Grooming Procedure

Reception

On arrival at Top Dog, you and your pet will be warmly welcomed. You will have the opportunity to discuss your pet’s grooming requirements. To ensure your complete satisfaction, it is important that we both understand what is proposed eg. if your dog is matted, it may be necessary to do a shorter clip than expected. If it’s your first visit, we will also take details of your pet’s health and grooming history for our records.

If you need to cancel an appointment, please give at least 24 hours notice. Please also ensure that your pet has had the opportunity to exercise and have a comfort visit before arrival!

The Grooming Room

picture-58 Grooming is conducted in full view of the reception area so customers can see their dog being styled. Our grooming tables have all equipment close at hand for uninterrupted styling to benefit your dog. There are adjustable hydraulic tables to assist access for large and arthritic dogs, and support frames with harnesses for elderly pet clientele and of course our more wriggly friends!

Preparation

Before the bath, attention is given, as appropriate, to:

Thoroughly brushing and combing the coat
Trimming toenails
Cleaning ears
Pre-clipping
Trimming the groin, armpits and cleaning the anal area
Initial hand stripping.

Finishing

After the bath & dry, this is when the main styling takes place, and includes:

Clipping the coat for a smooth and even finish
Scissoring your dog’s face, and possibly legs, to create Top Dog’s style detailing!
Scissoring and clipping around and under the feet
Hand stripping
A spray of perfume and bows if requested.

The Bathing and Drying Room

picture-11 Having a separate bathing and drying room upstairs is helpful because:

All the moisture and loose hair from blow drying is kept away from the grooming
The noise is reduced
Most of our dogs are happier having the grooming segregated from the drying.

Bathing

It is essential for the dog’s coat to be thoroughly cleaned otherwise the coat will not look its best after clipping. This covers:

Thorough saturation of the fur in warm water in a specially designed Hydrobath.
Full shampooing with a top quality shampoo appropriate to coat and skin type, with particular attention paid to face, ears, feet and anal areas.
A gentle massage to cleanse the coat and stimulate blood and lymph systems.
Thorough rinsing
Application of suitable conditioner or detangler if necessary, followed by further rinsing
Good towel drying to remove excess moisture.

Drying

picture-45 The dog’s coat needs to be completely dry for the groomer to achieve a uniform finish with the final trim. The salon uses high velocity driers with flexible hose to dry all areas of the dog’s coat. The driers have twin motors with a range of hose attachments, allowing a range of air speeds and sound, important when drying puppies, first time, nervous or elderly dogs.

The drying process entails:

Making your dog comfortable by choosing the correct drier speed
Acclimatising your dog by starting to dry from behind
Brushing your dog’s coat to help remove dead undercoat and knots
Fluff drying with a brush for certain breeds eg. bichon and poodle.