Frequently Asked

Are you insured?

• Yes. We are a commercial business with a business license and are fully insured.

Are you certified?

• There is no central certification body for dog grooming in BC or Canada. We are very experienced, professional groomers who have over 25 years of experience in the grooming industry who learned by apprenticing. When groomers say that they are certified it often means that they took a short course, often on the internet, that provides a certificate of graduation at the end. We have attended many workshops and seminars over the years. In the past Angela has a been member of a number of grooming associations such as International Professional Groomers, Western Association of Groomers, and International Association of Canine Professionals, and she is a long time member of the Canadian Kennel Club and a lifetime member of Forbidden Plateau Obedience & Tracking.

How much does grooming cost?

• We charge based on our hourly rate, so it depends on coat condition, behavior, size and style desired. We are happy to give you an estimate range based on the trim desired and the breed if you call or stop by. We work very hard to keep prices reasonable, priding ourselves on charging based on the time and work we put into our clients, not based on what we think we can get out of our clients, because we want your dog to be as well cared for as possible. That’s also why we offer discounts for those dogs who have high maintenance hair types and need 4 – 6 week grooming. You shouldn’t have to stretch out those grooming visits because grooming is just too expensive. And you shouldn’t have to compromise quality either. We offer personal service, professional, very experienced grooming for small dogs at reasonable prices.

How old should my puppy be for his or her first grooming appointment?

• Ideally 2 weeks past the second set of puppy vaccines. For most puppies that’s going to be somewhere around 12 – 14 weeks old. It’s definitely good to get puppies used to going to the groomer by 16 weeks – about 4 months. Depending on coat type, your puppy might only need a nail trim and a quick visit, or may need a bath and tidy or even a full haircut if the coat is already matting (usually it is not at this age, but once in awhile a puppy has matting early on, depending on coat type). It’s important to expose your puppy to the things they can expect out of life while they are still young puppies, before adolescence, gently.
• It also helps a great deal with your puppy’s grooming career, to practice handling and short brushing sessions immediately before meal time, so that your puppy thinks of handling and grooming as a good thing (Oh look, the brush, it’s food time). Your puppy is going to need to be handled their whole life, for grooming, for first aid, for veterinary visits and home care after procedures. It’s a good idea to invest some effort early on to make those parts of life less stressful for your puppy, yourself, and your pet care professionals.

How long will my dog be at the groomer and can I stay? Will my dog be taken out while there?

• Grooming is a more involved process than going to the barber and does take more time. You will be asked to leave your dog for 2 – 3 hours depending on the amount of work required. We are happy to call if your dog is done earlier than the given pickup time.
• We don’t allow dog owners to stay on site while their dogs are groomed. There are many reasons for this, including space, disruption / distraction us and for your dog and other dogs, and liability, but the most important reason is that your dog is much more likely to settle if they can focus on us instead of their human. If you are concerned, you can call and check in, and we will certainly call you if there are any concerns. The vast majority of dogs settle in just fine. Please give us the time and space that we need to give your dog our undivided attention.
• In most cases, dogs shouldn’t require walking during their short stay here, so please make sure you walk them before arrival. Please let us know if your dog has incontinence issues / is on diuretics (water pills) so that we can take them out.

Is there anything I should do before my dog’s grooming appointment?

• Please take your dog for a walk. Walking not only burns off excess energy, helping your dog be more still and calm for grooming, but it gives your dog lots of opportunities to take care of business before coming into our shop and home. Having to “go” can cause additional stress for a dog, as usually they don’t like to have bathroom accidents inside. For groomers, such accidents create a lot of additional work, sometimes requiring starting over, re-bathing and drying the dog, putting us behind in our work.

Is there anything I should bring?

• We always have treats in the shop. If your dog is on a special diet, please let us know, and you are welcome to bring your own treats. Please bring your dog in on a leash.

My dog gets hot in the summer, should I clip him?

• Double – coated dogs (such as Golden Retrievers, Pomeranians, Northern breeds, Shepherds etc) should never be clipped unless they are so matted there is no choice. Instead, the insulating undercoat should be brushed out, preserving the guard hairs. See Double Coated Dogs.

Will you brush my dog’s teeth?

• No. Toothbrushing should be done daily, so it needs to be done at home. We will happily give you some tips on how though!

What if my dog has tangles?

• Severely matted dogs will need to be clipped short. It is cruel to try to brush out mats. If your dog is matted we will clip them and give you lots of advice on preventing it in the future.

How often should my dog be groomed? 

• Depending on breed and desired style, every 4 – 12 weeks. The longer the desired coat, the more often the dog should be groomed. If you decide to return within 6 weeks you will receive 10% of your next grooming. Within 4 weeks you will receive 15% off.
• Dogs who are groomed infrequently are unaccustomed to the handling that grooming requires, tend to be stressed, and are overgrown and often matted. They take more time and that means that translates into a higher cost per groom.

Do you treat for fleas, ticks or lice?

• If your dog has fleas we will use a flea and tick shampoo, followed by an oatmeal shampoo. This is to avoid spreading the fleas to other dogs, but your dog will still need to go on flea control. Flea control products can be purchased from your Veterinarian.
• Please do not bring in your dog if it has lice. Ask your veterinarian for treatment options and be sure that there are no lice before your dog is in contact with other dogs or goes to a groomer.
• If we find ticks, we will remove them and recommend that you speak to your veterinarian about treatment.

Do you groom all kinds of dogs?

• We are currently only grooming very small dogs due to our age. We still take large dogs for nail trimming, as long as they are cooperative.
• We do reserve the right to refuse service if, for any reason, it’s not working out. If it’s unsafe for the groomers or for the dog, or if the dog is excessively stressed, or excessively loud and won’t settle. Most dogs settle in just fine, but occasionally, it’s just not a good fit, and that’s okay. If we think your dog would do better in a different environment, we would rather let you know than pretend that everything is fine when it isn’t. That’s not fair to your dog.

Will my dog be kept in a crate or kennel:

More questions? Please have a look at our Blog which covers topics such as brushing, nail trimming, senior dogs, double coated dogs, and canine obesity