DOG GROOMING

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

 Hopefully you'll find the answer you're looking for in our latest blog

As a dog owner we know you always want the best for your dog, especially when they're being groomed. So naturally, I'm sure you'll have questions! We've tried to answer as many as we can in this insightful FAQ blog post.

Our grooming salon is a busy place with lots of different dogs in and out all the time. We groom everything from tiny chihuahuas to ginormous St Bernard's (we once even groomed a cat!). This means it's a very varied environment a lot of the time and quite rightly, owners often have questions about the process and how it all works.

More often than not, we hear the same questions from curious owners over and over so we thought having them all in this handy guide would help with any pondering you may have before or after an appointment.

If you have any further questions, drop us an email mail@doghouse.co.uk and we will get back to you soon.

ARE THERE ANY BREEDS YOU CAN'T GROOM?

There are some breeds of dog which we feel are not suited to grooming in our salons. Chow Chow’s and Shar Pei’s are two of them, due to their reactive nature and desire to protect we feel they are less likely to feel confident and calm in our busy salon environment and are better suited to a salon where they are not over stimulated by the presence of other groomers and dogs moving around them.

CAN YOU GROOM MY DOG WHEN SHE'S IN SEASON?

We would rather reschedule the appointment as we find that sometimes they can be a little out of sorts. A normally well behaved dog can become a little monkey! It is also very distracting for any males we might have in the salon at the same time. Give us a call a couple of days before for advice.

CAN YOU GROOM MY PREGNANT DOG?

We do not groom pregnant dogs so as not to put them under any undue stress that may harm their unborn puppies, we also recommend leaving a groom until the puppies have been weaned. 

HOW OLD DOES MY PUPPY HAVE TO BE TO START GROOMING?

As soon as they have had their last injections and the vet says they can go outside, which is usually a week after that. 

WHY DO YOU ONLY SHOW ‘PRICES FROM...’?

Most breeds, including cross breeds, vary in size, temperament, coat texture and condition so we have a starting price. If your dog's groom is going to cost more we will always advise you of this once we have assessed them.

WHY IS MY DOG’S COAT SO SHORT?

Usually this is because the coat is knotty or matted which means the longer comb attachments we use won’t go through the coat and we have to use a shorter comb to get underneath the mats.  We will not cause undue stress or discomfort to your dog by brushing out knots and matts.

Sometimes we realise as we wash and dry your dog that a shorter trim is needed but we will always call and let you know if we need to take your dog’s coat shorter than planned. 

WHY AREN’T MY DOGS NAILS TRIMMED REALLY SHORT?

All dog’s nails have a blood supply running through them called the “quick”. The longer the nail, the longer the quick,  meaning we can only take the very end of the nail off before hitting the quick. As the quick is full of nerves it can be painful to nick this and in some cases causes a fear of having nails done in the future. See our YouTube tutorial here with lots more information on this.

WHY IS MY DOG'S NAIL BLEEDING?

Very occasionally we do nick a quick. Some dogs don’t notice this has happened, others do. Seeing blood on our animals can be scary. However, please be assured that we will have treated the area with a blood stop powder and applied a slight pressure to the nail. Most quicks stop bleeding after a few seconds. We will always tell you if this has happened.

WHY CAN’T YOU BRUSH ALL OF MY DOG'S KNOTS OUT?

We will always assess the coat for knots and use our extensive knowledge to see whether we can comfortably brush out a knot.

However, we will not subject a dog to prolonged brushing out. A general rule of thumb is that we will not de-matt for longer than 20 mins. We will always call you if we have to clip an area shorter than expected due to knots. 

WHAT CAN I DO AT HOME TO HELP MY DOG ENJOY BEING GROOMED?

We firmly believe that a love of being groomed starts at home. Your dog trusts you implicitly, and so, with regular brushing sessions you will cement that bond. We recommend short sessions of brushing and please start with the areas they don't enjoy as much. 

Sadly, if they won't let you brush areas they dislike they will not like us doing it either. Reward based grooming "works a treat”. You’ll be surprised by how the promise of a little bit of Liver Paste or other high value treats can work wonders in return for a bit of brushing!

Please watch our How to Brush Your Dog at Home video and other helpful desensitisation tips for home grooming over on our YouTube channel here.

We hope this answers a lot of the questions you may have in preparation for your dog's groom, but don't hesitate to give us a call on 01225 864767 if you have any further inquiries and we will do our best to help!

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