Regular Visits

We get asked a lot "how often should I bring my dog to the groomer"?  The answer depends on many factors and isn't always simple.  Basically, it depends on the dog!  The following can be used as a rough guide to give you some idea of how frequently your dog should be coming in for a groom based on their age and fur type.  

We recommend that puppies come for their first groom very early in their lives.  We like to see them for their first groom after their second set of vaccines, which is usually around 12 weeks of age.  The reason we like to see them that young is simply to get them accustomed to the grooming process.  If a puppy gets used to the sound of they dryers, the feel of the water, and learning how to be still on the table at a young age, then grooming becomes less fearful for them as they grow into adults.  We normally recommend they come in every 2-3 weeks for puppy packages until they're ready for their full haircut, which is usually around 5-6 months of age.  Our puppy package includes a bath, blow dry, nail trim, ear clean, and depending on the breed, trimming of the fur around the feet, sanitary area and eyes.

It's not always about haircuts and hairstyles here at Happy Tails!  We see many dogs that come in just for baths too.  We normally recommend short haired dogs like Labs, Boxers, Bulldogs, etc., come in every 3 months for a bath, or whenever they roll in something stinky!  We'll use either a coconut or a deodorizing shampoo, depending on the "stink level" and skin condition.  We can also upgrade to a de-shedding shampoo for those who are shedding their love all over your house!  Every bath dog gets a warm bath, blow dry, brush out, nail trim and ear clean.  It doesn't take long, just about 1 hour or so, depending on the size of your dog.

Every Wednesday, we take 15% off our basic bath packages!  Book early, spots fill up fast!

Nobody likes tumbleweeds of fur rolling around their house!  At Happy Tails, we have a special de-shedding shampoo and conditioner to help with that.  Our Furbuster packages is designed for the hairy breeds like Huskies, Golden Retrievers, Shelties, Collies, etc.  We use Natures Specialties De-shedding Shampoo and conditioner combined with our high velocity dryers and a heavy brush out.  We can also trim up the fur around their feathers, pants and feet.  We recommend that this be done every 2-3 months, depending on the dog's coat and skin condition, as well as how much brushing that is being done at home.

We recommend that silky coated or wire-haired breeds be groomed approximately every 6-12 weeks, depending on the length of the haircut and home maintenance.  Yorkie's, Westie's, Cairn Terriers and many others fall into this category.

These breeds should have daily brushing and combing to prevent matting and maintain the condition of the coat.  Hand-stripping is also available for some wire-haired breeds and should be done every 8-12 weeks.  We can also provide tidy-up grooms between full grooms, which include a bath, blow dry, nail trim and trimming of the hair around the feet, sanitary areas and around the eyes.  

Curly, Wavy and Fleece-like coats are always a little more difficult to maintain.  Poodles, Shih-tzu's, Wheaton Terriers and many others fall into this category.

We recommend daily brush and combing and professional grooming every 4-8 weeks, depending on the length of the haircut and home maintenance.   We can also provide tidy-up grooms between full grooms, which include a bath, blow dry, nail trim and trimming of the hair around the feet, sanitary areas and around the eyes. 

As dogs get older, grooming can sometimes become more difficult.  This is due to the natural aging process which can frequently cause them to become arthritic, and sometimes senile.  We will continue to groom dogs up to any age that we feel safe doing so.  For grooming, we do require doggies to be able to stand for a lot of the haircut and some of the drying process.  We do give "breaks" whenever we're able, and will definitely let an older or arthritic dog sit for as much of the process as we can, to make it more comfortable for them.  

For the senile doggies, grooming can sometimes become increasingly terrifying for them.  We try our hardest to make it a calm experience for them every time.

If this sounds like your dog, there may be a time to do what we call "comfort grooming".  Your dog may not be able to get the haircut and style that you're used to seeing.  Extra features and special lengths can make the grooming process take longer, so for the benefit of your pet, we may recommend one short length, all over.  The groom may not look perfect either due to "hard to reach areas".  We do not want to be manipulating arthritic joints and legs just to get the perfect cut.

There also may be a time when it's not safe to groom your dog anymore, due to debilitating health conditions.   We may then recommend grooming at a veterinary clinic, where there's a veterinarian on staff to better handle some of these conditions.  These are sad times for us too, and we do not take this decision lightly, as it may be a pet that we've been grooming for years, and have developed a special relationship with.  Please always let us know if your pet has developed a health condition that we should be aware of.

To see all of our grooming packages and prices visit 

https://www.happytailslondon.com/dog-grooming