Grooming

Pampering your pets

Know what you are getting and get what you want!

Something that customers who visit our store quickly notice, is that we are all crazy about animals!

Although there are many reasons our clients entrust their beloved pets to our care for grooming, one thing we hear again and again, is the high standard of grooming and the care we take to give the exact groom requested.

Many of our loyal customers have found their way to us after being disheartened by other groomers who have refused to do what they wanted. Why shouldn’t a Bichon have their feet trimmed like a Poodle if that’s what you want? Why can’t a Cocker Spaniel have a long tail? Why can’t your white Poodle be pink? Most of the time, there’s no reason at all why you can’t have exactly what you want. That’s why when you book your dog in with us, we take the time to discuss the entire clip with you so you know what you’re getting, and you’re getting what you want.

Of course if you don’t know what you want, we are happy to make suggestions. We can give you a range of ideas, and you can choose what sounds good.

Why our grooming is TIP TOP!

Booking is essential for the Top2Tail experience which requires time and the very best pampering.  If you are just popping in for a quick nail trim, then no appointment is necessary.

For a nice groom on a Poodle, Bichon, Shih Tzu and most other medium to long coat dogs, here is what we do…

• Book in your dog or cat, pick your pampering and complete pet history form.
• Pre-groom which includes cutting nails, shaving pads, reducing the coat (if it is to be shorter or thinner that it is), shaving sanitary area, de-knotting and brushing out.
• Then we wash them in warm water.  The amount of baths they get depend on their condition.  Some get three baths!  We massage the shampoo mix in by hand (they LOVE that part) so we can feel if there are any areas that need attending too and to make sure we get a really good clean.
• Once that’s finished, we chamois them and they are wrapped in a dry towel and taken to the drying area where they are given a good rub down to remove the last of the excess water and are then in most cases dried with force dryers that blow the water out of their coats.
• Then they are brushed and combed out.  This process leaves them with absolutely no knots, tangles or loose undercoat.
• Depending on the coat, some dogs (and cats) are fluff dried using a special dryer that focuses on the area where we are brushing to get the coat nice and straight to make for a better cut.
• After that, we do their ears, always cleaned and sometimes plucked depending on the coat type.  Dogs coats do well to have their ears plucked to remove the fur that stops airflow getting into the ears and stops moisture  being held in that area if they get wet.
• They are then moved to the finishing area where they are re-clipped to perfection and then scissor to the desired style.  As you can imagine, scissoring (in many cases) every hair on your dog takes time, but it’s worth it.  It’s the difference between an average job and an awesome job.  We often get customers asking why their pets never look as good when they do them at home, and it’s in the amount of detail we put into our grooms.
• It’s as important to get a style that suits your lifestyle as it is to get a style that suits your dog.  A busy life with home life, work, kids etc. leaves little time for daily grooming of long and easily knotted coats, so a shorter style may be more suited to that lifestyle, where someone with more time may be able to easily cope with a longer style.  Knots hurt, not just in the removal of them but just in their daily life with running around and knots pulling at their skin.
• So there you go… your typical groom. In most cases we can text you when we’re done and you can pick up when you suit or we can drop them home….

We follow strict Covid protocols by social distancing, wearing masks and sanitising to keep you and your fur babies safe.