If you are reading this, I must say that I am THRILLED you stopped by and I hope to answer any questions you may have about grooming your dog. This blog is going to be dedicated to common questions pet parents have about grooming and will show various haircuts your dog can get.
First things first, I am going to clear up a few misconceptions that pet parents have.
Time! I don't mind grooming your dog without interruption. I prefer to do it that way. However, the salon phone can't answer itself and no matter how hard I try not to, I have to put down Fluffy and attend to other business. :( To get a full haircut for Fluffy, it can take up to 3-4 hours. That is the standard time for most salons. There are ways out of that time frame though. Here is a secret! Ask for an "Express Service". An Express Service is when we groom your dog without interruptions, without kenneling, and call you ahead of time so right when I am doing the finishing touches on Fluffy, you'll be walking in the door and ready to take your baby and go about your day. Some salons do not offer the service but it wouldn't hurt to ask! Those that do offer the service usually will tell you that it's only available Monday-Friday because the weekends usually are too busy. Personally, I love Express grooms. It's great for dogs that hate to be kenneled and have separation anxiety!
Cost! Unfortunately a lot of corporate companies have set prices for dogs by breed. For instance, a Shih Tzu (no matter how big or small it is) is $45 for a full haircut, bath, nail trim, and ears cleaned and plucked. Whether it weighs 10lbs or 35lbs, that's the set price. Groomers can't change the price due to size. Here is another secret though! To cut cost, you can opt for just a face, feet, and sanitary trim. (This only applies to dogs that are not matted. Matted dogs would cost additional or would need to be shaved. We will get into that in just a sec. ;)) A face, feet, and sanitary trim also includes the bath, nail trim, and ears cleaned and plucked. It's just at a discounted price since no hair is being trimmed off the body. This is great for dogs that just need a good touch-up between grooms! Now onto the matted dog scenario.. We all get busy and sometimes we don't always have time to brush our dogs. Alot of salons will charge extra if your dog is matted. Why? It's alot more work! I personally prefer to shave a dog than to dematt it for hours. No dog likes having it's hair pulled for a long period of time. However, if you like the hair long and opt for dematting, expect extra charges. Charges vary from salon to salon so I'd ask for a quote to get an idea of what to expect. Keep in mind too that sometimes a groomer can not dematt your dog because the matts are too close to the skin. If you are told you have one option and that's to shave, I'd go for the shave. Usually that happens when the dog hasn't been brushed for awhile and that the matts are so tight that the dematter comb cant get inbetween the hair and the skin. If a professional groomer can't dematt it, don't bother.
Pick up time! Alot of salons don't have the capability to walk your dog while they are staying in the salon. Unfortunately that leaves Fluffy with a full bladder and no where to release it! I suggest that when you receive the phone call for pick up, to arrive as early as you can. If its not possible to arrive for a couple hours, its understandable. But if you are available, Fluffy will be thankful for it!
Groomer preference! Really enjoy that last groomer you had? Ask for that person's name! It is perfectly fine to request a groomer. Make sure when you make your appointment that you say, "I want Nikki to groom my dog please." (Hey, I had to use someone's name!) Doing so, the person will book you with that groomer and no longer will you have to describe what type of haircut Fluffy needs in full detail again! It's convenient for you and the groomer! Also, Fluffy will develop a bond with the groomer which helps ease any anxiety it maybe experiencing.
Services offered! Most salons offer these services:
- nail trim
- nail grinding (They round off the tips of the nails to smooth them so they aren't sharp. The nails also can get shorter this way too!)
- ear cleaning & ear plucking
- anal glands
- bath and brush out (Nails trimmed and ears cleaned and plucked included)
- de-shed bath (They use special shampoos and conditioners to work out the undercoat and brush it out after the bath.)
- full service groom (Face, feet, and sanitary trim)
- puppy bath (Usually applies to young pups below a certain age. They get a bath, nail trim, ear cleaning, ear plucking for a cheaper price).
- puppy trim (A puppy bath plus a face, feet, and sanitary trim)
Puppy Cut! Alot of pet parents tell me they want a puppy cut. All a puppy cut means is the same hair length all over on the body. That's it. It doesn't tell what length you want the haircut to. Alot of salons can show you what the hair will look like at different lengths so don't hesitate to ask for a fur chart or an example.
Now that I covered the basics, on my next post, I will talk about haircut options! This is the fun part! I know alot of clients are unsure what type of haircut would look good on their dog. This next post will include photos of finished grooms so you can get an idea of what some haircuts look like.
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