Welcome to the Dog House
The Dog House is proud to offer a bespoke and personalised service to suit your dog, specialising in small to medium sized dogs.
I work on a 1-2-1 basis with all dogs so you can rest assured that they will receive my undivided attention. This allows your beloved dog the time they need to get to know me and enjoy being pampered.
All dogs in my care are bathed and dried by hand and I strive to provide an environment that allows your dog to feel as relaxed and stress-free as possible.
I always treat your dog as I would my own and I take the time with each dog to make sure they feel safe and reassured during their grooms.
It is important to me that your dog enjoys their grooming session in a safe and calm environment.
About
I am a professionally trained dog groomer and hold an OCN Level 3 Dog Grooming Diploma.
I have been a passionate dog lover all my life and I am the proud owner of Baxter and Peggy, two beautiful Border Terriers. It was this love that gave me the confidence to have a complete change of career and retrain to become a dog groomer. I have not looked back since.
I want your dog to have a positive association with the grooming salon and it is my aim to put both dog and owner at ease in a friendly and welcoming environment.
You can rest easy knowing I am fully insured and trained in canine first aid to ensure your dog is given the very best care.
I use only state of the art equipment and professional salon products on your dog to achieve the extremely high standards that I pride myself on.
Services
Long haired groom
Some breeds don’t shed their fur and they benefit greatly from regular clipping to keep their coats healthy, clean and tidy. If you are unsure of which style to choose, I can help you to identify the grooming style that best suits your dog’s needs and your own preferences.
This groom includes:
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Brushing to remove undercoat and deal with minor matts and tangles
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Bath with shampoo and condition
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Blast dry for removal of remaining loose hair
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Clipping and styling according to your requirements
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Nails trimmed
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Clean eyes and ears
Ideal for: Cockapoos, Spaniels, Shih Tzu etc.
Short haired groom
You may not immediately think that short-haired breeds need grooming. However, because they shed, they benefit greatly from undercoat removal techniques. This groom means that much less of your dog’s coat ends up on your floors and furniture at home and they are left with a more comfortable, beautifully soft and shiny coat.
This groom includes:
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Brushing for removal of dead coat
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Bath with double shampoo and condition
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Blast dry for removal of remaining loose hair
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Nails trimmed
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Clean eyes and ears
Ideal for: All short-haired breeds including Jack Russell, French Bulldog, Labradors etc.
Professional Tidy Up
If your dog just needs a good bath or a tidy up or even just a face tidy please get in touch.
Some dogs’ nails grow quickly, and others hardly at all but it's important to keep your dog’s nails short. Not only do they look unattractive when long, but over time they can do serious damage to your dog.
Ensuring that minor mats and tangles are brushed out is an important part of a groom because, aesthetics aside, allowing mats to build up provides a great hiding spot for parasites and can cause soreness and skin complaints in your dog. If your dog’s coat has larger mats it may require a different groom to my standard grooms. I do try to brush out mats where possible but this is sometimes not sufficient to remove larger masses and it must be clipped away instead. Dematting is considered on a case-by-case basis and I always work with you to provide the best solution for your dog.
If your dog is extremely matted, I will charge an additional de-matting fee as it takes time and care trying to comb out these mats without hurting your dog. This will be discussed with you when I have assessed your dog’s coat condition.
Give me a call and I will be happy to discuss in more detail and give you a quotation for your dog.
If you'd like a quote, please contact me.
Puppy Package
Have a new pup? I can help you take care of it!
If you have welcomed a new puppy into your family recently, consider signing up for The Puppy Package. Puppies can sometimes be wary of new environments, and a grooming salon will certainly be unfamiliar to them. The sights, sounds and smells your pup will experience during a standard groom can be overwhelming to a puppy, and lead to an aversion to the process as an adult if not managed in a compassionate and patient way. I help take your pup through a gentle familiarisation of the grooming environment over four fortnightly sessions. I will support your pup so grooming is a thing to be enjoyed, rather than afraid of.
Why do puppies need special treatment?
Simply put, puppies are brand new. Grooming salons can be noisy places sometimes, and while adult dogs are used to it, your puppy may be experiencing several different sights, sounds, smells and sensations – all for the first time.
The Puppy Package is all about gentle exposure to these new experiences:
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The sights, smells and sounds of the salon
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The sensation of water on their bodies
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The experience of having their feet and ears touched by a new person
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Desensitisation
I don’t want your puppy to be afraid of me, so my gentle familiarisation package guides them tenderly through it, building new experiences on at each visit.
What does the Puppy Package involve?
Visit 1
Your puppy’s welcome to The Dog House. Starting off with a sniff and socialise period to get them used to the grooming environment, with you throughout. I will gently handle your pup’s feet, ears, teeth and tail to desensitise and familiarise them with being handled and heap them with positive reinforcement and praise. At the same time, I will chat with you about your pup’s breed and needs from a groom.
Visit 2
This time, your puppy gets a bath. With a view to familiarising them to the sensation of water on their body, and especially around their face and ears, this also helps your pup get used to the bathing tools I use, including our gentle dryer. This is a great experience for all young dogs, not just those that need regular grooming, because having a bath is a universal requirement.
Visit 3
A combination of visits 1 and 2, but this time I introduce a brush and trim if required. But I also include lots of desensitising playtime to include playing with their paws, opening their ears and stroking their tail. These are movements that dogs are not naturally accustomed to but need to get used to in order to tolerate typical grooming appointments.
Visit 4
It’s time for your puppy’s first full groom by bringing all of the elements together and adding some extras. Because of our gentle familiarisation process, your puppy should now tolerate a range of grooming activities – this session includes a bath, brush, face trim, nail cut and ear cleaning as well as a coat tidy depending on breed.
Extra bonus gift for you and your pup
After your last Puppy Package session you’ll also receive a graduation certificate to mark the occasion!
What comes next?
The Puppy Package is a fantastic way to get your puppy accustomed to regular grooming. After they’ve graduated from The Puppy Package, I can schedule them for regular appointments to ensure that their coat health and condition is always top notch.
But it’s more important than that: some dogs whose grooming routine is not maintained can quickly develop skin conditions and other problems such as matting which results in discomfort and pain. How frequently your pet will require a groom will depend on breed and coat variations, but what is important is that a regular grooming routine is maintained to keep them happy and healthy.
Why not schedule your grooms in advance so you always know when your appointment is going to be? I also offer the option to pay for your grooms by Direct Debit meaning less hassle all round!
If you'd like a Puppy Package quote, please contact me.
VIP Club
Spreads the cost of grooming into 12 monthly payments to help you budget.
Criteria to join the VIP Club
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Your dog must be a fully grown adult.
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You must be an existing client so that I am familiar with the amount of time and work required.
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You keep your dog to an agreed grooming schedule which is appropriate for the amount of maintenance you do at home and the dog's coat type.
VIP Fees
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VIP fees are paid by Standing Order on the 1st of every month.
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I work out how much your annual grooming bill is and divide it by 12.
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You pay this amount on the first of every month by Standing Order.
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Your price will be based on the price you are paying right now and will be frozen for at least 12 months after you join the VIP Scheme.
How it works
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I will schedule your appointments 12 months ahead.
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If you cannot make an appointment just let me know and I'll move that appointment for you - all the others will stay the same.
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If you cancel an appointment without giving 48 hours notice or you fail to show up for an appointment (known as a no-show) then you forfeit that month's VIP payment and will have to pay the ad-hoc price for a replacement.
If you'd like a VIP Club quote, please contact me.
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