Grooming 101
Grooming 101! Have you ever come away from the hair salon unhappy because you couldn't make the stylist understand what you wanted? Think how much harder it is for a dog groomer to give your pet the perfect "do." Your dog can't let his stylist know if the length and style are what you had in mind!
Every dog owner has different needs and expectations about dog grooming. The following are four rules to help you work with your groomer, to get the best results for your pet.
1. Be specific about your expectations…
The groomer can't read your mind, so it's important to be specific. "Short, but not too short" or "leave it longer" aren't adequate direction. Does short mean 2 inches of hair, or a half-inch? If you have something specific in mind, say so.
2. Look at the book...
A quality grooming studio will have a book with photos, or a website, that illustrates a variety of styles and lengths. Take the time to look through them and find one or two photos that are close to what you have in mind. Show them to the groomer and ask whether that style is possible for your dog.
3. Be realistic about the condition of your pet's coat...
Do you brush your pet regularly at home, or, is his coat badly matted or tangled? Even a skilled groomer can't save a tangled coat in one session. Sometimes, there's no choice but to clip underneath the matts and wait for the hair to grow back before trying that new style. Be sure to brush religiously as the coat grows back so the tangles don't return!
4. Finally, be honest about the results...
If you don't like the results, tell the groomer - in person -- when you pick up your pet. Discuss what you'd like done differently next time. A professional groomer keeps notes/database on each pet about what was done during the visit. If you are honest with the groomer about what you like or don’t like, your comments can be added to the file. That way, the next time Fido or Fluffy comes in, your groomer will have a better idea of what you want.
Every dog owner has different needs and expectations about dog grooming. The following are four rules to help you work with your groomer, to get the best results for your pet.
1. Be specific about your expectations…
The groomer can't read your mind, so it's important to be specific. "Short, but not too short" or "leave it longer" aren't adequate direction. Does short mean 2 inches of hair, or a half-inch? If you have something specific in mind, say so.
2. Look at the book...
A quality grooming studio will have a book with photos, or a website, that illustrates a variety of styles and lengths. Take the time to look through them and find one or two photos that are close to what you have in mind. Show them to the groomer and ask whether that style is possible for your dog.
3. Be realistic about the condition of your pet's coat...
Do you brush your pet regularly at home, or, is his coat badly matted or tangled? Even a skilled groomer can't save a tangled coat in one session. Sometimes, there's no choice but to clip underneath the matts and wait for the hair to grow back before trying that new style. Be sure to brush religiously as the coat grows back so the tangles don't return!
4. Finally, be honest about the results...
If you don't like the results, tell the groomer - in person -- when you pick up your pet. Discuss what you'd like done differently next time. A professional groomer keeps notes/database on each pet about what was done during the visit. If you are honest with the groomer about what you like or don’t like, your comments can be added to the file. That way, the next time Fido or Fluffy comes in, your groomer will have a better idea of what you want.
FAQ:
"Why Organic shampoos?
Good money says that you don’t know just how important your shampoo of choice is, not only for your dog’s fur and skin, but also for its well-being. Yes, whether or not you choose to believe it, your pick of doggie bath products plays a bigger role than you think in caring for your dog. And when you find out how, you’ll also understand why using Organic natural dog shampoo on old Fido is your best option.
The foundation for this claim? Simply that using the wrong shampoo could potentially damage a dog’s coat and irritate its skin – and that’s putting it lightly.
For example, far too many owners bathe their dogs in shampoos that don’t have the right pH level. And by that, I mean that there is no shortage of people that are guilty of using human shampoo on their dogs. Why is this a problem? Because human skin is 10-15 cell layers thick, while dog skin tops out at around 3-5 layers.
This significant difference in thickness only means that the latter is much more sensitive than the former, and that a shampoo with a high pH could do some serious damage to a dog’s skin – damage that could be seen in heightened vulnerability to allergens and increasingly dry skin.
Moreover, some dogs may be allergic to certain chemicals in human shampoos, and even some chemicals in commercial dog shampoos. A possible reason for this? These products might want to do much more than what is actually asked of them (read: to cleanse hair), such as fending off fleas, thickening fur, giving off a fragrant aroma, acting as [dog shampoo for allergies], or any combination of the above, that sometimes the volatile mix or sheer amount of chemicals overwhelms the dog, making things worse before making them better.
What’s ironic is that some of the manufacturers of these products, so adamant in making something that goes beyond regular shampoo, succeed in their goal at the expense of their products’ ability to do what quality shampoos should do well. What does this mean? Even if these products can get rid of fleas or alleviate allergies, they remain poor excuses for dog shampoos because they can’t properly clean or nourish a dog’s fur. Some even have ingredients that contradict themselves. EX: ( Oatmeal with a alcohol base) moisturizer with a drying agent???
So what makes organic natural dog shampoo better than human shampoo or any of the above commercial products? For starters, [Organic natural dog shampoo] is made from all-natural organic ingredients, not artificial chemicals that have a good chance of triggering a risky allergic reaction or two in every other dog – a fact that allows them to be classified as “[dog shampoo for allergies]” more so than most commercial products. In other words, the chances your dog has of experiencing side effects as a result of continued use of these organic natural products range from slim to none.
Aside from stressing safety, though, natural products are also capable of going beyond what it is expected of regular shampoos without compromising shampoo’s real function. They alleviate dogs’ allergies, smooth their skin, and still manage to give them a coat of fur good enough to boast.
And, perhaps most importantly, organic natural products can keep your dog so well-groomed that you can immediately notice the early manifestations of a variety of mild or serious skin disorders, should they come, so that you can nip the problem in the bud.
The bottom line? Natural organic dog shampoo can keep old Fido from living a dog’s life (pun intended). Now is as good of time as any to think about your dogs best interest and look at the organic natural dog shampoo that would suit them! Perfect Paws Pet Grooming carries a FULL line of EARTH BATH products, the best stuff you can get your "paws" on!!
"When should my puppy have its first professional grooming?" Grooming on your pup should start at 4months of age (after last vaccination), to let the pup become acquainted with the sounds of the studio environment, noises such as dryers, blasters,and other dogs etc. Your groomer will teach your pup and you the proper way to brush and handle your puppy. These techniques started early will imprint on your pup. The first 6 months of life for a dog is like the first 5 years for a human. It is very important to start them early. We recommend a grooming session every month for the first 4 months. With both you and your groomer working hand in hand doing the same things at home as the groomer would in the studio the pup will take everything around him or her in stride and make it a pleasant experience and not a traumatic one, this in turn makes grooming your pet at home easy for your pup, you and the groomer. Once your dog is conditioned for grooming, regular grooming is required every 2 months for life.
"How often should my dog be groomed?"
Most dogs should be at least bathed monthly, but bathing as often as once a week is not considered harmful when using Organic shampoo. Always use a soap-free organic shampoo that is intended for dogs. Depending on the condition of your dog’s skin and coat, your veterinarian may recommend a specific shampoo. In this case, be sure to follow your veterinarian’s instructions about bathing. Perfect Paws recommends groomings every 4-8 weeks depending on the breed and activity level of your dog.
How often should my dog have his nails done?
Dogs need their nails ground down on a regular basis, usually every 3 to 4 weeks. It is not uncommon for dog owners to wait too long between nail grinding. Overdue nails raise health issues. Extended growth can result in painful ingrown nails. Elongated nails affect the comfort and health of dogs. Some dogs will find it difficult to place their full body weight on their feet with discomfort from elongated nails. As a result these dogs develop sore feet, legs and hips and overall discomfort. Just to walk can then be a painful experience for them. At Perfect Paws we use the grinding technique.The nails are taking all the way to the quick to maximize growth time. When having your dogs nails drawn back ( a technique of bringing the quick back to its original placement) we recommend that you avoid hard surface play such as concrete or cement for the remainder of the day to allow he nail bed to be covered over by the protective nail layer. Allowing your pet to do so can result in quick bleeding and can be stopped by simply using the Kwick stop powder. Perfect Paws is a Professional dog grooming studio all dogs are groomed to spec, nails will be drawn back to he quick unless requested otherwise.
"Why does my dog itch after grooming?" Some dogs itch as people would after they have shaved their legs or “other” areas. Another reason is the dog came into the studio severely pelted (matted to the skin solid) and the groomer had to use a very short blade to get under that matting to be able to lift it away from the skin. Razor burn can occur while this is being done but is avoided as much as possible by the groomer. Owners are responsible for the regular in home brushing of their pets to avoid this and to maintain their coats so a dog groomer can do a cute clip. Sometimes puppies itch because it is their first grooming, or they have never had certain procedures done on them such as ear hair removal in the canal. Your pup will shake its head. Discourage your dog from scratching or shaking its head, as he or she will cause irritation and scabbing if left unattended. Dogs or pups that have matting on ear tips, once released at the groomers the blood rushes to the end of the tips. With the dog shaking its head the tips of the ears hit together above the head causing scabbing, or hemotomas. TIP- For head shaking cut a woman's nylon sock to make it like a sleeve and slip it over the dogs head with the ears placed up on top of the forehead. This will stop the hitting of ear tips together causing hemotomas. Also white or light colored dogs are more prone to scratching and ear shaking after grooming as they are more sensitive.
"I want my dog short but not shaved." Shaving and Clipping are the same. Blades come in all different lengths, from short to long. The longest blade made now leaves the coat over an inch long. The better maintained the coat is, with no matting or knots, the longer clip style a groomer can do. Longer clipped styles require more frequent grooming every 4 weeks to maintain the style. Anything longer than that is hand scissored, and is not practical for the dog and the family to maintain their coats. Everything is dragged into a home, grass clippings, mud, snow you name it, it adheres to the hair, but if you enjoy the long styles can afford the regular frequent grooming (every 4-6 weeks for hand scissored long styles) and are willing to put your time and effort into your pets brushing, a long coat style is a sight to behold.
"Will I get a discount if I have two or more dogs?" Perfect Paws will not offer any discount to two or more dogs. The same amount of work goes into each dog and the fee is charged accordingly to the breed, the style, condition of the dog, and the time preformed to complete the dog. To understand this better if you and your friend walked into a hairdresser and said, "Since there is two of us do we get a discount?" or if you have two cars and have to get the oil and filter changed on both, do you think you would get a discount,....No....It is the same amount of service work performed.
"Why will my groomer not just do a Bath Only?" At Perfect Paws we specialize in "Full Grooms Only". A Bath only is just that, no pre- brush out no scissoring, no clipping between pads, no nail clipping, no sanitary trim etc. Dogs coming in with excess undercoat need to be raked out prior to bathing and nails clipped every 4 weeks. Without brushing out the coats prior to bathing the dogs coat will become impacted and tighter with all the dead undercoat still there and will not breathe, which will cause skin problems in the future. We do offer just a "Clean up" which is a bath,face and eye trims, sanitary trim and nail grinding for a nominal fee. We will NOT however take dogs in and just bathe and dry any dog. Perfect Paws is proud of the artistic work we do on each dog and it is a reflection of our work that is walking down the street, so we want your dog to shine and you the client to be proud to have your dog walk beside you in his or her "NEW" doo "
"Do's and Don'ts" Before going to Groomers, do NOT feed your dog. Take your dog for a walk prior to leaving home for him or her to relieve itself. Please DO NOT let your dog urinate on the walkways or poles leading into the studio, and if your dog poops please SCOOP and dispose of it properly at home. Make sure you have a dog crate or a blanket to cover your car seat, paper towels and garbage bag, in case of accidents. Do not bring toys, or treats 75% of dogs get stressed over grooming and they will not eat it or play with it,...not many dogs like baths and dryers that sound like vacuums'. It is very normal for your dog to shake when coming into a dog salon, they are smart and know what is coming, and love to put on a "show" for their owners, but once inside they know the drill, and are quite content with us once the owner leaves. You are best to just "hand off" your dog to the groomer and NOT make a big deal about leaving your dog. Your dog will pick up on your anxiety and it will be harder on him or her. Don't worry about your pooch, they will be fine! Please Do NOT show up or call while your dog is being groomed. Showing up while your dog is being finished on the table stresses out your dog and gets him all excited wanting to go home with you This makes it very unsafe for us to try and finish our work on a "dancing dog" with sharp scissors and blades putting your dog at a higher risk of being cut. Please do NOT call us to ask when your dog will be done, as with each distraction this also puts your dog at risk on the table while we try and get the phone to tell you the dog is not ready, and delays us on time, putting us behind on your dog and the next dogs. We will always call when the dogs is finished. All dogs are required to be picked up by 2:00 pm.
"Why does my Groomer not quote me a price over the phone, its always $(this much) and up?" Most owners are not aware of what blades will get through certain types of coats, what condition the dog is in, and what type of temperament the dog has. All these factors play a part in pricing, along with what type of style can be done on the dog versus what the owners want. Some owners will say "Oh he has a few knots" but the dog shows up at the studio and he’s is matted solid on his legs but the owner wants a longer style. This is impossible and very painful on the dog to even attempt to brush out. In order to do a long style the dog has to be completely brushed and combed out. The safest and most painless way is to clip down the dog short and start all over again but maintain the dog with proper brushing in between grooms. So without seeing the dog, and its condition of coat we can only estimate the cost and "up". Extra fees could be applied to the extra time taken to clip down a dog because of matting or behavior, or for a longer hand scissored style, if the dog is in excellent coat condition.
"Why was I charged a Late fee?" Late fees are charged to the client when they book their dog for a specific time and then show up late for it. We book an exact amount of dogs per day depending on what type of dogs are booked. So when you show up late, our next appointment is scheduled to come in, which puts us behind on their dogs, and any other scheduled dogs to follow. Late fee of $10.00 for each 15 minutes will be charged. After 30 minutes the dog will be rescheduled and late fee will be applied to the next groom.15 minutes past the appointment time will be considered a No Show. No Show Fee will apply Total payment is due at the time the services are rendered. There will be a $10.00 per day late fee per day after and a $25.00 bounced check fee for each bounced check.
"Why do we charge a NO SHOW fee?" A groomer books dog throughout the day according to their size and breed. Only so many dogs can be done in one day. At Perfect Paws we only take a minimal amount of dogs for a less stressed environment for your dog. Perfect Paws understands their can be an emergency and we will work around that. If we are forewarned 48 hours in advance we can book another dog in its place. Some clients do not call to reschedule, they just no show. We are here waiting for the dog, thinking its possibly late, then half past the hour goes by and the client has still no showed. We do have cancellation lists, but by the time we call one from the cancellation list, and they get to our studio, the next client appointment will be pushed late We have now adopted a ZERO tolerance for this. All clients who NO SHOW will be charged 50% grooming price missed and have to prepay their next appointments in advance. You must understand that when you " no show" Perfect Paws looses that dogs income for the day and also makes other customers who would love to come in have to wait longer. We can no longer allow that to happen.
"Why doesn't my groomer answer the phone, I seem to always get the answering machine?" Most times we can not answer the phone because we are busy with the dogs. The dog is already on the table and we can not move away from the table because it is unsafe for your dog to be left unattended. Our groomers busiest days are Tuesdays & Fridays. Please leave a message and we will call back between dogs or at the end of the day. At Perfect Paws it is extremely rare to take in same day appointments on any given day, ie: calling the same day to get your dog in that day for grooming, so please leave a message and we will call you back at the first moment we have to set up an appointment for you. Please remember we close at 2pm and if on a Friday will not reopen until Tuesday of the following week. Calls will be returned by the following business day!
"I worry that you will be using hot dryers on my dog, and have heard about dog related deaths associated to heat drying,... Will you be using heat dryers on my dog?" At Perfect Paws we do NOT use any heat dryers. It is true that dogs left unattended in cages being dried with heat dryers have died because of negligent groomers or attendees. NOT at Perfect Paws! The best way to understand this is its like leaving your dog in the car on a hot day causing heat stroke and/or death. Dog dryers have to be maintained, cleaned and oiled depending on the make, like any clothes dryer, and this is routinely done at Perfect Paws. Groomers should have the latest dryers on the market and NOT be using cage heat dryers at all. You can put your mind at ease with Perfect Paws as we refuse to use heat dryers on any dog. The latest dryers are all cool air based using only the room temperature air on the dog. In the summer the studio is air conditioned, cooler than what you would have in your home. There is NO excuse for a dog to die because of dryers these days!
"Is it too cold to have my dog groomed?" Many pet owners neglect to have their pets groomed in the winter. Why? Mostly what I hear is, "its too cold". It may be cold, but our pets still need professional grooming. Of course they can be left longer, even not trimmed at all during the cold months. But they always need a complete brush out and bathing that a professional can provide. Nail grinding and ear cleaning is a must all year round too. When clients let their pets go through the winter without professional grooming, their dog ends up coming in with their fur all matted, and then they need to be clipped very short. If you would like to keep your pets style, don't skip those winter visits to the professionals. Keep your pet in style and feeling great all through they year!
Good money says that you don’t know just how important your shampoo of choice is, not only for your dog’s fur and skin, but also for its well-being. Yes, whether or not you choose to believe it, your pick of doggie bath products plays a bigger role than you think in caring for your dog. And when you find out how, you’ll also understand why using Organic natural dog shampoo on old Fido is your best option.
The foundation for this claim? Simply that using the wrong shampoo could potentially damage a dog’s coat and irritate its skin – and that’s putting it lightly.
For example, far too many owners bathe their dogs in shampoos that don’t have the right pH level. And by that, I mean that there is no shortage of people that are guilty of using human shampoo on their dogs. Why is this a problem? Because human skin is 10-15 cell layers thick, while dog skin tops out at around 3-5 layers.
This significant difference in thickness only means that the latter is much more sensitive than the former, and that a shampoo with a high pH could do some serious damage to a dog’s skin – damage that could be seen in heightened vulnerability to allergens and increasingly dry skin.
Moreover, some dogs may be allergic to certain chemicals in human shampoos, and even some chemicals in commercial dog shampoos. A possible reason for this? These products might want to do much more than what is actually asked of them (read: to cleanse hair), such as fending off fleas, thickening fur, giving off a fragrant aroma, acting as [dog shampoo for allergies], or any combination of the above, that sometimes the volatile mix or sheer amount of chemicals overwhelms the dog, making things worse before making them better.
What’s ironic is that some of the manufacturers of these products, so adamant in making something that goes beyond regular shampoo, succeed in their goal at the expense of their products’ ability to do what quality shampoos should do well. What does this mean? Even if these products can get rid of fleas or alleviate allergies, they remain poor excuses for dog shampoos because they can’t properly clean or nourish a dog’s fur. Some even have ingredients that contradict themselves. EX: ( Oatmeal with a alcohol base) moisturizer with a drying agent???
So what makes organic natural dog shampoo better than human shampoo or any of the above commercial products? For starters, [Organic natural dog shampoo] is made from all-natural organic ingredients, not artificial chemicals that have a good chance of triggering a risky allergic reaction or two in every other dog – a fact that allows them to be classified as “[dog shampoo for allergies]” more so than most commercial products. In other words, the chances your dog has of experiencing side effects as a result of continued use of these organic natural products range from slim to none.
Aside from stressing safety, though, natural products are also capable of going beyond what it is expected of regular shampoos without compromising shampoo’s real function. They alleviate dogs’ allergies, smooth their skin, and still manage to give them a coat of fur good enough to boast.
And, perhaps most importantly, organic natural products can keep your dog so well-groomed that you can immediately notice the early manifestations of a variety of mild or serious skin disorders, should they come, so that you can nip the problem in the bud.
The bottom line? Natural organic dog shampoo can keep old Fido from living a dog’s life (pun intended). Now is as good of time as any to think about your dogs best interest and look at the organic natural dog shampoo that would suit them! Perfect Paws Pet Grooming carries a FULL line of EARTH BATH products, the best stuff you can get your "paws" on!!
"When should my puppy have its first professional grooming?" Grooming on your pup should start at 4months of age (after last vaccination), to let the pup become acquainted with the sounds of the studio environment, noises such as dryers, blasters,and other dogs etc. Your groomer will teach your pup and you the proper way to brush and handle your puppy. These techniques started early will imprint on your pup. The first 6 months of life for a dog is like the first 5 years for a human. It is very important to start them early. We recommend a grooming session every month for the first 4 months. With both you and your groomer working hand in hand doing the same things at home as the groomer would in the studio the pup will take everything around him or her in stride and make it a pleasant experience and not a traumatic one, this in turn makes grooming your pet at home easy for your pup, you and the groomer. Once your dog is conditioned for grooming, regular grooming is required every 2 months for life.
"How often should my dog be groomed?"
Most dogs should be at least bathed monthly, but bathing as often as once a week is not considered harmful when using Organic shampoo. Always use a soap-free organic shampoo that is intended for dogs. Depending on the condition of your dog’s skin and coat, your veterinarian may recommend a specific shampoo. In this case, be sure to follow your veterinarian’s instructions about bathing. Perfect Paws recommends groomings every 4-8 weeks depending on the breed and activity level of your dog.
How often should my dog have his nails done?
Dogs need their nails ground down on a regular basis, usually every 3 to 4 weeks. It is not uncommon for dog owners to wait too long between nail grinding. Overdue nails raise health issues. Extended growth can result in painful ingrown nails. Elongated nails affect the comfort and health of dogs. Some dogs will find it difficult to place their full body weight on their feet with discomfort from elongated nails. As a result these dogs develop sore feet, legs and hips and overall discomfort. Just to walk can then be a painful experience for them. At Perfect Paws we use the grinding technique.The nails are taking all the way to the quick to maximize growth time. When having your dogs nails drawn back ( a technique of bringing the quick back to its original placement) we recommend that you avoid hard surface play such as concrete or cement for the remainder of the day to allow he nail bed to be covered over by the protective nail layer. Allowing your pet to do so can result in quick bleeding and can be stopped by simply using the Kwick stop powder. Perfect Paws is a Professional dog grooming studio all dogs are groomed to spec, nails will be drawn back to he quick unless requested otherwise.
"Why does my dog itch after grooming?" Some dogs itch as people would after they have shaved their legs or “other” areas. Another reason is the dog came into the studio severely pelted (matted to the skin solid) and the groomer had to use a very short blade to get under that matting to be able to lift it away from the skin. Razor burn can occur while this is being done but is avoided as much as possible by the groomer. Owners are responsible for the regular in home brushing of their pets to avoid this and to maintain their coats so a dog groomer can do a cute clip. Sometimes puppies itch because it is their first grooming, or they have never had certain procedures done on them such as ear hair removal in the canal. Your pup will shake its head. Discourage your dog from scratching or shaking its head, as he or she will cause irritation and scabbing if left unattended. Dogs or pups that have matting on ear tips, once released at the groomers the blood rushes to the end of the tips. With the dog shaking its head the tips of the ears hit together above the head causing scabbing, or hemotomas. TIP- For head shaking cut a woman's nylon sock to make it like a sleeve and slip it over the dogs head with the ears placed up on top of the forehead. This will stop the hitting of ear tips together causing hemotomas. Also white or light colored dogs are more prone to scratching and ear shaking after grooming as they are more sensitive.
"I want my dog short but not shaved." Shaving and Clipping are the same. Blades come in all different lengths, from short to long. The longest blade made now leaves the coat over an inch long. The better maintained the coat is, with no matting or knots, the longer clip style a groomer can do. Longer clipped styles require more frequent grooming every 4 weeks to maintain the style. Anything longer than that is hand scissored, and is not practical for the dog and the family to maintain their coats. Everything is dragged into a home, grass clippings, mud, snow you name it, it adheres to the hair, but if you enjoy the long styles can afford the regular frequent grooming (every 4-6 weeks for hand scissored long styles) and are willing to put your time and effort into your pets brushing, a long coat style is a sight to behold.
"Will I get a discount if I have two or more dogs?" Perfect Paws will not offer any discount to two or more dogs. The same amount of work goes into each dog and the fee is charged accordingly to the breed, the style, condition of the dog, and the time preformed to complete the dog. To understand this better if you and your friend walked into a hairdresser and said, "Since there is two of us do we get a discount?" or if you have two cars and have to get the oil and filter changed on both, do you think you would get a discount,....No....It is the same amount of service work performed.
"Why will my groomer not just do a Bath Only?" At Perfect Paws we specialize in "Full Grooms Only". A Bath only is just that, no pre- brush out no scissoring, no clipping between pads, no nail clipping, no sanitary trim etc. Dogs coming in with excess undercoat need to be raked out prior to bathing and nails clipped every 4 weeks. Without brushing out the coats prior to bathing the dogs coat will become impacted and tighter with all the dead undercoat still there and will not breathe, which will cause skin problems in the future. We do offer just a "Clean up" which is a bath,face and eye trims, sanitary trim and nail grinding for a nominal fee. We will NOT however take dogs in and just bathe and dry any dog. Perfect Paws is proud of the artistic work we do on each dog and it is a reflection of our work that is walking down the street, so we want your dog to shine and you the client to be proud to have your dog walk beside you in his or her "NEW" doo "
"Do's and Don'ts" Before going to Groomers, do NOT feed your dog. Take your dog for a walk prior to leaving home for him or her to relieve itself. Please DO NOT let your dog urinate on the walkways or poles leading into the studio, and if your dog poops please SCOOP and dispose of it properly at home. Make sure you have a dog crate or a blanket to cover your car seat, paper towels and garbage bag, in case of accidents. Do not bring toys, or treats 75% of dogs get stressed over grooming and they will not eat it or play with it,...not many dogs like baths and dryers that sound like vacuums'. It is very normal for your dog to shake when coming into a dog salon, they are smart and know what is coming, and love to put on a "show" for their owners, but once inside they know the drill, and are quite content with us once the owner leaves. You are best to just "hand off" your dog to the groomer and NOT make a big deal about leaving your dog. Your dog will pick up on your anxiety and it will be harder on him or her. Don't worry about your pooch, they will be fine! Please Do NOT show up or call while your dog is being groomed. Showing up while your dog is being finished on the table stresses out your dog and gets him all excited wanting to go home with you This makes it very unsafe for us to try and finish our work on a "dancing dog" with sharp scissors and blades putting your dog at a higher risk of being cut. Please do NOT call us to ask when your dog will be done, as with each distraction this also puts your dog at risk on the table while we try and get the phone to tell you the dog is not ready, and delays us on time, putting us behind on your dog and the next dogs. We will always call when the dogs is finished. All dogs are required to be picked up by 2:00 pm.
"Why does my Groomer not quote me a price over the phone, its always $(this much) and up?" Most owners are not aware of what blades will get through certain types of coats, what condition the dog is in, and what type of temperament the dog has. All these factors play a part in pricing, along with what type of style can be done on the dog versus what the owners want. Some owners will say "Oh he has a few knots" but the dog shows up at the studio and he’s is matted solid on his legs but the owner wants a longer style. This is impossible and very painful on the dog to even attempt to brush out. In order to do a long style the dog has to be completely brushed and combed out. The safest and most painless way is to clip down the dog short and start all over again but maintain the dog with proper brushing in between grooms. So without seeing the dog, and its condition of coat we can only estimate the cost and "up". Extra fees could be applied to the extra time taken to clip down a dog because of matting or behavior, or for a longer hand scissored style, if the dog is in excellent coat condition.
"Why was I charged a Late fee?" Late fees are charged to the client when they book their dog for a specific time and then show up late for it. We book an exact amount of dogs per day depending on what type of dogs are booked. So when you show up late, our next appointment is scheduled to come in, which puts us behind on their dogs, and any other scheduled dogs to follow. Late fee of $10.00 for each 15 minutes will be charged. After 30 minutes the dog will be rescheduled and late fee will be applied to the next groom.15 minutes past the appointment time will be considered a No Show. No Show Fee will apply Total payment is due at the time the services are rendered. There will be a $10.00 per day late fee per day after and a $25.00 bounced check fee for each bounced check.
"Why do we charge a NO SHOW fee?" A groomer books dog throughout the day according to their size and breed. Only so many dogs can be done in one day. At Perfect Paws we only take a minimal amount of dogs for a less stressed environment for your dog. Perfect Paws understands their can be an emergency and we will work around that. If we are forewarned 48 hours in advance we can book another dog in its place. Some clients do not call to reschedule, they just no show. We are here waiting for the dog, thinking its possibly late, then half past the hour goes by and the client has still no showed. We do have cancellation lists, but by the time we call one from the cancellation list, and they get to our studio, the next client appointment will be pushed late We have now adopted a ZERO tolerance for this. All clients who NO SHOW will be charged 50% grooming price missed and have to prepay their next appointments in advance. You must understand that when you " no show" Perfect Paws looses that dogs income for the day and also makes other customers who would love to come in have to wait longer. We can no longer allow that to happen.
"Why doesn't my groomer answer the phone, I seem to always get the answering machine?" Most times we can not answer the phone because we are busy with the dogs. The dog is already on the table and we can not move away from the table because it is unsafe for your dog to be left unattended. Our groomers busiest days are Tuesdays & Fridays. Please leave a message and we will call back between dogs or at the end of the day. At Perfect Paws it is extremely rare to take in same day appointments on any given day, ie: calling the same day to get your dog in that day for grooming, so please leave a message and we will call you back at the first moment we have to set up an appointment for you. Please remember we close at 2pm and if on a Friday will not reopen until Tuesday of the following week. Calls will be returned by the following business day!
"I worry that you will be using hot dryers on my dog, and have heard about dog related deaths associated to heat drying,... Will you be using heat dryers on my dog?" At Perfect Paws we do NOT use any heat dryers. It is true that dogs left unattended in cages being dried with heat dryers have died because of negligent groomers or attendees. NOT at Perfect Paws! The best way to understand this is its like leaving your dog in the car on a hot day causing heat stroke and/or death. Dog dryers have to be maintained, cleaned and oiled depending on the make, like any clothes dryer, and this is routinely done at Perfect Paws. Groomers should have the latest dryers on the market and NOT be using cage heat dryers at all. You can put your mind at ease with Perfect Paws as we refuse to use heat dryers on any dog. The latest dryers are all cool air based using only the room temperature air on the dog. In the summer the studio is air conditioned, cooler than what you would have in your home. There is NO excuse for a dog to die because of dryers these days!
"Is it too cold to have my dog groomed?" Many pet owners neglect to have their pets groomed in the winter. Why? Mostly what I hear is, "its too cold". It may be cold, but our pets still need professional grooming. Of course they can be left longer, even not trimmed at all during the cold months. But they always need a complete brush out and bathing that a professional can provide. Nail grinding and ear cleaning is a must all year round too. When clients let their pets go through the winter without professional grooming, their dog ends up coming in with their fur all matted, and then they need to be clipped very short. If you would like to keep your pets style, don't skip those winter visits to the professionals. Keep your pet in style and feeling great all through they year!