About Us
Daniella Malcolm-Stewart
Hi, and welcome to Woody's Holistic Grooming.
I’m Daniella and I’m the sole owner and founder of Woodys. My journey into dog grooming started unintentionally following the adoption of our first dog Maximus. I took him to a local groomers as I thought that was the done thing, and what I felt should have been a pretty normal experience for a dog ended up being a nightmare. He coped well being washed, but when the dryer was switched on my 20kg dog decided to jump over a fence separating the grooming area and reception, into my arms (still have no idea how I caught him!). At this point, I had a choice. I could either push through with the grooming, try another salon to see if he coped better or I could learn to do it myself. As Max already had a number of behavioural struggles that we were working through, I decided the best option would be to remove this stressor and learn to groom him myself.
I started a course at a local college, but very quickly discovered the traditional methods of grooming didn’t align well with what I’d learnt about emotions and behaviour. There were many dogs like Max who were being misunderstood and I wanted to do something about that. And so Woodys was born.
My vision is to transform the way guardians care for their dogs by making consent-based grooming the norm, not the niche. I want to empower guardians across the UK (and beyond) to confidently groom at home, prioritising emotional wellbeing over aesthetics. This approach will reduce the dependence on traditional grooming salons, replacing it with empowered guardians and happier, healthier dogs.
When I’m not busy trying to change the world for dogs, I’m very busy raising my two wonderful children alongside my husband and being a guardian to our senior boy Monty and a very spoilt hamster called Gru.
We lost Maximus at the start of 2024 and it almost marked the end of Woodys. But I keep going for him. This is his legacy
My inspiration - Maximus
We adopted Maximus in May 2015 from the Dogs Trust in Evesham. He was an 18 month collie cross, and I had all these dreams and aspirations of being the world’s greatest dog owner.
We were going to train together, travel the country. I brought all the toys and beds, I brought the best leads and harnesses, researched the best food, all in the name of perfection.
What I didn’t anticipate, was this beautiful boy had big emotions. He was scared of so many things and wasn’t able to manage his stressors very well. He had never been taught how to relax or think independently. He relied on my instruction so much, that when his nervous system kicked in he wasn’t able to concentrate on me. It left him panic stricken, unable to know what to do next.
I kept trying to “fix” the problem, desperate for a quick solution. I tried so hard to make him that dog I’d dreamed of when we first brought him home. It took years (more years than I care to admit to) before I realised that I had to let go of that idealisation I had in my head. It took driving all the way back to Evesham ready to hand him over for me to realise, it wasn’t Max who needed to change. It was me.
From the moment I drove him home again, I made the decision to stop trying to force him into my perception of what having a dog should be, and instead embraced the dog that he was. This was my greatest teaching and has led me to wear I am today.
Our name sake - Woody
Woody was my childhood dog. He was a gorgeous rescue from Dogs Trust who joined our family at just 10 weeks old.
Woody was the kindest dog you could ever meet, a gentle boy with the most beautiful eyes you could imagine.
Sadly on the 13 October 2013 at the age of 12 Woody passed away. He was such a big part of our family that loosing him was one of the hardest thing's we've ever been through.
I vowed that day that I would do all I could to keep his memory alive, and so Woody's is dedicated to him.
My current motivation - Monty
Monty is my incredible golden oldie, who joined our family after 5 long years in a Spanish shelter. This boy has stolen many hearts, and has the most calming energy.
At a time when I questioned my ability as a dog guardian, he came along and provided me with the support and encouragement I needed. He's been named by some as a spirit dog and it's easy to see why.
He teaches me something new every day, and I treasure every minute we have together.