Want to pamper your dog yourself but hate the mess? Come use our facilities to wash and dry your dog. Just walk in and we will be happy to provide you with a towel and shampoo and assist you in any way we can even if you are a novice at bathing your dog! Bathing your dog yourself can save you money and provide for wonderful bonding time with your pooch.
1. Before deciding whether or not you want to bathe your dog yourself, assess the coat condition. If moderate to severe matting is present, I discourage bathing the dog yourself as drying a dog with matting will only make mats tighter and more difficult to remove. It is hard enough even for professional groomers to de-mat a dog, de-matting or clipping moderately to severely matted dogs should be left to professionals.
2. At Head to Tail, our basic DIY shampoo is Aloe Moist from Tropiclean. It is free of detergent, cleans great, is gentle and rinses easily. It leaves the coat shiny and conditioned. We dilute all our shampoos to make lathering easier.
Rinsing is VERY important dog parents pay special attention to difficult to reach areas such as armpits, underbelly and pads. A rule of thumb is to rinse until the water flowing down from the dog is completely free of suds.
3. Our high-velocity dryers blow the excess water off the dog and fluff the coat, loosening the undercoat. Dogs should be dried using this dryer until no more water is sprayed from the dog when drying. It is important to spend enough time blow-drying your dog to avoid wet hair to remain too long on your dog. In general, a 70 lbs Golden retriever takes about 10 to 15 minutes to dry until it is just damp.
4. I recommend a good brushing at home when your dog is completely dry to remove the undercoat that was loosened by the bathing and drying process. A pin brush or slicker brush can be used for most dogs as well as a de-shedding tool with a blade such as the Furminator tool. Combing your dog once or twice weekly using a metal comb also helps with removing undercoat and allows you to discover tangles that could have formed.
We will be happy to give you tips and pointers on how to make this experience pleasant for the both of you.
Cost:
$17/dog
Free 8th wash
(please call if coming between 9-12 as it is our busiest time and the tubs may not be available)