Haircut and scissoring
The Full Grooming Experience
Everything in the Signature Bathing Package, plus a custom full-body haircut, a styled clip and a hand-scissor finish, cut to the breed standard.
Why a breed trim is a skill, not a setting
A clipper guard does not know what a Bichon should look like. A groomer does. Sarah Bebee was raised in a dog show family and began grooming her own show dogs at an early age, then trained alongside several of the nation's top handlers before launching her professional career at 18.
Melissa Herold learned beside her, helping prepare dogs for the show ring and then training for a year under Sarah. The salon's groomers also keep up with continuing education, so the standards they scissor to stay current.
A groomed black and white doodle in a striped bow tie sitting on a grooming table
A groom that starts with the bath
The Full Grooming Experience includes everything in the Signature Bathing Package: natural shampoo and conditioning, a fluff dry and brush-out, ears, nails and the neatening of the face, feet and sanitary area. On top of that comes a custom full-body haircut, a styled clip and a hand-scissor finish.
The salon's own highlights show the range: meticulous scissor work on a Bichon Frise, an elegantly sculpted Standard Poodle, artisanal styling on a doodle, a gentle polished trim on a Yorkie, knowledgeable breed standard trims on terriers, and deep conditioning with shedding treatment for a Golden Retriever.
Handling, coat condition and pick-up
The grooming suites in Waterloo are set up for stress-free handling. You wait in reception while the groomers work, because unexpected sights and sounds distract a dog while precision tools are in use.
Coat condition matters to the time and the fee. Minor to moderate matting needs extra time and carries an additional fee, and the New Client Form covers the matted pet and senior pet release policies. One customer wrote that her large double-coated dog is in and out in 2 hours with a wash and haircut.
A standard appointment runs about 2 to 3 hours, and the salon asks that dogs be picked up within 30 minutes of the call that they are ready.
Open since October 2007 on Ansborough Ave. Call (319) 235-9851 to book.