Dog Grooming in Tampa
15417 North Dale Mabry Highway, Tampa, FL, USA
We are accepting New dogs under 30 lb.
As of 1/1/2026, we are focusing our services on small-to-medium sized dogs and will only be accepting new clients whose dogs weigh 30 pounds or less. This change allows us to provide the best possible care and a safe environment for every pet and groomer. We value your business and are happy to recommend other trusted local salons for dogs over 30 pounds. Thank you for your understanding!
How to get the best pricing for your Doodle
It begins at home
The best way to ensure consistent pricing and quality of the groom for your Doodle, is to make sure that the dogs coat is always kept tangle free. The coat must be able to be combed from the skin out over the entire dog when the dog arrives at the groomer. This is the pet parents responsibility. See my blog on maintaining your dogs coat for tips on caring for your Doodles Coat.
Plan for Monthly appointments
We strongly recommend that all Doodles be groomed on a Monthly schedule. Especially if you prefer a fluffy, longer style on your Doodle.
So many different variations
What type of Doodle do you have?
Each generation of Doodles, depending on their mixtures results in varying coats that require different amounts of work and time on the groomers part, as well as the skill level of the pet parent maintaining the coat. This makes set prices very challenging.
This is why your price may be adjusted after we work on your dog.
Often times, groomers quote a price, and honor that price, BUT, after working on the dog a time or two, will adjust the price according to the time the groom actually takes.
Labradoodle Grooming Guide
The dog in the full body image on this chart has hair about 4" long, which must be hand scissored. For a large Doodle, this style would start at $200.
Matted Doodles
We prefer not to offer services for badly matted Doodles. Shaving off matted coats involve multiple risks, including nicks, cuts, clipper irritation, and hematomas on the ears. While these injuries are clearly the pet parent's responsibility, we do not want to cause discomfort to any dog.
The best tools to maintain your Doodles coat
Flexible slicker brush
Flexible slicker brush
Flexible slicker brush
I use the Paw Brothers Flexible Slicker, this brush helps to prevent tangles and nots in coats that are less than 1" long.
Pro Tip: Use this brush to remove those pesky hitch hikers from your dogs coat.
Buttercomb Comb
Flexible slicker brush
Flexible slicker brush
The BUTTERCOMB #004 is an essential piece of equipment to have in your coat care tool kit.
Pro Tip: Use this comb after the brush out to check for tangles and prevent mats.
Big Paw Slicker Brush
Flexible slicker brush
Extra Firm Long pin Slicker Brush
This brush is excellent for getting deep into the coat to really bring out that fluff.
Pro Tip: Use this brush after you have loosened up the curl with the flexible slicker, to reduce to drag and pull on the coat from this firmer brush.
Extra Firm Long pin Slicker Brush
Extra Firm Long pin Slicker Brush
Extra Firm Long pin Slicker Brush
This brush is excellent for dematting, and penetrating coats that are extra thick or longer.
Pro Tip: Use this brush after you have loosened up the curl with the flexible slicker, and when dematting is necessary.
Tear Stain Prevention
Extra Firm Long pin Slicker Brush
Tear Stain Prevention
This is an amazing product for removing and softening eye crusts. I use it in the salon regularly.
Pro Tip: Keeping the eye area clean is a secret to preventing tear stains.
Anti Static Spray
Extra Firm Long pin Slicker Brush
Tear Stain Prevention
A good quality anti static spray helps to reduce static in the coat making brush out sessions a breeze.
Pro Tip: Mist the coat lightly before brushing and combing to help the brush glide through the coat.
Igroom Wonder Spray
Igroom Wonder Spray is my favorite spray for brushing out curly Doodles.
The Pin brush
The pin brush is a must have for caring for your Doodle with extra long straight hair. The Maxi Pin Vip is my personal favorite.
Pro Tip: This brush is best for all areas of the coat that are 3" or longer.
Andis Coat Rake
The coat rake is designed to remove shedding hair from the back, hips, and shoulders on dogs with naturally shorter hair.
This tool is not intended for curly, longer, or non shedding coats.
Ear Wash
Bamboo Toothbrush
Ear cleansing is esesntial every time that the dog gets wet. This helps to prevent ear infections by drying moisture, as well as removing wax and debris.
Tooth Paste
Bamboo Toothbrush
Bamboo Toothbrush
Brushing your pets teeth daily helps to prevent expensive dental bills and keeps your pets breath fresh and clean.
Bamboo Toothbrush
Bamboo Toothbrush
Bamboo Toothbrush
Use these eco friendly tooth brushes to keep your pets breath fresh.
HOW TO PREVENT MATTED HAIR.
So, you want to grow your dog's 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 a Pin Brush, and a Comb, a Chris Christensen Buttercomb, and a Face Comb.
Cottony bushy coats benefit from the use of the flexible slicker brushes, a Long Pin Slicker, and the Chris Christensen Poodle 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.
Most slicker brushes either have short pins or angled pins. The short pins are useless for penetrating a coat that is more that a half inch long. I do not recommend any brushes with plastic coated tips.
Brushes with sharply angled pins have a lot of drag and pull in a thick coat. This can make brushing very uncomfortable for the dog. Therefore, the brushes that you choose need longer pins that are not too sharply angled.
People often ask, “Should I brush every day ?” Or “How often should I brush?”. The answer is different in each situation.
Doodles need to be brushed at least once a week, from one end of the body to the other, followed by combing from the skin out all over. Plan at least an hour a week for the brush out on a large Doodle. On bath day, brushing and combing must be done by the end of the day, or else matting will begin. Please understand that one bath without a proper brush out with combing can result in the need for a complete shave down.
HERE ARE A FEW KEY THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT THE DOODLE COAT:
- It’s a combination coat. Doodles have a mixture of shedding fur, and non shedding hair, this mixture creates an environment for matting.
- Prone to matting. Those tight curls can lock together quickly, especially around high-friction areas like the ears, armpits, and collar line. In addition to the curls, many Doodles a fine undercoat that wants to shed out into the curls, this is why brushing is so important.
- Variety in curl type. Some Doodles have looser waves, while others have very tight curls, which can change how often they need brushing, as well as the type of brush needed.
- Seasonal comfort. Swimming, camping, and other activities may warrant pre planning with a shorter haircut seasonally.
- Allergy-friendly. Their coat sheds very little, making them a popular choice for families with allergies, but that also means regular trims are essential. The fact is that the shedding hair does stay caught up in the curls and will mat more severely than most types of dogs.
The takeaway is simple: a well maintained Doodle is essential to having a healthy, happy, handsome dog.
Why we do not pluck a dogs ears
- Is there an alternative to plucking dog ear hair?
- Does plucking the hair hurt the dog?
- Is dog ear plucking necessary?
At Grande Style Pet Grooming, located in the Northdale/ Carrollwood area in Tampa, we do not believe that the pet groomers should excessively pluck their clients dogs ears. We only remove hair that is in the exogen phase, and releases easily with finger and thumb.
We never use ear powder, as this can clog the ears.
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 perform the procedure.
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. Ask your veterinarian which product would be best for your dog. In her presentation to Tucson groomers, “Ears: What Every Groomer Needs to Know”, Dr. Heide Newton, DVM, DACVD plainly stated that groomers should stop plucking ear hair from inside dog’s ears. “Healthy ears are self-cleaning”, stated Dr. Newton. She encouraged groomers to continue the practice of ear cleaning, however, using products formulated for ear care, and massaging the base of the ear to allow the product to loosen wax and debris from deep in the ear canal.
Another clear statement from Dr. Newton was that “Bathing with clean water will NOT cause ear infections.” Contaminated water may introduce microbes that lead to ear infections, but clean water is not a problem. The possibility of cross-contamination from an infected ear to the other ear or another animal is the one area where groomers might be at fault. It is very possible for pseudomonas bacteria to transfer from the ear to various surfaces and then be picked up by other animals or even humans. The most obvious sign of a pseudomonas infection is what vets call a “purulent exudates.” Translation: yucky discharge. If the groomer suspects an ear infection, Dr. Newton suggested the following protocol:
1. Clean the GOOD ear first.
2. If the ear with the suspected infection is cleaned, be gentle and use a non-stinging ear cleaner. The groomer may also choose to not clean an ear with a suspected infection, especially if it looks serious.
3. Disinfect everything that the dog has contact with or might spray with shaking of the ears. This includes, your hands, the tub, the faucets, any tools, the table, the kennel and bedding, and the tip or spout of the ear cleaner bottle.
In addition to ear discharge, other signs of ear abnormality are redness, itchiness, odor, swollen tissue of outer ear, hair loss on earflap, and scabs or scaliness. Ear problems are often quite complex and difficult to nail down and treat. A referral to the veterinary dermatologist can result in a quicker and more accurate diagnosis and more effective treatment, thus lessening the time the pet has to suffer with uncomfortable, often painful conditions. By encouraging pet parents to seek treatment for suspected ear problems, the professional groomer is serving the needs of the pet.
Veterinary dermatologists such as Dr. Newton, undergo several years additional training and examinations beyond that required of general practitioners.
Dr. Newton is part of Dermatology for Animals, a network of veterinary dermatologists serving the Southwest United States. In addition to working full-time in the Tucson practice, she currently serves on the American College of Veterinary Dermatology (ACVD) Exam Committee (the certifying board) and is a lecturer for the North American Veterinary Dermatology Forum (NAVDF) Resident Education Forum.
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.
Signs of ear trouble
•Strong or foul odour
•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 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.