How Often Should I Have My Dog Groomed? Grooming Frequency Explained

How often a dog should be bathed is a hot button topic in some circles. There are those with the opinion that dogs should be bathed as frequently as possible, sometimes two to three times a week. There are those who say dogs should be bathed no more than twice a year. There are even folks out there who say certain breeds should never be bathed at all unless absolutely necessary!

So what is the truth? Is there a standard time frame for bathing a dog? Well, there is and there isn’t. It really depends on your dog, their habits, their health, and the products you use.

As we have mentioned before, a dog’s skin regenerates every 21 days. The dead skin cells are then shed off. By bathing your dog every 21 days, you can ensure that all the old cells are being fully removed, keeping the surface of their skin as healthy as it can be. Does this mean you need to make an appointment for your furry friend every three weeks? That depends on you and your dog. If you are confident you can bathe, dry, and brush your dog properly at home, go ahead and bathe them at home! If you need a little help, give your groomer a call to set up an appointment.

21 days is a guideline but it is not set in stone. If you bathe your dog after 19 days or wait until 30 days, that is also just fine. While timing is important for maximum benefits, the products you use are arguably more important.

There is an astonishingly wide variety of shampoos available for dogs and cats these days. These products range from low-cost concoctions available in grocery stores to high end, higher cost, more natural products available through only specialty sellers. Along side these shampoos are a more important product: conditioner. While just about any shampoo specifically formulated for dogs or cats will remove all the dirt from their coats, it will also remove the good oils from their skin. Using a conditioner will not only moisturize their fur, it will help to replace those good oils.

By using a good quality, non-drying shampoo and conditioner combo, it is possible to safely bathe your dog once a week. If you have a dog who delights in playing in the mud and water (Looking at you again, Noodles!), sometimes weekly bathing is hard to avoid! Ask us what products we recommend if you need to bathe your mud puppy frequently. We will be happy to help you find something that works!

Another situation that might require frequent bathing would be if your veterinarian has prescribed a prescription shampoo to help with a skin problem such as a bacterial or fungal infection. Some of these shampoos can be extremely drying. While you should always follow all of your veterinarian’s instructions, you might want to ask if you can follow up with a light conditioner to avoid damaging any healthy skin.

“So if I can bathe my dog at home anywhere from every week to once a month, when should I bring them to the salon for grooming?” Once again, it depends on you and your dog! If you like to keep your long haired dog in a longer style or if you live with a short haired breed that sheds buckets every day, you might want to consider appointments every 4 weeks. This will help keep the long hair fluffy and tangle free and that shedding hair to a minimum. For dogs with shorter styles or fur that doesn’t shed quite as much, visits to the salon every 6 to 8 weeks will keep them comfortable and in style! If you find your dogs hair tends to grow faster, the seem to tangle and mat, or they become stinky faster, we can easily adjust their grooming schedule to keep them and you as happy and comfortable as possible!

Waiting too long between groomings can lead to uncomfortable situations for both long haired and short haired pets. They can develop mats and impacted undercoat, both of which will block the airflow to their skin. Their skin may become dry, flaky, or greasy. Yeast and bacterial infections can start to develop. They can get hot spots or other sores and wounds on their skin. If you notice any of these things, it is best to first consult with your veterinarian then think about how you can revamp their grooming schedule!

All Dogs Need Grooming

When we think of dog grooming, we tend to think of show dogs with their beautiful, flowing fur or their perky poms and top knots. Poodles and Shih Tzus immediately pop into most peoples’ heads as examples of grooms. Scruffy terriers with their carefully hand stripped coats might join the mix. And who can forget a perfect Schnauzer cut too?

Grooming goes far beyond styles for the show ring. It even goes beyond hair cuts in general. All dogs need to be groomed. Even short haired and hairless dogs will benefit from a bath, brush, and deshed treatment. Why? It is pretty simple!

Just like humans, dogs shed their skin cells in a 21 day cycle. The new cells form under the skin and mature over this period of time. Once they reach the surface, they hang around for a while before dying and shedding off, revealing healthy new cells underneath. The process happens in a never ending cycle starting the day they are born. It happens with humans too! Unlike humans, the skin surface for a dog is under a layer of fur. This can prevent those old cells from sloughing off in a timely manner. Dogs may develop itchy dandruff, flaky patches, yeast infections, or a host of other problems if they are not able to shed this skin.

Shedding hair can become a problem for even shorter haired pets. All dogs shed. Even so called “non-shedding” breeds like poodles and bichons shed. They simply shed less since their hair has a much longer growth cycle. Their kinky fur also tends to hold that shed fur in, potentially creating mats if it is not brushed out on a regular basis. Any dog with hair longer than an inch or two in length is at danger of developing mats. The longer the hair, the more easily it tangles. But even shorter haired dogs can have shedding problems. Their shed fur can impact into their coat, creating a thick, tight, hard to remove layer of fur and dander.

The good news is that grooming helps to solve both the problems of proper skin overturn and shedding! A proper bath with quality, pet specific shampoos and conditioners along with a good blow and brush out will help all the excess skin cells blow away. The shedding hair will come out as well, preventing any mats or impacting. You pet’s coat will be softer, shinier, and brighter after a bath. They will feel amazing too! Regular appointments will help to keep their nails in tip top shape as well!

Even hairless dogs and cats will benefit from a good scrub. They might not have as much hair to shed, but their skin is still prone to build-ups. They can develop black heads and zits. A moisturizing bath and an exfoliating scrub can greatly reduce the problems!

Help even your short haired buddies feel their absolute best by getting them on a regular grooming schedule. They will absolutely adore all the attention they receive in the salon and at home afterwards too!

Continued Education: Why Is It Important?

We all know our doctors, nurses, firefighters, police officers, and even veterinarians do continued education courses every year. We have all heard about trade shows for everything from the automotive industry to all things home and garden and even science and technology. Did you know there are trade shows and continued education courses for groomers and other pet professionals as well?

Its true! Trade shows and classes happen all across the country all year long. There are single day, specialized classes hosted by groomers and salons that cover very specific topics such as how to groom a specific breed or how to achieve perfect faces. There are small, 2 day, home town type shows as well as huge, week long expos! There are grooming competitions for all breeds and breed groups. There are creative grooming competitions as well where groomers show off their dying and scissoring skills. There are classes taught by the captains of the industry on everything from breed standards to breed cuts to techniques for using clipper combs to hand scissoring to handling cats and even information on skin and coat health. There are certification courses for things like safety and sanitation and first aid. The trade floors hold more products than you could ever ask for! New shampoos and conditioners, the latest and most updated equipment, bows and bandannas, scissors and brushes, grooming wear like smocks, pants, and aprons, and even things like leashes, collars, and toys for the awesome pups in your life! There are often folks who sharpen blades and shears as well as folks who can give you all the information you ever wanted about nail grinding accessories and electric tables. A day or week at a good expo can be a groomer’s dream come true. Yours truly dreams of going to Super Zoo in Las Vegas some day!

It isn’t all fun and games though. Mostly it is, but there is a serious side to these expos too. Those classes I mentioned before can be vital for groomers of all skill levels. Even the most seasoned groomer can learn a thing or two by attending seminars.

Each year, we attend a grooming expo in the St. Louis area. We spend our time at the show in order to gain new knowledge we then use to help your pets have the best grooming experience they possibly can! Even though we have spent almost a combined 25 years in the pet industry, Stacey and I admit that we do not know everything there is to know. While we have diverse backgrounds and training, there are still “holes” in our knowledge. Attending these trade shows is one of the best ways to “fill in the blanks” as it were.

We have taken classes on things such as Asian Fusion grooming to learn how to make those adorable round, teddy-bear looking faces. We have taken classes on using clip-on combs to achieve a natural looking hair cut. We have gained tips and tricks for making poodle top knots absolutely perfect. We have learned how other salons operate and taken some of what they do to make our salon what it is today. We have gained new knowledge about the cycle of skin growth, how shampoos and conditioners affect a dog’s skin, and even how to keep our salon as safe and sanitary as possible. Every year, we look forward to the new knowledge we will gain so we can pass it along in what we do!

We understand that it can feel a little frustrating when you try to make an appointment somewhere only to find out the business will be closed for a few days. However, when we close for trade shows, please remember that we are going so we can provide the very best for your pets!

Trade shows aren’t the only places we learn though. In this day and age, everything you ever wanted to know about anything at all is available with just a few clicks of a mouse. YouTube is a great source for learning, though you do have to take any information gained with a small grain of salt since there is no way to really know a person’s actual qualifications and background. Even keeping this in mine, there are innumerable videos on tips, tricks, and techniques on everything from how to shave a reluctant poodle’s feet to how to achieve a perfectly layered yorkie style head in under 10 minutes. There are product reviews to watch. There are handling tips. There are just plain fun grooming videos of happy dogs and happy groomers!

Books and magazines play a role in a groomer’s continued education as well although these tools might contain out of date information almost as soon as they hit the shelves. The world moves so fast now that print can hardly keep up! However, printed books about breed standards and proper breed cuts will always have a place on a groomer’s book shelf. Many magazines will contain more product and tool reviews that can be referenced later on. Some will even have step-by-step guides for certain cuts or techniques that can be handy to have nearby!

We will never consider our education to be complete. There will always, always, always be new things to learn, new places to learn them, and wonderful new people to learn from. As we learn new things, we will be sure to bring them home to our little salon in order to create the best grooming experience possible for your furry friends!

Safety and Sanitation Certified Groomers: What Does That Mean?

You have probably noticed us mentioning Safety and Sanitation Certification on this page before. It is something we take great pride in and something that definitely sets us apart from the rest! But what is it? What does it mean for your pets?

Our Safety and Sanitation Certifications through the Intellectual Groomers Association means that we have completed a fairly intense course on the subject and we have passed a knowledge quiz. The course covers nearly all aspects of cleaning, disinfecting, and sanitizing necessary to keep the salon environment as healthy as it can possibly be. We learned not only about various products which are human and pet safe to clean and sanitize, but also what daily, weekly, and monthly protocols we should have in place. We also learned about various aspects of tub, table, and emergency safety.

One of the very last things we would ever want to happen is a happy, healthy dog coming into our salon and then hearing two or three days later that they had to go to the veterinarian with an infection they likely picked up from us. It is so easy for things like fungal, bacterial, and viral infections to be spread through a busy shop completely by accident. No groomer would ever intend for a dog to become ill but we might not know that another client is! It only takes a moment of inattention for something like a fungal foot infection to be spread from one dog to another because a crate or table wasn’t cleaned and disinfected properly. Therefore, we have taken our new knowledge to heart and follow it to the letter!

Between every single pet, there is a lot of cleaning going on! The shammy towels we use as a first towel on your pet is placed in a vinegar solution which kills most of the common skin bacteria and fungus a pet might have. The wet towels we use on your pet are placed in the laundry bin. We NEVER reuse a wet towel on another pet. Period. A damp towel might be used to mop up water on the floor, but never on another pet. Yes, we do a lot of laundry all in the name of being sanitary! After your pup has been in our tub, not only do we rinse down and wipe out the hair, we also squeegee the water off the walls then spray them down with a peroxide based disinfectant. This is allowed to sit on the tub and walls until the next pet is brought over for a bath. Even though the cleaner is safe for pets and people, we still rinse the tub down before placing your pet in it. We do the same for the safety loops, the drying table, and even the dryer hose. Everything is cleaned and then disinfected before being used on the next pet. After your pet is done on our grooming tables, a similar process takes place. The removable table covers are vacuumed and placed in the laundry. The table top, even though it was covered the entire time, is sprayed down with the same peroxide based disinfectant. The grooming loops are sprayed and moved to the laundry bin. A fresh table cover is placed on the table top. A fresh loop is hooked up. Every tool that touched your pet is cleaned and disinfected before it is used on the next pet either with spray, heat, UV light, or ozone depending on the tool.

Have you noticed the cart between our grooming stations? That cart holds two of the most important disinfecting tools we have! We have a small heat sterilizer which we use for our shears. Any hair or dirt is wiped from the shears. They are then placed in the unit which contains small, heated glass beads. The high heat the beads are exposed to is then evenly transferred around the metal of our shears, killing any pathogens that might remain on them. The microwave-looking box is a sterilizer unit. This uses both UV light and ozone to sanitize tools which either cannot be exposed to high heat or that do not fit into the heat sterilizer. Clipper blades and attachments, combs, brushes, and other tools are placed in this box for 20 to 30 minutes. The combination of UV light and ozone destroys any and all pathogens, making the tools safe and sanitary for the next pet in line.

Once your pets are all gone for the day and the shop is ready to close, the more aggressive cleaners are brought out. These are excellent at cleaning and disinfecting, they are 100% safe to use in the presence of animals, but due to their nature, we feel it is safer to wait until everyone is gone to eliminate the potential risk of irritating someone with a sensitive throat or lungs. Best Shot 256 is used to wipe down all the kennels used during the day, even if we cleaned them with the peroxide based cleaners after a pet checked out and it was not used again. The tub and tables can be sprayed down as well. We will even wash down the walls and baseboards with Mrs. Meyers cleaners on a regular schedule to be sure there are no sneaky pathogens hanging out there, waiting for something to touch them and transfer to a tub, table, or towel! The floor is swept, vacuumed, scrubbed, and mopped with Best Shot, ensuring there is as little hair and dirt on it as possible. Twice a week, we even set up an ozone machine which helps to sanitize the air in the building, reducing the possibility of airborne pathogens and even mold and mildew. In the future, we hope to install a UV/Ozone sanitizer in our heating/AC system to further aid in our quest to be as sanitary as humanly possible.

While sanitation was the main focus of the course, safety was a big part as well. While we already knew the basics of never walking away from a dog on the table or in the tub, it covered other aspects of safety we might not think about, such as having a plan in case of a dog escaping, an aggressive intruder, or even a fire. We do have plans in place for each scenario! Of course, prevention is the best way to approach each of these.

There are times you might show up for your appointment only to find the door locked. You can’t get in! Don’t worry! There is a doorbell. Why is the door locked even though we knew you were coming? If we are working alone, keeping the doors locked is the safety option for us and your pets! If a pet manages to get out of their crate, off the table, our out of our control, the gate is our first line of defense. They can’t get to the door. However, an athletic or determined dog can potentially clear that gate! By having the door locked, we can assure that an unsuspecting owner coming for an appointment doesn’t accidentally open the door while we are trying to coral the Houdini, thus allowing the escapee access to the outside world. While we are in a small, safe neighborhood, we also have to worry about the possibility of an intruder coming into the salon as well. By keeping the door locked when we are not expecting anyone, and when we are alone in the salon, we can keep an aggressive intruder at bay long enough to call the police for help, thus keeping ourselves and your pets safe and sound!

We are confident our little salon will be safe from all but the most aggressive of storms given that it is made from solid brickwork. However, fire is still something that we have to worry about. While our fire risk is low, it is always a possibility. Rest assured that we have a plan in case of fire that does include getting your pets out quickly and safely! If there is ever a fire in the building, all pets will be evacuated through the nearest exit. They will go into our cars as quickly as possible. Our cars will then be moved far enough away from the threat to be safe but not so far that you will have a hard time finding us. Owners would be notified as soon as possible of the incident so they can come collect their pets.

If you ever have any specific questions about our safety or sanitation protocols, please ask us! If you are concerned about any product we use, we will be happy to show you what we use and how we use it. If your pet has any allergies or sensitivities, please let us know so we can adjust for their well being! While we never use products in close proximity to your pets, we do understand that they might be sensitive to products being used in the same room. So ask away! Let us know! We’re happy to adjust to accommodate your furry friends! 

(P.S. - Jess recently passed her class as well!  We are waiting for her certificate to arrive in the mail so we can hang it on the wall with Stacey's for everyone to see!)

Safe Table Practices

It came to our attention yesterday that there has recently been a tragic accident at another salon involving their tables. A dog lost her life and a salon team is traumatized. We are not going to go into details nor are we going to bash or judge anyone for this tragedy. Accidents can happen. People can panic. However, we do want you to feel safe leaving your pets in our care so I wanted to take a moment to talk a little about our tables and our safety policies surrounding them.

We NEVER tether dogs to the bottoms of our tables. You may have seen some grooming tables that have little loops of metal down near the feet. In the past, some salons have used these loops to tether dogs who either need to be groomed on the floor or if the groomer has to step away for a moment. Our tables do not have these loops. Even if they did, we would not use them. You may have noticed hooks at all four corners under the table tops. These hooks are not for dogs. They are for hanging equipment such as table brushes, slickers, or clippers so they are within easy reach at all times. 


There are two pedals that adjust our tables up and down, one pedal on each side of the table. An awesome feature of our Comfort Groom tables is that these pedals flip up! If a dog is on the floor near the tables, we can flip the pedals up, preventing any chance of the dog accidentally stepping, sitting, or laying down on a pedal and causing the table to come down toward them. We very often flip the pedals down, adjust our tables, then flip them back up and out of the way to prevent accidental triggering or tripping. All it takes to move these pedals is a flick of the foot which means we never take our eyes off your dog while making adjustments. I frequently find myself adjusting the table while brushing the dog at the same time! 


Our tables lower very, very close to the ground. When lowered fully, a dog only has to step or hop 15 inches from the floor to the table tops. There are very few dogs who cannot hop that far! A reluctant dog who is under 50 pounds is generally just picked up and placed on the table. Should we encounter a slightly larger dog who does not want to step up, we use team work to safely get them onto the working surface. Quite often it only takes one person to be calling and talking to the dog from the opposite side of the table while the second person assists the dog’s hind end up. If the dog cannot be encouraged up, a team lift is preformed where one person lifts the dog’s front end and the other lifts the back end. The dog is safely and securely lifted, placed on the table, and the person lifting the front end can then attach the grooming loop. The dog does not get stressed as it feels secure the entire time.

In the very, very rare event that we have a larger dog who just absolutely will not get on the table and will not cooperate for a team lift, the dog can be brushed while on the floor. The dog would be tethered to the fully lowered table using our Groomer’s Helper, a clamp that attaches to the grooming arms. A loose grooming loop is then placed on the dog and attached to the Groomer’s Helper. The idea isn’t to hold the dog completely still but rather just keep them in the general area we need them in in a manner that does not cause them any stress and in a manner that keeps them completely safe. A dog would never be tethered to a raised table. A dog would never be tethered with a loop so tight they cannot get their heads out. Our “shop cat,” Jelly Bean, is every so kindly demonstrating for you how we would tether a larger dog to our tables. 


Our hearts break for the dog, the family, and the groomers who were forever changed by the table accident. We have taken a look at our practices to ensure that such a tragedy will not happen in our facility. We are here for the safety, comfort, and well being of all the pets who come into our care.

Meet Glacier!

Every now and then, a groomer will run into a dog they just have to help. It could be a dog that has been severely neglected and needs relief from their impacted, matted coat. It could be a dog that struggles with trusting the process. It could be a dog who has been handled roughly and despises everything about groomers and grooming. But there is a spark. There is a need. We have to help this dog no matter what. Many times, these types of dogs will do best when they stay with one certain groomer so they can develop a bond. That bond helps to create trust. Grooming is all about trust between the dog and their groomer.

 

Glacier is one of those dogs. This handsome boy has been one of Stacey’s friends for many years. They met at a corporate store back when Glacier was just a youngster. He was not a fan of his grooming! Some of the groomers were not fans of Glacier! He acted out in typical husky fashion but Stacey could tell that he was just a scared, frustrated dog who needed someone to trust. She could also tell that the corporate environment with the rush, rush, rush attitude, constant noise, and ever changing bathers were only setting him on edge. This was a dog who needed to take his time for grooming. He needed a quiet, calmer environment with a single person so he could learn to trust the process.

It didn’t take long for Glacier to be dismissed from the corporate environment. Stacey knew she had to do something for him. As a life-long husky owner herself, she knew the importance of keeping him groomed, even if he didn’t appreciate it! So she talked to his owners. She explained that she would be happy to try grooming him at her house if they were willing to drive him out there. As you can guess, they agreed.

Stacey and Glacier began forming a trusting bond. She slowly taught him that grooming is nothing to be scared of. They developed a firm routine which helps him know exactly what is happening and when. Knowing what to expect is so very important for many dogs! He went from acting out because he didn’t know what was going on to actually being excited for his sessions!
Glacier now knows that he will be visiting Aunt Stacey and her pack of dogs. When he arrives at her home, he gets to play in the backyard with his friends Jack, Sophie, Tiberius, and Lucky. After play time, he goes inside for his bath, blow out, brushing, and nail trim. He might sing the songs of his people as huskies tend to do, but he knows exactly what is coming next. Glacier even holds his paws out for his nail grinding! He trusts Stacey that much! Weather pending, he might get to play with his friends some more while he waits for his mom and dad to pick him up!

Glacier’s story perfectly illustrates why we do what we do at TLC. Even though he does not come into our salon (he would not be happy to give up his play time with his friends!), he shows exactly why all dogs need a steady, predictable routine in an environment tailored to their needs with a groomer who is willing to do whatever it takes to make them comfortable.

Grooming and Oranges? Our Pricing Explained.

Without question, the most common inquiry any dog groomer gets is "How much does it cost to groom my dog?"

Without question, that is also one of the hardest questions to answer! It is very often followed up with "Wow that is expensive! Why does it cost so much?" Since we are all about being 100% open and honest here at TLC Pet Services, we are going to explain why we charge what we charge and why it is also extremely hard to give a flat rate for all dogs.

So how much does it cost to groom my dog? And why can't we give an exact price? Think of dog grooming like buying produce. Most items have a base price of a few dollars a pound. How much you end up paying highly depends on how much you buy. Six oranges could cost you $3.00 or $8.00 depending on the type, size, quality, and brand. Time of the year and over all availability is a big factor as well. It is almost impossible to say "Six oranges will cost $4.50 every single day" unless you are buying a bagged product. But you also get what you pay for. Are those six oranges in the $4.50 bag the same quality as the six you picked yourself and paid $8 for? One size fits all pricing doesn't work for produce and it doesn't really work for dog grooming either! 

We'll use Shaak Ti the Wonder Noodle (above) as an example. Shaak Ti is affectionately known as a Mississippi Mutt or a Black Mystery Dog. Her mix is completely unknown. She bounces between 45 and 50 pounds. She has medium length hair but also has long feathering on her legs and hind end. And we can't forget about her glorious tail! How much it costs to groom her depends on several factors. Do you want just a bath and a brush out? Do you want a deshedding treatment (which we highly recommend for all double coated breeds!)? Do you want a light trim, a heavy trim, or do you want her cut short or even shaved (which we do NOT recommend for all double coated breeds!)? What is her temperament like? Does she fidget in the tub? Dance on the table? Fight going into the kennel? Freak out for a nail trim? Is she an angel or are those devil horns there for a reason? Is she well brushed at home or does she have tangles in her tail? Matts in her pants? Do we need to do any comfort shaving?

With all these factors, it is no surprise that we can't give you a flat price! So we typically will give an estimated range based upon the service you pick. Basic bath? Probably $40-60. Deshed? $50-70. Light trim? $45-65. Heavy trim/all over cut? $60-80. If you aren't sure, we are likely to quote you anywhere from $40-80.

Wow. That does look like a lot of money! We realize that it does. Even the base price of $40 to bathe Noodle might seem like a lot. But what does that $40 get you? That $40 bath includes our Tropiclean Spa or Extra Mild Espree shampoos, a matching conditioner, a blow dry, brush out, ear cleaning, sanitary shave (if needed), paw pad shave (if needed), toe hair trim (if needed), nail grinding (if tolerated), and a cologne to make sure Noodle smells her best! Now that base price of $40 might go up a little depending on how she behaves or what the condition of her coat is. If she is naughty or hard to handle, there might be fees. Any matting can incur additional fees. So your $40 base price might end up being $50. The high end of $60 is for upgraded products. Along with our Tropiclean Spa line, we also carry Espree Rainforest, a deep conditioning, more natural, aloe based shampoo. Not only does it smell wonderful, longer haired dogs' coats stay fluffy and bouncy longer! Shorter dogs stay shiny! We also have a specialty treatment shampoo made by EPI. This is wonderful for dogs who might have an extra doggy odor to them or for those with itchy, dry skin. EPI isn't quite a miracle cure, but it is pretty close! These two options do cost a bit more simply due to the fact that they cost us a bit more. But I can assure you that they are worth it! 

Some other salons will charge you extra for the grinding of your dog's nails and the conditioning of their coat. We have done a great deal of, and will continue to do a great deal of, further education. We recently learned that every single dog benefits from a conditioner. It helps their skin stay healthy, prevents dryness, and can even help with the shedding issues! Nail grinding is not only gets their nails as short as possible, it can actually help encourage long quicks to shorten over time when done on a regular schedule! Shaak Ti's base price at another salon might be only $35 but if I want her coat conditioned and her nails ground, I will be charged $18 to $33 more depending on the package I chose! That gives us a total of up to $67 with good behavior, more if she decides to be naughty!

It really is a matter of apples to oranges. Not every dog of the same breed will end up paying the same price. One yorkie might be a perfect angel for an all over hair cut and pay only $45 while another is a demon and pays $55. A fit, properly sized beagle might be only $30 for a bath and brush while one that is 10 pounds over weight might pay $40. There are so many factors! If you have concerns about prices, talk to us. Be as specific as you possibly can be when telling us what you want done. Be honest about your dog's condition, size, health, and behavior. We won't judge you if you tell us your dog is 10 pounds over weight, has matting, and has hated every other groomer out there! We will listen, talk to you about what we will probably need to do, and give you a more accurate estimate.

As always, we are an open book! We aren't out to get rich by grooming dogs. We are out here to provide a top of the line service designed to make your pet feel happy, be healthy, and most of all be beautiful!