Fur-requently Asked Qs… get the real scoop!

About Mobile Grooming

Mobile pet grooming offers a stress free environment for you and your pet. Imagine not wrestling your pet into a bag, into a cab, or onto a crowded subway. Imagine being able to have a happy, friendly, groomer greet you parked in front your home or office or even at your happy hour spot. Your pet will no longer have to be groomed in an environment with the potential of exposure to illness, fleas, and the stress of other barking dogs. Never again will your pet have to wait hours on end in a cage, listening to the unfamiliar cries of other animals waiting for their turn to be groomed. You and your dog will always have the same groomer available to talk to and go over your pets service. In person or if you prefer via FaceTime. We ensure that you always have personalized one-on-one service. We utilize a Super Sudsor luxury bathing system that not only gets your pet squeeky clean but provides great relief for dogs with hip displaysia, muscle aches, and arthritis. Every Hair of the Dog client receives a second bath with products customized to your pets skin and coats needs, frothed into a luxurious foam and gently massaged from head to toe. All of our products are free of SLS, parabens and phthalates, are naturally inspired, and environmentally sustainable. We maintain a clean, sanitary, professional environment. Our unique spa services and our state of the art grooming van ensure that you and your best friend have a professional, courteous, positive, stress free, and relaxing pet grooming experience.

You can expect nothing less than a 5-Star experience from Hair of the Dog. Our mission is to provide the highest standard of pet grooming along with a special experience for our clients – both human and pet. For this reason, we offer nothing less than thorough and complete services. We begin our appointment scheduling by asking detailed questions about your pets health, grooming history, and your grooming expectations. An arrival window will be given to you based on your scheduled appointment. This ensures that we are never rushing from appointment to appointment and that every pet can receive the attention they deserve. Upon arrival for your first appointment, we guide you through a thorough consultation, going over your pet from nose to tail, either in person or via FaceTime. We review your grooming expectations, and go over any additional requests or concerns you may have. After you are satisfied with our consultation, we work our magic, returning your best friend fresh, clean, and feeling great!

*We ask you to email/fax a copy of your rabies certificate prior to your appointment for our records.

We currently service most of Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, and the Hamptons. We will be continuing to expand as our business grows so if we are not in your area currently, keep checking in with us. We have many fur-clients outside of our service areas, they just meet us in an area we service while they run errands, or grab lunch.

Our Vans

Yes! Our mobile spas are temperature controlled. We keep them toasty warm inside during the winter months, and cool as a cucumber on the hottest dog days of summer.
Never. We are completely self-sufficient and completely green too. All we leave behind is a clean, happy pet!

Absolutely! We are very proud of our state-of-the-art mobile grooming van and are happy to give you a tour when you arrive for your appointment. While no human clients are allowed on the van, our whole setup is completely viewable from outside the van. We only ask for privacy while we are grooming your pet.

Sometimes, pets can become distressed during the grooming process when they see their mommies and daddies which can make it difficult to safely complete their grooming treatments. We are more than happy to provide a live feed recording of your pets time with us upon request via Facetime.

Our van is a state-of-the-art self-contained mobile grooming unit, built on the frame of a Mercedes Sprinter.

The van contains a 16 gauge stainless steel tub that can hold the largest breeds with room to spare. In addition, it comes with a stainless steel perforated shelf to raise the tiniest of breeds 9 inches up so they don’t feel overwhelmed in our large tub.

Our grooming table lowers all the way to the floor for a smooth and stress free ride up to grooming height.

We also have a slide-out bridge that takes your pet directly from table to tub. This feature is especially important for older dogs with hip problems, ensuring that your pet doesn’t get injured hopping in and out of the tub.

All of our clients receive massaging Super Sudsor hydro baths. The Super Sudsor hydrobath gets right down to the skin on even the thickest of coats while providing a comforting massage on achy muscles and stiff joints. Rest assured, we leave no waste water behind. Two 50-gallon water tanks store our clean and used water for off-site sanitary disposal.

For power we use an Onan 8000 quiet commercial generator and a 2000 watt Outback inverter. Our van is 100% green and requires no idling to operate, as required by state law.

A comfortable pet is a happy pet, so we have installed an amazing climate control system. Rest assured, when it’s cold outside our van is toasty and warm, and our roof mounted Carrier air conditioner keeps your pet cool on those scorching, sunny days.

SErvices

An early start on a grooming regimen helps the groomer and your fur-friend start off on the right paw. Grooming is something your pet will need monthly for the rest of their lives so sooner the better! We recommend starting after appropriate shots have been administered and your puppy is weaned, and healthy – typically around 8 weeks of age.

Absolutely! Despite cats being self-grooming creatures, even the perfect cat can drop the ball from time to time. We provide full service bathing, grooming, nail trimming, and ear cleaning in a peaceful, quiet, clean and canine-free environment. We understand that not all cats are the perfect candidates for mobile grooming.

Our team will ask you detailed questions about your felines grooming history and grooming needs to assess if we are the right providers for your friend. If we aren’t, we will gladly find you a referral for the perfect match.

To pluck, or not to pluck? Over many years of providing professional grooming services, and consulting many veterinarians on the topic of removing ear hair on the breeds that require it, we have decided to remove it from the list of services we provide.

Many experts on the topic disagree on whether the procedure can cause ear infections, and how often it should be done. As a result, we have decided to leave that decision between our clients and their chosen
veterinarians.

If your veterinarian deems it necessary, it’s a service they can provide. If your veterinarian doesn’t deem it necessary then the ears can be left alone. We are more than happy to trim or clip the hairs in the canal to keep the area hygienic and easy to clean, but otherwise we leave the procedure to veterinarians and veterinary technicians.

Yes we do! All of our groomers are experienced in maintaining proper coats in your terrier breed.

When you go to your hairdresser do you bring your own shampoo? Probably not. While we understand that everyone wants the very best for their best friend, rest assured that we have the same goal. We have invested considerable time and money into our education and selection of products so that you can have confidence that your pet is in good hands and leave your products at home.

All of our products are free of SLS, parabens, phthalates, are naturally inspired, and environmentally sustainable. We have a product for every skin, coat condition and concern, as well as truly hypoallergenic formulas with no scent.

Veterinary prescribed shampoos are generally prescribed to be used on an affected area 2-4 times a week. A professional grooming session isn’t the appropriate replacement for the treatments your pet should be receiving on a weekly basis.

Prescription shampoos are meant to address an issue with the skin, and don’t pair well with a professional grooming session where we are addressing both skin and coat to provide a perfect finish.

Many prescription shampoos leave the coat limp, and oily – a less than optimal finish on any breed. Additionally they typically do not address odors that may be lingering in the coat, hygienic areas and feet.

If your pet has sensitive skin and is undergoing medicated baths at home, we can keep it simple and provide a hypoallergenic shampoo and conditioning along with no fur-fumes. The result is a professional finish, without irritating their skin, while your fur friend undergoes their veterinarian regimen.

Although our services include almost everything, we do charge extra for handling a matted coat. We will never tack on extra fees without discussing it with you first or initially at the consultation.
Mats can happen even to the most dedicated pet parents. Rain, snow, salt, sweaters, the quick sink bath, missing a few days, too much brushing and combing can cause them to form quickly. Mats are painful, tugging and pulling at the skin. At Hair of the Dog, our motto is “Changing how your pet feels about going to the groomer.” For that reason, we will not subject our fur-clients to a long painful de-mat session. We typically recommend shaving down and sticking to a routine grooming schedule. We are happy to show you all the proper techniques, tools, and products to make it easier at home between grooms. Hair grows back, but the trust that your fur-friend will have in us as their caretakers may not if we cause them the discomfort of pulling at mats.

We do not provide sedated grooming nor do we work on sedated pets. Mobile grooming is a great solution for animals that have anxiety from being at the groomers because it is a very peaceful one-on-one experience.

We provide aromatherapy and your choice of music while your pet is in our care to create the most relaxing environment possible. With that being said, if you are still concerned that your pet may still need to be sedated while in our care, then your pet should be groomed under a veterinarian’s supervision.

For decades anal gland expression has been an expected service to be provided with your grooming session. When provided in a grooming facility the procedure is done externally. When done by a veterinarian or veterinary technician they do this procedure internally (as they are certified to do so).

Over the years many studies have come forward supporting that expressing the anal glands externally can cause trauma, and not fully drain the glands, in some pets.

After consulting with veterinarians in our professional network we have come to the conclusion to leave this procedure to be provided by veterinarians and veterinary technicians. They can safely provide this procedure, assess any potential issues, and get the glands 100% emptied.

Your dog will thank us in the long run.

SCHEDULING & PAYMENT

We require notice of cancellation 48-hours prior to your appointment. Failure to provide this notice results in a $50.00 fee charged to your account. For same-day cancellations, the entire service charge will be charged to your account. Our software sends reminders out 2 days before your appointment in case something comes up. Just let as know as soon as you get your reminder!
We accept cash, credit cards and Apple Pay. Hair of the Dog clients are required to have a credit card on file although it isn’t necessary to pay by credit for your sessions. We do offer discounts for cash payments. If you’re saving us on credit card fees we will certainly return the favor!
Due to the pandemic we have suspended our pick-up and drop-off service to limit potential exposure and protect our clients. We are hoping to reinstate this convenient option to our clients soon! We will update everyone as soon as we are ready! For now, just tell us what your window of availability is and we will do our very best to work with it!
Grooming salons take in a high volume of animals every day. Mobile grooming is a one-to-one by appointment service. On average, our mobile grooming sessions take 60-90 minutes.

**Please note that all rates that are given over the phone are an estimate. Although the majority of our services are all inclusive; services such as matted coats and special handling can increase your rate. All pricing changes will be discussed before grooming and spa treatments begin.

Client Testimonial

“I’m out on the town a lot. People on the block know me and I have a certain reputation to uphold. Once a month with Hair of the Dog and I have a spring in my step and a new leash on life!”

– Cesar / Labrador from the Bronx

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