Frequently Asked Questions
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Do you have a question you'd like to see here?? Feel free to email us and ask!
 Does my dog need to be groomed? All dogs can benefit from grooming, but not all dogs require it as much as others! Short and smooth coated dogs won't need nearly as much grooming in their lives as those with long and/or thick coats. But even very short haired dogs can benefit from a good bath & nail trim from time to time as well.
Do you do all types of dogs? Yes, we can cater for every breed of dog, from tiny chihuahuas and yorkshire terriers, right up to big st bernards and newfoundlands! We are happy to do short haired dogs as well as long, and we also can cater for any age and most temperaments too.
How often should I get my dog groomed? If your dog is of a type that needs regular clipping then we reccomend a minimum of being groomed every 13 weeks, which equals 4 times a year. Much more often if you desire a longer 'fluffier' style of trim, maybe every 4-6 weeks, or anywhere up to once or twice a week!! For those that have thick coats that shed, like newfoundlands, golden retrievers and collies, they benefit from a grooming at least twice a year, in the spring and autumn. This is the time when they are changing between their winter coat and their summer coat, and when they will be moulting more than usual and require the dead coat to be stripped out before it packs down. Smooth coated dogs really only require a bath as needed!
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What do you do with my dog? We try to start with your dog as soon as it arrives in, though in some cases (like when several dogs are being dropped off first thing in the morning to stay with us until later) they do go into one of our crates to wait their turn. When we start on them, we clip and/or brush them thoroughly all over to ensure there are no mats or tangles anywhere, we also do their claws and ears before the bath. After their warm shampoo they are blow dried, which can take a long time with thick coated dogs! They are then finished, by being clipped again to smooth them down more, and using scissors to carefully hand finish the rest of them. When finished they get a bandanna and a spray of cologne, and given a cuddle before going back to a crate to wait to be picked up.
How long does it take? It can vary hugely on time, primarily by the size of the dog, but also their condition and what the finished result is to be. Tiny dogs like yorkshire terriers, chihuahuas and mini dachshunds can be just a simple 30-min job, or we have spent over 6 hours on a single newfoundland before! Don't be too disillusioned though, some little dogs like bichons can take a long time to do as well, especially if they have a thick and/or knotted coat and the owner wishes it to be brushed out and kept long it can take 3-5 hours to complete them, despite their small size! However if only being clipped fairly short with less hand finishing, most small to meduim size dogs can be done within 1-2 hours. For a more accurate time for YOUR dog, you are best to give us a call so we can talk in person.
How will you control my dog? We use a chain to slip around their neck, and it is cliped to the back wall so they cannot slip off the edge of the table/bath. Large dogs can sometimes need a second webbing strap under their tummy so as to be able to do around their back end without them sitting on us or twirling around! We always use gentle but firm voice cues, and regulars can be picked by how they sit, stand, and turn around on a simple request!
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What if my dog bites? Most dogs don't want to bite us, they simply want us to stop whatever it is we're doing (usually brushing knots out!!). With that in mind many dogs can simply be taught that snapping isn't accepted, and that with gentle but firm handling they can learn it's not so bad after all. Dogs that bite despite everything can be muzzled for the part of grooming they are worried about; it makes it safer for everyone.
Can I stay and watch? In most cases we prefer the owner doesn't stay, as most dogs are like children in that they will misbehave as long as they think 'mum' is watching! There are some exceptions to the rule, but in general if you'd really like to wait we prefer you weren't within sight so you are welcome to sit quietly to the side by our photo board.
How do I stop my dog getting knotty? In most cases you have three choices to keep your dog knot free. 1: keep your dog brushed well at home (to the point a steel comb can go through any part of the coat easily). 2: Bring your dog to us regularly to be kept brushed (this may need to be as often as every week!) or 3: keep the hair short on your dog with regular clips by us so it isn't long enough to knot. We offer the grooming classes for help in keeping your dog well brushed at home, and can offer tips if you just pop in and ask as well! The main key is getting right down to the skin and not just fluffing over the top, and doing every inch of the dogs body. We are happy for regular 'inbetween' appointments where we simply give your dog a thorough brush out while you can wait, to ensure they're not matted by the time their full grooming time comes along. If there is consistant problems in keeping your dog free from large knots we will resort to clipping them close, for the sake of the dog it isn't fair to be pulling on their skin all the time, and sometimes it ends up being easier to keep your dog warm than keeping it brushed..
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What is the best brush/comb for us? The large majority of long haired dogs benefit from a simple good quality comb, and a slicker brush. Come in and ask us if you are not sure, and remember that the main thing is to get right to the skin with any tool you use, and use a comb to check where any tangles might have been missed.
How do I stop eye stains? The discolouration on white dogs is common, and can be caused by many things. We reccomend trialing a food without red meat or red food colouring (including 'snacks'!) as that can often be a factor. Check next time you are with the vets that the tear ducts aren't blocked, as that can be a cause as well. Regular wiping of the eyes to help prevent any build up of moisture helps a lot on minimal problems, and carefully ensuring the hair around the eyes isn't poking into the eye causing it to 'cry' exccessivly as well.
Will my dog get cold in winter? If your dog normally is kept fairly short and is an inside pet then it won't make any real difference over winter, though they may enjoy wearing a coat when it is wet outside! Dogs that normally have a long coat and then get clipped short will feel a change, especially if they were very knotted. For this reason we prefer clients come in to get their dog clipped short before the bad winter weather hits us, so the dog has time to acclimitate and also to grow a little more hair by the time the cold weather comes. For most dogs the length of coat doesn't make much difference at all, it is the thickness of their coat that keeps them warm, and that doesn't change with clipping. We always make sure the dogs are dry before they leave us so they won't get a chill from the bath either, but if you are worried we can often use a longer blade over winter to leave a few extra mm's, as long as your dog isn't too knotted.
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Will you put my dog in a cage? In most cases, yes. Remember that a huge proportion of our regular dogs, that would likely hate to be in a cage at home, come running in, open the cage doors, and put themselves in! It is a safe bed for them to be in while they are with us, it means there is no chance that your dog can slip out the door accidentally, and cannot get into a fight with another dog, nor can they get accidentally stood on by us working. We have a graveled area out the back where the dogs can be toileted, and we can offer water if being left with us for long as well. Often well behaved dogs will be allowed out to play with Paris the poodle at times, especially if they are the only other dog in with us at the time, but if we are busy and unable to supervise them directly your dog will be safer waiting in it's own crate eliminating any risks!
When should my puppy get it's first professional grooming? Hopefully your breeder has already started the grooming process with your puppy, but either way, the earlier you bring your pup in to us the better! For a start we can simply trim the spikey hair infront of their eyes, and do their nails while you wait, it starts the process of the puppy coming in to us and being used to us handling them, without being such a long scary process as if you don't bring them in until they are 7 months old and matted! We have lots of tips for the new puppy owner to use to ensure they have a dog that accepts all forms of grooming, just give us a call or pop in with your new pup and we're happy to chat!! The age they need their first actual trim varies widely, as some people can keep them well brushed and shaggy for a long time, where-as others want them kept with short fur from the start. The fact is, long haired dogs WILL need to be groomed their entire lives, whether they like it or not! So it's in everyones best interest to start them young and make it as least stressful as we can!
What does it cost? The cost varies a lot, and to get an accurate quote for your dog you are best to give us a call or pop in with your dog. As a general rule, it costs roughly $50 an hour. Put that into perspective with the question above of "How long does it take?" and you can get a rough estimate of the price it may cost, but remember this is only a rough guide and it may cost more or less than this dependant on other factors such as difficulty of work!
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What if my adult dog has never been groomed before? We are always happy to work slowly with unsure dogs, and make sure it's as least stressful as possible. In the end we will always do what we can, and if the dog is really just stressing out too much we won't push it and force them to accept anything too far beyond their comfort zone. This may mean your dog isn't properly dry (paticularly around the face & ears!) but for the sake of your dog we refuse to put them through too much, especially for a new dog, and as long as we've done as much as we can, we will leave it at that. Usually we can build it up over succesive appointments, and they get better each time as they get to know what to expect from the whole process.
What if my dog doesn't like water? We do not submerge the dog in water, we use a special 'shower' type system that uses warm water being poured over them from a shower head, some dogs still don't like this but most will accept it much better than trying to place them in a tub full of water! We always ensure a dog is hooked to the back of the bath so they cannot hurt themselves jumping out of the raised tubs, and if we often gently wash their face by hand so as they don't get worried about the water in their eyes & nose.
What if my dog doesn't like blow driers? Quite a few dogs are afraid of our blow driers, in most cases they just don't like it around their faces & ears, so we just dry them as best we can otherwise. If they are really worried about the driers we have another system where they can sit comfortably in a cage while a drier gently keeps air circulating over them in the cage and dry them 'naturally' that way. We've never had a problem with dogs not accepting this form of drying. Please note that with our 'cage drying' that the drier isn't heated and the cage is all open wire so they cannot overheat as they could with some other systems.
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What if my dog is very old? We always work carefully with all dogs, but even more so with older dogs. Many old dogs cannot stay standing for long periods of time, and regulars that are getting older can be slowly taught how to lay on their sides in a relaxed manner to have their feet and belly groomed, and can lay upright to have their backs & heads done, with only minimal standing to finish off. We are always happy to 'do what we can' with older dogs, and if staying longer for a bath & blow dry is too much for them, then we are happy to just give them a trim and send them home again. We will never force any dog to do more than they are able, and that goes for older dogs as well.
What if my dog has fleas? We can use a flea shampoo on your dog to help kill the adult fleas on your dog, but we reccommend that after we've bathed & groomed your dog that you use a flea treatment from the vets on your dog and to treat it's bedding and environment at home to prevent re-infestation.
What if my dog doesn't get along with other dogs? We don't allow dogs to meet at all unless they do get along with others. Most of the dogs are kept in special dog crates so that no one mingles or is able to be hurt by another dog, on occasion when a clients dog is loose in the grooming area, it can and will be 'put away' if you are worried your dog won't tolerate passing them to their own cage. Paris the big poodle is always loose in the grooming area, but she can be put out of the way so your dog cannot meet her as well if there is any concern at all. For the occasional dog that we do have that is really agressive when another dog is around at all, just let us know when you book them in and we can ensure they are the first dog of the day to come in, be finished and go home, before another dog comes in at all.
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What if my dog is nervous? Much the same as if your dog is very old or very young, we will work with them slowly, and do what we can. We flatly refuse to put any dog through more than they can cope with, and while anything we do may be of some stress, we will never push a dog to accept too much beyond their comfort zone. In the event your dog is just too stressed out, we will simply stop, even if it means your dog isn't finished. Sometimes we can continue later if they settle down again, or maybe we can finish them on another day, but most dogs, even nervous ones, with gentle but firm handling do accept most of our grooming and we can build it up each time they come in until they are more confident with us and learn what to expect.
What if my dog has a skin problem? Many dogs get skin problems, and in many cases we are the ones to spot the startings of it. We always use mild shampoos, including a soothing 'eucalyptus & aloe vera' type that won't agrivate any skin problem they may have, and also have a mild medicated shampoo to help fight itchy skin if need be. We are happy to use a clients own shampoo on their dog, we have a number of clients who have a prescribed medicated shampoo to help their dogs skin problems. We don't have to bath your dog at all if you'd rather we didn't, though please note we cannot always get the same smooth finish without bathing your dog.
Is it better I get my dog groomed before or after our holidays? We highly reccomend you get your dog groomed before you go on holiday, and if you are to be away for longer than a few weeks, we reccomend we clip them a little shorter than usual to last them better. The reason is that kennels will always keep your dog warm, but they can be very busy to be able to keep your dog well brushed! If you don't like the look of your dog being clipped shorter, you are going to be away so won't need to see it until it's grown in by the time you come home! And with shorter fur you dog won't be nearly as knotted as if we'd left them with longer fur. We also offer a free bath to get them smelling sweet again when you collect your dog, as long as we gave it a full grooming before it went in to the kennels.
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Will you be the one grooming my dog? Amy is the full time groomer with us, and she will be the one grooming your dog in almost all cases. On some occasions Ailsa will be in and may groom your dog, as well over christmas when we are very busy we may have another person in to help. In all cases Amy is still the primary groomer and is there at the same time anyway. Amy does also accept work experience students at times, but be assured that only trained groomers will ever be actually grooming your dog, students will at most help with brushing and the bathing/drying processes, and are always under the supervision of Amy to ensure careful handling of your dog.
Doesn't frequent bathing dry out the skin & coat? With modern shampoos and conditioners this isn't a problem that it used to be. The products we use on your dog are specifically designed to be used on their skin without drying them out. If your dog is bathed very often then they will benefit from using a conditioner to ensure their coat and skin isn't being dried out too much, but in most cases this isn't a problem anyway. Most show dogs are actually bathed at least once a week to KEEP their coat in tip top shape!
Do you have a question you'd like to see here?? Feel free to email us and ask!
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