Award Winning Pet Grooming
Small Dog Grooming in Tampa
Specializing in dogs under 15 lbs!
Award Winning Pet Grooming
Specializing in dogs under 15 lbs!
Hand Scissored Styling, Fun Freestyle Fusion Styles. Our Certified Master groomer handles each dog personally for both styling and bathing.
Suzanne has over 40 years of experience in Pet Grooming and Styling. Most dogs are finished in 1-2 hours. The fee is $75. per dog.
We specialize in handling dogs under 15lbs. If you are looking for a safe place for your little dog, you are in the right place.
As a National Certified Master Groomer, Suzanne Grande has passed extensive testing in all breed groups and has groomed over 300 champion dogs along with thousands of pampered pets. Suzanne has placed multiple times in open competition at pet grooming contests. As a 2cd generation pet groomer, she has been in a dog grooming salon nearly every day of her life!
Our dog grooming service provides your dogs with the comfort that you expect. Dogs from different families never interact. We have large suites to keep your pet comfortable. I employ some Fear Free style techniques in my salon along with regular grooming procedures.
We designed the only true pet grooming harness! We do not cage dry pets. See the harnesses at groomersharness.com
Certified Canine Estheticians have an in depth dog grooming knowledge of the canine skin and coat. A beautiful coat starts with healthy skin. I only offer services that promote a healthy skin and coat for your breed.
Please contact us if you cannot find an answer to your question.
No. We have no crates in the salon. The smallest enclosure is 6 x 4’ with an all glass door. We also have large rooms.
No. Most pets are ready to go home within 2 hours. They do have access to potty pads.
Yes. We welcome pet parents to wait in the lobby.
The salon can be seen on the monitor in the lobby on request.
All pets are dried by hand , no cage dryers.
Suzanne is a National Award winning Certified Master Groomer, Certified Canine Esthetician, & Salon Safety Certified. I have been grooming for over 40 years.
We have video surveillance if we are not in the same room.
Yes, by law all pets are required to have rabies. A vaccination plan should be discussed with your veterinarian.
By law all pets over 6 months old must show proof of current rabies vaccination unless exempted by a veterinarian.
All puppies and new clients must show proof of core vaccines, as seen in the AAHA guidelines for vaccination protocol. https://www.aaha.org/aaha-guidelines/vaccination-canine-configuration/vaccination-recommendations-for-general-practice/
We recommend that you follow your vets advice for your individual dog.
I do titers for my dogs once the core vaccinations are complete.
Please fill out the forms and send us a copy of proof of rabies vaccination. We understand that senior pets may no longer get rabies vaccines. Puppies not old enough for Rabies are exempt, but must bring current shot records.
Email Proof of current Rabies Vaccination to
grandestylepetgrooming@gmail.com
Or bring the most recent receipt from the vet, this will show us what we need to see. A rabies tag will suffice as well. Many vets now have portals to access shot records.
Thank you again for choosing us to care for your pets!
Puppies cannot come until they have had 3 series of puppy shots. This is typically about 16 weeks old. Puppies must be current on vaccinations.
We only provide services that the individual puppy is emotionally ready to receive.
Yes. Scissored styles are only available for certain coat types.
Yes. If important to you, bows and bandannas should be requested.
So, you want to grow your dogs hair longer. I hear this a lot. Dogs are beautiful with long flowing coats. That natural, scruffy, shaggy, puppy look is adorable. You try to keep the hair brushed, you really honestly do.
But your dog is young. She needs to learn. She doesn’t like it, That’s okay, that’s what a professional is for, right? Wrong! Pet groomers are actually pet stylists. The one responsible for caring for the condition of the dog is the owners of the dog. The reason for this is that the maintenance of the coat is a constant routine. The level of difficulty depends upon the length of the coat, and other factors such as:
1. Do you wash the dog?
2. Does the dog swim or go into a wading pool?
3. Do you leave a harness on the dog?
4. Does the dog wear clothing?
5. If the dog is in full coat, or has a lot of hair around the neck, does she wear a collar?
6. If you wash your dog, do you that very same day, thoroughly brush and comb that dog over every inch of it’s body?
All of these factors determine the amount of work necessary to maintain the coat. I specialize in maintaining a full coat. My own dogs, and many of my clients dogs have had coats in amazing condition.
It is a labor of love. The secret is dedication. It is not a chore, it’s actually a bonding time for you and your pets IF and only IF both of you enjoy it.
Sometimes it can become frustrating, the dog fights the brush, or you give the dog a quick bath with no brushing only to later realize that was a disastrous decision. Or you leave the cute Christmas sweater on for 3 days while we have freezing temperatures, only to end up with a completely shaved down dog.
Sometimes, clients think, no worries, the groomer has special techniques, special tools, and wonderful conditioning treatments that they are trained to use in the event that your dog gets a few little mats. And to an extent, this is true.
The problem is, when we brush out matted hair, it hurts. And when the dog already hates the brush, it can be traumatizing. Sometimes I can do it once, to save the dogs coat, but the next time, the dog says NO. I often have clients prefer for me to save the coat, to please keep the hair that I trimmed short underneath the last time, and to let the coat grow. But if the coat is matting at this shorter length, why should we grow it longer?
The dogs owner must listen to the pet. If the pet cannot tolerate the brush, then keep the hair shorter until the training and routine are established.
The routine and tools depend on the desired length of coat and the type of coat that the dog has. Long flowing silky coats benefit from the use of an Artero or Chris Christensen Pin Brush, an Artero Comb, a Chris Christensen Poodle comb, and a Chris Christensen Face Comb.
Curly bushy coats benefit from the use of the Artero slicker brushes and the Chris Christensen Poodle Combs, and Artero Combs. The type of pins on the slicker depend on the depth of coat and the area you are brushing. I use both and go back and forth using both brushes on each dog, using the stiffer shorter pins on mats, the legs, and sometimes under the arms, and the longer pins in the areas where the hair is longer and thicker.
Oh, the dog won’t let you brush and comb??? Okay, let’s cut the hair shorter for now. We can ease the dog into the routine, or change the game plan all together.
Like for instance, my dog, Ammo. He is a Champion Poodle. He is gorgeous in a traditional style. But he hates having his feet shaved which is necessary to create that style. No amount of conditioning or training helped him to accept it. So I changed my expectation of what I wanted. He is adorable in his custom style, and best of all he is happy.
People often ask, “Should I brush every day ?” Or “How often should I brush?”. The answer is different in each situation.
For me personally, If I am in charge of keeping a long flowing coat, such as the one on my Cocker Spaniel pictured below, I would wash, blow dry, brush and thoroughly comb every 5 days. That is a general rule for me, even my Poodles in show coat were done every 5 days.
Some will argue that point, but the proof is in the result.
Most people don’t want to pay the groomers for this time this often, so that is why, if it’s important to you, that you must learn to do that part at home.
I often will refuse service if I feel that a dog will be traumatized as I am trying to help a client get through the learning curve. This does not mean that I am unhappy with you, or that I think that you are a bad pet parent. It is to help you move towards learning to do the work needed, or to help you to come to the decision to change your game plan.
Grande Style Pet Grooming offers maintenance grooming services for busy pet parents. We have many clients who love their pets fluffy hairstyles without all of the work involved. We have both weekly and biweekly maintenance schedules.
For wire coat breeds, some people worry that stripping will hurt their pet but, if it’s done correctly, it shouldn’t bother a healthy dog. The bulk of the coat, where it’s thickest-on the back, hips, neck, and around the ears-is easy to strip. (In more sensitive areas, like around the face and on the underbelly, clipping is just fine.)
Here’s a moderate, three-pronged approach that will keep your pet looking show-dog fabulous:
I do not pluck ears. I use Vetoquinol Ear Cleansing Solution on healthy ears. Abnormal ears are left untouched and should be evaluated by a veterinarian.
If the ear hair is in the exogen phase, and is sitting loose, I will take it out of the ear.
The dogs ear canal is shaped like a capital letter L, glands and hair line inside the dog’s ear. The glands produce wax, and the hair moves it up and out to clean the ear. This is the way it is supposed to naturally. Dogs ears are self-cleaning!
A normal, clean ear should pink and free of debris.
In the past, it has been recommended that dogs should have hair-free ears and ear plucking has been a regular part of dog grooming.
New evidence has revealed that ear plucking in the normal, healthy ear is not necessary. Excessive ear plucking may actually result in micro-trauma and inflammation to the ear canals. This may predispose your dog to an ear infection.
If your vet insists that ear hair be plucked, I recommend that the vet be the one to do it.
Alternatively, ears can be trimmed of excessive long hairs from the ear. This can help reduce the amount of ear wax that gets trapped in the ear, thereby minimizing the ear odor. This is commonly recommended by veterinary dermatologists.
An ear cleansing solution can help reduce the incidence of ear problems. I use Vetoquinol Ear Cleansing Solution in my salon.
Some pets are prone to ear problems and may need a regular ear cleansing between veterinary visits.
I suggest using an ear cleansing solution every time your pet gets wet, as this helps dry out any moisture in the ear canal. I follow the instructions in the video immediately after each and every bath or swim.
Ear cleansing can help remove dirt and wax that builds up as a normal part of epithelial migration (“self-cleaning”). It can also reduce the buildup of bacteria or yeast that may contribute to inflammation or infection.
This is easy to do at home, see the video below demonstrating the correct ear cleaning procedure.
In my salon we always do this to prevent issues with your pets right after the final rinse in the tub ( only in healthy ears).
Clients are encouraged to bring their own veterinarian recommended ear cleanser.
Because ear cleansers may contain chemicals that are harsh on the delicate ear canals, it is important to use only products as recommended by your veterinarian.
I personally avoid homemade preparations and products containing propylene glycol. If for any reason, your pet becomes agitated or the ear cleaning procedure is excessively painful for your pet, stop and seek veterinary advice.
•Strong or foul odor
•Redness or leathery ear flaps
•Scratching or rubbing at ears or side of head.
•Ear discharge & excessive debris
•Shaking or tilting of the head
•Not wanting the head or ears to be touched
•Irritability
In my salon, if I see any of these signs, I do not touch inside the ears at all.
This is a controversial topic that continues to make the rounds in the grooming and veterinary world. Some professionals think that ear plucking should be a part of a dog’s grooming regimen while others think it’s not.
According to veterinary dermatologists, plucking hair from a dog’s ear can do more harm than good. The procedure can cause microscopic tears in the tissues of the ear canal which can cause bacteria to invade and cause infection.
If recurrent ear infections are not a problem for your dog, there is no reason to pluck the hair from his ears regularly.
Most veterinary dermatologists who say that the dog needs plucking due to ear issues, also say that they must do it under anesthesia because it’s too painful to pluck an infected ear.
Just make sure the hair is well-trimmed, so the ear opening is not blocked and air flows freely. Keeping your pet’s ear hairs short can also prevent ear wax and debris from getting trapped.
If you have concerns about the pets ears, make an appointment with your veterinarian. For chronic issues, seek a referral to a veterinary Dermatologist.
References:
https://petgroomermagazine.com/articles/techniques/no-ear-plucking
https://todaysveterinarynurse.com/dermatology/otitis-externa-inflammation-of-the-ear-canal/
Yes.
Yes. I will definitely help. Check out my videos on YouTube and my tools links at groomingsafer.com
No, I prefer not to groom dogs during these times.
Do not bring them together. I can only work on one at a time. The dog that is not being worked on gets anxious and may stress.
No, we are not a daycare. Please arrive at your appointment time. Pick up within 30 minutes of the pet being finished.