Grooming questions answered

Pets are booked into staggered one-to-one slots, so nobody is left waiting from opening time. A small-breed bath or haircut is usually ready in 75 to 105 minutes; a large double-coated blow-out or a fully hand-scissored doodle takes 2 to 2.5 hours. The front desk texts about 20 minutes before the groomer finishes, so the pet can go straight home.

Light tangles behind the ears or under a harness can usually be eased out with conditioner and patient brushing. A tight, pelted layer against the skin cannot: dragging a brush through it bruises the skin and teaches a dog to dread the table. The groomer combs the coat with the owner at check-in, so a shorter clip is never a surprise, and suggests a 4 to 6 week routine to grow the length back.

No, unless a vet asks for it in writing for a skin condition. A double coat protects against both heat and sunburn, and shaving it often leaves patchy, coarse regrowth. The Double-coat deshedding spa lifts out the dense undercoat instead, so the dog runs cooler and sheds far less while the top coat stays intact.

Once the first course of puppy vaccinations is finished, usually at around 14 to 16 weeks. Waiting until seven or eight months, when the adult coat is already tangling, makes the first haircut far harder. One or two short Puppy’s first groom visits build confidence with warm water, dryers and being handled on the table.

Mention it when booking and the desk keeps a quieter early-morning or mid-afternoon slot with extra time built in. Ear muffs during drying, a walk-in bath ramp, a low-lift table, non-slip mats and plenty of sitting breaks all help. If an elderly pet becomes too stressed, comfort and hygiene come before a finished style.

Wednesdays are kept for cats only, so no dogs are in the building. With no barking, a feline pheromone diffuser running and Priya Lindqvist working with one cat at a time, most cats settle well. Sedatives are never used here; a cat that needs one is referred back to its vet.

Every dog and cat over 16 weeks needs a current rabies vaccination, or a signed exemption letter from a vet for a fragile or immunocompromised pet. Pets do not mix in playgroups, so Bordetella is a vet’s recommendation rather than a requirement here.

Please take off any topical flea collar before arrival, because shampoo weakens it. If live fleas turn up in the tub, the pet is given a gentle citrus-botanical flea bath straight away and the station is sanitised afterwards, for a $22 surcharge.