A shared history
A community built over generations
There is no single founder of pet grooming, holistic grooming, or canine esthetics. These fields evolved through overlapping generations of professional groomers, authors, educators, veterinarians, formulators, and advocates. Their work established professional infrastructure and expanded how we understand canine skin, behavior, and the experience of grooming.
The knowledge available today did not come from one teacher, organization, company, or philosophy. It grew through research, mentorship, practical experience, education, and continuing efforts to improve care. Having worked alongside and collaborated with respected professionals, I see this as a shared history—one built through people willing to teach, question, and exchange knowledge.
This page recognizes documented contributions without suggesting that any one person created an entire discipline. Inclusion is not an endorsement of ONEDOG Wellness.
I · Professional foundations
The architects of modern grooming
Organization, publishing, education, certification, competitions, and safety resources helped a once-isolated occupation develop into a connected profession.
Professional organization and recognition
Robert Reynolds
Founded the National Dog Groomers Association of America in 1969, helping establish a professional structure for communication, education, standards, and certification.
Author, educator, and international pioneer
Shirlee Kalstone (1931–2020)
An influential grooming educator and author who founded Intergroom in 1981 and contributed to international exchange around technique, competition, and professional recognition.
Professional community and competitions
Jerry Schinberg
Helped connect groomers through the All American Grooming Show, competitions, education, product innovation, and professional relationships.
Industry publishing and education
Sally Liddick
Founded Barkleigh Productions and developed Groomer to Groomer, a publication that helped professionals exchange information and preserve industry knowledge.
Structured grooming education
John and Vivian Nash
John Nash founded Nash Academy in 1979. Together, John and Vivian Nash advanced international teaching, competition judging, and professional education.
Breed grooming instruction
Sam Kohl
Developed systematic instructional materials, including the All Breed Dog Grooming Guide, helping organize breed-specific information for students and professionals.
Certification and canine cosmetology
Pam Lauritzen
Contributed to grooming associations and certification programs and founded the International Society of Canine Cosmetologists in 1990.
Safety, certification, and professional standards
Linda Easton
Contributed to grooming education, certification, and safety standards through International Professional Groomers.
Modern grooming education
Melissa Verplank
Influenced contemporary instruction through the Paragon School of Pet Grooming, educational materials, and visual learning resources.
Industry history and mentorship
Teri DiMarino
An educator, competitor, judge, writer, and historian who helped document the experiences and contributions of earlier generations.
II · Biology and specialized knowledge
The evolution of canine esthetics
Canine esthetics reflects growing attention to skin and coat biology, cosmetic chemistry, individualized product selection, and appropriate communication between groomers and veterinary professionals. It has been shaped by many educators and organizations, and continues to evolve.
Founder of Iv San Bernard
Mirco Aringhieri
Established the Italian animal cosmetics company in 1995, contributing to the expansion of professional animal cosmetics and coat-specific education.
Veterinary medicine and skin-and-coat education
Dr. Cliff Faver, DVM
Through veterinary work and education, has emphasized skin function, recognizing changes, and communication between groomers and veterinary professionals.
Canine esthetics and ingredient education
Michelle Knowles
Contributed education on skin and coat, formulation, cosmetic chemistry, professional boundaries, and individualized care.
Canine esthetics and mindful grooming
Christein Pearson-Sertzel (Chris Sertzel)
Contributed canine-esthetics instruction, holistic animal education, written resources, and mindfulness education for grooming professionals.
An evolving discipline
Continuing education organizations
Organizations continue to develop education around professional competence, skin and coat, ethics, and specialized grooming knowledge.
III · Welfare and the whole encounter
Holistic and compassionate grooming
Holistic grooming is not one universally defined technique or the creation of a single individual. The term is used for approaches that may consider physical care, behavior, emotional experience, environment, professional well-being, and individual needs.
Holistic grooming and sustainable professional practice
Mary Oquendo
Author of Holistic Pet Grooming and an educator and advocate whose work spans grooming, mobile business, professional wellness, grief, ergonomics, and sustainability.
Holistic grooming and animal participation
Stephanie Zikmann
Founded the Holistic Grooming Academy, developing education around canine behavior, emotional welfare, cooperative handling, and participation.
Fear Free animal care
Dr. Marty Becker
Founded Fear Free, an educational initiative to reduce fear, anxiety, and stress in animals receiving care, with principles influencing multiple animal-care settings.
IV · Evidence and ethical understanding
Researchers who changed how we understand welfare
Grooming evolves alongside animal-welfare science, behavior research, veterinary dermatology, and scholarship on animal experience.
Animal welfare framework
Professor David Mellor
The Five Domains Model considers nutrition, physical environment, health, behavioral interactions, and mental experiences, supporting a broader account of welfare than absence of disease or injury.
Animal ethics
Lori Gruen
Her work on entangled empathy examines relationships, attention, and moral responsibility in human interactions with other animals.
Animal consciousness research
New York Declaration on Animal Consciousness
The 2024 declaration brought researchers and philosophers together around scientific evidence concerning subjective experience in nonhuman animals.
V · Primary resources
Preserving the history of the profession
Professional history includes people whose contributions may not appear in awards or textbooks. Explore archives, interviews, organizations, and educational resources to learn more.
VI · A continuing story
Our place within this continuing story
ONEDOG Wellness exists within a profession shaped by generations willing to teach, share, challenge, question, and improve. My own work explores animal experience, physical care, embodied professional life, and the ethical responsibilities that arise when people care for another species.
Through ONEDOG Wellness and The Embodied Pet Professional, I consider not only the procedures we perform, but the experience of giving and receiving care. These questions build on contributions from groomers, veterinarians, estheticians, behavior professionals, philosophers, and educators. We learn from those who came before, question our assumptions, and contribute thoughtfully to what comes next.
We honor those who established the foundations, those who continue to advance knowledge, and those creating a more thoughtful future for animal care.
This evolving historical and educational directory recognizes documented professional contributions; inclusion does not imply endorsement of ONEDOG Wellness. Corrections and additional primary resources are welcome.