Please find below some of the most frequently asked questions we get in the Salon.  If you’re a new client to us at Parkview Dog Grooming, you may have a few questions about how the grooming process works. 

Please feel free to take a few moments to browse through our frequently asked questions below. Should you have a specific question then please feel free to contact us.

 

When can my puppy have its first groom?

Many puppy parents make the mistake of waiting until their pups are 6 months of age or older before taking them for grooming. We believe that if possible, they should be no older than 16 weeks old, this is because younger pups are easier to train. We can see your puppy at anytime after their first vaccinations are completed (normally around 3 months), the sooner you familiarise them with being groomed the more settled your puppy will be in the long run. We can’t emphasize enough how important it is for your puppy to have grooming experiences from a young age whether they make a general visit, or just a quick brush, the process of your puppy meeting their groomer and having a pleasant and trusting experience can make any future trips to the groomer enjoyable.

 

Do I need to make an appointment?

Yes please. We work on a one to one basis and each groom is allocated it’s own time slot with a particular groomer.

Please note we normally run around a lead time, of around one to two week’s for appointments, with Saturdays around 3-4 weeks due to their popularity.

At Christmas, to ensure you can get a time slot that best suits you, please allow 2/3 months as we are very busy and are generally fully booked for the whole of December.

 

Can I stay with me dog while being groomed?

Unfortunately, we discourage this as a dog may become distracted by the presence of their owner, and as some of the tools we use can be very sharp, the risk of injury may increase if your dog is unsettled and trying to get to you. We understand that some dogs can get very nervous when leaving their owners and we try to make the grooming process as stress free as possible.

If we feel a dog is not happy we would stop the groom, contact the owner, our advice for them to bring their dog in once a week, to try and get them used to being with us in the grooming salon. We would never force a dog to do something they were not comfortable with. We are more than happy for any owners to visit us and look around at our grooming facilities.

 

Can I bring my dog earlier than their appointment time and pick up later?

By prior arrangement only, unfortunately we do not offer a dog sitting service within the salon as we work on a one to one basis with each groomer. Dog’s can also become restless to go home after their groom as they sense it is over, and may disrupt any dogs that are having their groom.

For this reason we ask that you can arrive within 15 minutes of your timeslot and return at the agreed time.

We may charge for early drop offs and late pick ups.

  

How long does a groom take?

This depends on the breed, and the type of groom that has been requested, however normally we would say 90mins to 2 hours, but larger dogs may take longer. Puppy grooms on average are around an hour.

 

How often should my dog be groomed?

Again this depends on the breed of dog, the growth rate of their coat and the style they have. Most dogs can be every 6-8 weeks but we can advise you on this.

  

Can I just have my dog bathed?

Yes, we offer a bath, and blow dry service. This can be used in between grooms to stay on top of their coat or even if you are wanting to grow your dogs coat longer perhaps for winter. We have even had clients use this service as their dog was to appear on pictures at their wedding so wanted him looking his best.

 

Fleas

We do not take in dogs with fleas, and will refuse the groom if this is highlighted before starting. If you notice your dog has fleas please contact your vets and treat them before bring them to be groomed.

Please note that if we find any dogs with fleas, we will automatically stop the groom and bath them with an insecticide shampoo. We need to do this to prevent any of the other dogs catching them. There will be an extra £10 charge added to your groom, this is to cover the cost of the insecticide shampoo and the products we need to use to clean the salon, we will also contact you letting you know and offer you advice.

We would advise that you treat your dog’s monthly with a strong flea product from the vets. This will hopefully prevent your dogs from catching fleas, please do not feel embarrassed if your dog does catch fleas, it is nature and cannot always be helped.

 

What happens if my dog is knotty/ matted?

Sometimes a dogs coat can get too knotty and eventually turn into mats. If this is the case and we do have to de-matt your dog, we will charge an extra £5-£10 on top of the price of the groom. This is due to the wear and tear on blades and clippers, and also because it blunts them quicker the need for more regular sharpening

If the matts are too tight or close to the skin, the kindest thing for your dog would be to have all the mats clipped out, this is because De-Matting can be painful and uncomfortable for your dog.

We would need to see your dog to advise on the best possible way of dealing with the coat. Please remember if we need to clip your dog’s coat off it is because we have no other choice, as it would hurt too much to de mat them..

 

How to prevent my dog from getting knots/matts?

There are a few things you can do to prevent knot/matts:

  • Keep your dog’s coat short
  • Have your dog bathed and brushed between grooms
  • Buy a good quality brush and a comb and groom your dog 3/4 times a week

 

The best way to brush your dog.

For most breeds it is recommended to start at the bottom of the feet and pushing the coat up with one hand begin using the slicker to brush the coat below with your other hand, the slicker should be used to pull down a small bit of hair at a time, brushing all the way to the skin. Work your way up using this method. Once you have gone over the entire coat you can then use the comb to run thought the coat and find any tangles and knots you have missed. Make sure that you can part the coat to the skin with the comb. Many people spend plenty of time brushing their dog only to find that they have merely been brushing over the top and the coat they though was well brushed is in fact solidly matted near the skin. Feel free to ask us to show you the correct way to brush your dog.

 

Do you pluck ears?

We do not pluck ears on a regular basis. This is because it can be painful and recent research by veterinary dermatologists has determined that ear plucking can cause trauma to the inner ear skin, which is very sensitive and lead to infection. Head shaking can also result after ear plucking and this can lead to hematoma’s forming.

We will be glad to trim the hair in and under the ear very short or pull out dead hairs, but plucking fully only if absolutely necessary as this will allow ventilation without causing the trauma to the ear that plucking can cause.

We hope you understand and appreciate that our main concern is for your pet’s comfort and safety.

 

Do you express Anal Glands?

Anal gland sacs have been routinely expressed by groomers and veterinarians for many years, yet recent research shows that this is an often unnecessary and sometimes has adverse effects on the dog. Some of the possible problems which may be caused, may include, infection, irritation and/or ruptured sacs

Should these problems arise, they may require veterinary treatment. Repeated expression can cause the rectum to weaken leading to damaged skin, increased need for expression and in some cases incontinence. This can be especially true of external expression which is what groomers are allowed by law to do. As such we do not perform anal gland expression as part of any service offering, we believe that this process should be only performed when medically necessary.

 

What type of payment do you accept?

We accept cash, Debit Cards, MasterCard, Maestro and Visa via our SumUp payment system.