A clean and well groomed dog is an extra little happy nugget of gold added to your life! Our pet grooming services is one of our three pet care conveniences that we offer through our Concierge Services.
Professional groomers are dedicated to helping play a role in your pets hygiene health. Regular grooming session decreases the chances of a dog in developing health problems. Groomers check for swelling, cuts, rashes, parasites, and any other abnormalities that may be developing on their skin. They also keep an eye on fur health, clean and bathe pets, clip nails, cut hair and fur, and brush teeth.
History of Grooming
When we take a look into the distant past dog grooming was something that was done for utilitarian reasons. For example, dense fur coats on curly coated retriever dog would be a hindrance to doing their task – namely retrieving prey in the water for hunters. So what owners would do, would be to clip the dogs fur on their hindquarters, but leave the front side of the body intact, so the dog would be buoyant and warm in water. The functional statement here later became a fashion trend for poodles – a later ancestor of these curly coated retriever dogs.
Today in Canada, nearly 60% of the country’s population are pet owners! As ownership of dogs have become more widespread, dog grooming is now taking on a life of its own. Beyond the standard care that pet groomers provide, there are style competitions, luxury pet grooming, holistic pet care, dog grooming, hair styling and colouring, dog massages, oral care, fur conditioning, and more.
Since there is no standard board that recognizes pet groomers, they will generally undergo an apprenticeship with other professionals for about 2-3 months, or undergo certifications with private academies.
Our pet grooming services is as all encompassing as possible to meet all your pets needs. Our take on luxury pet care maintains that function, style, and hygiene matter the most.
The standard pet grooming service is focused on treating your pet to as comforting of a clean as possible in order to remove the matted down dander, dirt, grime, trapped loose hairs, and any other impurities trapped inside your pet’s coat of fur.
Our pet grooming service also includes:
- Face wash
- Ear cleaning
- Detangling, thorough brushing, and coat conditioning
- Nail trimming
- Paw and pad cleaning + moisturization
- Facial trimming
- Teeth brushing
- Skunk treatment
The standard for having your dog showered and cleaned should generally be about once a month. However, it is ideal that you do your part once a week to brush your dog’s fur. This will help maintain your dog’s skin health, promote circulation, and remove hair or fur that will eventually collect on your floor.
Professional pet groomers should be able to offer you more than just a brushing, shampoo, and hair cut. Those who have been in the business for a longer period of time, will start to accumulate knowledge and observational skills for your pets health. Those who are exceptional will be able to spot health issues, tell you about your pet’s fur health, tell you about any skin infections, tooth decay, and ear infections.
Pet groomers will also be able to tailor to your pet’s needs depending on their breed. Each breed of dog may have certain behaviours as well as specific haircuts that a knowledgeable pet groomer can cater towards.
According to the American Kennel Club, the best method is to use this mixture:
- 1/4 cup of baking soda
- 1-2 teaspoons of mild dish washing detergent – preferably skin sensitive detergent
- 1 Litre of 3% Hydrogen Peroxide solution
Mix everything in a bucket and use immediately. If possible, leave your pet outside of your home if you can. Otherwise, set up a drop sheet in your home, and walk your dog straight to the bathroom and into the bathtub. Close the bathroom door and get to work!
Work the foaming mixture well into the coat, and leave the mixture on for five minutes to do the work. Afterwards, rinse with warm water and follow with dog shampoo if desired.
Be VERY cautious not to store this solution – once you’re done with it, discard it. Also it is worth mentioning that hydrogen peroxide is very potent and can bleach the fur of the coat. If you are in an absolute pinch, use this method. The longer the oil stays on the fur, the more the skunk smell will seep in.
For the safety of our workers we require that all pets are up to date on their rabies vaccinations and that owners wait for up to 48 hours before they book an appointment with us. This waiting period will allow for the vaccination to do its thing – often pets may have irritability or lethargy after a vaccination.
