Frequently Asked Questions : Grooming
When should I start bringing my puppy for grooming sessions?
We believe the earlier the better. Usually the first visit is more about the experience than the groom. It really benefits the dog to be exposed to the process early and they learn as young puppies what needs to be done ie. nail trimming, pads being shaved, scissors around the face etc. So as they grow nothing about the process is a surprise and best of all they get to have that moment of pure bliss when their mum and dad go crazy with joy at their gorgeous new appearance when they come back and collect them!
How often should my dog visit the salon?
Depends a great deal on what you are hoping to achieve with the coat and if you are happy to do the regular brushing (1 – 2 times per week thoroughly) at home in between visits.
As a general rule of thumb we recommend 6 – 8 weekly visits to maintain a longer length coat with alternating requirements.
1st visit – Clip. A maintainable agreed to length on the coat and the works all over. Looking Glam.
2nd visit – Tidy. A refresh. We brush out the coat, reshape/scissor tidy the feet, face and tail. Fluffy and Glam.
Alternate to maintain the coat you love.
It is very important to continue this schedule through the winter months as matting will occur if the coat isn’t maintained and a matted coat will result in a short clip as we need to get beneath the matts to remove them.
How can I avoid matting?
Matting is a very frustrating and confronting issue for our clients. We appreciate how difficult it is to maintain coats on dogs and just how easily it can slip away and matting occur.
The biggest misconception we encounter is that people have been misinformed that their dogs do not malt. Particularly in breeds of the ‘oodle’ variety. This is not actually true – whilst there isn’t carpets of fur laying around your house the ‘oodle’ breeds will malt into their coats and if not brushed out (from the skin out) matting will occur.
We strongly recommend a slicker brush and wire comb. The best technique is to start at the bottom of the back legs and work your way up, over the body and to the top of the head above the eye line going against the hairs natural direction. Then take your comb and comb the fur back in the natural direction from the skin out. If there are still knots the comb will find them and you can tease them out.
Does matting keep my dog warm as the coat is long and thick?
Unfortunately no. It is a popular misconception that a long matted coat keeps the dog warm during the colder months so people don’t come in as often during this time. Matting bunches up and can leave skin exposed so therefore exposes the dog to the cold.
Additionally matting can be very painful. The best way to explain how it feels is to pinch your skin and twist.
This is why we recommend having tidy up visits throughout winter. We help maintain the longer coat by clearing out the undercoat. This helps keep the matting at bay so by the time spring comes we aren’t shaving the coat off to the skin.
How long does a grooming session take?
We require a minimum of 2 hours. We work hard to meet your expectations but it is quite a process as we prepare the coat, bath, blow dry and reclip the coat. The time varies on all dogs as size, coat condition and temperament play a big part in how long it takes. As a general rule a small/medium dog – such as a maltese or spoodle – will take 2 hours. Large dogs such as Samoyeds or Malamutes can take anywhere up to 3 or 4 hours. We will give you an estimated turnaround time when you drop your dog in.
Do you use hydrobath/recycled water?
We use a stainless steel hydraulic bath that does not hold water. The best way to visualise it is to think of your shower at home. We use a flexible shower head with warm water that can be adjusted to suit the temperature of the day. The dogs are secured to the bath so they are never at risk of injury. We sterilise the bath with hospital grade disinfectant and steaming hot water.
Do you use sedation?
No. It is impossible to groom a sedated dog and only veterinarian clinics would undertake such an action and only if medically required to do so. If we encounter challenging dogs we rely upon our many years of experience to manage them through the process.
Do you use cages?
No. We have no need to use cages as we are fully staffed in all areas of the business to provide one on one attention throughout the process.
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