FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
1) How are grooming prices determined?
Prices depend on breed, coat type, complexity of haircut, your pet’s specific needs, and the total time it takes to complete. All prices on the website and over the phone are approximate until the pet has been physically evaluated by the groomer.
2) What types of payment are accepted?
The Prancing Poodle accepts cash, personal checks, VISA, MasterCard, American Express, Discover, Apple Pay, and Google Pay. Online payments can be made with all major credit cards via an emailed invoice. All payments are due at the time of service.
3) What information do you need for my pet and I’s first visit to your salon?
If your pet is 4 months of age or older, we will need proof from a licensed veterinarian of your pet’s current rabies vaccine. The Prancing Poodle does not accept home vaccinations, tags, or titer tests. If necessary, your pet’s groomer can call your vet and get a verbal over the phone if you have misplaced the vet administered rabies certificate. Bordetella and DHPP vaccines are strongly recommended, but not required in order to receive services. There is a 48 hour after vaccination waiting policy before checking in for grooming. A completed New Client Form and a completed New Pet Form will expedite the initial check in process.
4) Do you take walk-ins or do I need to book an appointment in advance?
All baths and haircuts are by appointment only, we will do our best to get you and your pet in as soon as possible. Nail trimming, nail grinding, ear cleaning, brushing teeth, and/or anal gland expression are all available without a full groom, but do require an appointment.
5) What if I need to cancel an appointment?
A 24 hour notice is required for cancellation of a scheduled appointment. This allows us time to try to book a replacement for your vacated appointment time slot. Any grooming reservation cancelled less than 24 hours in advance is subject to a cancellation fee of $35 per pet. All outstanding fees must be paid in full before any grooming services are provided.
6) What is included in a groom?
Unless otherwise specified, pets with scheduled Bath and Brush appointments have their nails filed with diamond coated Dremel tip, ears cleaned, a massaging bath with a hypoallergenic deep cleaning shampoo, an additional customized shampoo for that specific pet's skin and coat, anal glands expressed (if needed) conditioner, complete blow dry, 15 minutes of brushing, cologne, and a bow or a bandana. Pets with scheduled Bath and Haircut appointments have their nails filed with diamond coated Dremel tip, ears cleaned, a massaging bath with a cleaning shampoo, an additional customized shampoo for that specific pet's skin and coat, anal glands expressed (if needed), conditioner, complete blow dry, 15 minutes of brushing, a Maintenance Trim or Full Haircut, cologne, and a bow or a bandana. There are additional services available such as paw-lish, teeth brushing de-skunking treatment, and many others that may be added on depending on your pet’s needs.
7) What is a shed-less treatment?
The shed-less treatment starts with an undercoat blowout with a high velocity dryer to get some of the shedding hair out of the pet’s coat. Next is a bath with ultra-premium shampoo. This shampoo is made with a blend of natural ingredients (no artificial colors or chemical dyes) that helps protect the skin and coat and reduce excessive shedding. Followed by soaking for 5 minutes in a premium conditioner. This step conditions the coat and releases the undercoat during the bath to help protect against shedding. These in combination with brushes, combs, undercoat rakes, and various other tools (to remove most of the remaining undercoat and loose hair on double-coated breeds) can dramatically reduce shedding by up to 80% if used every 4-6 weeks.
8) Can I have my pet washed in my own shampoo?
Your pet’s groomer will use any preferred pet-safe or veterinarian prescribed shampoo as long as it is designed for and safe to use on pets. While shampoos that are formulated for humans aren’t necessarily toxic to pets, the pH balance in them is different and many contain ingredients that can irritate your pet’s skin.
9) How long will it take to groom my pet?
The Prancing Poodle typically asks for 2 to 7 hours. Since each pet has needs unique to them, the time required to finish the grooming process may be more or less depending on varying factors (temperament, size, coat type, complexity of haircut, etc.). We will discuss the exact timing it will take to complete your pet’s groom upon physical evaluation and drop off.
10) Will my pet be placed in a kennel?
Yes, while pets are waiting they are cared for in state-of-the-art stainless steel kennels. The kennels are thoroughly cleaned and disinfected between each pet. While we try to keep kenneling time to a minimum, all pets that are placed in kennels are under constant supervision by staff and facility cameras. This is for your pet’s safety as well as the safety of everyone else. The Prancing Poodle is not a daycare facility and does not have the ability to monitor free-roaming dogs.
11) I don’t want my pet to be in a kennel. What are my options?
Most pets are comfortable in a kennel. However, if you request that your dog is not kenneled during their visit to The Prancing Poodle, for a fee a groomer can offer an ‘Express Groom’ that guarantees that your pet is done start-to-finish with one groomer’s undivided attention. Dogs done in this manner are typically finished with the entire grooming process in less than 3 hours.
12) Do you take my pet outside?
It depends. Your pet’s safety is the number one concern to The Prancing Poodle and taking your pet outside for any reason compromises that. We will groom your pet safely and comfortably inside the salon. If we feel comfortable and have the time available to us to take your pet on a potty walk, we will. Please remember to let your pets relieve themselves before coming for any scheduled services.
13) What happens when you are finished grooming my dog?
You or your designated agent will receive a phone call or text message approximately 15 to 20 minutes prior to the completion of your pet’s grooming service so that you can pick them up as they are finished. Additionally, this will minimize the time your pet spends in a kennel. Unless otherwise specified, all pets need to be picked up within an hour of the completion of the groom.
14) When should I get my puppy groomed for the first time?
The Prancing Poodle allows puppies 8 weeks and older to receive certain services in the salon. Our goal is to provide each pet with a positive and safe experience. A puppy’s first few grooming experiences in a salon should only include a bath, hand drying, and light trimming of the hair around their eyes, paws, and anus to get them used to the grooming process.
15) How often should my pet be groomed?
All breeds of dogs and cats benefit from regular grooming. Some pets require grooming every month and some as little as twice a year. Your pet’s groomer will provide a recommendation of when to return for another bath and/or haircut appropriate to the pet’s coat, lifestyle, behavior, etc.
16) Do you offer any grooming services for cats?
We can do cat nail trims. Unfortunately, we do not bath or give haircuts to cats due to the amount of stress it places on the cat to be away from home.
17) What about elderly pets?
Yes, but grooming a senior or special needs pet can be very stressful for them. We here at The Prancing Poodle work very hard to make the grooming experience as comfortable as possible. In order to accomplish this, we groom for the pet’s comfort and cleanliness. We will only groom what a senior or special needs pet will allow us to do comfortably. The haircut will be in a style that will cause the least amount of stress to the pet as possible.
18) Will you muzzle my dog?
The Prancing Poodle is confident in its ability to groom most dogs without the use of a muzzle. However in the event of a dog that cannot be groomed safely without danger to the groomer or itself then muzzles, e-collars, slings, straps, etc. may be used safely and a handling fee may be charged. Muzzles will never be used on brachycephalic or breathing challenged pets for safety reasons.
19) What if my dog needs to be sedated for a grooming session?
The Prancing Poodle never sedates pets. If for any reason the groomer believes that services cannot be completed safely then the grooming session will be discontinued and a referral to a salon that specializes in grooming sedated pets will be given.
20) My dog recently had surgery. Can I still bring him/her in to be groomed?
Pets with open wounds or stitches will not be groomed until they are healed properly and have approval from a veterinarian. This ensures safety for your pet, other pets in the facility, and the employees at The Prancing Poodle. Pets with any transmissible illness cannot be groomed until a licensed veterinarian confirms they are no longer contagious.
21) There are mats in my pet’s hair. What are my options regarding the grooming process?
Where feasible and for a fee of $15 per every 15 minutes, a groomer will work to de-mat/brush out the pet’s coat only if it will not cause excessive pain and suffering to attempt to do so. In order to take care of a pet that has extreme matting, the pet will need to be shaved very short. While the groomer will be very careful, the possibility of injury exists because the groomer has to work so close to the skin to remove the matted coat.
22) How can I prepare my pet for grooming?
- Start grooming as early in your pets life as possible.
- Brush your pet regularly.
- Gently lift and touch their ears and paws often.
- Do not wait until they are completely matted to get them in to the salon. It is painful and causes a negative experience for them.
At home brushing and more frequent grooms will provide the best results, keep your pet healthier, and makes for shorter grooming times which save you money down the road.
23) Why do I get an answering machine when I call?
We prefer texting. If texting is not possible, feel free to leave a message. We will not return a phone call if we do not receive a voicemail. In addition, phone calls will only be made and answered during business hours. There are certain times during business hours when making and receiving phone calls is not safe (such as during a bath or with a wiggly dog on the table), but we will return all missed calls during appropriate hours as soon as possible.