Grooming

What is your vaccination policy?

All dogs must be up to date on their vet’s schedule for Bordatella/Kennel Cough, Parvo/Distemper and Rabies. We do require proof of vaccinations, or a letter from your vet confirming your dogs schedule, before your appointment.

How often should my dog be groomed?

Each skin cell on a dog has a lifespan of about 21 days (or 3 weeks). That means that every 3 weeks every skin cell on your dog has been replace by a new one! Lots of those skin cells fall off your dog entirely, but many of them get trapped by their coat and stay sitting next to the skin causing itchiness, odour, and impacting the health of the new skin cells hiding underneath them. Depending on the density of your dog's coat we recommend a bath and blow dry every 2-6 weeks to remove those trapped skin cells before they cause problems, as an added bonus frequent grooming reduces shedding and prevents matting from ever forming. We use only very gentle, nourishing products on every dog we groom, unless your dog has an underlying health condition there's little risk of negatively affecting their skin or coat. We also offer weekly maintenance packages help save you time grooming between appointments, keep your home cleaner and allow you to keep shedding hair and dander in the home to a minimum and save you money be reducing the amount of work and time the groomer will need to spend on your dog’s groom at the regular full service appointments.

How long will it take for my dog to be groomed?

At Good Dog we operate with a "Dog First" policy, that means that no matter what we're doing the dog's comfort and well being takes priority over everything else. Most dogs benefit from having the opportunity to take a break, lie down, drink some water, and go to the bathroom at points throughout their groom, it can be really overwhelming for them to stand still and have someone touch them for an extended period! We ask for our canine guests to stay with us for 3-4 hours for their groom so we have ample time to work at their pace. If your dog has health or behavioural concerns that mean a straight through groom would work better for them please reach out and we'd be happy to discuss a plan that works for them!

My dog had developed some matting since my last appointment. Will you comb or cut them out?

If your pet cannot be humanely dematted, we may ask permission to clip the hair to remove mats.  A matted coat can cause numerous health conditions including itching, irritation and skin infections.  Removing a heavily matted coat includes risks of nicks, cuts or abrasions due to warts, moles and skin folds trapped and hidden in the mats.  Heavy matting can also trap moisture near the pet’s skin allowing fungus or bacteria to grow causing skin irritations that exist prior to the grooming process.  Our groomers take great care to ensure the grooming experience is a pleasant one and use stress free handling techniques. In order to provide the best possible experience for your dog, our groomer will recommend a maintenance scheduled customized to your dog’s coat type, your lifestyle and how much maintenance you are able to do at home between appointments. This is to ensure that your dog continues to enjoy their spa experiences for years to come and helps you avoid extra costs due to additional time spent dematting or patiently working through a difficult groom for your dog.

What if I need to cancel a groom last minute on the same day?

We look forward to pampering your dog and plan our team schedules based on how many and which dogs are being groomed each day, so we ask that you let us know at least 24 hours in advance, if you will not be able to make it in for your dog’s grooming appointment.  We understand that life happens and you don’t always know in advance, so if you do need to cancel last minute, don’t worry, we understand and will work with you to get you in for our next available appointment.  In order to waive the cancellation fee of $25, we require at least 24 hours notice. The full amount of the cancellation fee goes directly to the groomer to cover the time they had set aside for your appointment. We’ll do our best in emergencies to fill your spot, so we can avoid charging a cancellation fee. If we can fill the appointment with another client, we will not charge the cancellation fee.

Can I stay with my pet while they're being groomed? 

The only time we can allow pet parents to stay with their pet is during a Meet and Treat, Brushing Lesson, or the first visit of one of our Puppy Packages. Most dogs experience more stress when their owners are present, so we ask that for any other services we get some alone time with your pup! 

Can I bring my own shampoo? 

Absolutely! If you have a product that you'd prefer we use we just ask that you bring it in it's original bottle (so we can follow any specific instructions) and label it with your pet's first and last name! 

Do you perform anal gland expression or ear plucking?

Yes. Gland expression and ear plucking are included complimentary with any Clean Up, Bath and Tidy, or Full Groom. You do need to request that we perform them each time you drop your dog off as we won't perform these services unless we are asked to.

Will you shave my dog to reduce shedding or keep them cooler? 

If you dog has a coat type that sheds shaving it is not recommended. Because of the unique structure of their hair cutting their coat can cause permanent damage that could result in a drastic change in coat colour and texture, or eventual coat loss. We offer a Deep Conditioning Treatment that helps relax the follicle and allows us to brush out much more coat while your dog is with us! Well maintained double coats are very effective at cooling, a good deshed will keep your pup a more comfortable temperature than clipping. If your dog is already suffering from Post Clipping Alopecia we are happy to address their needs on an individual basis.

Can you groom my dog straight through?

Our grooming department operates with a "Dog First" state of mind, that means that at every step of our process we prioritize what will be most comfortable for the dog. Usually that means offering the dogs a break in between each step of their groom, they're offered the opportunity to lie down, decompress, have some water and a potty break 2-3 times during their groom. That means we can't make any promises about grooming your dog straight through, we'll take our cues from them about what they need. 

does my dog play in the daycare before being groomed?

Groom and Play appointments are available for dogs that have previously passed a daycare assessment with us. We recommend booking one of our afternoon appointment times, then dropping your pup off anytime after 7:00am to play their morning away in our Enrichment Daycare! Please note that while we are happy to return your dog to playgroup for a bit more fun after their groom, we can't guarantee that their friends won't undo some of our hard work!

My dog has had behavioural issues with past groomers, is that something you have experience with?

We sure do! We're always happy to give a dog a chance, and have lots of experience in bringing scared or anxious dogs around! We do ask that you be honest and disclose any past incidents to us, we're far more likely to be able to help you and your dog if we know exactly what to expect! 

We do not groom sedated grooms. If your dog requires any sedation to be handled we recommend seeking a veterinary office that provides grooming. If you’d like to work on a plan to get your dog accustomed to handling so they can be groomed without sedation, we recommend booking a Meet and Treat to begin creating a desensitization plan!

My dog has fleas, lice, or has been skunked. Can you help?

Unfortunately, due to our facility also having daycare and boarding dogs on the premises we can't accept dogs with transmittable pests or that have been skunked. It would require a full shut down of our facility to fumigate and deodorize to prevent passing anything to our other guests. We recommend speaking to your vet about their recommendations for fleas, ticks, or lice, and Nature's Miracle Skunk Shampoo for skunk odour.  

CAN MY DOG GET SICK OR INJURED at your grooming salon?

Our Groomers are all professionally trained and are dedicated to the wellness of your dog, both physically and mentally. Because we do work with sharp scissors, nail clippers and clippers, there is a risk of your dog getting injured during grooming visits. Clipper burn is the most common grooming injury - something that occurs when very closely shaving matted fur off of dog. The best chance of an injury-free experience for your dog is regular grooming visits to both a) prevent their coat from getting matted and b) ensuring they are calm and happy on the grooming table, preventing fast movements from being nervous or scared.

Just like us, dogs are also susceptible to spreading sickness between them. Please refer to the section on Vaccinations and Health Requirements for more information on how we do everything we can to prevent spread of illness between our furry guests.