What is Creative Grooming?
Creative Grooming has been popular in the U.S. for a number of years and, although at times controversial due to the extreme styles at the big competitions, is now gaining popularity here and may dog owners enjoy giving their loving pets a temporary colour make over.
Creative grooming can be done on a number of levels, from simple coloured nails and Mohawks to stencilled designs or full colour themed designs – there really is no limit. The colour can be subtle or full on, even fluorescent and can be done just on the tail or ears or completely dyed all over. Competition groomers can even use scissoring, clipping and colouring to turn poodles into elaborate designs like pandas or lions.
The best thing about creative grooming is that you really can do anything you want to make your dog look its best. Adding a splash of colour to the coat is often the first step, you can dye different areas of your dog’s coat in single or multiple colours, add rainbow effects to the tail or simply colour the tips of the ears.
THEMES
How about adding a crazy pink tail with matching paws or painting leopard spots or tiger stripes? You can even theme them for different events throughout the year, red and green for Christmas or orange for Halloween for example.
STENCILS
You can also use stencils to give your dog a truly individual look. Hearts and stars are popular or how about Christmas Trees or Hollie Berries for Christmas? Or how about a glitter spray for a bit of sparkle.
NAILS
For something more subtle you can simply colour their nails, you and your dog can even have matching colours and patterns.
If you don’t want to colour your dog but want to add a unique finishing touch we can add bows, ribbons or even feather extensions.
Light colour coats are the best to work with as no bleaching agents are used but some dark coated dogs can also have colour added, although the results will be more subtle and less vibrant.
SAFETY
So how safe is creative grooming? All the products we use are non toxic and are created specially for pets so are perfectly safe, however we will not colour any dogs that have pre-existing skin conditions. We recommend the use of temporary colours that will wash out in 1-2 washes, although semi-permanent dyes are also available that will last more than 12 washes for a longer lasting look. Also remember that the dyes only colour the coat and not the skin so will grow out in time or can be clipped off.
HEATH & WELFARE
At Clippity Snip our first priority is always the health and welfare of the dogs we groom and we understand that creative grooming isn’t for every pet. If your dog is shy, withdrawn, or has social anxieties he or she would not be a suitable candidate for creative grooming as it would draw the very thing they fear most, attention. However, most pets thrive on human attention and if a little bit of colour brings them extra attention, then why not? They don’t know why people stare, take their photo, or ask to pet them, they just know they are loved.
“Creative Grooming is a fun and safe way to add a little something special to your pet’s hair style.”
-CLIPPITY SNIP
For further advice and information or to make an appointment please email mark@clippitysnip.co.uk or call 07590 053758.