The holidays are coming, as are the visits from family and the photos. I know the importance of making sure your pup looks adorable for the festivities and portraits – and wanting them fluffy for the (theoretically) colder winter. We love working with the fluffy ones, too! It’s incredibly satisfying to see a happy fluffball walk out our door looking stylish.
However, there is something more important to us than the perfect “cute” haircut and that is the comfort of our clients.
Whole Pet Dematting Policy: We will demat a dog in our salon ONCE at the cost of $65/hour. After that, dogs with more than 10 minutes worth of dematting required will need to be cut short and started again. The reason for this is simple: your pet’s well-being and comfort comes first. While we understand that you would like your dog to be fluffy, we will not subject the dog to the long, difficult process over and over again. We believe in humanity before vanity.
Mats begin as tangles and, just like with human hair, tangles are generally caused simply by living. Friction from the collar can cause tangling, as well as scratching, rolling around in the dirt, running through brush…you know. Being a dog. Brushing your dog’s coat every few days can take care of these tangles while they are loose, which is to say before they turn into dreaded mats.
Minor and localized matting occurs in those areas that rub constantly. Like around the dog’s neck under her collar, behind her ears, in the tuck-up, armpits and around the tail. These also happen to be some of the more sensitive areas. Minor matting can be brushed out in less than 10 minutes and with minimal pulling. Localized matting in sensitive areas is best clipped out, but does not require a full body haircut.
Serious matting is where things go sideways. Serious matting is tight and close to the skin and occurs over more than 25% of your dog’s body. Serious mats will appear as clumps sometimes resembling dreadlocks. They are painful and dangerous as they are pulling at the skin, which can cause sores and, in some cases, bruising. Dogs with serious matting must be clipped down. Clippers cannot cut through mats, therefore must go UNDER requiring a short haircut. This presents its own challenges and requires a signed release, because dogs with serious matting can have abrasions, issues and discomfort from the lack of blood flow caused by the intense pulling of the mats.
Pelting is the final and most serious stage of matting. “Pelts” are mats that cover the dog in one piece almost like carpeting. Pelting occurs very close to the skin and often occurs when a pet owner is brushing regularly but is not brushing down to the skin. Clippers cannot cut through pelting, therefore must go UNDER requiring a short haircut. This presents its own challenges and requires a signed release.
With serious mats and pelts, we will not offer to demat the dog. It is incredibly painful, slow, difficult work that would put far too much stress on your dog. We understand the desire for a fluffy pup, but we also want to do what’s best for them.
If you’ve taken your dog to the groomer an gotten the dreaded “smoothie”, you might need some help and pointers on how to properly take care of your dog’s coat in between grooming.
Make sure you are brushing your dog no less than 3 – 5 times per week if you want to keep their coat full and long. Also…
Expect to have your dog groomed every 4 – 6 weeks. Maintenance is very important and the more often we see your dog, the less likely a serious problems will develop. We offer a $5 discount if you make your next appointment when you pick up your dog. HOWEVER, even with a monthly visit you will need to care for your dog’s coat in the meantime.
We do offer brush-only services for our clients. Brush-outs start at $10 and depend on the size of the dog and the length/thickness of the coat. Between grooming brush-outs are only available to clients who go no more than 6 weeks between grooming appointments. Brush-outs need to be supplemented by in-home brushing as well.
Not sure of the best way to brush your dog’s coat? No problem! Our groomers are more than happy to show you the proper way to brush through your dog’s coat to ensure proper maintenance between grooming appointments.