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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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!
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It's incredible what a good grooming can do for a fellow! He doesn't look like the same dog. |
wow pierre you look fantabulous!!! ..and now to the BBQ... please tell us more ;O)
ReplyDeleteYou look fabulous! We need to go to the spa, but until the mess outside goes away, there is no point. We found out groomer by accident and she is awesome. Did you know there is competitive grooming? She has all kinds of awards, and being as no one knows anything about our breed, she started by texting photos to our breeder to ask for help/comments so she would get it right. We get stripped and some clipping with thinning sheers. She does a great job. Glad you found a place that makes you happy.
ReplyDeleteYou look fabbers, Pierre! Mom has always groomed us Airedales starting with angel Maggie. The girls in the grooming parlor where mom first took Maggie smoked and Maggie always hated smokers and exhaust from cars and trucks and school buses and she hated perfume so mom decided to teach herself how to groom and I am very happy that she did.
ReplyDeleteOMDs Pierre....I'm swooning you are gawgeous always and your personally shines thru in each photo but BOY oh BOY this is a Westminster stance. I can tell you are very proud too!! Bravo to the Shaggy Dogs. Love it!!
ReplyDeleteHugs Cecilia
We spoil our groomer outrageously with tips and gifts, but she is so worth it. You are lucky to have found her. I could never do the anal gland thing.
ReplyDeleteHooray for you! I like my groomer Miss Jacquie. Ghostwriter had a hard time finding a groomer for cocker spaniels. When our patron saint Old Charisma was around, she took her to a little old lady, Miss Rita, who was also a cocker breeder. Ghostwriter got Ginger and Joey from her. But after she retired, we found miss Jacquie are we have been going there ever since.
ReplyDeleteIt is so nice when you find a service provider that makes you happy!!! Pierre looks wonderful!!! We have been using the same groomer for years for our baths and blowouts. Timber is a terrible client. He may need to be sedated the next time - he HATES the blower.
ReplyDeleteWoos - Lightning, Misty, and Timber
Wow, what a fur-bulous transformation. You're right, finding a good groomer is like counting chicken's teeth. Sadly I've had to resort to 'learning on the job' with Elsa (and too often it's apparent). Going to our favorite groomer is too stressful for her and makes her more susceptible to seizures. Pierre looks incredible! Well done, mom!
ReplyDeletePierre looks so awesome!! I'm so happy that you found a place. Good groomers are few and far between in our area too. Sheba was done at our vet's office, which was always fine, but sometimes she had to spend the whole day there which was tough. But they did love her, so she got special treatment.
ReplyDeleteWhat a bonus that you have a nice place to shop while you wait!!
Jan, Wag 'n Woof Pets
I almost didn't recognize you, P. Looking SO sharp with your new cut. We are 4 paws up for that salon!
ReplyDeleteLove and licks,
Cupcake
You look fabulous, Pierre ! Purrs
ReplyDeleteSo glad you found the right groomer for Pierre! He looks fabulous!!
ReplyDeletehugs
Hazel & Mabel
WOW!!! Great job!!
ReplyDeleteFinding folks whom you can trust is a process, for sure.
ReplyDeleteWow, Pierre, you look fantabulous after your grooming! So glad you all found a great groomer there. :)
ReplyDelete