Skin Care Hub

Visit the Skin Care Hub for free skin consultations with Trisha Heath and seek her advice on how to care for and nurture your dog's skin and coat. You can visit the hub with or without your dog. 

Trisha qualified in DAATA-ICDG, an international certification of dermatological grooming approved by British Isle Grooming Association.

Why this activity?

The health benefits of dog grooming:

Keeps the skin free from infection, sores and parasites.

When you groom your dog, this is a good way to check for any signs of skin infections, sore and you can detect parasites such as fleas and ticks early. When you brush your dog take some time to part the fur to look closely at the skin. Watch your dog’s face as you brush the different parts of their body to see if they indicate any pain.

Prevents matting and helps the dog exhibit natural behaviours.

A matted coat can restrict the mobility of a dog by pulling on the skin. This can be extremely uncomfortable for your dog and by grooming regularly with the right equipment for your dog’s coat you can hopefully detangle fur before it becomes detrimental to your dog’s wellbeing.

Enables you to detect sensitivity and/or discomfort, revealing a potential injury, infection and/or disease early.

Being mindful of what is normal for your dog’s skin and coat is one of the best ways for you to pick up on early signs of pain, discomfort, injury and/or disease.

Learning to observe and feel the body, the coat and the skin during daily grooming allows you to get familiar with and recognise any abnormalities as and when they appear.

A dull coat, irritated and angry-looking skin, sores and hot spots and loss of hair are all signs of a dog who is perhaps not well.

Enhances the wellbeing of your dog and you by releasing happy hormones.

Scientists have proved there is a release of feel-good hormones in both humans and dogs when we interact and engage, so it is no surprise that grooming our dogs can really benefit our mental health.

Strengthens the bond between family members and the family dog.

Grooming is good for the wellbeing of the dog and the guardian too. Grooming is, after all, a bonding activity that both humans and other animals engage in from birth. Within the animal kingdom, grooming is considered a sign of true affection, and helps to build loving relationships between members of a family, pack or litter.

Teaches children how to interact and handle dogs safely (remember to seek out some professional guidance).

Try spending an evening a week to teach your children how to groom their dogs. This is not only a great way to spend time bonding with them, but also encourages children to relax and bond with the family dogs and vice versa. It also teaches them about responsibility and safe interaction.

Helps to build a resilient dog.

Regardless of whether you take your dog to a groomer every 4, 6, 8 or 12 weeks, a groomer will see a significant difference in the behaviour of a dog who has been groomed daily at home and a dog who has never been groomed at home.

Resilience can only be achieved through repetition, using classical conditioning and positive reinforcement to ensure the grooming experience is never a traumatic one. 

Quite simply grooming makes your dog look good

Grooming makes your dog look their best, which is for your benefit more than theirs – but we are all proud of our dogs and like to show them off. So, all other things considered, the icing on the cake is having a dog that is freshly groomed and looking dapper.