted me and rebooked him in for a groom. She didn’t feel comfortable using the previous groomer and wanted to come back to Paws of Par.

She dropped him off as she had done last time and left him with me for his groom. However, after 20 minutes I had to telephone her to return. Benji was terrified. He was climbing all over me, trying to catapult himself off the grooming table, squealing if he was brushed, he was terrified of the clippers and I couldn’t get near him with the scissors. I could feel his little heart racing and it really wasn’t safe to continue trying to groom him. He was also matted, so he was in desperate need of a groom. His mum returned and offered to stay to help hold him. She was shocked at the fear he showed and the behaviour she witnessed. He had never behaved like this previously a and it was obvious from his reaction that he had suffered a negative experience of somekind whilst being groomed by the previous groomer. His mum agreed that it wouldn’t be safe to continue the groom and decided to take my advice and visit the vets with him.

The vets prescribed a herbal sedative which, rather than knock him out completely, was designed to calm him down enough to get him through a groom safely. Later that day he returned to the salon. He was slightly calmer after the sedative and his mum cuddled him whilst I clipped and trimmed him as best I could. However, his fear was so great that he tried desperately to fight the sedative and get away and it was heartbreaking to witness.

A plan of action was then put into place. Benji was booked in every six weeks for the rest of last year and into this year! His mum would stay with him during the groom and before each groom he would take a herbal sedative. As time passed we planned to get him used to regular grooming, keep him knot free and gradually reduce his sedative. The hope was that we could rebuild his trust and enjoyment of grooming enough to stop the sedative being needed!

Benji and his mum before his groom

It was such an amazing achievement for Benji to trust me enough to allow me to groom him. To see him relaxed and calm without any sedation was utterly fantastic. It shows that calm and gentle, restraint free handling, really does work. It’s taken 9 months of regular 6 weekly visits to get to this point but we made it!!!

So, now we are working on two elements. The first, using clippers on his legs (he’s still afraid of this). The second, his mum gradually leaving the salon, building up the time until she can drop him off and leave him for his full appointment. I know with continued time and patience we can most certainly achieve this.

Well done Benji ??? 

Benji before and after

This is Maisie

Maisie’s mum contacted me a couple of months ago about Maisie. She had an extremely thick coat and had been really feeling the heat. Her mum was desperate for her to have a trim and tidy, but this wasn’t going to be a simple task. Why? Because 2 years ago Maisie visited a groomer and had a negative experience. This experience had left her feeling extremely anxious about being groomed. She had developed a fear of being brushed, which took her mum weeks to try and conquer with her – even now she can be sensitive with brushing. She was afraid of clippers, scissors, the dryer. In fact she was afraid of the very salon itself. Understandly her mum felt reluctant to take her to another groomer, until she contacted me after reading a story about a nervous dog who I had worked with and reintroduced to grooming. 

On Maisie’s first visit she met me and after a lot of coaxing she came into the salon and looked around. She didn’t want to get on the table so I just spent time fussing her and just allowing her to be in a salon environment in a way that she felt comfortable with. She was rewarded with treats and praise and her mummy stayed with her. Further short visits were planned.

On her second visit, she came into the salon with a little less coaxing than before. Again her mummy stayed in the salon with her. Using treats and praise I coaxed her onto the grooming table. She thought about getting off and stood at the edge of the table ready, but she didn’t jump and remember I don’t use any restraints so this was fantastic!!! I brushed her gently and handled her feet. At the end of the appointment I let her listen to the sound of the clippers. Afterwards she went in the garden and enjoyed the sunshine. 

On her third visit she amazed me and her mummy. She trotted in to the salon and got on the table with ease. She sat looking at me as if to say, ‘lets get on with this then!’ After a short brush, I decided to try to clip her body and she stood beautifully and just let me!!!! Of course she was rewarded with enough praise and a few tasty treats to show her how good she was being. At the end of the appointment her mum could not believe her eyes. It wasn’t the prettiest trim ever but the fact that Maisie had let me anywhere near her with clippers was totally amazing. To build her trust to this point in such a short space of time was truely a reward in itself.

Maisie is super proud of her achievement!

Maisie will now continue to visit the salon monthly for short bursts. This will allow her to continue to build up her positive associations with grooming again. I think Maisie’s story proves that with calm and gentle handling any dog can learn to trust again.

Thank you Maisie and Michelle for visiting Paws of Par

A lovely review left by Maisie’s mum

 Why not pop along with your four legged friends to this fabulous event happening THIS Saturday. It’s sure to be a fun packed day and all in aid of a great cause too ? 

Paws of Par is now CLOSED for two weeks. We reopen on Tuesday 24th May at 9am. Any voicemails, text messages, emails and PM’s will be replied to as soon as we reopen. Apologies for any inconvenience that this may cause.

Whilst we are closed the salon will be having a nice fresh lick of paint. A brand new, luxurious hydro bath is also being installed to give your precious pooches an extra special pampering massage!
As ever, I would just like to say a HUGE thank you to each and everyone of you for your continued support and custom. I absolutely love my job and feel very privileged to have the honour of meeting and pampering so many fantastic pooches. So thank you for choosing me and Paws of Par for your best friends.

See you all very soon ?
  

PLEASE TAKE A MOMENT TO READ…Recently quite a few pooches have passed through my doors with extremely matted coats! I don’t like having to clip them off short but sometimes it’s the only option, for the welfare of the dog, especially when brushes and combs will no longer go through the coat. This wet weather combined with wool coats is a recipe for matts if a regular grooming routine isn’t established. Matts form when one hair becomes damaged and little barbs appear on it. These barbs then grab neighbouring hairs and matts begin to form which gradually become bigger and tighter. These matts pull on the dogs skin causing a lot of discomfort. Please read below in comments for tips on how you can prevent matts from forming…​

   
   
    
How to avoid matts forming:

1. Do not ever rub your dog with a towel, the rubbing action causes friction which can cause matting. Try to squeeze dry using an absorbent towel such as an Easidri Towel.

2. Where collars rub up and down matts can form. Try buying a rolled leather collar.

3. Try not to over bath your dog, if you do bath them don’t allow them to dry naturally. Stand them on a table and dry them using a slicker brush, a comb and a hair dryer on a low setting.

4. Coconut oil added to food is reported to help preventing matts.

5. Brush and comb regularly. I recommend a slicker brush and a greyhound combination comb. Use the slicker brush first to brush the coat in layers from root to tip. Then go through each layer with the wide side followed by the fine side of the comb getting right down to the skin. A slicker brush isn’t enough on its own!

Brush and comb I recommend:

Best comb to use:

http://www.groomers-online.com/groomers-and-animal-professionals-c1/grooming-c21/tools-c27/combs-c191/greyhound-combination-comb-p611

Excellent Slicker 

http://www.groomers-online.com/groomers-and-animal-professionals-c1/grooming-c21/tools-c27/brushes-c167/groomers-large-slicker-brush-p539

Remember a Matt free dog is a happy dog:

The winter has arrived, it’s wet, cold and windy and if you’ve got a pooch with a long or wooly coat, you will no doubt understand the struggle that is matting!

​Although, I am not one of those owners, my mum does have two Cockerpoo’s with thick wooly coats. Both of them love nothing better than a wet muddy walk or a dip in the freezing cold sea! Keeping on top of their coats can be a nightmare!

  
With this in mind, here are my top tips for surviving winter with a long coated dog…

Don’t feel guilty for opting for a nice,short trim. It’s OK to cut them short. Leaving them with extra coat doesn’t keep them warmer, a longer coat will stay wet and cold for longer, will trap more dirt and mud and is more likely to get knotty.  If you think you’ll struggle to keep on top of brushing that extra coat, then opt for a shorter more practical style…

  
If you do choose to keep them longer then that’s ok too, but don’t forget that a longer coat will need more frequent brushing and more frequent trips to the groomers!

  
BRUSH BRUSH BRUSH. Towel drying is great for short coated breeds but if you have a long coated pooch rubbing them with a towel when they’re wet will encourage knots to develop. It is much better to use your hair dryer on a low heat setting and brush through your pooches coat as you dry him. This way you will stop any knots forming before they get the chance! If your pooch hates the dryer then squeeze dry his coat with a towel and BRUSH and COMB him through BEFORE he drys!  Leaving knots in the coat to dry is the worst thing you can do, it will make them tighter and even harder to remove!

Don’t be afraid to pop a winter coat or jumper on your pooch. This will help to keep your dog warm, clean and dry! Don’t forget to give him a quick brush through once you’ve taken it off though.

Leave in conditioner is fabulous for dogs! Use one specifically for dogs daily and it will really help to keep your pooch knot free. You can get de-tangle sprays too and these can be just as effective when brushed through a dry coat.

But your dog is already knotty?

If your dog is matted, please go to a groomer. Matting is incredibly uncomfortable and can cause health issues. Tight matting causes microscopic tears in the skin, allowing bacteria to get inside which could cause nasty skin infections. When they get wet, the damp warm environment of a mat is the perfect place for bacteria to hide. Maggots, fleas and other parasites can all hide in matted fur so it’s best to get rid of it.

Brushing out the mats is painful and cruel, from a grooming perspective, we will not do this. Humanity comes before vanity and matted dogs will be clipped off. This means the fur has a chance to grow back in a good, healthy condition rather than leaving damaged fur on the dog which will just mat up again. When matting has been particularly bad (this is usually around the ears and tail) bleeding can occur when it is removed. The sudden flow of blood back to the affected area (yes, matting can cut off the blood supply) puts pressure on damaged skin and it can bleed. This is nothing to be worried about unless it doesn’t stop. Your groomer will do all they can to avoid this happening and if it does, they know what to do. Simply use a sock, pair of tights, headband or similar to wrap the area and apply pressure, keep Fido calm and the bleeding will subside.
Paws of Par

Click the link below to watch a short video and find out what being pampered at Paws of Par is really all about! ?

https://flipagram.com/f/gBSywpA4xs