Pre Groom Health Check and Assessment

We ask dog owners to let us know in advance of a first appointment whether your pet’s vaccinations are up to date, if your dog has any medical conditions and we appreciate an honest view of the dog’s temperament (behaviour) and when you last had your dog groomed.

At each grooming appointment Cherish Dog Grooming will assess the overall condition of your dog. This includes checking for parasites, the eyes, ears, anal glands, nails, paws, teeth and the condition of its skin and coat.

The groomer will assess any mats in the coat. Matting collects dirt and debris and pulls at your pet’s skin. Our aim is to put the welfare of the dog first, dematting a dog is a lengthy process which may be uncomfortable for the dog and because of the time involved there is an additional cost to you so we will agree with you how best to deal with them and suggest a style that is appropriate for your pet.

 

Bathing

The Cherish Dog Grooming Mobile Salon has a hydrobath which uses a shower to thoroughly wet the dog with warm water driving dirt and debris out of the coat while gently massaging the skin. Cherish Dog Grooming uses products with natural ingredients that are specially selected for your dog’s skin and coat type.  Bathing leaves the coat squeaky clean and smelling fresh and additional spa treatments are available if you really want to pamper your pet.

All dogs needing a full groom are bathed before styling. Cherish Dog Grooming also offers a dog wash and dry service.

 

Drying

Cherish Dog Grooming only hand dries bathed dogs. Your dog receives one to one care throughout the grooming process. No cage or cabinet dryers are used. After a bath the excess water is towelled off and a powerful dryer blasts water out of the coat before the final stage of hand drying which prepares the dog for styling.  Hand drying takes longer than drying a dog in a cage or cabinet dryer but the end results are better particularly for breeds with a wool coat such as poodles and bichons and the salon uses the best equipment available to ensure that your dog is comfortable with the process throughout.

 

Styling

Cherish Dog Grooming styles all types of coat. We use clippers, scissors and handstripping to achieve the desired look for your dog.

Smooth coated dogs such as pugs, greyhounds and boxers are washed, dried and polished to add gloss to the coat.

Dogs with dense soft undercoat that sheds such as German Shepherds, Golden Retrievers and Rough Collies have any dead undercoat removed and the top coat is brushed through and tidied to look natural and glossy.

Dogs that need more styling receive a full groom service using the appropriate styling technique. Examples include:

• Silky coated breeds such as Yorkshire Terriers and Cavalier King Charles Spaniels which require a scissored trim.
• Wire Coats – this group includes most of the Terrier breeds, Schnauzer and Dachshund. Clipping and scissoring is appropriate for most pets in this group. Cherish Dog Grooming does hand stripping for dogs such as Border Terriers.  Handstripping requires a longer appointment so additional charges will apply.
• Wool coats on breeds such as Poodles and Bichon Frise need hand drying and grooming correctly. Regular grooming is a must for these lovely dogs to look their best.
• Dogs with style come in all shapes and sizes, for example Lhasa Apso, Shih Tzu, Old English Sheepdog, all types of Spaniel, Cockerpoo, Labradoodle and many more. Your pet doesn’t have to have a pedigree to benefit from our care.  We select the appropriate grooming technique for your dog and style the dog to your preference.

 

Service Options

Cherish Dog Grooming offers three service options and a range of additional services. 

• Cherish Dog Wash, Dry and Brush Up – straight forward wash, dry and brush out. This service is available to our regular customers to help them manage their dog’s coat between grooming appointments and avoid the sharing of mud, fox poo, porridge (yes porridge!) and other undesirable substances that are irresistible to your dog but unwanted by you. Call and see if we are in your area.
• Cherish Dog Wash and Groom service includes a health check, pre bathing preparation, nail and ear trimming if required, bathing with appropriate shampoo and conditioner, hand drying, brush and polish if appropriate to the coat, minimal styling such as trimming of feet and an optional cologne spritz.  This service is suitable for smooth coated breeds and dogs with a heavy coat that shed undercoat and should have a natural look.
• Cherish Dog Grooming - Full groom service includes a health check, pre bathing preparation, bathing with appropriate shampoo and conditioner, nail and ear trimming if required, bathing, hand drying and full styling appropriate to the coat and breed and an optional cologne spritz. This service is suitable for most dogs that require regular grooming and styling.

 

Additional Services

Essential Oil Spa Treatments - if you really want to pamper your pet, bathing is the ideal time to use essential oils to soothe the skin, calm the temperament, relax aching joints and reinvigorate tired muscles. We use natural ingredients in all our regular shampoos and conditioners and while many of them contain essential oils, the Spa Treatments offer a more intensive treatment. No residue from the oils is left in the coat, just a lovely fragrance and a contented dog.

Nail clipping and paw care - nail clipping is included in our grooming service but we also offer a nail clipping service as an additional service for dogs having a dog wash or other spa treatments. We also offer additional paw care treatments - dogs are just like people and sometimes their feet benefit from a little more attention to ensure their comfort.

Microchipping – all dogs should be micro-chipped and it may soon be a legal requirement.  It is the most reliable method of matching dogs and cats with their owners and finding your pet if it goes missing.

The Cherish Dog Groomer has been trained by Peddy Mark to microchip dogs and cats. It is a quick and simple procedure and Cherish Dog Grooming will register your pet on the database the same day. If you have moved house and forgotten to update your details we can do that for you too.  Call us to book an appointment.

Handstripping – the dog groomer will undertake handstripping if it is appropriate for your dog and the coat is ready to be removed in this way. Handstripping is a technique to remove hair by hand plucking. If the coat is not ready to be handstripped the process is uncomfortable for the dog and it can irritate the skin and cause bruising.  When done correctly handstripping leaves a tidy and natural finish .  The technique is usually suitable for terrier breeds particularly border terriers where it maintains the correct texture and colour of the coat. There is an additional change for handstripping as the process takes longer. Contact us to discuss your requirements.