Why can one dog leave a professional groomer completely drained?

Why can two groomers perform the same technique yet create entirely different experiences for the dog?

And what is happening beneath the coat, beneath the behavior, and beneath our own reactions?

In the first episode of Beneath the Canine Coat, Michelle Knowles and Sasha Riess share the very different personal and professional journeys that brought them together.

Drawing from decades of experience in professional dog grooming, canine behavior, skin and coat care, wellness, education, and the international dog-show world, they reveal why technical skill alone is no longer enough.

This conversation introduces a deeper approach to contemporary dog grooming, one that connects physiology, neuroscience, stress, environment, intuition, emotional regulation, and the relationship between two living beings.

This is not spirituality separated from science. It is an exploration of how the groomer’s presence, intention, and nervous system can influence the dog’s experience.

This series will help you read dogs more clearly, recognize what happens before resistance or shutdown, understand why certain appointments affect you so deeply, and see your profession from a perspective rarely discussed in traditional grooming education.

Two journeys. One mission. A deeper way of seeing the dog.

Ready to put this science into practice?

Join Michelle and Sasha live at Beneath the Canine Coat, October 10, 11 & 12, 2026, in Arlington, Texas.

https://workshop.plhschool.com