by Sasha Riess | 15.06.26. | Coat Care
The hands are the same. The scissors are the same. The technique is the same. Even the dog is the same. But the result? Completely different. That is the moment every groomer seeks, not perfection, but alignment.
Creative flow in grooming happens the moment you let go of control, stop questioning every movement, and finally begin to trust yourself.
From Tears to Triumph: When Work Becomes Easy
We often struggle with lines, angles, and symmetry, forgetting that the dog feels our uncertainty.
When one student, after hours of drawing and learning, finally put down the need to control and began working “backwards,” row by row, without asking unnecessary questions, something shifted.
Forty minutes later, the dog was radiant, perfectly balanced and smooth. But the true beauty was not in the dog. It was in the tears of the groomer who said: “This dog has never looked this good… and I have never felt this good.”
„This dog has never looked this good.“
More Than a Groom: Finding Yourself
That “smooth finish” we see on the dog is actually a reflection of the inner calm the groomer has reached. When you are present, the work becomes effortless, and the result, as Sasha says, becomes an incredible outcome born from what appears to be nothing.
Creative flow in grooming is not a goal achieved by force. It is a space you enter when you allow yourself to be fully present. Do not search for perfection in every hair. Search for the feeling of alignment with yourself while you create.
At Sasha Riess, we teach that scissors only execute what the soul has already envisioned. Stepping into a state of creative flow in grooming transforms your work and fills the space with pureloveandharmony. Discover your creative alignment: Linktree Sasha Riess
The Dog Groomer’s Dilemma: Journey Trough Burnout, Belonging and Becoming
by Sasha Riess | 12.06.26. | Coat Care
Many owners still receive advice that a dog should be bathed only three times a year. While that may have been relevant in the past, life in urban environments today requires a completely different approach. Regular bathing dogs is no longer a matter of aesthetics, but of preventing the intake of heavy metals into your dog’s body.
The Hidden Danger From Asphalt and Air
Urban dogs walk on asphalt daily and inhale polluted air saturated with heavy metals. These toxins are large molecules that cannot pass through the skin on their own, but they bind to lanolin, the natural fat on the coat.
The problem occurs when the dog:
In this way, heavy metals from the street end up directly inside the dog’s body. Apple cider vinegar and a cloth are not enough to break down the fat to which these toxins are attached. Always use conditioner after shampoo to seal the coat and prevent flaking.
Shampoo cleans, but conditioner seals and protects.
Proper Care: Shampoo Is Not Enough
If a dog lives indoors and moves through the city, bathing dogs every 7 to 15 days is ideal. However, the key lies in the correct process:
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Shampoo and conditioner: Never use shampoo alone, as it dries out both the skin and the coat. Conditioner is essential to seal the coat and maintain its elasticity.
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Nutrition against dandruff: If you notice dandruff, a useful trick is adding a quarter teaspoon of butter to the dog’s food. These healthy fats nourish the skin from within.
Forget advice from the past; a clean dog in an urban environment is a healthy dog.
At Sasha Riess, we understand that bathing dogs is a shield against the modern world. Protecting their internal organs starts with external care and pureloveandharmony. Maintain their defense: Linktree Sasha Riess
The Dog Groomer’s Letter of the Month Club with Sasha Riess
by Sasha Riess | 12.06.26. | Emotions
Unlived wounds that we keep silent about become quiet alarms in our homes, and this is why dogs are the first to recognize them. What we often mistake for calmness is, in reality, trauma that is afraid of itself. If we do nothing, we will leave our children to face the consequences of our silence and our pretense that everything was fine.
The Illusion of Stability and the Denial of Pain
In my previous column, I wrote about how, in our attempt to protect ourselves from overwhelming pain, we left dogs to be the first to show the consequences of our silence. A comment recently appeared: “There was no panic or chaos. The dog had its routine.”
This sentence is a perfect example of how unlived wounds are created through denial. When collective trauma strikes so deeply, the easiest way to survive is to say that nothing happened. But this denial is not proof of stability; it is a symptom of a wound. No one wants to admit the world stopped, because that would mean admitting what that stoppage did to our internal systems.
A Dangerous Inheritance for Children and Dogs
Adults find ways to survive even when life collapses, but children and dogs do not have the mechanisms to store trauma in internal drawers. They will live out what we do not dare to acknowledge.
The sentence “The dog had a routine” is actually a sentence of fear. It speaks about a person who needed that routine as an anchor to endure an unbearable period. If we continue to close our eyes to who we became during the pandemic, we only close another circle of silence. Silence creates generations that carry the weight of their parents without knowing why.
Emotional Imprints: When Dogs Speak for Us
Dogs are already showing us the results of these unlived wounds. We see it in:
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Severe separation anxiety
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Increased reactivity
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Panic when humans return to work
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Inability to be separated for even five minutes
These are not „problem dogs.“ These are emotional imprints of human pain that was never fully processed. They speak through their behavior because we chose to remain silent.
The sentence “The dog had a routine” is often not proof of stability, but the deepest scream of fear hidden behind an appearance of normalcy.
Acknowledgment as the Path to Healing
We must not leave our children and dogs an inheritance of silence. The price of silence always comes; it just needs time. It is time to stop defending ourselves with „there was no panic.“
Acknowledging that it was hard and painful is not weakness. Acknowledgment is the only way to ensure that we do not pass our unlived wounds to our children and our dogs as an invisible inheritance. Truth, not silence, is what leads to stability.
At Sasha Riess, we understand that a dog’s peace is tied to the human’s honesty. Facing our unlived wounds is the only way to protect our pets and children, leading us all toward pureloveandharmony. Discover more about our holistic approach: Linktree Sasha Riess
The Dog Groomer’s Dilemma: Journey Trough Burnout, Belonging and Becoming
by Sasha Riess | 11.06.26. | Nutrition
Most owners believe that problems with a dog’s teeth and gums can only be solved through brushing and expensive products. The truth, however, is far more natural. Dog care and jaw health rest on three pillars: mechanical cleaning, saliva chemistry, and stress control. If your dog does not chew, its teeth cannot be healthy, no matter how much you scrub them with artificial toothpaste.
A Bone as the Perfect Tool and “Toothbrush”
Every dog has an instinctive need to chew. Giving large, raw bones, such as shoulder bones, twice a week is one of the best ways for a dog to maintain its own dental hygiene. Chewing a firm bone mechanically removes buildup, but more importantly, it stimulates saliva production.
The Power of Saliva and pH Balance
Saliva is the most powerful natural protection. It contains enzymes essential for digestion and, most importantly, regulates the pH of the oral cavity. When a dog chews intensively, it produces rich saliva that washes away bacteria and prevents buildup.
Instead of commercial products filled with chemicals, the best “toothpaste” you can offer is coconut oil. It has natural antibacterial properties and dogs love it. Chewing bones twice a week is one of the best forms of prevention against tartar.
Chewing bones twice a week is the best stone prevention.
Tartar as a Sign of Stress
It is important to understand that plaque and tartar are not solved only through mechanics. Tartar is often an indicator of stress a dog is experiencing. In that sense, a bone is also a release valve, allowing the dog to discharge internal tension.
However, true care sometimes requires more than just offering a bone. In certain cases, applying coconut oil directly to the gums can provide additional support, especially in dogs under chronic stress that alters the composition of their saliva.
At Sasha Riess, we respect the canine anatomy by providing natural solutions for dog care and jaw health. Returning to instinctive chewing promotes oral hygiene and emotional pureloveandharmony. Restore their natural balance:Linktree Sasha Riess
The Dog Groomer’s Dilemma: Journey Trough Burnout, Belonging and Becoming
by Sasha Riess | 11.06.26. | Coat Care
The Dalmatian is a dog Novak wants to get, but he is not sure whether to choose a short-haired or a long-haired one. He has heard from friends that long-haired Dalmatians shed less, but also that they are not “true” Dalmatians. So the question arises which one to choose.
Biological Difference: Why Do Long-Haired Dogs “Shed Less”?
Dalmatians are not unique in this. Similar variations exist in Vizslas, Collies, and pointers.
The question is only whether selective breeding will preserve or eliminate that trait. The more interesting question is why dogs with longer coats appear to shed less.
The answer lies in the hair growth cycle. If short hair needs around twenty-one days to grow and fall out, long hair has a significantly longer cycle, for example around forty-five days. In addition, long-haired dogs often have a wool-like undercoat that holds dead hair “attached,” so it does not fall off as visibly around the home. In simple terms, the cycle is longer, so shedding appears less frequent.
Coat as a Symptom of Deeper Changes
In the context of Dalmatian breed development, the appearance of a long-haired variety can be sporadic. It is important to understand that the activation of genes responsible for coat length may also signal the presence of other active or inactive genes that influence the development of certain conditions. Sometimes a physical trait is only a surface expression of deeper biological changes that affect the dog’s life.
If the breed standard disqualifies long-haired Dalmatians, it is often not only about aesthetics, but about underlying imbalances that may not be visible to the eye.
Sasha Riess Pure Love & Harmony Duo Pack The Complete Dog Coat Care System
The Real Solution to Shedding Regardless of Coat Type
Regardless of coat variation, the Dalmatian is a being that goes beyond spots and hair length. It is a being of connection that teaches us lessons far greater than appearance.
The only real solution to shedding, whether you choose a short-haired or long-haired dog, is regular bathing, especially during spring and autumn. With proper bathing every seven to ten days, using both shampoo and conditioner, dead hair is removed in the bath instead of ending up around your home. At the same time, the skin renews, and both you and your dog benefit from a cleaner, healthier environment.
At Sasha Riess, we look beyond surface aesthetics like spots or coat length to understand a dog’s underlying blueprint. Honoring the genetic and biological reality of your Dalmatian is the first step toward lifelong pureloveandharmony. Protect their health: Linktree Sasha Riess
Awakening With Dogs : Exploring the Profound Connection Between Dogs and Humans: Love, Resonance, and Healing Kindle Edition
