Feline and Canine Body Language

The process of grooming a dog is so much more involved than many people realize. Not only are we bathing, drying, cutting hair, and trimming nails to make pets sparkle, groomers are constantly watching for subtle body language signals from pets.

Every cat and dog give signals to how they are feeling about certain things. While we all know that a hissing cat is an unhappy or scared cat, did you know that a cat who is blinking their eyes slowly is a cat who trusts you? They feel safe in your presence. A cat who falls asleep on the couch beside you trusts you. A cat who falls asleep in your lap really trusts you. A cat who falls asleep in your lap and begins to dream trusts you with their very life! Head boops are a sign of deep affection. When a cat rubs their cheeks against you, they are claiming you as theirs.

While groomers will generally only see the alert, upset, and sometimes downright angry side of a cat, dogs show a much wider range of emotion during their visits. Groomers are constantly on watch for signs that a dog is becoming stressed. Things like turning their heads away, sideways glances, big yawns, and lip licking are all signs that a dog might be feeling a little too stressed out by their grooming. A stressed dog might try to sniff the table while turning away in an attempt to tell the groomer that they want to retreat in peace. Unfortunately, we can’t always allow the groom to end at that moment so it is up to the groomer to recognize these signals and change the dog’s mind! Something as simple as a scratch behind the ears and some kind words can make all the difference!

Groomers want to see a happy, relaxed dog. This is a dog who has

an overall “soft” appearance. They don’t appear tense or nervous. Their movements are wiggly. They might flop a little when moved around. Their tails might wag at a steady rate. If they are panting, their lips are loose and not tight against their teeth. They might suddenly burst into a wiggly play bow as the groomer walks around the table. The ultimate goal of any groomer is to convince every dog they see that this is how grooming should be!

Many dogs are not so sure though. They might show signs of being stressed or simply just nervous. They might be tense, shifting their weight from paw to paw. They might keep one paw slightly raised. Their ears might either be constantly moving or pinned back against their heads. A groomer needs to know the dogs they work so they remember if this is normal for the dog or not. During times of high stress such as around the holiday seasons, even the most mellow, relaxed dog might become more tense for their grooming sessions simply due to all the changes around them.

At times, groomers might use their own body language to “talk” to the dogs in a way the dogs are more likely to understand. They might half blink or do a small yawn to show they are relaxed. They might drop their shoulders and turn slightly to the side to be non-threatening. Or, if a dog is starting to act up, a groomer might stand taller and more square to show they are not going to put up with foolishness. A particularly rambunctious dog might even receive a hard, direct stare to show the groomer means business. As soon as the dog settles and looks away, the groomer will then relax, yawn a little, and continue on. Quite often “talking” to the dogs in their own language produces better results than trying to coo and calm them with human language!

“Talking” to dogs with their own body language goes beyond the grooming salon as well! If your dog is nervous around certain things such as blowing plastic bags while on a walk, putting on an aura of calm by being relaxed and yawning a little, can help to put your dog at ease! If it doesn’t bother you, maybe it isn’t so scary after all! You can even “talk” to your cat by slowly blinking at them or rubbing your cheek against theirs when they come to you for attention!

The Grooming Process: What People Think vs Reality

Have you ever wondered what, exactly, it takes to get a dog groomed? Or a cat? It must be such a fun thing to do! Playing with puppies and kittens all day long must be so easy!

The reality is that grooming is an extremely taxing process. Many groomers end up suffering from joint problems, specifically in the knee, hip, and lower back areas due to the long hours bending, twisting, lifting, and standing. Carpal Tunnel and Tennis Elbow are almost a guarantee from the repetitive motions. “Groomer’s Lung” can develop over time, leading to lung infections, chronic bronchitis, and difficulty breathing. It is caused by breathing in the dust, dirt, chemicals, and debris associated with grooming.

At any time, numerous injuries can occur such as bites, scratches, bruises, cuts, sprains, strains, and falls. Plenty of groomers have had their careers ended by accidents. It is far, far more common for the groomer to become injured than the pets! Some of these injuries can be caused by the pets the groomer is working with. Others can be caused by the environment. Still others can be caused by just a moment of inattention. Just about every groomer out there has cut their own fingers and hands with their shears! Many will laugh as they show you the scars and tell you the story!

Compassion fatigue is another huge, potentially deadly, problem in the industry. Most groomers care so deeply for the pets they are trusted with that seeing pelted, once-a-year grooms, dogs with poor skin and over grown nails, and cats so matted they cannot move begins to take a mental toll. Owners who do not properly care for their pets, make impossible demands, and then berate a groomer for doing what is necessary to keep the pet happy and comfortable can make groomers feel like they are worthless. They can’t do anything right. Depression and hopelessness can begin to set in. Compassion fatigue is a problem across the entire animal industry and beyond. Each year, many professionals take their own lives as a result.

So what actually happens in the salon? What makes it so demanding? For a normal, regularly scheduled maintenance groom, the process can seem daunting with all the brushing, clipping, bathing, and drying. For a pet that is not on a regular schedule, it can be even more challenging!

The typical groom will start one of two ways. After we give your pet a quick evaluation, we will either clip their nails or head straight to the bath tub. Long nails must be clipped prior to the bath as they could pose a safety issue, potentially getting caught on kennel grates or doors. If your pet’s nails are in good shape, the bath is started immediately.

A bath is a lot more than just soap and water! Very often, a dog will be washed two, possibly even three times. The first wash with a basic shampoo will remove the bulk of the dirt and grime. Their anal glands will be checked during this first shampoo and emptied if needed. Occasionally, if the pet is excessively dirty, they might get another shampooing with the basic formula but typically, we don’t need to. The second shampoo will either be another round of the basic shampoo or a specific formula picked for the needs of your pet. We might use Avacado for dry or itchy skin, hypoallergenic for pets who might be a little more sensitive, or whitening for those who’s coats could use a little extra help to shine. While the second shampoo is on the dog’s coat, they are often brushed with a rubber curry or a brushing glove to make sure they are clean down to their skin across every single inch of their body from the ears back. The shampoo is then rinsed completely from the dog’s coat and skin. But it doesn’t end there! Next, a high quality conditioner is applied to the dog. It is brushed in with the rubber curry or brushing glove. While it sits, the dog’s face will be washed with either a hypoallergenic or lightly scented face wash or a blueberry facial treatment. This face wash is then rinsed away. The conditioner is rinsed though we quite frequently do not rinse it away completely as a good conditioner is designed to keep a dog’s skin in tip-top shape.

The bathing process will usually take only around 15 to 20 minutes per dog. However, if a deshedding treatment is what they need, there are extra steps of brushing, combing, raking, and blowing that take place. A thorough deshedding process can take up to an hour to complete!

The drying process is the next step. The dogs are wiped down with super absorbent cooling towels. These wick a surprising amount of water out of the fur! So much so that we often don’t even need to use a regular towel afterwards! While in the tub, the high velocity dryer will be used to blow the bulk of the remaining water off the dog. Depending on the size of the dog, they will either be dried further in the tub or they may be moved to our drying table. How dry the dogs get at this point depends on how they feel about the drying process. Some dogs will not tolerate the high velocity dryer. It is pretty loud after all! We don’t blame them! A dog who tolerates the dryer will be dried until they are just a little damp. After this dryer, the damp pet will be placed in a kennel. Using either a kennel dryer or a regular fan, they will take a break while they continue to dry. We will then either work on another dog or take a brief break to fill out paperwork, return phone calls/text messages, or, if we are lucky, scarf down a little bit of lunch!

Dogs may receive another dry on the grooming table using our small, heated, Flying Pig dryer affectionately known as Dumbo. This little dryer is great for taking the last bit of dampness from a dog’s coat or for drying feet and faces. Some dogs will need this last dry, some won’t. Some dogs will need a sanitary shave which is generally done before brushing just in case there are any tangles in sensitive places. Paw pads will usually be shaved at this time if needed and the nails also trimmed and filed. After any prep-work, dogs will be brushed at this point. Longer hair is brushed with slicker brushes and medium and fine toothed combs. The dog is brushed from head to tail, paying special attention to legs, feet, ears, and tail. Small tangles are carefully worked out. Larger mats are brushed around and noted for removal. Shorter haired dogs might still get brushed with a slicker and comb but are more likely to be brushed with a rubber curry, deshedding rake, and a Sleek Ez to remove excess undercoat. No matter the hair length, this brush out process can take 15 minutes or longer. If a dog is getting a deshed treatment, this brush out can take even longer as we need to remove as much of the shedding hair as possible.

For bath dogs, this is pretty much where the process ends. They get to go hang out in their crates until their owners can come pick them up. For dogs getting a haircut, they are only halfway there!

Using clippers, blades of various lengths, comb attachments, and very sharp shears, fur is clipped down to the desired length. This is frequently the longest part of the process. The first pass over the dog’s body is to take off the bulk of the fur being cut. We don’t worry about getting perfect results on the first pass though it is nice when it happens! Using a brush or comb, the fur is fluffed up again for a second pass. This is a more careful clip intended to bring the coat almost to the final state. There will still be finish work to be done though. The fur is carefully combed and fluffed. Longer spots are trimmed down with shears. The tail is trimmed up. The feet are rounded off. The head and face are saved for last. Ears and faces are carefully combed. Cheeks are fluffed up. Fur is carefully clipped and trimmed to make the dog as cute as possible! All in all, the haircut can take up to an hour to complete. If the dog is at all fidgety or uncooperative, it can take even longer!

All in all, a groom can go as quickly as one hour for a very cooperative dog that doesn’t mind being bathed, dried, and groomed straight through or it could take three to four hours if the dog requires frequent breaks.

Cat grooms are a little different. Generally, a cat’s nails are clipped as soon as we take them out of their carriers. They get their brush and/or haircut before they get a bath simply because most cats do not like baths! Cats are immediately dried as much as possible with absorbing towels, regular towels, and our friend Dumbo. If they are resistant to the bath and dry, nothing is forced upon them. Cats can hang out in the kennels with a fan if they need to, however, we prefer to get them in and out as fast as we can. Cats are very prone to stress-induced illness. The longer they spend in the salon environment, the more dangerous it is for them. We try hard to have cats in, groomed, and out in two hours or less.

After repeating this process four, five, six, or more times per day, it becomes easy to see that grooming is not at all just playing with cute critters all day long! It is a very demanding job but it is one that we would not trade for anything!

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!

No Sedated Dogs!

We have all heard of That Dog. The one that maybe lives next door and never has a very pretty hair cut. The one that gets way too long before being shaved way down. The one that screams bloody murder for being brushed. The one that turns into Cujo when it’s nails or feet are touched. That dog that has been kicked out of every salon in the area and now must go to their vet twice a year for a fully sedated groom. We might have thoughts like “Well the groomer clearly didn’t try hard enough,” “All dogs can be trained!,” or “You just need to find the right groomer!”

The truth is that by the time a dog is to the point of a sedated groom, the groomers have tried many, many, many times. They have tried different times, different techniques, different frequencies for grooming. They have tried using different tools. They have tried getting assistance. They have tried grooming when there are no other dogs in the salon. They have tried having their coworker groom the dog since sometimes dogs and people just don’t click for many reasons. If they are a good groomer, they have likely tired more things than you can think of trying to gain this dog’s trust and find that one magical key to getting them groomed. And while most dogs can indeed be retrained for grooming with time and patience, many will also need a little extra medical help in order to get there. That is where sedation comes in.

“Sedation” can be anything from a mood altering medication like Prozac to help lessen anxiety to Trazadone which, while it is an antidepressant, has the benefit of making dogs sleepy, to Acepromazine which can tranquilize an animal for 6-8 hours. Sedation can even include full anesthesia at the veterinarian’s office. It all depends on the dog. A dog who is just scared might benefit from the Prozac or Trazadone. A dog who is full on aggressive might need the Acepromazine or full anesthesia.

At TLC Pet Services, we have decided that we will not groom any dogs who take any prescribed medications for the sole purpose of grooming. If your dog takes Prozac on a daily basis for general anxiety, that is acceptable since you are likely to already know any possible side affects and can let us know about them. If your dog takes Tramadol for pain and they end up sleepy, we don’t want you to not give it, but we might ask you to ask your vet about changing the dose on a groom day to avoid the sleepies. Daily medications, even if they are or can be used for the purposes of altering moods and sedation, are okay as long as you let us know what they take, when they often take it, and any side affects you have noticed. We don’t want anyone skipping daily meds just to get groomed after all!

The reason we do not groom sedated dogs is safety. While many, many groomers out there will groom sedated dogs, the risks often far outweigh the benefits. Every dog reacts differently to drugs. Some dogs will seem sleepy and woozy but then snap and become extra violent, lashing out without giving any warning signs. They might loose any bite inhibition they have, resulting in worse injuries for the groomer or even for themselves. Some dogs will fight through the sedative, causing the unpredictable behaviors. They might suddenly start thrashing around, trying to escape from the grooming loops and table, resulting in injuries to themselves and their groomers. There are heavier sedatives out there that might be prescribed if others have not worked. These can cause the dog to be completely aware of what is going on but be unable to react to the stimuli. How scary would it be for you if you were terrified of a vacuum cleaner and someone then gave you a drug, waited for it to kick in, then started vacuuming around you? You are 100% aware of the noise and the sensation. You are still terrified. But, you can’t do anything about it. You are not likely to react well next time someone brings a vacuum near you while you aren’t sedated!

Without professionally trained staff and equipment to monitor even lightly sedated dogs, we will have no way of knowing if your dog is staggering on the table because the medication is working or if it is because they are experiencing a medical emergency. The signs of a heart attack, seizure, or breathing problem might be reduced or not even present because the sedative is masking them. By the time the signs are clear, it might be too late for your pet. Even if we are fortunate to see the signs early on, we still have to rush your dog from the salon, to our cars, and then to the nearest vet who can help us. It will take a minimum of 5 minutes to get to the vet. Those 5 minutes could mean the difference between a healthy recovery and one with complications or even the death of the pet.

Even if your pet does not experience a medical emergency under sedation (which is most likely to be the case), their behavior can be a challenge. A sedated dog is a wobbly dog. They sway and stagger. They might randomly fall over. They move unpredictably. It is much more likely that your dogs is going to step into our clippers or shears and receive an accidental nick or cut. They might end up with bumps and bruises from accidentally staggering toward the edge of the table and stepping off. It is much, much harder to achieve a decent groom on a head that is always lolling to one side or the other. It is also much, much more dangerous to groom a lolling head as an eye might suddenly be where the shears are supposed to be!

So what should you do if your pet needs sedation for a groom? Talk to your vet! Not every office will provide sedated grooming but they will likely know which offices in the area do. Depending on how bad the dog is for grooming, some vets will provide fully sedated shave downs even if they do not provide regular grooming services. They are not pretty grooms but they are functional!

We never want to reach a point where we have to dismiss your dog from our salon. It causes us as much distress as it causes you! However, if we ever tell you that you need to talk to your vet about a sedated groom, please remember that we have your pet’s best interest at heart. We want them to be safe and happy. We hope that with time, effort, and retraining, they can reach a point where they can come back to see us in the future!

Honestly? Just Be Honest!

Honesty. It is something we have briefly covered before on our

Facebook page but I would like to take a moment to go a little more in depth about why honestly on both sides of the grooming table is absolutely vitally important. 


Have you ever taken your dog to a groomer and asked how they did? Maybe you were told “Oh they were great!” However, in the back of your mind, you have doubts. How could she be great for the groomer when at home she panics at the sight of a brush? Or, you were told she was a perfect angel by one groomer but the next groomer tells you “Well, she certainly didn’t appreciate her brush out and she did fight a little for her nail trim but we made it through! She just needs a little training!” How can that be? Her last groomer never said anything about her being naughty! Which groomer isn’t telling the truth?!


There are a few reasons why some groomers are 100% truthful and others are not. Maybe the first groomer is afraid that if she tells you the truth about your dog, you will not come back. Maybe she doesn’t think the behaviors are anything to worry about. Maybe she wasn’t actually the one who groomed your dog and doesn’t know the whole truth. The second groomer might have less tolerance for naughty behaviors. She might have a different background and can see that with just a little extra effort on training, your dog will learn that brushes aren’t scary and nail trims are not the end of the world. She wants you to know so you can work on things at home. Maybe she has a medical condition such as a bad back or a bad shoulder that means a little naughtiness from more than one dog ends up hurting by the end of the day. Grooming is a very physically demanding job after all! Little aches and pains can add up in a big way after a few days of less than perfect dogs! But we push through because we love what we do.


In this case, are either one of these groomers really lying to you about your dog? Not exactly. Could the first groomer be a little more open? Yes, but again, she might have a different opinion than the second groomer.


What can you expect from us at TLC Pet Services as far as honesty goes? Honesty! We will let you if your dog is wiggly and wormy, squiggly and squirmy. We’ll tell you if they hate the brush out or the bath or the blow dryer. We’ll let you know if they jump around and require two people for nail trims. We will also let you know if they love the bath, love the dryer, hand over their paws willingly for nails. We want you to know exactly how your dog does for grooming so you understand why we book them the way we do. If Toby needs two people for nails, we have to book him on a day when we know both groomers will be in. If Sammy is nervous around other dogs, we want you to know that we need to book him either first thing in the morning so he can get in and out, later in the day when the other dogs have left, or on a day when we know there will only be quiet, well mannered dogs in the salon. We want YOU to be part of that process and we want YOU to understand why. We will never sugar coat behaviors even if other groomers have in the past. 


Honesty is a two way street. While we promise to be completely honest with you, we also need you to promise to be completely honest with us. If you know your dog has any problems at all, be they grooming related or not, please let us know. Even though we are a women owned and operated company, there are times when we might have a male coming in to do a minor repair. Our husbands might stop by to give us a hand with something. If your dog doesn’t like men, it is helpful to know just in case! If they are scared of storms, we can keep a close eye on the weather leading up to their appointment. Thunder is very loud in our salon! If they are terrified of dogs bigger than they are or smaller than they are, it helps us know how and when to book their appointments.
If your dog has ever been dismissed from a salon, we need to know why. Does this mean we will not groom them? No. It simply means we will have to approach things differently and be prepared. Where they simply too loud and stressed in the kennel? We can try an express type service where they get groomed straight through and sent immediately home. Were they a safety concern during their bath because they flail around? We can try taking a different approach by tethering them differently, using a different setting on the hose, or even taking a bucket and cup approach if we absolutely have to. Did they bite or try to bite their last groomer? What for? We can evaluate their behavior while being prepared for their reactions.


Even things like medical concerns need to be disclosed with open honesty. Arthritis, hip and back problems, collapsing trachea, lumps and bumps, past injuries, allergies and even separation anxiety can make a difference in the grooming process. While every dog is handled with gentle kindness, if we know your old poodle has arthritis in his hips, we will make every effort to handle his hind quarters as little as possible and as comfortably as possible. If we know your Jack Russel Terrier had a gash that required stitches on their shoulder six months ago, we can be careful brushing that area since it might still be a little tender or odd feeling. 


If you are at all worried that disclosing something might mean we automatically turn your dog away, please don’t be! While there may be times when we feel that we are not the best groomer for your dog or that a certain medical condition means they might be safer being groomed at a veterinarian’s office, we will openly discuss all concerns with you. Many times we will be willing to give your dog a chance as long as they are within our weight limits. We have no problem trying as long as you understand that we might not complete the full groom before calling for a pick up.
So please be completely honest with us. Let us know about that dental last week. Or the limp after she chased a rabbit. Or the fact that she didn’t like Uncle Bob over the holidays. We will always be honest with you and your honesty with us only helps!

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!