Frequently Asked Questions
If your question is not answered below feel free to send us a text!
Text: 404-386-0120
For the safety of the pets in the salon I do not speak on the phone while grooming. Please send me a text and I will get back with you as soon as possible.
"How often should my pet get groomed?"
A lot of that depends on your pets breed and coat. Some breed such as shih tzus, poodles and yorkies have ever growing hair that needs frequent upkeep. These breeds need to be seen every 4-6 weeks. Labs, pugs and huskies who have a lot of shedding also benefit from a 6-8 week schedule to help keep the hair loss under control. The best way to make sure you stay on a schedule is to book your next appointment when you pick your pet up from the salon. That way you make sure you have a spot and don't have to remember to call the salon.
Doodle breeds need to stay on a 4-6 week rotation at minumum!
"Is there an age limit?"
Our only limit is that your pet must be at least 8 weeks of age. We love our senior pups and have accommodations for senior dogs as well as dogs who have disabilities. Our table lowers close to the floor for dogs who might have back or hip issues. We also have a table that raises up to a level even with our bath tub so dogs can easily walk in and out. Some pets need special supports to help with stability, we've got them covered too.
"What if my pet has a chronic health problem or is physically disabled?"
Most breeds need grooming for their entire lives and that of course includes the "Golden Years". Some dogs and cats were born with a physical disability and have special needs as far as grooming is concerned.
We are here to help! Everyone is welcome here!
I have experience working with all kinds of disabilities such as vision loss, hearing loss, stability and balance troubles, paralysis of the hind legs and seizures.
Of course pets with health conditions do often take more time to groom. Its important that when scheduling you do let us know of any health conditions so that we can schedule to appropriate amount of time.
Some pets who have disabilities may need a "Comfort Groom" which is explained below.
"What is a Comfort Groom?"
Comfort Grooms are exactly what they sound like. These are grooms done to help keep your pet comfortable above all else. Comfort Grooms tend to be very short haircuts with very minimal hand scissor work involved. Comfort grooms are done for a handful of reasons such as:
-Physical disabilities that make it hard or impossible for your pet to stand.-
-Heavy matting that is too painful to brush out.-
-Aggression problems that would make the use of scissors dangerous.-
"My pet is very nervous about being groomed, how can I help them relax?"
First of all, this is very common so please don't feel alone! Its important to keep in mind that although we as humans love to go to the spa, our pets would much rather stay home and cuddle. This doesn't mean its a terrible experience or that they "Hate it" they would just rather be doing other things, and that's ok!
A good way to help with this is to be confident. Our pets look to us for guidance as far as how to feel or react to situations. If you are nervous, your pet will be too. If you are bringing your pet to the salon and you are telling them "Its going to be ok! I love you. I'm so sorry" and hugging them or acting scared yourself then your pet will instantly think that there is something to be afraid of. If you stay confident with your pet and have happy energy your pet will feed off of that and hopefully be happy and excited with you. Most of the time pets who are nervous before getting into the salon very quickly become excited and happy once they see that there is nothing to be afraid of.
I try to discourage the use of medication. If your pet is normally medicated for grooming please let me know so we can discuss whether or not to use the medication on the first visit. Most pets who need medications to go to a high volume salon end up not needing the medication here. A lot of the overwhelming factors are taken away when its a smaller salon. There are no other people involved and they are always seeing the same groomer. This makes the situation feel much safer for your pet.
"Why do groomers always shave my dog?"
Its so frustrating to go in to get your dogs hair done and then they come back shaved. I completely understand. You got a "Fluffy Breed" of dog so that you could have a fluffy dog right!? Sadly, the fluffy breeds take a LOT of at home care and frequent grooming appointments and that's just not always achievable.
When i say a "Fluffy Breed" I am talking about any breed mixed with a poodle.
Goldendoodle, Labradoodles, Bernidoodles, Cockapoos, Sheepadoodles, Cavapoos, Yorkiepoos Etc.
These dogs have a LOT of different hairs in their coats. This causes the hair to tangle and matt very easily. Almost like how Velcro attaches to itself, the wire hairs tangle themselves in the soft hairs.
If you catch this type of knotting very early it can be brushed out. Once it is too late though it is so important to make sure your pup doesn't suffer for it! Brushing out those kinds of matts is extremely painful for your dog. Its traumatizing. It also set up everyone for failure. If your dog doesn't like grooming then you wont be able to brush them at home. And if it gets too out of hand you might even have a hard time finding a groomer! If your dog associates grooming with pain, youre going to have an extremely hard time.
For this reason,
WE DO NOT BRUSH OUT MATTED ANIMALS.
IF YOUR DOG OR CAT COMES IN MATTED IT WILL BE SHAVED...
This is the least painful option and the least traumatic option. It is a fresh start! We can try again to keep your pup maintained properly and get that long, pretty coat you are going for.
On average a dog with more than 1 inch long hair will start forming matts within 3 days of no brushing. This makes maintaining hair lengths longer than an inch all but impossible.
If you plan to keep your animals hair longer than an inch you HAVE to expect to be brushing them for an average of about 4 hours a month and getting a full professional groom every 4 weeks at minimum.