Client Information

How is your shop different from other grooming shops?

The Fairy Dogmother, LLC is a by appointment, straight through grooming based shop. That means, like a human hairdresser, we book appointments based on how much time that dog should take from start to finish. We do not offer a traditional crate for your dog to wait in, instead we offer large gated “kennels” to give your pup ample room to lie down when they are done. We also do not offer “kennel drying” where your dog is placed in a gated area or crate and dried passively, instead when your pup gets dropped off they go straight into the tub to get bathed, then onto the table to get blow dried by hand and finished. We do this so our equipment is only used on clean hair to minimize wear and tear and because it is most efficient for our style of grooming. The only exception to our process is if a dog is getting a drastic haircut and we can cut down on the amount of time drying by “pre clipping” or cutting off the hair before the bath.

Do you also offer daycare or boarding?

We are a grooming only salon and do not have the staff or space to offer daycare or boarding. Because we have limited space we ask that clients come back within 1 hour of being notified that their dog is done to pick up.

How long will my dog be there?

The length of time depends on the size and amount of hair on the dog – bigger dogs and dogs with more hair or longer hair will take more time than smaller dogs with shorter hair. Our average time spent on a dog is between 60-90 minutes, with our giant breeds averaging 2-3 hours. Of course this also depends on the condition the dog comes in – a newfoundland who hasn’t been groomed in a long time and has a lot of packed in undercoat is going to take longer than one who comes regularly every month. Because our process is fast and we stack our appointments after each other we give our clients no more than 1 hour to come back and pick up their pup. This leaves us with enough room to house the dogs currently under our care.

What kind of haircuts are you able to do?

Our groomers are highly trained to do breed standard patterns (ie. schnauzers, west highland white terriers, airedales), poodle haircuts (clean face, top knot, clean feet, bracelets, poms) and any custom mixed breed cut our clients would like. A popular cut amongst our double coated clientele is the “outline trim” where we clean up the feathering and edges of the coat but don’t cut into the beautiful body of the coat thus maintaining the integrity of the guard hairs.

If you have a poodle mix please note that popular phrases like “puppy cut”, “teddy bear cut” and “short but not shaved”  are misnomers – it’s similar to going to a human hairdresser and asking for a “women’s cut” – it just doesn’t give us enough information to be able to do the haircut you are looking for with your specific dog’s hair type. The best thing to do if you have a specific look in mind is bring us pictures! Look on google, pinterest and instagram for some haircuts that you really like and bring us 2-3 so we can have some idea as to what you are looking for with your dog.

We want our clients to be aware that any haircut is dependent on each dog’s individual coat type, the dog’s behavior they exhibit in the grooming setting and the condition the dog comes to us in.

My dog is matted, can you help?

Our groomers are trained to safely and properly remove painful matts from our fluffy clients. If your dog becomes matted we do have some options depending on the severity of the matting:

• Level 1: If there are tangles or impacted hair but not felted matts we will most likely be able to brush those tangles or hair out depending on the severity of tangles and how your pup tolerates the brushing and removal of the tangles. This may take us more time to complete and that can add to your final grooming bill.

• Level 2: If there are specific places on your pup that have matting (ie. behind the ears, under the tail, between the toes) we may be able to shave those spots out and leave the majority of the coat intact.

• Level 3: If your dog has matting covering the majority of their coat we may find it in the best interest for the health of the dog and the coat to take the coat down significantly – this may mean your pup has to be shaved with our shortest finishing blade that leaves a ⅛” amount of hair on their body. The length we can leave on your pup depends on how tight the matting is and how your pup tolerates the removal of such matts.

• Level 4: If your dog is “felted” meaning the matting in their coat is widespread and tight to the skin, we will find it in the best interest for the health of the dog and the coat to completely shave the coat off using our closest blade if necessary.

Please note that matting happens! The best way to prevent your pup becoming matted is to get the best grooming tools for their coat type and create an at home maintenance schedule of brushing and combing OR bring your pup to get groomed more often so we can help prevent any tangles from becoming matting.

Matting is a health hazard and can harbor skin infections, irritants next to the skin, feces and urine burns, bruising, heat exhaustion and other health issues. Removal of matting, even with our safety practices and years of training, can cause irritation of the skin, behavioral changes and sometimes cuts on the skin if the matting is extreme. If a dog’s condition is beyond what our groomers can safely remove we will recommend the client visit a veterinarian to remove the matts from the dog in a sterile and safe environment.

What time should I drop my dog off for his appointment?

We highly recommend showing up 5-10 minutes prior to your dog’s appointment time as this allows us to get you checked in and gives your groomer time to go over how you’d like your dog’s hair to be cut that day.

How much will it cost to get my dog groomed?

Our pricing structure is based primarily on how much time we are spending on the dog. Things that will decrease the price of your groom are:

• Keeping your dog on a regular schedule. The more often a dog comes the easier they are to maintain for your groomer and the faster we can work on them.

• Doing at home maintenance. If you brush your dog properly and regularly at home, there’s less chance that they will be matted or have a compacted undercoat which takes quite a bit of time to shave or work out.

• Choosing a hairstyle that is simple and easy to maintain. Longer haircuts take more time – just like human hairdressers will tell you. More complex haircuts like breed standard poodle cuts with a top knot, clean face and feet also take more time than cutting the same length of hair all over.

Please see our Services page for more information.

Who will be grooming my dog?

We strive to create a team atmosphere at our shop which means we work together on dogs and often share dogs between our groomers. All of our groomers are highly trained professionals in our industry and provide the best possible service for you and your pup. Your pup will be groomed by one of our professional groomers, please see our About page for more information about our groomers.

I have a new puppy, when should I start getting her groomed?

Puppies thrive off repetition and proper training – we HIGHLY recommend getting your pup started as soon as 10-12 weeks if possible. We offer a “puppy pamper” package which is an introductory groom offered to dogs under 6 months of age. This includes a bath, blow dry and face, feet and sanitary trimming in order to get your pup used to the process and our facility. If you have just picked up a new puppy we recommend scheduling 2-3 puppy pampers before their first groom to get them comfortable with being handled, teach table manners and desensitize them to the grooming process. Here are some other good puppy grooming tricks:

• Get your pup trained! Puppies who have solid control and training are going to be easier to train on the grooming table so get your pup into a puppy class as soon as you can!

• Use an electric toothbrush at home and run it over your pup’s face, body and legs to simulate the feeling of the clipper.

• Hold onto your pup’s chin hair and give them a treat when they hold still – groomer’s will often rest a dog’s head on their palm or gently hold the chin hair in order to keep a dog’s head still and safe while trimming the face and head.

• Get your pup used to having their feet and nails handled by rubbing them, spreading their toes and picking them up and articulating them back and forth.

What will happen if I am late to an appointment?

If you know you are going to be late, call us! We appreciate our clients being in communication with us and letting us know what the situation is. Because we book our appointments back to back we have a specific amount of time scheduled for your dog and if you show up late that’s cutting into that amount of time. When a client does not show up to their appointment time we will try and contact them at 5 minutes past the time and we do have a late to appointment policy that states if you are more than 15 minutes late we may need to cancel your appointment and charge the no show fee (total price of the groom scheduled that day). Please familiarize yourself with our policies under our Policies and Procedures page.

What type of payments do you take?

We accept all major credit/debit cards, cash or checks.

I want to become a Fairy Dogmother, LLC client! How do I get an appointment?

We can’t wait to meet you and your pup! The first step is to call the salon at 2075361886 to discuss the service you would like and to make sure we are a good fit for your pup! After we set up a future appointment please fill out and print the new client form, if you do not have access to a printer we are more than happy to give you a hard copy at drop off. Please be sure to read and review all policies pre-appointment!

• Dogs who are on a routine schedule of every 4-8 weeks, with some exceptions of 12 weeks depending on breed and coat condition.

• Clients who are able to schedule 3 visits at a time up to 6 months in advance.

• Clients who are willing and able to work with us and our recommendations in order to get their pup on the best grooming routine for their coat type, the amount of at home maintenance the client is willing to do and the aesthetic style the client wishes to maintain.