Grooming your pup should start at 10 weeks of age (or after the second vaccination) to let your puppy become acquainted with the sounds of the studio environment, noises from equipment such as dryer, blaster, and other dogs. The first 6 months of a dog’s life is like the first 5 years for us human, so it’s very important to start them early. The more accustomed he is to grooming, the more relaxed your dog will be during his grooming appointments throughout his lifespan. Grooming can easily become traumatic if left too long to begin, so it is important to start brushing your dog and touching his feet at home straight away.
This largely depends on the coat’s condition and the length of haircut. General guide is the longer the haircut, the shorter the grooming interval. Between 6 and 8 weeks is a good time between sessions to keep your pet in great condition. We will be able to advise you more accurately after we have seen and assessed your dog. It is also a good idea to re-book your dog for the next session on the day so that the time slot is reserved for you in advance to avoid disappointment.
Many dog owners neglect to have their dogs groomed during the Winter. Well it may be cold outside but your dog will benefit from regular grooming sessions. The coat may be left longer than normal, or not cut at all, if you prefer. However, dogs should still be kept clean and brushed out, at the very least. Nail trimming and ear cleaning and plucking is a must all year round too. Often we have clients who skip their dogs’ grooming sessions during the cold months, and their dogs are usually so matted come Spring that we end up clipping the coat right to the skin. Naked, no hair left, nada. Keep your dog in style and feeling great ALL YEAR LONG!
Being a small and cozy studio, we recognize that there is not enough room for all dogs to “hang around”. We all know that dogs who do not know each other can get into fights when left unsupervised. And because we will be busy grooming other dogs and are not able to eyeball your dog, your dog will be waiting for you in one of our roomy crates. We feel that this will be safest for all our dogs. Understandably, some dogs may find being crated stressful so we appreciate that you pick up your dog within 1 hour from our phone call.
Sorry, we do not do de-matting here at Suds ‘n’ Scissors. The de-matting process is painful and extremely unbearable for your dog. There is always the risk of getting a brush-burn during the process. If you would like to find out more about the de-matting process, we can gladly show you how it is done and how uncomfortable it will be for your dog. Another downside of de-matting is that your dog will most likely remember the traumatic experience and will never feel the same about brushing or combing anymore. We are happy to discuss other options that are the best for your dog.
Some dogs itch as people would after they shave their legs or other parts of the body. If your dog came in matted then we would have had to use a very short blade to get under all the mats. In other words, your dog has received a close shave! Itching occurs when the skin is irritated from a close shave. This could be on the sanitary areas, tummy or even the paw pads. So for a badly matted dog, some itching may be inevitable. If you know that your dog may have sensitive skin, do inform us before the groom so that we can take precautions to prevent shaving too closely.
These are situated on either side of the anus (5 & 7 o’clock position) and are scenting glands. These can be externally emptied if they have become blocked or are uncomfortable for your dog. Many dogs never seem to have a problem with their anal glands. If your dog has a problem with theirs they will be scooting their bottom on the floor or you may notice a particularly offensive smell on the rear end of your dog. We will only express your dog’s anal glands at your request (for small and medium dogs only).
We can only hold your session for no longer than 15 minutes and anything beyond that will be considered as a no-show. We seek your understanding that all our grooming sessions are booked in advance for the day and accommodating late customers will put us behind time for the rest of the day. However, we will try to accommodate you if there is another cancellation on the same day. Otherwise, we have to charge a $40 fee per dog for no-shows. The no-show fees will have to be paid before another session can be booked. We apologize that anyone with more than two no-shows will no longer be able to book with us. As such, please call us to cancel or reschedule your session minimum 24 hours prior.