WHY DOES MY PET'S GROOM TAKE SO LONG

Each Pet's Groom is an individual experience. Our policy is to keep all appointments 3 to 6 hours so that we have time to make your pet feel comfortable, let them have needed breaks and most of all allow us time to give you our best work. Our salons focus is on quality time with your pet.

Pets can have bad days too and sometimes they need extra time to safely complete their groom.  

do you offer anal gland expression?

We offer external gland expression only. If there are any signs of complication or infection your pet will be referred to a vet.

can you clean my pet's teeth?

As of right now we offer teeth brushing only. Any deep cleaning processes we refer to a Certified Professional. 

can I BRING MY OWN SHAMPOO?

You are certainly welcome to bring your own shampoo for us to use on your pets.  Please note that our years of of research and experience allow us  to bring you a large selection of the highest quality products the industry has to offer. We will select the best products and formulas for your Pet's individual coat needs.  Our products are professional grade and offer a superior result compared to those available for purchase to the general public.

Why can't you take my pet's nails shorter?

In order to prevent stress and trauma to you pet it is our policy to trim your pet's nails no shorter than the quick. The quick is the blood vein in an animal's nail, when taken too short it can cause discomfort and bleeding. Your pet's nails can only be as short as their quicks. There a few solutions available to help reduce long quicks. Ask us how!

What can i do if my pet is nervous when i drop them off?

Trust that every one of our grooming professionals  are here to take the very best care of your pet.  Any fear or anxiety you feel travels directly down the leash to your Pet! Walk in the door confidently, holding the leash loosely and with your shoulders relaxed. Breathe deeply. As a reminder, it is best not to reward the nervous behavior, nor to discipline it--just completely ignore any nervous behavior and  act as if everything is totally normal. Bring treats to reward calm, confident behavior in your dog and calmly turn him over to the groomers for his haircut.

We also Offer The Relax Spa Treatment for that little something extra for the sensitive pet!

WHAT IS AN EXPRESS GROOM?

What is an Express Groom? An express groom is when your pet is groomed without any breaks straight through to completion. Express Grooms are an option for geriatric or nervous pets, and are an option for owners who are on a tight timeline. Express grooms are a popular option, however, this Service does not allow  time for a break between different steps in the grooming process which our 4 hour regular appointment spot allows .  We can’t guarantee how long an express groom will take as every animal that crosses our  tables is unique. Times can even fluctuate from visit to visit as every day is different and animals are unpredictable. One day an express groom may take 45 minutes another day it could be 2.5 hours. (It depends on what type of day your Pet is having) Larger and heavy coated animals will always take longer. Be assured that your Pet will have an individual groom with their groomer with no interruptions. We offer Express grooms as the first or last appointment of the day. An additional fee is added as we are unable to attend to other customers while completing this service. The express groom fee will vary by pet and is charged separately from any special handling or de-matting fees. The Starting Fee for an express groom is  $20 and will vary depending on the size and or condition of the pet in question. (i.e. small dog grooms are $50.00 so a small dog express groom would run you $70.00 plus GST)Express Grooms are available for all dogs and cats

CAN I STAY AND WATCH MY PET'S GROOM?

In my experience, most of the time, it is the owners who are more nervous than the dogs—the human doesn’t know what to expect at the groomer’s; there are things out of their control—their own dog’s behavior and the groomer’s behavior, they don’t want to leave their baby--I mean dog--with someone they don’t know, and any other number of reasons why a human could be feeling anxious.

Dogs are more nervous when their owner is around mostly because the owner is nervous and they are reading their body language. Also, typically, the owner tends to coddle their nervous dog, so it ends up being a bad cycle of the dog being nervous because the owner is nervous and then the owner coddling the nervous dog.

Coddling a nervous dog is reinforcement for that behavior—it’s rewarding the shaking and whining by hugging and kissing and giving treats. This is instinctual maternal behavior (which can be given by men and women) for humans to want to care for their scared dog, but dogs are not humans and as much as we want to treat them like babies, it is much more beneficial to care for them by having a relaxed, calm nature, and not rewarding nervous behavior. We can best care for our dogs by being a "calm and assertive leader", as famed dog trainer Cesar Milan says.

So, in terms of why this relates to me grooming your dogs is that it is much more difficult to groom a nervous dog than a relaxed dog. I am trying to establish a relationship with your dog with my own calm energy. If you are standing right there next to me, the dog will always be trying to get the attention of you, because of one dog’s best traits—loyalty! They are always going to be most loyal to you, their owner! However, if I am trying to trim a pup who keeps turning his head to look in your direction or is acting nervous to win your approval, it makes for a much more dangerous trim, of which I am not in favor. Grooming a dog is already a difficult task—using sharp scissors on a moving target that you can not vocally reason with to let them know to stay still. Any added distractions are just that—added distractions..

why are you so hard to get a hold of on the phone?

The Pet Spa can be a busy and sometimes noisy place. We usually do not answer the phone mid groom so we can give your pet our undivided attention. 

If we don't answer the phone it is usually because:

*The level of background noise doesn't allow for a conversation

*We are busy with another client

*You are calling outside regular business hours

Please text, email or  direct message if you need a quicker response. 

WHY CAN'T MY PET BE BRUSHED OUT?

DE-MATTING (BRUSHING OUT) OF SEVERELY MATTED DOGS IS NOT OFFERED AS ONE OF OUR SERVICES. DOGS WITH MATTED AND SEVERELY NEGLECTED COATS WILL REQUIRE AN EXTRA CHARGE AND WILL BE GIVEN A VERY SHORT CLIP.

De-matting of younger dogs tend to make them dislike grooming to the point that they can become VERY difficult to work with and may even become a biter, requiring them to always be muzzled to be groomed.

De-matting of older dogs can be so mentally and physically stressful for them that it places their health and well being in jeopardy. De-matting is very painful to your dog, and is especially difficult for dogs which have pink or sensitive skin.

De-matting of large areas, especially when the matts are close to the skin, can result in a brush burn, which can be as serious as a third degree burn on a human and may require medical treatment. We only do Humane grooming here so please do not expect us to brush out a severely matted or tangled coat.

If you have a longhaired dog and wish to maintain the long length, there is no alternative but to keep it brushed and combed out between professional grooming. If this is not viable, then we recommend booking regular maintenance grooming (brushing, combing, etc.). If you require assistance in choosing the proper tools or in the proper use of these tools, we will be happy to assist you.