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
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.
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.