Generally, if your dog has long hair, you’ll need to take him to the groomer on a regular basis, about once every one or two months.  If you are in the process of choosing a groomer for your dog, here are some tips that may help.

• Make sure that the shop is well ventilated. Your dog will be there for about half of the day and he should be cool and comfortable.
• Check out the fee. Find out what services that are included in the fee.  Most places include a bath, brushing and and ear cleaning and a drying service.
• Ask about the method used for drying. This is very important! I’ve heard stories where at some salons the dog was burned to death because of a lack of supervision!
• Ask if certain vaccinations are required before the dog is accepted for grooming.
• See if the salon that you are choosing has a policy for dealing with sick dogs that are brought in for grooming.
• How long will the grooming take? Will you have to pay for additional charges if you have to pick your dog up at a later time?
• How far in advance do you have to make an appointment?
• Ask about how the salon deals with emergencies such as if your dog was sprayed by a skunk or rolled in noxious substances.

If your dog has to stay while you’re at work, you may want to bring along one of his favorite dog toys.