Spray-painting a beach scene on canvas is challenging enough, imagine doing it on fur.

Douglas and Pauline Parker of Pampered Pets learnt to do exactly that this week, under the instruction of renowned dog groomers Pammie Carmichael Hogg and Su Eld-Weaver.

The couple travels the world teaching the styles they practice at their Doncaster, England company, Fuss About Asian Fusion Dog Grooming.

Mrs Carmichael Hogg pioneered the style. It combines breed-standard cuts with more creative Asian techniques for maximum canine cuteness.

The 54-year-old was a truck driver and a health practitioner before becoming a dog groomer.

“I used to drive big trucks and sometimes race them,” she said. “But I was primarily a midwife. Working for the National Health Service was starting to get very stressful so I decided I needed to do something for me.”

With eight dogs of her own — six poodles and two Lhasa Apsos — grooming seemed a natural fit.

“The trouble was there were 17 dog-grooming businesses in Doncaster,” she said. “Those were the ones that were above board. There were plenty of others that didn’t advertise. I had to do something to set myself apart.”

She incorporated Asian techniques into her grooming because it kept her interested; she got bored doing standard cuts all day long. “It is like doing dot to dot,” she said. “By combining these styles I could be endlessly creative. The style caught on like wild fire.”

At first, the other groomers in her area rolled their eyes.

“They kept saying, ‘What’s all the fuss about?’,” she said. “I was really hurt by that as I am a bit thin-skinned. My friend, another groomer, said, ‘Just go with it’.”

It’s because of that she named her business Fuss About Asian Fusion Dog Grooming.

She said the best part was seeing clients react when they picked up their pets.

“To see their face when they saw their dog was wonderful,” she said.

“They were happy, so the dog was happy; there was a knock-on effect. And then the dog gets a lot of attention in the street because people stop to say hello and remark on the cut.”

It’s possible the Parkers are learning the technique just in time. Poodles they’d groomed were spotted by Louis Vuitton America’s Cup organisers last month.

“These are black and white poodles called Fergus and Alba,” Mr Parker said. “They’re owned by Marc and Isobel Berry and had just been groomed by us. They were walking through town during the racing events.

“Outside the Royal Bermuda Yacht Club, they were approached by a woman who said she was a producer with the America’s Cup.

“She said wouldn’t it be great if the dogs could appear during the America’s Cup next year with the Louis Vuitton logo spray-painted on their coats. We would certainly like to be able to do that for the client.”

The Parkers started Pampered Pets out of their garage six years ago after they both lost their jobs. Mr Parker worked in marketing and Mrs Parker, originally from South Africa, was a secretary.

“We both loved animals, Pauline in particular,” said Mr Parker. “We wanted to start our own business and dog grooming seemed a natural fit.”

The business grew and they moved into their current space on Wellbottom Road in Warwick four years ago.

“When Pauline first started, I was just helping her to hold the dogs and bathe them,” he said. “Then I got more interested in the administrative side. This week I’ve been learning the hard stuff, actual grooming.

“With all the competition out there we wanted to take the work to another level.

“All the other groomers were just doing standard cuts, and we wanted to do something different.”

They found Mrs Carmichael Hogg and Mrs Eld-Weaver on Facebook. Mr Parker said many people here are very conservative when it comes to dog grooming.

“We are hoping to drive the style,” he said.

“In Bermuda’s climate this style is beneficial because normally the body is cut close and the legs are left long. That allows the dog’s skin to breathe.

“My own Yorkshire terrier, Lucy, can jump in the pool and jump out and ten minutes later she is dry and still looks nice.”

Mrs Parker has also been busy crafting accessories such as little clips and bows.

Some of her dog bling is available at Animal and Garden House in Pembroke.

Look for Pampered Pets on Facebook.