Kylie Tatty is a third generation dog groomer, pet stylist and canine stylist who was "pretty much born" into the world of competitive dog grooming.
"I have been grooming competitively on and off for the last 16 years," she says.
"I won Best In Show in 2013 at Melbourne Royal and then in 2014 at the Sydney Royal.
"Over the next two days there's a grooming comp – Groomex – and there's a lot of really top groomers coming.
"I'm doing three dogs and the preparation is very important. Washing, drying, de-knotting."
As one of the more experienced competitors in the field, she says one of the keys to excellent dog grooming is knowing what features of the dog to highlight and which ones to discreetly hide.
Source: The Feed
For John Paul Williamson, the world of competitive dog grooming is a relatively new one and a field that he has entered into with his dog Charlie.
"This is my first year competing with dog grooming and this is my dog Charlie’s first competition," he says.
"I actually have Charlie to blame for me falling into grooming because I got fed up with spending 90 dollars on getting him groomed so I thought I'd do it myself.
"I should have YouTubed it: at the end of it he looked like he had mange.
Source: The Feed
"So then I said, right, I'm going to do an online course and I applied for a job."
The biggest concern for John is the crowds at competitions as Charlie, well, "he's not a lover of people".
"I can't believe that I'm doing grooming competitions," says John.
"This time two years ago I would never have thought I'd be doing it. I’m usually the only guy.
"I should be in the novice, only grooming a year, but I'd prefer to go in the open.
"I'm not there looking to win, I’m more there to learn. I just want to push myself."
Source: The Feed
John says that the first time he entered a grooming competition, he was so nervous that he couldn't put the blade on the clippers.
"The worst case scenario is that you could cut your dog.
"That's what you worry about if you're hands are shaking if you're too nervous."
Cutting the dog is an automatic disqualification and a rule most groomers know intimately.
Paige Stetter, 17, is one said groomer and hated high school so much that in Year 10 she left to become a fulltime dog groomer.
Source: The Feed
"I've always hated school so leaving school was the best thing I ever did," she says.
"I'll keep competing. I love it."
