The dryer goes last and low
For a lot of frightened dogs the noise is the whole problem. We towel first, dry on the lowest setting that works, and keep it away from the face.
Nervous and older dogs
A groom that stops when your dog says stop
Dogs who shake in the car park. Dogs who have been held too tightly somewhere else. Dogs who are fifteen, deaf, and cannot stand on a wet table for an hour. They are the reason this salon only takes one dog at a time.
A quiet room, by design
Held, never pinned
Split over two visits if needed
Tell us the hard parts before you book
What changes
The appointment is rebuilt around the dog
None of this costs extra and none of it is a special service. It is simply what we do when a dog tells us the usual way will not work.
Short sessions, two visits
Half a groom done calmly beats a whole groom done badly. We will do the body one week and the face the next if that is what it takes.
You can stay for the start
Come in, settle the dog, see the room. Some dogs do better once their person has gone, and we will tell you honestly which yours looks like.
Nothing finished by force
If a dog is genuinely frightened, we stop and say so. A groom is not worth teaching a dog that hands are something to fear.
Older dogs
An old dog does not have to be perfect to be comfortable
Later on, a groom stops being about the haircut. It is about matting that pulls on thin skin, nails that have grown past the quick, and a coat that the dog can no longer keep clean. We will do that much and leave the rest.
Before you book
Tell us the things owners usually leave out
Nothing on this list will lose your dog its appointment. It only changes how we plan the hour — and knowing it in advance is the difference between a calm visit and a bad one.
A bad experience at another salon, and what happened
Stiff hips, a sore back, a leg that cannot be lifted far
Deafness, failing sight, or anything that makes surprises worse
Medication, heart trouble, or a vet who has said take it steady
Whether your dog has ever snapped, and what set it off
The bits your dog hates — feet, ears, tail, being picked up
If we cannot do it safely
Occasionally a dog is too frightened, too sore, or too matted to be groomed without hurting it. When that happens we stop, tell you plainly what we found, and say what we think should happen next — sometimes that is a vet, sometimes it is a few weeks of handling practice at home.
We would rather send a dog home half done than hand back one that has learned to dread the next visit.
Ask us about your dog
Practical things
What we do for a dog that cannot stand for long
Old dogs lose their balance before they lose their coat. Most of what follows is simply working at a different height, in a different order, with more stopping.
If your dog is coming to the end of its grooming life, say so. We will aim for clean, comfortable and quick rather than smart.
Stiff hips
Groomed lying down
Poor balance
Floor, not table
Deaf or blind
Approached by touch first
Tires quickly
Two shorter visits
Thin skin
Matting cut out, not combed out
Long nails
Taken back over a few visits
Booking
Send us a photo of your dog and we will find you a slot
WhatsApp is the quickest way to reach us — we answer between dogs, and we can tell you the price and the length of the appointment from a photograph of the coat.
The Malvern Mutt Parlour
41 Church Street, Malvern WR14 2AA
Tuesday to Saturday, by appointment. The book runs about two weeks ahead, so plan a little before the coat needs it.