Here is all the information on our Puppy Intro service. If you feel there is anything we have missed, please let us know. Or if you have any questions or want anything clarifying feel free to email us to ask. Email Questions
Contents
please click one to be taken to that part of the page
Here is what is included in the Puppy Intro. If there is something not mentioned here or if you need something in particular please feel free to let us know at booking.
Welcome & Socialise
After the consultation where we get your and your dogs details, we will bring your puppy in to our salon and spend some time making sure the puppy gets to know us. We play with them on the floor and let them say hello to our ‘Shop Dogs’ and any of the other dogs around (the friendly ones).
Bath
With warm water from a power shower, we first rinse the dog down. Then using one of our puppy sensitive shampoos. We massage this into the dogs coat, making sure to get down to the roots of the hair and the skin. During this section we also check for any parasites, injuries, conditions etc.
Blow Dry
There are no cabin / cage dryers used here. Our main tool is our High Velocity dryers, (HV Dryers). Like a super powered hair dryer we are in control of them at all times and with wind speeds upwards of 90mph they ‘blast’ the water from the body leaving your dog bone dry. If your dog is not so happy with high power we can turn them right down and remove the nozzle to create just a warm air breeze and extending the drying time. Along with these we do use towels.
Fluff Dryer (situational)
While all dogs need to be dried, dogs with a more fluffy coat make use of our fluff dryers. Blowing a nice steady stream of warm air from a stand allowing us to brush ‘fluff’ the coat to get the most full effect.
This video is not fluff drying just cute..
Play Time!!
After the stress of new things, like the bath and blow dryer, we then put your pup back on the floor and have a lil play time so they can relax and calm down after the dryer.
We try our best to get them mingling with our shop dogs and if there are any other customer dogs about. We don’t force the dog into anything but we have techniques for trying to encourage this. Anti social dogs can be problematic in other aspects of life so it is going to work on this, (going on walks meeting other dogs, vet waiting rooms, dog boarding, doggy day care).
Brush Out
Brushing out a dog’s coat helps the coat into its natural position and separates any knots, which could lead to matting. It can make your dog look fluffy, and help pull out any of the dead hairs.
We do recommend you get a good brush and comb (yes we sell them, included as part of our Puppy Packs we sell). You will need to keep on top of the brushing between grooms. Help on how to brush correctly can be demonstrated in the salon.
* De-Matting…
…can only be done for 15mins. Any longer than that is classed as animal cruelty. If it takes longer than that to remove all the matts then we would have to resort to clipping them out. This is done behind the matt close to the skin so will leave a patch of very short hair. In these cases we recommend taking the whole dog short so the coat can all grow together at the same length and there is no ‘craters’. This will be discussed with you on a case by case basis, as some may be able to be styled out depending on their location.
(if it is small and somewhere hidden then this will be taken in to consideration).
Please see our De-Matting Policy Here
*All this said, it is unusual for puppys to get a lot of matting, and their coats are different meaning its often easier to get matts out.
Face, Feet, Hygiene Trim
We will only trim the feet, and between their paw pads, the face so they can see, and the hygiene area (the unmentionable areas). These areas all get cut short usually anyway. This is for comfort and safety for the dogs.
.. But, But They are really long and need trimming!?
Puppy fur is not the same as their adulty fur. Cutting or clipping your dogs hair prematurely could cause the hair to grow back patchy which could flow into when their adult coat comes through! (coat funk). We only take hair off their body and legs once their adult coat has come in which is about 6 months old.
We strongly
Dogs that don’t need cutting…
(eg: Labradors, Staffys, Dobermans etc)..
These breeds are given a Deshed.
Desheding, is were we brush them with various tools to get the loose dead hair out of their coat. For dogs like this, this will be the same as when the dog is older. The Puppy Intro is not just about the groom but about the experience and socialising.
* Over brushing can cause something called ‘Slicker Burn’, were the skin is rubbed red raw and can even start bleeding. This is why we maybe unable to get all the hair out in one session. Please ask a member of staff to explain if you are unaware of this as it can effect your home groom routine too.
Nails Clipped
Included in all our grooms we check your dogs nails and clip them as short as we can to promote healthy nails.
Puppy nails are really thin, so be warned you are still likely to be scratched by them. We will really try to make them as smooth and rounded as we can to help.
For more information on nail clipping please check our dedicated page.
Ears Cleaned
Included in all our grooms we check your dogs ears and then clean them with an alcohol based ear cleaner. This will help loosen the wax and remove dirt and grime while evaporating so not to keep the ear moist which can promote bacteria and infection!
If your dogs ears are particularly bad they may need a few ear cleaning sessions maybe between grooms. We will discuss this with you if this is the case.
* If your dogs already have an ear issue, maybe an infection please do let us know. We may still clean the ears, but if you have drops to put in you may want to wait until after their groom to put them in.
* In the worse cases, we sometimes pour the cleaning solution into the ear canal and then massage it to help loosen the wax. After their groom the wax may still be making its way out and you may see it run from their ears, just wipe it away with a tissue.
Spritz of Dog Pawfume / Cologne
At the end of the groom we will spray a delicious scented dog Pawfume or Cologne*. The scent we pick is at random, if you have a preference please let us know at drop off, or we can showcase them to you so you can pick. They are all gorgeous smelling and we are sure you will be happy with any.
The scent can last upto 5 days, but obviously there are outside factors that may alter this… if your dog leaves the salon and immediately rolls in fox poop, no amount of pawfume will get past that.. maybe you walk them in the rain and it is washed off? Maybe they just roll around on the floor and rub it off. For all these reasons and more we don’t guarantee how long the scent will last.
*Unless your dog has some kind of medical condition, sore/sensitive skin or if you request us not to (maybe you have some breathing difficulties to consider?).
Shop
Check out our Shop if you would be interested in purchasing some Pawfume to keep your dog smelling FRESH between grooms!
We also sell a Puppy Pack so you can keep on top of your dogs grooming at home between visits.
We book out 1.5 hours per dog. Please be on time for your appointments as we are on a tight schedule.
Please understand that each dog is different and one dog might take 45 mins, and another might take 3 hours. This might be your dog, it might be the dog before your dog. This is why our times for collection are never definite, but we will call/text when your dog is ready to be picked up.
Things that might alter the length of a groom may include the condition of the dog when brought in, the dogs behaviour. Other dogs may take longer than expected or may need the assistance of other groomers which can slow things down. Dogs toilet accidents, which need to be cleaned up immediately (and you wont believe how often this happens).
We hope you can understand the unpredictability that comes along with anything to do with animals.
Pow, easy one £30
The price is nice and low despite puppys being extra hard work usually. This is because we really want your dog to start getting used to being groomed. We want to make sure that their coat is looked after and their first adult cut is not just a shave down because they come in untidy and a mess due to waiting too long! We like to make sure people get these puppy intros to help start their dogs life of grooming well.
Please check our Prices Page Here for more information and estimates for when your puppy is all grown up.
You can also pop in and book. We are not against walk in appointments, but we are usually too booked up to accept them.
Always try to contact us a few weeks before your dog needs a groom as we do book up ahead.
- Can I Stay with my dog?
- No. Dogs will always want to go see their owner, even if they are enjoying the groom. They just love you so much! This can make it a lot harder to groom. If you have a particularly nervy/aggressive dog we will always try without you their first (they are often better than you think). But if the groom is too difficult or dangerous it maybe something we can discuss with you about having you stay for next time.
- Do you accept… Insert breed?
- Yes, we will at least give them a go. We can’t think why we wouldn’t be able to groom a dog, unless its temperament was unsafe for us or them. Even your big and hairy dogs we should be able to handle, and we charge for how difficult the groom.
- However – All banned dogs are unfortunatly not covered by our insurance. Call us if you have a breed on the list and we will go over the options we can.
- XL Bullys – We can accept XL Bullys but you must follow all the guidlines while you get them here. Though once in with us we are able to remove their muzzles 🙂
- Do you accept Nervous or Aggressive Dogs?
- Yes, we are the leading expert in handling difficult dogs within the area. With many years of experience and a number of well trained staff to assist, if we cant handle your dog you will struggle find someone who can. We also have a gated off back room (our calm room), for dogs that don’t want to be around other dogs. Taking extra measures and precautions maybe reflected in the cost of the groom.
- Do you take Card Payments?
- Yes
- Are you mobile?
- No, but we do have a pickup and drop off service if you need. Please check our Pickup and Drop off page here for more information.
Woof Woof..