Theory of 5 Series Episode 1: Tips for Body Styles

Irina "Pina" Pinkusevich

Irina "Pina" Pinkusevich immigrated from The Ukraine in 1989. She realized her passion as a Pet Stylist while working part-time as a bather. In the earlier part of her career Irina worked as a Pet Stylist at some of the most high-end grooming salons in New York.

Looking to improve her skills & expand her horizons, Irina entered the world of Competitive Grooming in 2006. In her competitive career Irina has won multiple BIS & Best All Around Groomer awards. She is a two-time recipient of the Lynne Carver Award for the most Best All Around Groomer wins in 2008 & 2010. Irina was also honored to win the Liz Paul Memorial Award for the most Best in Show wins in 2010. She is the winner of the Winner’s Circle Jackpot 2011 where she won $32,500 for grooming Lucas, her champion American Cocker Spaniel. In 2013 she was the winner of another Jackpot & in 2017 she won The World Dog Show’s World Champion Award.

Irina was a member of GroomTeam USA from 2008 through 2013. She competed in the World Championships for the United States in 2009, 2011, & 2013 helping the U.S. team bring home a Silver & two Golds.

Currently, Irina is a national & international judge & lecturer as well as an ambassador for Artero. Irina was awarded the Cardinal Crystal Award for Judge of the Year 2014 & the Barkleigh Honors Award for Up & Coming Speaker of the Year 2014. She has also been nominated for multiple Cardinal Crystal & Barkleigh awards in 2015.

Irina is a National Certified Master Groomer (NCMG) with the National Dog Groomers of America. She is also a Certifier for their company.

Dedicated to improving the industry, Irina teaches at Merryfield School of Pet Grooming in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. She travels the world educating through conferences and seminars. She is also an integral part of Artero’s Jornadas events in Spain and the USA.
Irina is associated with Kiyara Poodles, owned by Michael Lamb and Bill Jividen Jr.. Kiyara is a top breeder of miniature poodles in the United States. She is also associated with Kerryfield Kennels, owned by Virginia Harding & Krizma Kennels owned by Lois Grier, top breeders of Kerry Blue Terriers. With these kennels, Irina has bred and co-owned numerous champion Poodles and Kerry Blue Terriers.

Irina is co-owner of a high-end styling salon in Oakland Park, Florida: Päsh the Canine Boudoir. It is here where she is most often found grooming the amazing show dogs that are her passion.

Judy Hudson

Judy Hudson has been a life-long animal lover. She holds an associate degree in Veterinary Technology from Morehead State University. While working in a veterinarian clinic offering grooming, she quickly realized, the groomer was making way more money than she was – and having a lot more fun! She opted to start grooming instead of following her degree.

Judy started her grooming career on a shoestring and a prayer in 1990.

When the groomer where she worked walked out – Judy didn’t miss a beat. She stepped in and started grooming. Shortly after that, she discovered a local couple who were business owners and award-winning pet stylists. She began taking lessons from them which lead her to competitions and meeting other award-winning pet stylists.

In 1994 she started her own mobile grooming unit in an 18-foot used motor home. Today, she owns and operates a very polished and successful mobile business in the Nashville TN area, staying booked a year in advance.

She decided that if she was going to be a groomer, she wanted to be one of the best!
Within a few years, she realized learning about bred profile was a game changer while dipping her toe in the AKC conformation show ring. Being a quick learner, she finished her own Miniature Poodle to his Championship in short order. Next, she focused on becoming a certified master groomer. In 1998 Judy earned her National Certified Master Groomer (NCMG) status through the National Dog Groomer Association of America. Currently Judy is a speaker, educator and Certifier for that organization.

Judy is an awarding winning pet stylist. She has multiple Best in Show and Best All-Around Groomer awards to her credit. She was a part of the GroomTeam USA’s Top 10 for 3 years; 2000, 2001, and 2003. In 2004 she earned a slot be on the elite GroomTeam USA’s Travel Team, representing the USA in World Team Competition in France the following year. She proudly earned a Gold Medal with her American Cocker Spaniel, helping the USA capture the Silver Team Medal.

In 2002, she was awarded the coveted Sybil Trophy for having the most harmonious relationship with her dogs. In 2004, she was nominated for the prestigious Cardinal Crystal American Groomer of the Year Award. 2011 was Awarded the Cardinal Crystal Grooming Contest Judge of the Year.

Judy is a sought-after and very popular industry speaker, demonstrator and contest grooming judge. She has traveled all over the United States, Canada, Europe, South America, Australia and China.

Judy has teamed up with one of her long-time mentors and person friend, Christina Pawlosky to form The Grooming Professors, an online and personal training platform. They also host clinics, demonstrations, workshops and personal coaching at grooming shows and privately across the country. Plus, they offer individual training via Zoom by request. Together they have released their own shear line. In 2017 The Grooming Professors were the winners of the Barkleigh Honors Awards for Contribution of the Year and Vlog of the Year in 2017 and 2018.

Judy is a licensed Pet Tech® Instructor. She teaches small classes to pet owners and pet service professionals. She enjoys making a difference in pets’ lives by teaching the necessary emergency care and health information for dogs and cats.

When Judy is not working within the realms her grooming businesses, she is a Level V Skin Care Consultant with Rodan+Fields.

Judy and Chris can be reached at [email protected]
www.groomingprofessors.com

Kathy Rose

A salon owner since 1983, Kathy Rose has garnered recognition in the pet industry both as an expert stylist and educator. As a competitive stylist, Kathy has won numerous national and international titles including best in show at almost every major US contest and gold and silver medals on Groom Team USA on four consecutive teams. She also served as the coordinator for two years.

Away from the competitive grooming ring, Kathy Rose is a sought after speaker and grooming judge. Kathy serves as Director the International Judges Association, (IJA) and is an IJA judge. She is also an accredited judge for the United Show Managers Alliance (USA) and she is accredited by the European Grooming Association (EGA) for all classes. She has offered her vast knowledge at virtually every major industry event stateside as well as in Canada, France, Belgium, Germany, Netherlands, Portugal, Brazil, Australia and South Korea.
In recognition of her efforts Kathy has been a regular nomine for the Cardinal Crystal Grooming Achievement Awards, winning the award for outstanding contributions to the pet Industry. Her skills have been put on display on Animal Planet’s popular television series “Petsburg USA: where Kathy was featured prominently in their “Mutt Makeover” episodes.

Most recently, Kathy hosted the television event shown on the Learning Channel, entitled “Extreme Poodles”. Kathy served as the Master of Ceremonies with TLC using her expertise to guide and narrate the entire event.

Kathy’s state of the art salon, Pets of Perfection was featured on the 2005 Barkleigh Groomer to Groomer Buyers Guide and she has written numerous articles related to salon design, as well as a series of articles relating to licensure and regulation of the grooming profession for Barkleigh Publications.

Early in her career, Kathy owner/handled her toy poodles and Portuguese Water dog to point and group placements as well as serving as Vice President and Assistant show Chairman for AKC sanctioned show events, receiving the outstanding service award.

7730 Boynton Beach Blvd., Suite 10
Boynton Beach FL  33437
Phone: (561) 369-0913

Marc LaFleur

Melissa Verplank

Melissa Verplank - CMG, has over 30 years’ experience in the pet grooming industry. Her mastery of grooming techniques has won her numerous awards on a national & international level earning her the right to become a team member on GroomTeam USA. She has been the GroomTeam Coordinator and currently sits on the Board of GroomTeam USA. Ms. Verplank is an industry speaker, author, two time Cardinal Crystal Achievement award winner, Barkleigh Honors award winner and contest grooming judge.

During her formative years she ran a fleet of mobile grooming units and a busy grooming salon. In 1992, Verplank founded one of the Midwest's largest and progressive pet styling training centers; The Paragon School of Pet Grooming Inc. in Jenison, Michigan. Ms. Verplank realized the need for quality training and reference materials. To meet that need she created White Dog Enterprises Inc., a business which develops creative learning products for the professional pet stylist. The leading products for this company are Notes From the Grooming Table, The Theory of Five, and core-skill method training videos geared to training professional pet groomers. In 2007 she opened Whiskers Resort & Pet Spa. The resort has become the premier boarding facility in the west Michigan area offering luxury accommodations for boarding, daycare, grooming, and pet training. In 2010, Melissa launched her latest educational business, Learn2GroomDogs.com, an on-line streaming video library of educational material for all levels of professional pet grooming and styling.

Most recently, Melissa has earned the 2016 Barkleigh Honors Award for Book of the Year with the release of the second edition of Notes From the Grooming Table.  Her website, Learn2GroomDogs.com also was its third consecutive Barkleigh Honors Award for Website of the Year.

Suesan Watson

Suesan is a third generation pet stylist whose dynamic career stretches over 40 years. A “Certified Master Groomer”, she owns a successful mobile grooming business, serving the Chicago/Northwest Suburban area. Sue is proud to be part of Wahl’s “Extreme Team” and is approved by the “United Show Managers’ Alliance” as a “Sanctioned Judge”.

She began grooming competitively in 1995, and has received many class and group placings. Sue is a winner of the “Wahl 2003 Groomer of the Year” award, and only recipient of three consecutive “Cardinal Crystal Grooming Achievement Awards for American Groomer of the Year”. In addition, Suesan has been nominated multiple times for “Cardinal Grooming Contest Judge of the Year”, and Cardinal “Congeniality” awards.

Making “Groom Team USA” in 2000, Suesan was in the top five positions for five years in a row, before retiring from competing to become a judge in 2005. Her 2004 placings garnered her the honor of competing with the “Groom Team USA Travel Team” in France, in 2005; with the USA team placing second, only one point behind France. Sue also won “Best Clipping” recognition with her Mini-Poodle in the “individual open class”, at the same competition.

Her keen eye for dogs, understanding of the “standards” and knowledge of grooming techniques, coupled with her pleasant demeanor, has made Sue a sought after competition judge and speaker, both in the United States and abroad. And with a natural ability to communicate grooming techniques to others in an understanding and often-humorous way, she regularly draws crowds at her seminars and grooming demonstrations around the country. Sue also does private hands-on seminars with individuals and smaller shop groups.