Groomer

Hi

I am chancing my arm with this one but can anybody recommend a groomer in the ashbourne/rathoath/finglas area? I groom Ben myself because he is so small and sits perfectly still for his bath and groom but Stitch certainly wouldnt so I would like to have him groomed for christmas. The groomer at equipet is fully booked until after christmas she has me on a cancellation list but I doubt I will get the call. I would love him to get some pampering this weekend if it was possible....

Thanks

I'd say it is very unlikely to impossible to get a short term appointment before Christmas much less in a couple of days -- all good groomers tend to have 6-8 week advance appointment books with a waiting list for cancellations. My friend who lives near you has his westies done but I don't think in the immediate area and I know there are always waits.

NB: Cavaliers seem to impose a baffling challenge to even intelligent groomers, despite the fact that they are the most popular toy breed in the UK/Ireland. If you don't want to end up with a totally shaved dog -- and I mean a dog that looks like an oversized jack russell -- be absolutely clear (eg write down on paper! ANd explain and explain again!) how you want Stitch done. Cavaliers are not supposed to be trimmed at all but the vast majority of Irish and UK groomers who should know, trim them either like a cocker or shave them down, inexplicably. Very few seem to know how to correctly groom. If you want a cleaning up or trim be clear about exactly how you want it done. If you want the ears left naturally and not trimmed into horrible little even ends or even shaved , tell them this very clearly. If you don't want their lovely shaggy feet shaved short ito cat's paws, bang this into their heads.

I have NEVER yet had a dog come back from a groomer where they didn't botch the job in some way despite simple explanations. They all seem to be in love with their clippers and scissors. Hence I wash and dry my own, and just trim them a bit as needed (eg the girls pee on their feathering when they squat otherwise, and I take out the hair between their pads with a small blunt scissors). If you find a good groomer -- let us know! Would love some options...

I agree with Karlin - its hard to find a groomer that isn't scissors happy, and if they are able to give you an appointment very quickly - beware! I found this out the hard way last summer when it was reasonably hot and made a next day appointment with someone I got out of the Golden Pages - never ever again. She butchered the poor dog there was a reason she had space in her diary - no customers!