SPRUCE Cirencester Dog Grooming

Heather set up SPRUCE in 2017 to offer the very best dog grooming for dogs AND owners. SPRUCE expanded its Cricklade premises in 2018/19, and acquired a second Cirencester salon on 2021, with a third opening in TOOMERS pet store, Cirencester, in Feb. 22.

Dog Grooming is currently an UNREGULATED industry. Often the wellbeing of the dog is not the primary concern, with a ‘production line’ approach which will not serve the dog’s best interests. SPRUCE offers an alternative.

WE ARE QUALIFIED AND EXPERIENCED

• City and Guilds certified with a LEVEL 3 DIPLOMA and a qualifying member of the prestigious ‘Groomers Spotlight’

• Quality Assured member of the British Dog Groomers Association and Pet Industry Federation

• Over 60 years of grooming experience, and 20,000+ grooms

• Fully insured 

• Qualified pet first aiders

• A good balance between kindness and confident handling.

ONE ON ONE =  QUALITY CARE:

• Each dog has  full 1 on 1 care and attention, and will be treated with respect.

• We make time for affection and fun.  

• Dogs are kept securely with access to water, but NO CAGES.

• Your dog’s time with us should be pleasurable (as well as safe and secure) so they can’t wait to come back. The aim is ‘home from home’.

NO CAGE-DRYING:

• We dry by hand, to minimise the health risk to your dog, and support ‘hands-on’ contact time which most dogs find reassuring.

• Hand drying gets the very best end grooming result as it is the best way to prepare the coat for clipping or styling. 

BEST QUALITY PRODUCTS

• We only use the very best professional  bathing products

• We have 3 x  state of the art hydrobaths in ALL salons, which offer unprecedented deep cleaning and gently massages the dogs skin.

• We include a facial scrub that is kind to eyes and avoids any soreness (called ‘no tears’)

• Different products are chosen according to each dogs coat and needs. We have a medicated shampoo for dry or itchy skin conditions.

CAREFUL ATTENTION TO YOUR BRIEF!

• Just like in a good hairdresser’s, the consultation is very important and time very well spent, in making sure we know what you want.

• We can provide photos of past work with a wide cross-section of breeds and sizes, and examples e.g. of clipped coat lengths  and styling alternatives, so you can very specifically detail what you want. If you are not sure we can give you some options to help you decide.

Why trust SPRUCE with my puppy?

At SPRUCE we have successfully introduced hundreds of new owners and pups over the last 6 years, to the world of grooming.

Your personal Puppy grooming record

Each puppy gets their own grooming card to monitor their progress during

their first few visits to SPRUCE. This helps you at home too, as you can retain

the report after each visit, you know if anything needs some work at home,

and can track puppy’s progress!

Puppy groom myths

We consistently come across some very frustrating misinformation,

often from the internet, or well-meaning (but perhaps unqualified ) breeders. 

So, please let us dispell the main puppy myth in popular circulation!

Puppy’s do NOT have to wait until 6 months to visit the groomers or get their coat cut.

The earlier pups can visit the groomers and get used to basic procedures, even if they don’t need a cut, the better. An early trim is not detrimental if required, and WILL NOT affect the adult coat coming through at 7+ months.

So, When?

As soon as your pup’s injections are complete, we need to get some positive grooming experiences in! It becomes more difficult to groom a puppy that is 6-months old for the first time than a 12-week-old puppy. The 6-month-old has already established fears and aggression. For example, it would be like taking a 5-year-old child and putting them in a reception class without any discipline and experience of a pre-school and making them sit still and behave in the expected way… but they don’t know what is expected! At this point in a puppy’s life if the owner has not prepped the puppy with any type of grooming; brushing, combing, or nail trimming it makes the groomers job nearly impossible, i.e.  to have the puppy trust them and for them to enjoy, (or at least tolerate) grooming.

Why is the earlier the better? The sooner your pup feels, hears, sees and sniffs the salon environment, and is handled by our groomers, (e.g. with nail and paw trims, and learning to hold their head still ) the more comfortable they will be, and the more accustomed they will become to being groomed. Grooming is an important part of a puppy’s education, especially those with mixed / poodle or bischon coats that are particularly high maintenance, and hopefully the work will begin with yourselves at home.

If you are feeling challenged by home grooming, (which we understand and sympathise with ….Puppy nibbling brush!?), or you notice anywhere that you can’t get a comb through (a brush can skim over the top and not reach the roots, giving a false sense of all being well…) please contact us ASAP,  for advice and help.