F. A. Q.
Have questions about what we do at Lavish Lapdog?
Here are answers to some common questions we get! If your question isn't answered here, go ahead and send us a contact form!
Are you mobile groomers? What is mobile grooming?
Mobile grooming is any form of animal grooming or bathing service that comes to your home. The two most common forms of mobile grooming are van or trailer mobile grooming, and house call mobile grooming. There are many advantages to all forms of mobile grooming, including convenience, reduced stress for both you and your dog, and keeping your pup out of a cage or kennel.
Mobile grooming is also typically a 1-on-1 service, which means your dog gets the groomer's full attention with no waiting in a kennel while they work on another dog. This also typically makes a mobile grooming visit faster than a visit to a grooming salon.
What kind of mobile grooming is Lavish Lapdog?
Lavish Lapdog is a house call mobile groomer! This means we do not have a bulky, unfamiliar van or trailer. Instead, we bring our years of grooming experience and professional equipment to you and pamper your pup in the comfort and safety of their own home.
This service is especially well suited to dogs that struggle in a salon environment for whatever reason, such as those that have health issues, older dogs, those with separation anxiety, generally anxious dogs, dogs that are dog aggressive, and more - we work with all of these regularly!
What animals do you work on?
At this time we are only able to offer dog grooming - no cats or other animals. We simply do not have the proper equipment or handling experience yet, though we do hope to offer cat grooming in the future.
As for dogs, we are happy to groom dogs of all sizes! Be aware that for dogs over 150lbs we will need to use either your bathtub or bathe the dog tub-less outdoors as our portable tub is only rated for 150lbs.
Our only other requirement is that all dogs must be up to date on rabies vaccination for the safety of both ourselves and the dogs. In the case of very recent vaccination, we require a 48 hour waiting period after a dog has been vaccinated before we can groom them.
Who will be coming to my house?
The two ladies on the front page of the website are the whole entire company! Stephany generally answers the phones and handles quotes and scheduling (Hi there! I'm the one writing this FAQ!), and both Celeste and Stephany will arrive together to handle all grooming appointments. We have no other employees - if someone else shows up at your house claiming to be us, please contact us asap and do not let them in.
Are you insured?
Yes! We have insurance specific to the work that we do, covering everything from harm to your pet, harm done by your pet, damage to your personal property or our equipment, and more.
If you work in my house... what about all that hair???
We take multiple precautions to ensure your house does not become the next furnado victim!
First, if we use your bathtub or sink to bathe your dog, we have a large hair catcher that fits over the drain to make sure your pipes don't get clogged up - the tub gets a full rinse down to catch any excess hair before we remove it.
Second, we bring brooms and a powerful shop-vac with us to every appointment. We do so thorough a cleaning job that we are often told we left the place cleaner than when we arrived!
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And finally, you get to decide where we work! Have a particular space you'd like us to work in? Want us to keep all the hair out in the fenced yard or porch? Would you prefer we use the kitchen sink or the guest bathroom? We are happy to work with you to ensure the grooming experience is as smooth, tidy, and painless as possible for everyone involved.
My dog has separation anxiety. Can I be there with them?
Yes! One of the major advantages of house call mobile grooming over all other grooming formats is the owner's ability to be present. You aren't trapped behind plexiglass, or stuck in the house while your dog and the groomer are hidden in a van or trailer. We find nearly half of our clients' dogs do better for grooming with their owner present to reassure or hold them!
Why is mobile grooming more expensive than salon grooming?
Depending on the area and company in question, mobile grooming is generally 20-30% more expensive than brick-and-mortar salon grooming.
There are a number of factors at play - first is the convenience to you. Mobile groomers arrive at your doorstep on your schedule, without the need to drop off and pick up your furry family member. Second is that mobile groomers typically work on one to three dogs per stop at most (usually 1-on-1) and must then drive between locations - vehicle mileage, gas, and reduced efficiency must therefore be factored into the price.
Longer drive distances further increase the price - this is why we prefer to keep our drive times under half and hour and do not provide service outside the Greater Sacramento Area.
What forms of payment do you take, and should I tip?
We currently accept cash, check, and PayPal invoice as payment options.
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Tipping culture for dog grooming is similar to tipping culture for hair stylists - a highly appreciated courtesy, but not generally considered a requirement.
