What We do

5 STEP GROOMING

Assessment.

Firstly we thoroughtly check your pet for matting, skin problems including any hot spots, moles or bumps that may affect clipping, sore or red ears and lastly general coat condition or any indication of fleas in order to determine the best shampoo to use.

If any fleas are found on your pet, we will need to treat him or her immediately for the safety and comfort of other pets in the salon.

Depending on the severity of the flea problem, a Capstar tablet may be given. Capstar works within 30 minutes to kill adult fleas and we literally see fleas falling off your pet as it does it's job. However we only administer Capstar for severe infestions, preferring to use Flea shampoo and Flea Rinses where ever possible.

 

Then your pet is given a good brush out and a detangling solution applied to any matts which may remain, and it's time to head to the grooming table.

 

Prepping and Initial Clipping. 

During this phase, your pet's ears will be thoroughly cleaned and plucked if requested. Ears are cleaned with a top quality ear cleaning solution and cottonwool balls. We only clean the part of the ear reachable with our fingers to avoid any inner ear canal problems.

 

Pads of feet will be trimmed of hair to give better grip on hard flooring and checked between them to make sure no mats or burrs are trapped inside. After this the toenails will be trimmed.

Next the tummy and tail sanitary areas will be trimmed of hair and cleaned, and any matts that are impossible to brush out will be scissored away. Lastly, your pet will be clipped to your specifications. Then it's off to the tub...

Hydrobath.
This is pamper time for your pet!

At Hairy Barkers we bath your dog the old fashioned way. The dog is wet down and rinsed off in the comfort of our extra large Hydrobath with fresh warm water that is never recycled. 

He or she will be lathered up with a lovely shampoo formulated expecially for his or her skin and fur type, given a relaxing all over massage and finally rinsed off thoroughly in fresh water until squeeky clean.

This process will be repeated on very dirty coats until the desired cleanliness is achieved.

Medicated shampoo, conditioners and/or flea rinses will be applied as needed or on request.

Drying.

Next your dog is fluffed and hand dried by one of the groomers. Driers of various speeds and heat settings are used depending on the coat, the amount of fur and the disposition of the pet.

Driers can seem very noisy for nervous pets, so it we feel the dog is uncomfortable with hand drying, we do use insulated drying booths. In these cases a thorough towel dry and a short time in the booth with less noise and a gentle stream of warm air wraps up this relaxing phase of the grooming process.

Many pets use this warm and comfortable time to curl up and have a good snooze!

 Finishing. 

Once your pet is thoroughly dry, and after a brief "toilet break walk" and cool drink of water, they go back to the grooming table where the final touches will be done.

These include touch-ups to the inital clip, any scissoring required and styling of the face and feet.

After the final groom and a last brush up, accessories are added to give your pet the completed look. We include a wonderful array of canine colognes, bows or boy-ties unless otherwise requested.

CHOOSING YOUR GROOMER

Selecting a grooming salon is as important as selecting your child care centre, medical practitioner or your own hair dressing salon.  

• Seek references from other like dog owners or if you see a well groomed dog ask the owner who grooms the dog. Then check out the grooming establishment.
   
• There should be friendly open access to the grooming salon and areas where the dogs are groomed. You should be able to view dogs being groomed and assess the quality of the handling and service. Closed door grooming is not set up for the benefit of your dog.
   
• Good groomers are full time professional stylists who regard the job as a profession not just another task in a busy vet practice or a part time job filler. Find out whether the groomer actually grooms dogs full time as a profession. Many vet nurses, mobile operators, franchise operators and home based “groomers” do not receive any specific practical grooming training.
   
• The groomer should be able to style clip all breeds and demonstrate how your dog can be styled. Remember style clipping a dog does not necessarily mean a show look; it means styles that can be achieved for your particular breed and not just "shaved". The result is a good looking dog that is easy to care for at home.
   
• Always ask whether sedation is used. Dogs groomed by experienced professional pet stylists do not suffer from stress and enjoy grooming. 99% of all dogs do NOT require sedation and can be humanely handled and groomed by experienced pet stylists.
   
• Meticulous cleaning, disinfecting and maintenance of blades, clippers and grooming equipment is paramount. Professional groomers keep many different blades, clippers, brushes and combs to suit the many differing breeds of dogs. Look for an extensive array of grooming equipment.
   
• Avoid dog washes using recycled used water from previous dogs. Hydrobath operators and in particular mobiles use recycled water tanks both for washing and rinsing your dog. Used water can lead to cross infection from previous dogs, skin conditions and transfer of flea infestation.
   
• Avoid quick jobs and cheap prices. A professional full groom including the bath takes at least 2-3 hours for a small dog. Shorter times usually mean short cuts, inhumane practices, sloppy work and essential detailed tasks such as pad trimming, nail clipping and bathing not being carried out correctly. If ringing around for the cheapest price is your selection criteria then expect to get a cheap service with less care, time and attention given to your dog.

 

Make sure the groomer you choose is experienced, skilled, loving and capable. Remember you are leaving your precious dog in their care.