Groom Dog City

Grooming

with Stuart Simons

Can you just keep him looking like a puppy (he’s 14)?

I don’t want him to look like a poodle, can you make him look like a teddy bear (he’s a poodle)? 

Why is my dog’s haircut more expensive than my own? (Did you bite your hairdresser? Did he trim your privates?)

These are just a few of the questions that we get asked at least once a day. They are very common and go with many other questions that are of the same ilk.

All breeds of dog, except mixed breeds, have a breed standard haircut. This is the haircut that you might see in Crufts or at your local dog show. The breed standard is there to accentuate your dog’s genetic build and muscle structure. It is considered that the breed standard is the best look for each individual breed. We as groomers are trained to make your breed of dog the best that it can possibly look for the coat and genetics that it has been given.

Different breeds have different coat types and take a different amount of time to groom. For example a Yorkshire Terrier with a nice silky straight coat may take 5 minutes to dry whereas a Poodle of the same size with a dense curly coat may take 45 minutes to completely dry. All of the dogs are different. We may get a dog in that doesn’t like the blaster (high velocity dryer) and so may take a lot longer than a dog of an even calm temperament as the drying process is less intrusive.

All dogs need grooming and should regularly attend the groomers. A good dog groomer could possibly spot changes in skin and coat as well as behaviour that you may not have spotted. Remember, we have our hands all over dogs for 8 hours a day, 6 days a week. If anything is going to be flagged up, we may well spot it. We have spotted lumps and bumps in many dogs, most of which are harmless fatty lumps but some of which are cancers that if treated early can be cured. We have helped dogs tell their owners of the tooth pain that they are suffering and the gum disease that they are having to live with. Sometimes your groomer can be the voice of your dog.

“Sometimes your groomer can be the voice of your dog.”

“I have a Staffy, he doesn’t need a groom” this is not true. Staffordshire Bull Terriers and other short coated breeds benefit from a groom too. They enjoy feeling clean and pampered as much as the most coiffured poodle. These breeds have an undercoat that can be effectively removed with a coat rake or Furminator. Also, the blaster can get rid of the undercoat

 too. Any hair that sheds is effectively dead hair. No one wants that lying around their house. Let us deal with that for you.

Matted Dogs:

“My dog has a few knots, I have tried to cut them out myself but I can’t, I don’t want him shaved though” This is a very common problem and one that I can sympathise with.

We as groomers love dogs, we wouldn’t be in this business if we didn’t. Everyone wants their dog to look like a teddy bear or a puppy all the time but the reality is, they like to roll in poo. They love a good old forage and a muddy puddle. All longer haired dogs need to be brushed every day to achieve a constant knot free coat. Poodles and Cockerpoo’s or anything with a curly coat, twice a day. If this isn’t performed, your dog is likely to get matted or knotty. Matted dogs can get very uncomfortable and some of the most severe cases have had to have limbs amputated as the Matt has got so tight, it has cut off the blood supply to the specific area. Groom Dog City follows the 5 Freedoms set out by the Animal Welfare Act.

De-Matting a dog can be a very painful process, it consists of pulling on the matted hair a bit like trying to comb a knot out of your own hair. Imagine that all over your body!!! That’s why we don’t do it. If your dog has a few knots, sure, well get them out, but for a dog that is matted, this would be a hellish few hours and not something that we as dog lovers are prepared to do.

The alternative is to shave your dog, a much better idea. We use blades that can seamlessly get under those pesky matts leaving your dog a lot happier to come back in to the salon and have another groom at a later date. Yes, you may have a short dog for a while but guess what…..IT GROWS BACK!!! Hooorrraaayyyy. (thank goodness, because if it didn’t, we’d be out of a job).

So please remember, when your groomer says that your dog has to be shaved, it’s not to get at you, no one is judging, it is simply what is best for your beloved doggy. We all have one main thing in common and it has four legs and a waggy tail!

Creative Grooming

On my journey to become a professional dog groomer, I discovered thatthere are things about the profession that were controversial and sometimes a little disturbing. One example, I remember grooming a Hungarian Puli which had a corded coat, something that was very new to me. I remember this poor dog struggling with the weight of his burden as we got him wet and how much support we had to give him to clean his coat properly. Not knowing anything about the breed or grooming for

that matter, I just thought that it was the way the dog grew his coat and that was that. It wasn’t until it was pointed out to me that, to get a corded coat, you must first wait for the dog to matt up and then separate and pull the mats tight. Now I am not saying that this in itself is a cruel procedure, but I would say that it is time consuming and a creative groom in itself.

Another example is a bearded collie whose hair was so straight that it flowed beautifully in the wind and was absolutely breathtaking. It wasn’t until I questioned the tutor that he told me that straighteners were used on the dog to achieve this effect. 

The point that I am trying to make here is that dye or no dye, for years and years mans best friend has been groomed in many different ways by owners and breeders alike to their individual specification and no dog that you see in every day life is an exception. Bichon Frise wouldn’t be wandering around in the wild with big heads and perfectly scissored bodies, You wouldn’t see a

 Shih-Tzu hunting in the undergrowth with a perfect full coat and not a single knot in it. The dogs that we see on our streets today have been bred to be companions to human beings. Creative grooming doesn’t just involve dying dogs, surely straighteners being used,corded breeds and Pom Pom poodles should equally be classed under this heading.

Now, we are not the most sensible of beings in the world, some people would say “if there is something on the market to dye our hair with, then why not try it on our dog”. Well I can tell you that this is NOT the way to go. Dogs have a completely different make up to us and some products effect them in ways that is different to how they effect us. Anything that uses accelerants, bleach or peroxide is an absolute No No for use on our beloved pets.

Here at Groom Dog City, we use dyes that are completely non toxic and specially made for Cats and Dogs. We use a coloured gel that washes on like a shampoo and left for 5 minutes (longer if a stronger colour is required) and then washed out. It has absolutely no smell and usually washes out in 6 – 8 washes.

Groom Dog City is part of the N.A.P.C.G (National Association of Professional Creative Groomers) and we rigidly follow health and safety procedures to ensure the welfare of any dog or cat in our care.

We do NOT apply dyes to dogs with any kind of skin problem, elderly dogs or puppies. We cannot confirm that the colour will be the exact desired hue as some dogs have different pigmentation to others and dyes without toxins can never be completely accurate.

As a salon owner and doggy lover I feel that it is my job to try to educate dog owners in this country to really question if what they want to do to their dog is for the best. I recently dyed a celebrities dog pink and it caused a real stir in the media. I even got a message from a friend in New Zealand to tell me that my work had reached the papers out there.

Yes, some people were very against me having done this to the dog but the amount of people that loved it far outweighed my critics. It caused such a stir that an invite came asking me to go on Morning TV to talk about the procedure which I was more than happy to do. As we were walking up the stairs of the ITV building I got talking to one of the runners of the program and she said how terrified of dogs she was. I had Molly, My pink Bichon Frise with me and this runner was more than happy to interact and stroke molly. Afterwards, I asked why she was ok to stroke Molly even with a fear of dogs and she said “Its simply because she is pink, she looks so friendly”. Now, Molly has far more interaction and love from the public since being pink. Im not saying go out and dye your dogs all the colours under the sun, Im just trying to explain that.

About us

Groom Dog City offers professional dog and cat grooming for your pampered pet in East London from a fully qualified Higher Level advanced City and Guilds trained groomer. Owner and Head Groomer, Stuart Simons, prides himself on his work and makes sure your pet is well cared for and feels completely safe at all times. Stuart is also the Chairman of the British Dog Groomers Association.

Groom Dog City offers competitive prices for all breeds. So whether they just need a wash, their nails need a cut or if you want them trimmed to perfection, drop me a line or give me a call. It’s as easy as that. 

Stuart has achieved his City and Guilds Level 3 Advanced certificate in dog grooming and several higher diploma exams. He is actively working towards becoming a member of the Guild of Master Groomers. He is also qualified to microchip and perform Reiki healing on Cats and Dogs.