About Me
An Amazing Tail
My name is Nupur (pronounced N'purr). I am the owner of The Artful Dog Grooming Parlour. I am an IPET qualified groomer, and trained at the renowned GroomArts Academy in St. Albans. I am also a Fear Free certified pet professional.
In a previous life I studied languages at Oxford University, and was a Chief Operating Officer for e-commerce companies. Then a lot of life happened, and I became a dog groomer. But that's another story. If you get this far in the website, you can ask and I'll tell you about it. This is the story of what kind of groomer I am.
When my cockapoo puppy, Milo, was 5 and then 7 months old, I took him for his first puppy grooms at a well-known national chain of groomers. I had brushed him religiously at home, every day for 20 minutes, so I knew his coat was in good condition.
The first time I collected him, the groomer showed me the scratches on her arms she had endured, with rushed instructions on how to build up his resilience to being handled, that made me feel like I was a bad owner. The second time was mortifying; the groomer told me he hated his ears being groomed. And his face. And his tail. When I got home, and in the weeks afterwards, Milo showed every sign of anxiety if I so much as tried to regularly touch his ears, or wave a brush in his general direction. He had gone backwards. I thought I had done the right thing by setting up grooming sessions, but it only seemed to have made things worse.
During my practical training I began to understand that the groomer, and how the groom itself is conducted, both play a massive part in how your dog feels about it. This experience helped me to realise that there is a lot broken with current grooming practice. The commercial imperative to groom as many dogs as possible, as quickly and efficiently as possible, is so often at odds with the emotions and needs of dogs. And it all happens behind closed doors.
I believe in grooming your dog in a stress-free environment in order to provide a happy and healthy experience. I am passionate about dogs and their well-being, and incorporate the principles of consent-based grooming into my practice. This means that I focus on the long-term welfare of your pet, and how to get them accustomed to the grooming process. I am patient and understanding with pooches that may be nervous about being handled; that have sensitive body parts; that are new to grooming; or are aged, ill or disabled. I am open about how your dog fared and will spend time with you explaining what, exactly, is being done to your dog when you leave them with me.
Working with you is essential. I consult with the dog's parent to discuss any underlying issues to do with their behaviour or health that may affect their grooming experience, and encourage regular short visits to help desensitise any young puppies or anxious dogs. I do not rush your dog through stages they might feel anxious about and recommend instead, a little-and-often approach combined with desensitisation techniques, counter conditioning and positive reinforcement. I go at the pace your dog is comfortable with, which ensures each pooch has a positive grooming experience. If this sounds like the right environment for you and your dog, please get in touch.