March 29, 2024

Cvb Dienste

Never Knowingly Pets

Dog spa has clients scratching to get let inside

Taking our darling dogs to the groomers is all part of being a responsible dog owner – and their coats need regular maintenance just like our own hair.

But while a trip to the hairdresser can be therapeutic for us owners, not all dogs enjoy the experience. Some can find it pretty stressful.

But a groomer in Childwall does all she can to ensure her four-legged clients enjoy their pamper, including reiki.

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Holistic dog groomer Julie Wakeham, owner of Hair of the Dog, places a lot of importance on making sure her salon is a calming place for dogs.

Not only does she want them to leave looking beautifully preened, she wants them to leave happy too.

But what is holistic dog grooming?

Julie said: “What we do is we just sort of treat each dog individually so it’s not like a kind of conveyor belt style.

“We want them happy to come in.”

Julie explained that the difference between regular grooming and holistic grooming includes using as natural as possible products, no use of cages and crates, and letting the dogs wander around the salon freely, including playing with other dogs.

“And we have lavender burning all day so it’s quite calming. They’re far more susceptible to the smells and we also create a very sort of calm, peaceful atmosphere,” said Julie.

“We just try and make it as stress-free as possible, because obviously, you know, they’re getting left away from their owners for a couple of hours.”



Julie Wakeham is a holistic dog groomer
Julie offers reiki to anxious dogs

And it seems to be working, as Julie described how she has owners comment on how their dogs scratch at the shutters to come in even when they are closed.

Another treatment the business owner offers is reiki, although she generally tends to offer this to dogs who need calming as opposed to as a treatment in itself.

Julie told us: “If they’re like really really nervous I do reiki, which is another sort of thing that can help sort of ease a bit of anxiety.

“It’s just pretty much the same as you do with humans.



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“You just sort of place your hands on them, and it’s like a transference of energy, but has quite a relaxing sort of calming effect on the dogs.”

Although she’s had some success in treating dogs that she describes as low to mid-level anxious, she did say that it doesn’t always work, especially with those who are absolutely petrified of visiting the groomers.

But not all dogs are scared, some love being groomed.

Offering more than just a trim, a visit to this Liverpool business is an experience. All dogs are treated to a blueberry facial with their groom, and they can make some new doggy friends and have a play.

Although with multiple dogs running around a salon, it might sound like a recipe for chaos, but Julie told us that they actually love it, but she does have some secluded areas for dogs who prefer to spend time on their own.

And did we mention there are also treats?

A facial, a pamper, a play and some treats – it sounds like doggy heaven to us.



Hair of the Dog is located in Childwall
Hair of the Dog is located in Childwall

And as huge dog lovers, this sounds like a pretty cushty job to have too. But Julie admits she wouldn’t have described herself as a big dog lover herself, until she got her two Boxers, Dexter and Dixie.

And after facing redundancy from the police force, she wanted to find a job that would mean she could take her dog to work.

She said: “My best friend used to have a dog all the time and I used to be like, he’s nice and all that, throw his ball but be washing my hands every two minutes thinking oh god.

“And now I’m just constantly covered in dog hair and dog slobber.

“It’s mad how they sort of take you on a journey that you would never have thought of, but it’s great though.

“It’s just, it’s the best job ever. The thought now of having to stay in an office and clock on and clock off just sends me into a panic.”