By Jen Phillips April
What does the creative dog groomer do when she looks at a pile of dog hair? She makes a “mini–me” of course! Shaped out of scraps of leftover dog fur, “mini–me’s” are tiny versions of the dog itself.
Creator of the “mini–me’s”, dog groomer Amanda Marshal says, “One day we’d hand–stripped one of the dogs and joked about being able to make another dog out of it. I had a few minutes between clients and so I handcrafted the fur into a mini look–alike with a little hairspray.”
It turned out so well that she started doing more of them, adding eyes and a nose for realism. Once complete, she takes a photo of the “mini–me” next to the freshly groomed original and posts on social media.
Started on a lark one day in spring of 2019, “mini–me’s” have become a marketing tool at Groomer on the Green, a dog grooming salon based in a London suburb.
Owner and groomer Amanda Marshal says all her clients want one. “The customers love it. They ask when they book the dog in if they can have a mini–me.”
Whether or not they get one depends on a couple of factors. “I don’t always have time to do it. I need to have a break between dogs, and I need to see if the dog will sit next to it for a photo.”
The “mini–me’s” have a short lifespan, says Amanda, “We vacuum them up after the picture.”
She also does some flat–style dog art pictures with a longer lifespan. “Ripley’s Believe It or Not just bought four so they’ve gone to Florida. It’s amazing to think of them in another country.”
When not grooming dogs or making dog art, Amanda also draws a comic strip for dog groomers. It is called Groomerhumour on Instagram, and is also featured in Groomer to Groomer magazine. It pokes fun at common grooming scenarios.
“Anything creative is me. I studied art in college but realized I loved animals.” Amanda’s been grooming since she was 17 and has clearly found a niche for herself.
You can see more pictures on Instagram @hairofthedogart. ✂️