Lina Kostakis
Greece | Breeder-Professional Master Groomer
My first dog was a German Shepherd, I was about 3 years old when I got him, he lived for several years, and I can say that he was my best friend during my childhood. The German Shepherd was and is my favorite breed! In 1999 I started to be actively involved in dog morphology shows. In 2001 I started grooming and founded “Dog Spa” dog grooming salons. I have traveled all over the world with dogs attending dog shows and working trials. Dealing with dogs is a way of life for me and anything around them interests me. I have attended many seminars in different countries which helped me in my work and would offer me global knowledge, around the dog. I believe that the groomer must have knowledge of training, dog psychology, basic veterinary principles such as first aid, knowledge of handling dogs, necessary knowledge of dog morphology and a lot of patience and understanding! In 2006 I started breeding Poodles under the prefix “Black Moon Rising”, I breed Black Standard and Toy Poodles, this breed is one of the most difficult in the world in terms of grooming! My dog “Fever Da Maya” from America, who was the first Standard Poodle I got, has been on the Best in Show podiums many times. In fact, he was #1 Top Dog 2011 in Greece. My toy poodle “Afterglow Arachnophobia” came first in his class at the World Dog Show 2011 in Paris and won the title “Junior World Winner 2011”. Later, “Black Moon Rising Danger High Voltage”, bred by me, in addition to Top Dog In Greece, won the “World Winner 2018” title at the World Dog Show in the Netherlands. I have completed all five master groomer categories and I am one of the first 4 EGA master groomers who completed the cycle of exams for which were organized by our association for the first time in Greece in 2018. In 2019 together with Fotini we founded the “Dog Spa” professional grooming college where we teach the art of grooming to young people who love the profession. I am General Secretary of the Greek Association of Professional Dog Groomers (ESEKS) and founding member and president of the Poodle Club of Greece. I have been a member of the Kennel Club of Greece since 2000.