Step Into The Shaggy Dog Parlor

I give Pierre his baths, but he MUST be groomed routinely.

    One of the most frustrating and difficult things about having a Westie or any dog than needs to be professionally groomed is finding an excellent groomer. They're more elusive than a unicorn so if you find one, treasure them. They are few and far between.

   Pierre has been to countless grooming salons in his lifetime. This month marks the one-year anniversary of our big move to Texas. We love living here and have found the boys a vet that we really like but a groomer for Pierre has eluded us. I have written about the other places we have tried, and they were all good. It’s just that none of them felt like the right fit for us. As a pet parent, it’s important to know your dog is in good hands and being treated with love. Are they stressed when you pick them up? Did you observe how employees interacted with other dogs? Were their prices in line with other salons in your area? These are all things we take into consideration when we trust someone with our baby. Those are also the reasons that we have continued to search for the perfect place.

The Shaggy Dog Grooming Parlor is such a happy place!

    After an exhaustive search and reading tons of reviews on social media, we decided to try The Shaggy Dog Grooming Parlor in Old Town Spring. The reviews were amazing and one customer even drives from Beaumont (2 hour trip one way) to have her pup groomed by the owner, Laura Gaskin. That speaks volumes to me so I called to make our appointment. Scheduling was easy and they were very friendly.

   I should confess that Old Town Spring is one of my favorite places to visit. There are blocks of old houses that have been turned into shops. You can stroll down the streets to discover quaint antique shops, souvenirs, tee shirts, classy clothing stores and so much more! You can also eat some of the best barbecue in Texas but that’s an entirely different story. 

It was time for Pierre's spring cleaning!

    Pierre’s appointment at The Shaggy Dog Parlor was at 11:00a.m. When we arrived, there were several other small dogs waiting for their turn. They are held in little individual exercise pens which is so much better than stacked in a dog crate. None of the dogs were whining or barking which is always a good sign. After giving his information, we were asked how we wanted him cut. Now I usually have a photo cued up on my phone to show but had forgotten so I frantically scrolled through my gazillion pictures of them to find one. It didn’t take me long to realize that I have a LOT of scruffy Pierre photos on my phone! Luckily, I found one where his ears were cut the way we like, and I showed it to her. He had some matts that would need to be cut out and I wanted him to be cut short for the warmer weather. We were told it’d be two or three hours and they’d text me about 20 minutes before he was ready. That text came in at 12:42 so it took two hours from start to finish. 

He looks awesome, smells great and is SO SOFT!!

    We peeked in the window and saw Pierre in his exercise pen just looking around. That is major for our incessant barker! Let me say that he looks MARVELOUS!! His head is cut and shaped to perfection and his skirt is neatly trimmed. He was happy to see us but was not all nerved out like he has been at other salons. 

It's incredible what a good grooming can do for a fellow! He doesn't look like the same dog. 

   I am very happy to say that after a yearlong search, we have found our new groomer at The Shaggy Dog Parlor in Old Town Spring. If you live in the Houston area and are looking for an amazing grooming salon, give them a call. Tell them Pierre sent you!