Natalie has been involved with dogs most of her life. She has studied Animal Care at Moulton College achieving a Distinction for the First Diploma In Animal Care and a Merit for the National Diploma In Animal Care.
She joined the salon as a bather in 2003 and quickly realised that grooming was the career path for her. She attended the same grooming school as Richard, to first give her a good broad basis of grooming all breeds to a professional level.
Since then, she has gone on to do some further training at the top grooming school in the country and can now groom all breeds to a very high standard. She currently specialises in the poodles that come into to salon.
Natalie regularly attends grooming events, seminars and courses and also holds a certificate in animal first aid. She has owned English Springer Spaniels, Labradors and at present is ‘owned by’ a big beautiful Newfoundland named Ruby.
Richard has been involved with dogs from an early age. As a youngster he was showing his mothers Pekingese at many shows – a highlight was being placed at the prestigious Crufts dog show with a Peke when he was only 15.
Pekingese require a lot of grooming this is where Richard’s grooming skills began. Since then Richard has also shown English Setters and prepared them for show. Richard has also owned and successfully shown the Chinese Shar Pei.
At the age of 19 he decided he wanted to groom full time and learn how to groom all breeds to a professional level. He went to London to study at a grooming school then opened The Doggie Stylists in February 2002.
Since opening the salon, Richard has improved his grooming skills further by studying at one of the top grooming schools in the country, attending seminars nationwide and going on various courses.
Richard has completed his Level 3 City & Guilds Certificate in Dog Grooming and is now due to move on to the Higher Diploma qualification.
His speciality in the Salon is the Bichon-Frise, with scissoring them being his preferred method. As not all groomers can achieve this look successfully this service is in high demand.
Richard grooms all breeds but also has a keen interest in the terrier breeds and handstripping them. He studied this craft at the world famous Saredon terrier kennels.
