Asian Fusion Master Dog Groomer, Georgia Ashton-Fuller in The Dog House
It was so lovely to open The Dog House doors yesterday to welcome Georgia Ashton-Fuller to Norfolk. Look at all these dog groomers! What a wonderful way to launch our first professional seminar since well before lockdown.
Georgia is an award winning competition groomer who starred on the BBC’s Pooch Perfect show with Sheridan Smith, reaching the finals! She is also a master in the art of beautiful Asian fusion inspired design and studied at Starwood Arts of Dog Grooming School, in Thailand.
As I write upstairs in my office, six ladies are down in the studio working on their own dog models with Georgia’s help and guidance. So yesterday she demonstrated two different Asian fusion inspired hair styles in front of her mesmerised audience and today she is hosting an exclusive student skills workshop.
Happy dogs rule
Our ethos here at The Dog House, is and always will be to prioritise the care and welfare of every dog in our care and it was immediately obvious that Georgia shares these values. Her two model dogs, Darla and Ziggy are just delightful, amazingly calm and happy. Both quite obviously love to pose and wow we all got some great photos!
Saturday’s Seminar – What is Asian Fusion Dog Grooming?
Yesterday’s attendees ranged from having less than one, to thirty years dog grooming experience and every single one of us learnt something new.
Georgia explained how ‘Asian Fusion’ grooming has evolved from Eastern countries such as Thailand, Japan and especially China, throughout its one child policy. Dogs became parent’s additional ‘babies’ and the basics of the grooming style was born of desire to ‘dress’ their dogs in clothes and accessories and treat them as children.
For these reasons, I must admit my own scepticism towards the concept of Asian styling. I certainly have strong beliefs that a dog should be able to be a dog and dressing a dog in human style clothes is not personally for me. However Georgia has both reassured and inspired me this weekend.
Asian influenced creative styling is basically about accentuating cuteness. Bodies, armpits and sanitary areas tend to be clipped very short, (extremely practical for customers whose dogs are prone to matting.) Whilst leg furnishings are flared and flowing and face styles, such as the ‘doughnut’ muzzle are just irresistibly and deliciously cute and ‘smiley.’
After yesterday’s seminar Georgia and I caught the last few rays of sun out in my garden and as we watched her girls run freely in our garden, I fully appreciated how beautiful and happy both looked. Maxine, Molly, Nat and I can’t wait to have a go ourselves… any customer volunteers?
An Inspiration
I hope she won’t read this until she’s safely back home to Wales later this evening, as I really don’t want to embarrass her… Georgia Ashton-Fuller is an amazing and inspirational young woman.
Georgia and I had never met before yesterday. I’m sure she won’t mind me mentioning that trying to pin her down to answer a message, whilst planning the booking, was somewhat erratic 😉 Consequently I was slightly concerned if she’d actually turn up at all.
She did, and what a fabulous weekend it has been. Inviting Georgia to stay in my home felt natural and relaxed. We chatted about dog grooming, lots! Despite me having to ask her to repeat most things several times as I attempted to tune my ears to her lovely Welsh accent 😉
We shared short overviews of our lives and professional backgrounds and although these have been very different journeys, we have a lots of common interests and beliefs. Georgia is an extremely talented and compassionate dog groomer and as I said above, a kind and amazing person.
She leaves this afternoon as an inspiration to all who kindly supported our event and as a friend whom I very much hope to meet and make dog grooming memories with again.
Do you fancy a career in dog grooming? Check out our professional training offers here
Special thanks…
To suit our Asian inspired weekend, what better than a wonderful Thai buffet, delivered hot for lunch each day.
Everyone thought it absolutely delicious 🙂 Nidy, thank you so much x
