5 Questions Every Dog Owner Has About Grooming
Here at Fluff and Fetch, we know that dog grooming can be COMPLICATED. The best way to have a fun and easy experience, for both you and your dog, is to be prepared. Coming to the grooming salon already prepared means you are calm, your dog is calm, and your groomer will be thanking you!
So, we have done some research, and have found that the 5 questions below are the most frequently asked questions at many dog grooming salons. This should ease a few of your questions and allow you to prepare before going to the salon, creating a nice and easy experience.
1. How often should I have my dog groomed?
It is recommended that MOST dogs that get a full groom (haircut , bath, nails, ear cleaning and gland expression) should be groomed every 6-8 weeks. For dogs with longer coats we do recommend keeping on a 4 week schedule. For dogs that only get bath services with nails and ear cleaning, it is beneficial for the dogs coat and skin health to have a good bath and blowout every 3-4 weeks.
2. How often should I have my dogs nails trimmed?
We recommend bringing your dog on a regular 4 week schedule for nail trims. Even between full grooming services, it is extremely important to keep your pets nails short for their overall comfort and well being. If your dog has long quicks and you would like to take his nails shorter over time, it is best to have them filed every 2 weeks to work on getting the quick to recede over time and give your dog a shorter nail!
3. How long does a typical grooming take for my dog?
There are many factors that go into the length of your dogs appointment. Each grooming shop runs their schedule a little differently. At Fluff and Fetch we usually only take one to two dogs in at a time in order to achieve a calm and quiet environment for the dogs. Timing can be determined based on the size of the dog, coat length, type of clip and your dogs behavior. In general, most small dog appointments for full grooming services average around 1 hour to an hour and a half. Meanwhile, medium to large full grooms will take around 2-3 hours usually. In rare circumstances, extra large breeds could take up to 4 hours. We never like to rush an appointment. Our main priority is to give your dog an enjoyable experience and keep them as comfortable as possible! Sometimes that does mean slowing down the process, whether it is drying at a lower speed or giving them breaks in between their bath and their haircut.
4. At what age should I start having my puppy groomed?
Getting your puppy started at a young age is crucial to creating an enjoyable experience for your dog, yourself and your groomer! You should be handling the puppy almost every day.. play with feet, face, tail and just get your puppy used to being touched everywhere, which is good practice anyway because then you will see any issues your dog might have right away!
5. How can I best communicate the type of groom I want for my dog?
In order to help your groomer understand what you want, you can bring pictures, have an idea of what length (we offer charts with ideas of real dog hair lengths). Please note that depending on behavior and coat type/condition, the cut may have to be adjusted. We will make sure to talk to you first if we see this may be the case! Your groomer will also make notes of exactly how your dog was groomed each visit and keep a record of that for future appointments!
We hope this answers most, if not all, of your dog grooming questions to prepare you for your first or next visit!
If you have any additional questions, feel free to reach out to me at 540-688-8057 or groomingbyjs@gmail.com. Fluff and Fetch Dog Grooming is here to make the dog grooming experience fun and easy for all dog parents and their pups!