Clare’s Canine Care

19/06/2026

There goes the magic bath .. MOVE DAY - I am a girl that HATES change.. mixed emotions today ❤️ wish us luck!

17/06/2026

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 Frankie and Daisy are enjoying the first England match .. 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿

16/06/2026

💰 PRICING 💰

I have noticed recently that the question asked first when enquiring with me for an appointment is “ How much do you charge?”

When comparing dog groomers, it’s worth looking beyond the price tag. Not all grooming services are the same, and several factors influence what you’re paying for:

🐾 Qualifications & Training 🐾
Has the groomer completed recognised training courses or gained professional qualifications? Are they first aid trained and do they do continued education?

🐾 Experience - how long have they been grooming ? 🐾
An experienced groomer has often handled a wide range of breeds, coat types, temperaments, and grooming challenges - but how long someone has been grooming can be irrelevant if they are not updating their techniques - it’s very important to be up to date with new science..

🐾 One-to-One vs Salon Environment 🐾
One-to-one salons offer your dog its own private space to be groomed - with the only dog being groomed at that time. Others can be busy salons with multiple dogs present. Neither is necessarily right or wrong, but they provide very different experience.

🐾 Facilities & Surroundings 🐾
A purpose-built grooming salon, high-quality equipment, regular maintenance, insurance, and a clean, safe environment all contribute to operating costs and your dog’s comfort. Do they have an outside space for your dog to go to the toilet if it needs to during a groom?

🐾 Treats and products 🐾
If they are using treats are they to a high quality? Are the products they use natural ? What would you prefer for your dog?

🐾 Does the groomer offer home support, tips and guidance ? What else do I get if I joined this groomers 🐾

When choosing a groomer, ask yourself: Am I comparing like for like? The cheapest option isn’t always the best value, and the most expensive isn’t automatically the best either. The right groomer is one who provides a safe, skilled, professional service that suits both you and your dog.

⭐ Remember: you’re not just paying for the groom itself — you’re paying for your surroundings, knowledge, experience, care, and your dog’s wellbeing ⭐

15/06/2026

Frankie had a spruce up tonight - such a beautiful girl.

Many of you have heard/ seen Frankie when you’ve come to drop off/ collect ( the little one at the window ) - she’s made good friends with some of the little dogs that visit - she’s become a very popular lady!

I am going to miss seeing this little one and her sister Daisy every single day when I move premises next week - literally the HARDEST part of the move but thankfully will still be their groomer 🥹

14/06/2026

PUPPYS PUPPYS PUPPYS!!!! Sorry it’s a long one 😆

Coco came for her very first session with me on Saturday as part of my Puppy Package.

The first appointment is usually what I call a “Meet & Treat” session. This gives your puppy the chance to come in, have a sniff around, meet me, enjoy some treats, and start building a positive relationship. There’s normally no hands-on grooming at this stage unless it’s needed for welfare reasons.

I always recommend booking this first visit shortly after a puppy’s second vaccination, ideally between 10–12 weeks old. Early introductions can make such a difference to how puppies feel about grooming as they grow.

Coco is 20 weeks old, but her family were keen for me to be her groomer after hearing about my approach, so we got her booked in at the earliest opportunity. As she started a little later than ideal, I’ve advised that she’ll benefit from more frequent visits initially to help her catch up on those important grooming experiences.

My main priority during the session was simply helping her feel comfortable and clearing the hair from around her eyes so she could see properly.

For first-time dog owners, grooming can be a whole new world, and that’s exactly why I’m here—to offer guidance, support, and help you and your puppy navigate the process together.

One of the biggest misconceptions about grooming is that the first appointment can be booked when they dog needs their first haircut but In reality, there is often lots of important groundwork to do before we even think about trimming the coat. Building confidence, trust, and positive experiences is what sets puppies up for a lifetime of stress-free grooming.

If you’re planning to use a groomer who takes this approach, it’s always best to book your puppy in well before they actually need a haircut. The earlier we can start introducing them to the grooming process, the better the experience will be for everyone involved.

Can’t wait to see you soon Coco 🙌

13/06/2026

The lovely Finn.. the most sweet natured little boy that took his grooming session all in his stride 🐾

11/06/2026

Harry.. such a brave boy !

Harry is getting on well with his sessions with me and has settled in very well with his new family in the UK from Spain.

The video is showing the way I am slowly desensitising him to the sound and the sensation of the dryer on his body whilst distracting with “treat and find” free work.

This is a complete content based exercise where Harry can leave the situation whenever he wishes and come back if/ when ready ❤️

10/06/2026

Taught and learnt 🙌

A dog turns their head away. They lick their lips. They tap dance on the table, and they lean away from the brush anytime you get close.

And perhaps the groomer thinks these behaviours are the dog being "naughty", "difficult", and/or "stubborn".

But what if the behaviour isn't the problem?

What if it's a communication barrier you didn't think was there?

Because dogs are communicating with us all the time - often in ways that are far more subtle than a growl, an air snap, and a bite attempt.

The challenge groomers often have is that warning signals start incredibly subtle that, to an untrained eye, could absolutely be unidentified and/or overlooked...

The SOLUTION to this common problem isn't to simply add an additional restraint to make the grooming process "safer" -

It's to learn the ways dogs communicate and WHY...

For example:

👩‍🏫 A head turn can mean, "I'm feeling uncomfortable"

👩‍🏫 A lip lick can mean, "I'm not sure about this"

👩‍🏫 Leaning away can mean, "I need space"

👩‍🏫 Tap dancing can mean, "I am in pain and you touching here feels sore"

When a dog's communication cues are ignored, behaviours become more advanced and visible.

This is typically when you hear things like:

"The bite came from nowhere!".

Instead of groomers labelling behaviours as "bad" and "good", it's more productive to begin to ask:

"What is this dog trying to tell me, and how can I help?"

Once we change our approach to think about the DOG'S perspective, the groomer:dog bond improves, and day-to-day grooming tasks become more predicable AND, enjoyable.

What do you think? 👇


🤓 Read more about this topic:

https://stephaniezikmann.com/aggression-in-dogs-what-youre-really-seeing-in-the-grooming-room/

10/06/2026

It’s that time of year again…. GRASS SEEDS!

I share this information every year as it tends to be something as a dog owner you learn about when it’s to late and your paying a HUGE vet bill!!

Grass seeds may seem harmless, but they can cause serious problems for your dog. Their sharp, pointed shape allows them to become trapped between a dog’s toes, where they can pe*****te the skin and migrate deeper into the tissue. This can lead to pain, swelling, redness, limping, and infection.
If left untreated, a grass seed can travel through the body and cause significant damage to muscles, joints, or other tissues.

Other common areas can be ears, eyes and arm pits… get your dog on a regular grooming schedule to keep these areas groomed and checked - let me be a second pair of eyes for you and your dog to ensure they are kept healthy ❤️❤️