About The Dog House

Robbie has worked with animals his entire life and started grooming dogs and cats in 2006 at a small local shop in Warren Rhode Island. Robbie’s years of training comes from a mentor with 30+ years in the grooming business.  At age 29 Robbie decided to open his own full service grooming facility specializing in large breeds. For over 6 years Robbie has worked with the smallest tea-cup companion breeds to the largest working breeds: from kittens, to 35lb Maine coon’s; He has seen it all and is able to give your pet the best treatments available in the industry today.  

All of us here at “The Dog House” know how much your pet means to you and your family and look forward every day at becoming one your pets extended social family companion. Our goal is to provide the best grooming experience for you and your pet. We offer a friendly, compassionate environment to minimize stress and make the grooming process as pleasant as possible for you and your special companion. We will do our best to accommodate all your pets’ needs at a reasonable price. We will never discriminate against your pet or your pets breed. At no time will your pet ever be tranquilized or sedated at our facility during the grooming process. We believe that the grooming experience should be a positive one for you and your pet. If you ever have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to bring them to our attention.

A: The frequency in which you should get your dog groomed can depend on breed and preferred style in which you desire your pet having. A dog that only needs bath/nail/ears/and gland (i.e. lab, or German shepherd) can go 6-8 weeks between grooming sessions. Some people may like their dog to have a haircut but a longer one (i.e. Portuguese Water Dog, or Golden Retriever or even Golden/Labra-Doodle).  These types of breeds may require a grooming session approximately every 4 (Four) weeks. Some like to have their dog as long as possible (i.e. Shih Tzu, Lhasa Apso, Maltese) in this situation it would need a brush out once every week and a trim every 3-4 weeks.

Q:  I've been told that bathing my dog too frequently can cause skin problems, is this true?

A: This is only true if your groomer is not either properly trained for frequency bathing or does not use the proper “mild” products required for a touch up bath. Mild shampoos are basically a water softener or “Volumizer” helping aid the essential oils of the skin to continue doing their job without stripping them entirely, causing your dog to have dry/flaky skin. Here at “The Dog House” we use products that allow your pet to be bathed once a week if necessary with no damage resulting.

Q: How do groomers handle fearful or aggressive dogs?

A: You should talk to the groomer about a fearful or aggressive dog before you even take him in. Some groomers just won't handle aggressive dogs, or there will only be one groomer in a shop that handles them.

Fear in some dogs can be precipitated by the owners.  If you're apprehensive, or overly concerned about dropping your dog off, s/he'll may sense your apprehension and become overly concerned himself. To avoid this situation try to make it a positive, upbeat experience when you come in with your dog. “The Dog House” has extensive training in all aggressive breeds and timid temperaments; your pet will be in proper hands. If a case does become too dangerous, you may have to discuss mild sedation from your primary veterinarian for the safety of your pet and our staff.  Here at The Dog House we will never tranquilize or sedate your pet.  That decision is between you and your veterinarian.  In certain cases you may also be asked to apply a muzzle on your dog before entering the facility. 

Q: Most groomers don't want the owner to stay and watch. Why is that?

A: In most cases when mom or dad is present the dog is has a tendency to act up.  in this scenario your dog may see the grooming experience as threatening. They perceive it as our staff is keeping them away from you, rather than a visit with a new friend. This behavior puts the dog at risk of getting cut because they're squirming around more, trying to get to their owner.  If you feel more comfortable staying while your dog is being groomed we welcome you to stay.  The appointment may take more time but a member of our staff will discuss these options with you based on your specific dog.

Q: There have been reports of dogs dying in drying cages, where a hot dryer blows into a small cage. Are these dangerous to pets? Should I ask that my dog be hand-dried?

A: Here at “The Dog House” no cage dryers are ever used.  All dogs are hand dried because we believe it provides the most efficient drying process possible for fluffing, De-shedding, and removing debris that may not have fully come out during the bathing process. That being said, drying cages are not dangerous, only untrained operators are dangerous. If used correctly, under close supervision, they are perfectly safe. Problems arise when operators aren't trained in the proper use of the machine. Cage dryer settings of 85-90 degrees for 30+ minutes is dangerous because the dog cannot expel body heat through their tongue and panting (dog's don't sweat like we do).  When used properly, they should be set at 75-80 degrees, so it's more like a warm, tropical breeze, not a sauna.

Regardless of the setting cage dryers should never be used with brachycephalic breeds (flat faced dogs, such as bulldogs and pugs). That's because most of them already have breathing problems. They should not be used with an elderly or a sick dog either. Normally the large drying cages are used for the bigger, heavy-coated breeds. But it all goes back to training. The most important part of the entire grooming process is a properly trained, professional staff.

Q: Most groomings include a bath and haircut, but what about other services? Is it OK for groomers to pluck ear hair or express anal glands, or is that better left to a veterinarian?

A: In certain states, it's illegal for groomers to do anal glands. There are ways of performing external anal gland expressions. But you also have to know when they're impacted and how to relieve the gland. If a groomer doesn't know how to tell when the anal glands are impacted, then the groomer shouldn't be touching them at all. Here at “The Dog House” our staff is fully trained to express glands externally and how to detect and resolve an impacted anal gland. Ear plucking is a standard in the grooming industry, there is no need for a veterinarian to perform that type of service.  Our staff at The Dog House is fully trained to perform these services to keep your pet happy and healthy.

Q: What do you think of spa treatments for dogs, like blueberry facials? Do they really do anything? Do dogs like them?

A: Many of these specialty treatments are more about making money and making us feel better about the lavish treatments we provide to our pets. Rarely do any of these treatments offer any health benefits to the dog. Dogs generally don't like stuff on their face. They try to lick or rub it off, and it's more of an annoyance to them than anything else.  Here at “The Dog House” we use all natural and hypoallergenic products including Holistic Medicated shampoos and conditioners to ensure the most allergy free process for your special companion. These products combined with a regular grooming schedule will keep your special companion clean and aid any skin health problems your pet may be suffering from.

 
Q: How can I tell if my dog likes his groomer?

A: It depends on the dog. Some dogs are very tender skinned and are never going to like being brushed or groomed, so they'll never seem happy with a groomer. Some are scared of loud noises, if you think they are scarred of the vacuum at home imagine a big drier directed at them. Like anything, with proper training from your groomer your dog will learn that it does not hurt them but helps them.

Many dogs don't mind being groomed at all. If your dog drags you up the ramp and into the door, he's happy. For many of these dogs, it's a social time. Many of them are only pets that never see another dog, so they like coming here and seeing others of their own species. Not to mention that when they get done they receive immense attention from their owners and are shown around like royalty with a definite 100% increase in affection for the remainder of the day into the next.

If you have any doubts about what's happening to your dog, feel free to ask your groomer if it would be possible to book an appointment on one of their slower days to sit in on your dogs grooming session. It may cost a little bit more but will give you the peace of mind you were looking for to determine whether or not you would like to continue the relationship with their facility.