FAQ

Grooming your puppy should start at 10 weeks of age (or after the second vaccination) to let your puppy become acquainted with the sounds of the grooming environment, noises such as dryer’s, clippers, and other dogs. The first 6 months of a dog’s life is like the first 5 years for us, so it’s very important to start them early. Grooming can easily become traumatic if left too long, so it is important to start brushing your dog at home straight away.

This really depends on the breed of dog and how much time you put into grooming at home. Between 4 and 8 weeks is a good time between appointments to keep your pet in great condition. It is best to re-book your pet on the day so that your next appointment is reserved for you in advance to avoid disappointment and to keep both you and your pet Smiling!

There’s a common misconception that dogs don’t need to be groomed, or only groomed minimally, over the winter months. The belief is that a dog’s winter coat comes in and should be allowed to grow long to protect and warm the dog. In addition, because dogs, like humans, often follow a more sedentary and inside routine in the winter, many people feel that their dogs aren’t getting dirty enough to warrant bathing. But this is simply not true. In fact, in many ways, grooming over the winter months becomes even more important to the health of your dog than at any other time of the year. Long, damp or wet, matted hair easily makes a cold, wet, and infection-susceptible dog.

While it’s true that double-coated breeds and others with thick, long fur are more winter-ready than short-haired dogs, the “blessing” of these thick coats in winter can turn quickly into a curse if the fur isn’t maintained in a healthy condition. Fur that’s matted doesn’t insulate or provide warmth; instead, it provides discomfort, pain, and hot spots. Matting can even lead to infections below the skin, so when considering the effects of letting the grooming go, consider how your dog’s health may in fact suffer as a result. Grooming isn’t just for a beautiful dog (though this is obviously one noticeable effect), it’s also crucial for your dog’s good health.

This depends on the individual dog, its age, breed, and temperament but a two hour minimum time is usually required for your dog’s grooming session. However if your dog is particularly large or hairy it may take a little longer. Dogs that have not been groomed for a long time may also take a bit longer, this is due to the extra coat and them not being used to the grooming process.

We prefer not to de-matt dogs as it is very painful! If your dog has a few knots and tangles in the coat this is fine, we have products and equipment for this, so we will remove them during grooming.  To help you better understand the pain of de-matting, imagine you had dreadlocks and then you went to your hairdresser and asked them to brush them all out. Yes Ouch!

No, we do not use drying cabinets as we feel these are unnecessary and may stress your dog. All the dogs are hand dried and under supervision at all times.

The anal glands are situated on either side of the anus and are scenting glands. These can be externally emptied if they have become blocked or are uncomfortable for your dog. If your dog has a problem with theirs you will notice, as they will be scooting their bottom along the floor or you may notice a particularly offensive smell on your dog.

Unfortunately we do not give discounts as the same amount of work is required, for each dog. However we do cherish loyal customers and would like to reward you and have therefore introduced a loyalty card where every 9th visit is free of charge. These visits do have to take place within a 12 month period for you to qualify for the free grooming session, though.

Most likely not that day, as it will put us behind for the rest of the day. We book and groom one dog straight through to keep the dogs stay in the salon as short as possible. If you can’t make the appointment, kindly let us know at least an hour before as it may be possible to swop dogs around and accommodate you at a different time slot.

We prefer that you do not stay. You are your pet’s best friend, and obviously your pet will be distracted while you are there, and it will cause your pet to become stressed.  Since grooming requires work with sharp equipment (scissors & clipper blades) it is much safer to leave and return at the time you are told the groom will be completed.   If you return early, PLEASE DO NOT TALK TO YOUR PET, as it may become excited.  You may sit quietly or wait outside or we may not be able to safely complete its groom. Most people prefer to leave their pets with us and we will call to let you know when they are ready to go home, however we always give owners the option to stay if they think their pet would feel more comfortable. Although most dogs are better behaved if their owners are not present, this is not always the case, and sometimes dogs have special requirements or health complaints that require their owners to be present during the grooming process.

Grooming can be quite tiring as it requires the dog to stand up and concentrate for long periods of time, this means that some dogs are very sleepy after their groom, while others can be a hyper or cranky like children get if they are over tired. It is perfectly normal and your pet should be back to himself by the following day. 

Actually the opposite is normally the case. The more often a dog visits the more he gets used to it and eventually will accept the process better. Also if a dog is left too long then there will be more coat and more tangles which in turn will take longer and be more uncomfortable for the dog to tolerate. We recommend dogs that dislike grooming visit more often for in-between baths as well as regular grooms to keep things short and sweet.

We recommend bitches in season are left until they have finished their season. This is normally 17 days after you first notice that she is in heat. This is due to bitches being more sensitive at this time and also the fact that we cannot always guarantee that there will be no boys around.