dog spa wellness

 

We offer grooming every day of the week. Give us a call at (416) 960-1088 to find out more information, and to schedule your dog’s appointment.

 

The Paw Spa offers puppy pampering at its finest. Our groomers work tirelessly to make sure that your dog’s grooming experience is the best in the city. With three experienced and refined groomers on staff, Dogfather ensures that your pet gets the one-on-one attention they deserve. Our talented groomers can do any hairstyle you want, whether its breed specific, or not.  Appointments are made one dog at a time to ensure your furry family member only stays for the few hours it takes to finish their spa treatment.

 

First Time Clients

We require a credit card number or 50% deposit in order to book your appointment. Why you ask? Groomers wages are commission based. If you do not show up for your appointment, or cancel last minute, not only do we loose out on fitting in another customer, but the groomer looses income.  We take credit cards on first customer appointments due to a large number of no shows or last minute cancellations we have experienced with new customers. Rest assured we will not charge your card unless you do not follow our cancellation policy guidelines. Please click here to read about our cancellation policy.

Upon your first visit, we also ask that you sign a waiver. This waver is to insure that you understand all the risks involved with getting your dog groomed.  Your dog will be taken in by the groomer only after the waiver has been signed.

You will find an FAQ section on our grooming services at the bottom of this page.

Dog Grooming Services

Full Groom

  • Full shampoo
  • Moisturizing conditioner
  • Full blow dry
  • Hand brush out
  • Mani and pawdicure with pad moisturizer and protector
  • Ear cleaning (hair pulled if requested)
  • 20 minutes undercoat removal/dematting. Please note: if more time is needed to remove or brush out matts, an additional fee of $10 per 10 minutes will apply. Your groomer will call you and let you know if this is the case.
  • Pads cleaned out and trimmed (if applicable)
  • Full face, ears, beard trimming (if applicable)
  • Full tail, skirt, legs trimming (if applicable)
  • Sanitary Trim (if applicable)
  • Full body clipping, breed specific or as directed (feel free to bring a picture!)

Bath & Tidy

  • Full shampoo
  • Moisturizing conditioner
  • Full blow dry
  • Hand brush out
  • Mani and pawdicure with pad moisturizer and protector
  • Ear cleaning (hair pulled if requested)
  • 20 minutes undercoat removal/dematting. Please note: if more time is needed to remove or brush out matts, an additional fee of $10 per 10 minutes will apply. Your groomer will call you and let you know if this is the case.
  • Pads cleaned out and trimmed (if applicable)
  • Full face, ears, beard trimming (if applicable)

Please note: there is no hair trimmed off the body for this service. If you want even “just a little” trimmed off the body, this is considered a full groom as it is just as much work for the groomer to take “just a little” off.

Bath & Brush

  • Full shampoo
  • Moisturizing conditioner
  • Full blow dry
  • Hand brush out
  • Mani and pawdicure with pad moisturizer and protector
  • Ears cleaning (hair pulled if requested)
  • 20 minutes undercoat removal/dematting. Please note: if more time is needed to remove or brush out matts, an additional fee of $10 per 10 minutes will apply. Your groomer will call you and let you know if this is the case.

Please note: there is no hair trimming available for this service. Please see Full Groom, or Bath and Tidy for services that include hair cutting.

Additional Services

(Only available with a Bath or Grooming Service)

  • Anal Glands
  • Gentle teeth brushing
  • Plaqclnz Cleaning (with grooming only)
  • Blueberry Facial (available with grooming only)

Creative Grooming

À La Carte

Walk in’s are welcome for the following individual services. It is recommended that you call before you come to see what time the groomer is available that day. If you would like more than one done at the same visit, please call and book an appointment:

  • Nail Trim
  • Nail Filing
  • Ear Cleaning
  • Face tidy
  • Paw tidy
  • Pad moisturizer
  • Bows

Please call and book an appointment for the following services:

  • Rear end tidy
  • Rear and face tidy
  • Pad moisturizer
  • 20 minute brush out

Services we do not provide

De-skunk

We do not offer De-Skunk baths at Dogfather because there is nothing that will completely get rid of the smell of a skunk with the exception of shaving the hair off the dog. Dogs that have been freshly skunked cannot book a grooming appointment until the owner has attempted the Baking Soda Hydrogen Peroxide bath at home first. Click here for the best method of skunk removal at home. Our Skunk Shampoo will reduce the skunk smell but will not completely take it away. An additional $25 is charged for this service on top of the normal grooming or bath/brush service.

Flea Bath

We do not groom dogs with fleas at Dogfather. Dogs that are dropped off for grooming appointments who have fleas will not be accepted. If the groomer discovers fleas during the bath, owners will be notified immediately and  must pick up their dog asap.  An additional fee of $35 is charged to disinfect our grooming space.

 

Please Note: We DO NOT book, accept cancellations or make changes to appointments over email. Changing or canceling an appointment is time sensitive, and emails are not checked as often as phone calls. For booking, there is too much information required to properly book your appointment over email.

 

Please contact the shop for a quote. Prices vary based on individual dog breed and/or size.

Dog Grooming FAQ

How long does my dog's grooming take?

The amount of time it takes varies on a number of things; how big your dog is, the length you want the coat kept, and your dog’s behaviour on the grooming table. To give you a general idea:

  • 20lbs or less = approx. 3 hours
  • 20-50lbs = approx. 3-3.5 hours
  • 50lbs or more = approx. 3.5-4 hours.

This is purely a general estimate, as we cannot guarantee dogs will be finished by a certain time unless the dog has been here before and we know how long they take.

How much will my dog's grooming cost?

Grooming prices vary by dog breed, coat type and type of haircut. Our groomers can provide a breed standard clip or modify haircuts to look like a teddy bear, lion clip or the most requested one of all, the puppy cut. Give us a call or come in person to go over your grooming requirements and our staff will provide you with a quote.

I'm scared to get my dog groomed again because once I went somewhere else and they shaved him.

Here at Dogfather we prefer not to shave your dog if we can help it. In some cases, a dog’s coat can get so tangled that their fur is no longer brush-able, leaving the groomer with no choice but to cut the hair off. The length of the haircut will depend on how much space there is between the matt and the skin’s surface. Matts usually tend to be very close to the skin, making the cut extremely short.

Dog parents need to understand that excessive de-matting can be a very painful and dangerous process for your pet. As our groomers are only interested in the well being of your furry family member, we will not attempt to de-matt excessive matting. We will assess each case individually and discuss options with you. We NEVER shave a dog without consulting you first, so don’t worry, there will be no surprises here.

What is included in a full groom?

  • Full shampoo
  • Moisturizing conditioner
  • Full blow dry
  • Hand brush out
  • Mani and pawdicure with pad moisturizer and protector
  • Ear cleaning (hair pulled if requested)
  • 20 minutes undercoat removal/dematting. Please note: if more time is needed to remove or brush out matts, an additional fee of $10 per 10 minutes will apply. Your groomer will call you and let you know if this is the case.
  • Pads cleaned out and trimmed (if applicable)
  • Full face, ears, beard trimming (if applicable)
  • Full tail, skirt, legs trimming (if applicable)
  • Sanitary Trim (if applicable)
  • Full body clipping, breed specific or as directed (feel free to bring a picture!)

What is included in a bath and brush?

  • Full shampoo
  • Moisturizing conditioner
  • Full blow dry
  • Hand brush out
  • Mani and pawdicure with pad moisturizer and protector
  • Ear cleaning (hair pulled if requested)
  • 20 minutes undercoat removal/dematting. Please note: if more time is needed to remove or brush out matts, an additional fee of $10 per 10 minutes will apply. Your groomer will call you and let you know if this is the case.
  • Pads cleaned out and trimmed (if applicable)
  • Full face, ears, beard trimming (if applicable)

Please note: there is no hair trimmed off the body for this service. If you want even “just a little” trimmed off the body, this is considered a full groom as it is just as much work for the groomer to take “just a little” off.

What additional services do you offer?

  • Anal Glands (Only available with a bath or grooming service)
  • Gentle Teeth Brushing (Only available with a bath or grooming service)
  • Plaqclnz Cleaning (Only available with a bath or grooming service)
  • Blueberry Facial (Only available with a bath or grooming service)
  • Creative Grooming
  • Sedation Free Teeth Cleaning (Booked separately from a grooming appointment)

Do you cage dry?

At Dogfather, all our paw spa clients are looked after individually. Dogs are hand dried on the grooming table, and are never left unattended for the duration of their appointment.

Do you keep the dogs all day?

At Dogfather, we believe that the shorter the grooming process, the less stressful it will be for your dog. Since we are a very small space, we do not accept dogs all day, and expect them to be picked up as soon as possible after they are finished their appointment.

Dogs that are not picked up within a reasonable amount of time will have to be caged until you arrive for pick up. In some cases when we are very busy, we might have to charge an additional fee as our grooming space is limited and we do not have the room to keep dogs all day. If you would like, we can always call you 20-30 minutes before they are finished to assure you arrive as soon as they are done.

What is your cancellation policy?

Groomers wages are commission based. If you do not show up for your appointment, or cancel last minute, not only do we loose out on fitting in another customer, but the groomer looses income. This is why Dogfather has a strict cancellation policy to protect our groomers and make sure that this does not hurt their bottom line.

Our cancellation policies are as follows:

Please Note: We do not accept changes or cancellations to appointments via email or social media. You must call the store at (416) 960-1088.

  • Changing an appointment the day before (up until the store closes – voicemails after store hours is considered a same day cancellation) $25 fee
  • Same day cancellation 50% of the grooming fee will apply
  • No shows (meaning no phone call or calling after the appointment has already started) 100% of the full grooming fee will apply.
  • If a client fails to cancel or show up 2 times within a 12 month period we will require the client to pay the full cost of the groom up front if they wish to book an appointment. This charge will not be refunded if they do not follow our cancellation policy guidelines.

My dog might bite the groomer, can you still groom him/her?

Our groomers are extremely experienced and caring groomers. We have seen all of them handle some dogs that have been rejected from other grooming studios. We are always willing to give it a try. Please be sure to let them know what might be a problem, and if need be, we are willing to use a muzzle to get the job done. For the safety of both your dog and the groomer, we will not continue working with dogs that become too aggressive or anxious, if we believe they have become a danger to themselves or the groomer. In these cases, we may have to stop the service midway through a groom. If a pet is upset, we may skip any stressful procedure or take a “time out” before we continue. We do not use tranquilizers under ANY circumstances.

My dog has separation anxiety; can I stay in the room during the grooming appointment?

In most cases, dogs actually behave better and are less nervous once you have left. We do have a window you can peek through, but understand that your dog is smart, and usually they can spot you peering in. Once they see you, they will get excited, and it will take the groomer 20 minutes to calm them down before they can continue working on them again. We are always willing to allow you to come down and stay the first few minutes, but after that it is to everyone’s benefit that you leave the store. Don’t worry, your pooch is in very good hands. Take this time to relax, go shopping or have a coffee and have a little you time.

My dog has a disability or special needs. Can you groom him/her?

Our groomers have a lot of experience grooming dogs with disabilities or special needs. Please call the store and speak with one of our staff about your dog’s needs and we would be happy to accommodate.

Do you groom cats?

Dogfather offers cat grooming two times a month! Please click here for more information on our cat grooming services.

Do I need to bring anything with my dog for him/her to get groomed?

We do not require that you bring anything with you, however if there is anything that you think will help make your dog’s grooming experience better, feel free to bring it along, including but not limited to: favourite treats, blanket, toy, etc.

Does my dog have to be up to date with his/her vaccinations in order to get a grooming appointment?

Since our spa clients never come into contact with each other, we do not require proof of vaccinations upon their visit.

Does my dog need to be spayed or neutered in order to get groomed?

We do not require spaying or neutering at our salon.

When should my puppy come in for his/her first groom?

We always believe the earlier the better in order to get them used to the process. Play time and breaks are incorporated into your puppy’s first groom so that they do not get overwhelmed with the process. Sometimes, we will recommend just a bath and tidy on the first visit just to get them used to things. Wait at least one week after you get the puppy before bringing him/her for grooming to be sure he/she is settled in their new home. We also recommend you to bring your puppy after they have received their second set of shots.

Please call 416-960-1088 for quotes or more information.