I have been asked this question all my life, it began when I was grooming the dogs in the shelter! The answer is that the actual grooming session is about only 1 hour and 30 mins for the average small dog , so why do I prefer you to leave your dog here for a half to full day instead of an hour? First up I do a full groom that includes the full package, so obviously it is going to take longer to do that compared to if I only did a quick clip and bath. However, in reality it takes much longer than that, because most dogs don't like being groomed and in my experience I have noticed that if I work on them for short periods of time with lots of breaks during the session they are more relaxed, by that I mean: their muscles are not tense, they don't bark or pull away from me when I handle them, then in the long run it takes less time to groom them. 

I DO Use:

• Cages & Partitions
• Leads and Collars
• Adjustable Grooming Table with rubber and foam mat 
• Tether Hooks when on table (if necessary) 
• Professional Scissors
• Different Brushes and Combs
• Stripping knives and blades  
• Nail clippers and Grinders (quiet ones) 
• Towels and Hand Held Hairdryer 
• Leexen Chemicals (Shampoos and whole range)
• Aloveen Oatmeal Shampoo for dogs with skin issues
• Elizabethan Collar in preference to Soft Muzzles but only for dogs who bite me
• EpiOtic ear cleaner
• Styptic Power if I cut a quick which is very easy to do if the nails are too long
• Dried Liver Treats with permission of owner - AFTER the grooming session

I DONT Use:

• Choke Chains
• Prong or Shock Collars
• Grooming Noose
• Pet Drying Cabinets
• Hack to clip nails
• Coat/Hair Pulling Forceps
• Grooming Hammocks
• Punishment

The simple answer to this question is before your dogs hair reaches the point where the matts /tangles get beyond repair, by that I mean: it is going to cause your dog considerable discomfort to remove them, this begs the question "Is this ethical?" The solution is to take your dog to the groomer before the coat gets too matted or to have it clipped off.  My motto is: 'dirty hair off clean jacket on' 

Generally speaking – if you do not groom your dog daily and you want your dogs hair to be long you will need to have me de tangle and neatened your Maltese poodle for instance every 4 - 6 weeks on the other hand if you are happy to have his coat clipped just to maintain it then every 3 to 4 months will suffice. Then for example a Border Collie that is well kept, indoors and is in good health can be de tangled and neatened every 3 months whereas a Siberian Husky might need it every month but both the Border Collie and Siberian Husky can be clipped twice yearly and be well maintained (all dogs can have their hair clipped it just grows back again) if any dogs hair doesn't grow back again there is an underlying issue, my sisters Pomeranian coat often doesn't grow back because he has Alopecia X  - your Vet will advise you, but it all boils down to how much you want to pay and how much time you have to organize appointments and mostly what you want.

There are other factors to consider that affect the hair matting and these are: coat type, condition, health and age of your pet

Clipping a dogs bottom, under their eyes, under their armpits, in their ears and around their private parts is all part of hygiene, some people call this a hygienic clip - they even ask me for this clip. Remember what the Incomparable Dr. S. Freidman said: "All behavior has a function" that is why I urge people to let me do this clip as part of the service, however, in a few cases dogs get clipper rash from a short cut (We like all groomers are very aware of this and take all precautions we can) – the only way around this is to give a longer clip but the problem with this is that it means you need to come in more often or spend more time cleaning his bottom. The other issue is that any dog that has a lot of tangles on his body will suffer from irritation from the clipping because the hair is too tightly packed onto the skin so the poor clippers and poor dog will suffer without a doubt when the clipping takes place because I am forced to shave closely to the skin so that is why its so important for you to bring your favorite in for a clean up BEFORE his hair gets too tangled under his tail. If he does get an irritation it can be for other reasons too (me clipping off feces that has impacted tightly onto the skin) just put some Sorbolene Moisturizer  on that area for a few days and remember not to let this happen again. This is not a criticism, it can happen to any one of us. There are lots of other reasons a dog can scoot - need to see your Vet about this. 

A lot of dogs find the car travel very stressful (like my Dog) so they are anxious before they even get to the parlor however most of my clients (the dogs themselves) don't mind coming in and some can't wait to get in (a few own the groom table believe it or not) but in reality no dog WANTS to be groomed and handled all over their body, I think this is because they don't like being restrained in any way, some of them probably think that the smell of the shampoo I use is an insult to their nose – they would rather roll in dirt😊 and that is why I do all I can to make your favorites feel as welcome and as safe as possible when they visit the salon – I have lots of ways to win these amazing and funny fur kids over, they are: giving them breaks during the session, giving treats, doing some trick training with them, allowing in the main garden, giving raw bones (strictly with Guardians permission) and playing with them!! This all takes time!

I  like touching fur/hair (I don't like handling cloth) and it gives me great pleasure being with dogs and cats, I find them to be very funny, since when does a dog croak like a frog? Watching what they do, how they behave, arouses my interest and curiosity.