A local dog groomer has recently qualified as an Animal Reiki practitioner.

Dannii Coleclough, who owns Dannii's Dog House at Robert Gleave Garden Centre, passed the course with a distinction, and hopes her new expertise will help her soothe the more anxious dogs that she grooms.

This is just the latest in a long list of pet care courses that Dannii has completed, as she channels her passion for animals into developing her business.

Dannii's Dog House opened last year, and offers one-to-one appointments for dogs of all shapes and sizes.

"I personally find the variety of each breed dog to be the most enjoyable part of grooming," says Dannii.

"I love scissoring fluffy legs, deshedding a blown coat, creating cute teddy bear faces, carrying breed standard trims and hand stripping.

"The variety each day is endless and no two days are the same so my job never gets boring!"

Now, you may be wondering: how does Animal Reiki work?

"Animal Reiki is focused on healing and calming using an animal's energy," Dannii explains. "It enables you to get a feel for the dog's emotions, balancing their energy when you're working with them.

"Human Reiki is known for reducing bodily pain through meditation and spiritual exercises carried out with a trained professional.

"Human and Animal Reiki have the same aim, but using Reiki with animals is much more for relieving stress and building bonds rather than healing physical pains.

"A dog has to accept you and what you want from them in order to build a bond. Reducing the stress levels of nervous dogs is really important when grooming as they can become reactive or overwhelmed easily.

"When you are able to focus one-on-one with the dog and create the same energy as them, they can accept your presence and the task to be carried out.

"Building up this trusted bond makes the experience much more pleasant. The calmer you and the dog are, the easier the grooming routine becomes, making it less stressful and more enjoyable!

When Dannii is working with a nervous dog, it is important for her to get to the root of their anxiety before deciding how to deal with it.

"No two dogs are the same and learning the individuality of each dog allows you to use the methods best suited for their emotional and physical needs.

"For some dogs, a calm environment with lots of reassurance and calming massages will help the groom to proceed. For example, in stressful situations I like to have quiet music playing in the background.

"For other dogs, distractions and breaks to gather themselves in between tasks work best.

"Before any groom I always spend the first five to ten minutes playing with the dog, going over it on the table and allowing it to come to me.

"This allows me to get a feel for their behaviour and the energy they give off as a first impression, whether that be nervous, reactive, lively and playful or calming."

One in a string of lockdown projects

While securing her Animal Reiki qualification, Dannii has also been moving her grooming parlour into a new space at Robert Gleave's.

"It's amazing!" she says. "My old unit was a great start for my little business as the space was large and open. However, when the opportunity came to move to a newer, brighter space which was much better suited to me, I couldn't refuse!

"This unit has much more natural light, and is a more practical space with a bright, fresh look about it.

"I'm really pleased with how it all came together and I can't wait until the lockdown restrictions are lifted and I can continue to improve and add to it."

[I]Dannii is able to offer appointments to high priority breeds during lockdown.

Her Dog House has strict hygiene and social-distancing measures in place, including contact-free pick ups and drop offs.

Masks are worn at all times, and the parlour is disinfected between each of Dannii's canine clientele.

You can find out more about Dannii's Dog House by visiting her website or Facebook page.