Welcome to my blog!
Who is The Holistic Dog Groomer?
My name is Stephanie Zikmann and I am a qualified professional (holistic) dog groomer, certified canine behaviourist, KAD approved professional, dog trainer and author from Scotland!
I started my journey into the pet care sector in 2018 after attending my official grooming training at a semi-local training centre - it was awful but it gave me the inspiration to go out and learn more about canine behaviour, training and psychology so I have that to thank them for at least!
I opened up my first high street salon which quickly became a big success, booking dogs more than a year in advance. My business, 'Scrub A Dug Dug' went on to win various business awards and was spotted and featured by BBC Scotland who subsequently invited me into their studios to be interviewed about my very specific, dog-centred approach.
Why Am I Here?
When the world stopped turning over lockdown I decided to rebrand and change direction slightly - I wanted to support professional groomers in updating their skills in canine communication and safe handling.
I renamed my business before opening back up as an online educational platform for professional groomers and carers and began securing talking gigs at various animal welfare events, talking all about 'holistic grooming' and its amazing benefits.
In March 2021, I published my first book, 'The Magic of Holistic Grooming' which would become an overnight Number One bestseller in seven categories on Amazon! My book, a benchmark for my forthcoming accreditation, was a total success and gave me the fire in my belly to officially launch my new business concept.
Though The Holistic Grooming Academy was officially launched in 2020, it wasn't until May time 2021 that I released my first course, the 'Holistic Grooming & Behaviour Diploma' and filled my first ten spaces within a matter of days.
I quickly built up my reputation across the world as, 'The Holistic Dog Groomer' advocating for a modern and dog-centred approach to professional grooming, making friends with some of the most inspirational animal welfare professionals including Dr Marc Bekoff, Dr Isla Fishburn and Linda Michaels.
Today I have over 100 students from across the globe studying my course, and a further 700 members subscribed to my holistic grooming membership hub, all learning ways to raise the bar of professional grooming industry standards.
What To Expect
I wanted to create an information blog to spread my message and connect with as many like-minded dog lovers as I can.
This blog will hopefully help to inspire both professional groomers and dog carers to practice more holistic grooming concepts.
All You Gotta Do Is Ask!
Finally, I believe that is is important that a person feels safe enough to ask questions, especially ones they think are "silly" because that's the only way we can learn.
I take pride in being an approachable person with an open-heart and welcome you to really get involved with my posts, share your own views and/or ask questions.
Equally, if you believe that any of the content I publish is inaccurate or misleading in any way, I welcome you to contact me straight away. I want to emphasise that I am a student just like you, just as invested into my ongoing professional development, and will take on board any constructive feedback I receive gracefully.
To sign up to receive regular posts, just hit the subscribe button!
If you would like to get to know me better or read more about my holistic grooming theory and approach, I would be ever-so-grateful if you consider purchasing a copy of one or all of my books:
I have also authored a fun and educational children's picture book all about safe dog interaction and dog bite prevention, called:
Thank you for joining me on this journey, and I wish you the very best!
Stephanie xo
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