We asked for a teddy bear cut for Penny. They called and said she had some matting and that they needed to cut her a little shorter than we wanted. We said you're not shaving her right? They said no, and we can still give her the teddy bear cut just shorter. We said that's ok, but please do not cut her head like this. When we picked her up, she was basically shaved. Most dogs who left this groomer looked exactly the same, seems like they only know how to do one cut. Will definitely not be returning. read more

Barking Spa - Pet Groomers Near Me - South River, New Jersey

Poppy always comes out perfect. Very professional groomer! Poppy loves going here and the cute festive bandanna!

The owner is combative, accusatory and just awful. I have been taking my doodle there every four weeks for over a year. The groomers and front end staff are very nice and I never had any problems until the owner became involved. I had never had contact with her until recently. I have a doodle whom I brush/comb for an hour every day. When I dropped him off for a bath and trim, the groomer actually complimented me on how well maintained his coat was. I did mention that he had some mats under his armpits that may need to be shaved (I'm diligent but not a professional and they were minimal). Two hours later I get a call from the owner stating that my dog was matted head to foot and would need to be shaved entirely. The owner accused me of not brushing my dog and was incredibly combative over the phone. She stated that he was already on the table getting cut but my only options were that they stop or shave him. I felt I had no recourse but to shave him, since he was already in the process of getting trimmed. They shaved him nearly to skin. He has razor burn on his rear end, his face is crooked and the entire shave looks haphazard, with chunks of longer hair sticking out. They were clearly overbooked and I suspect the owner just didn't want to deal with taking the time to properly groom my dog. Unfortunately, my dog had to pay the price as a result. It's a shame the owner is such a bully because the groomers are very nice and had done such a great job with him in the past. Never going back there. read more

This is the absolute best place to bring your dog. I've taken my dog here for 16 years and will NEVER go anywhere else!! They are patient and professional. They always do an amazing job ! The price is absolutely reasonable for the work they do , especially considering they work w/ animals so it's not always easy being that they move around so so much. They truly care for the well being of your pet first before anything else. Which is more than I can say about other places. Everyone there is amazing at what they do ! read more

Took my dog to be groomed....they called us and said he was matted and would have to cut his hair shorter. We got back a completely shaved dog that resembled a naked mole rat. In addition, his fur was uneven, there was a chunk of fur cut off on the back of his head and he had a cut on his leg and genitals. Upon contacting barking spa, they defended his being shaved and asked if i wanted to bring him back to even out the grooming. NO CHANCE THEY WILL EVER TOUCH MY DOG AGAIN! They asked me to text over pictures of the cuts, which i did, and never got any response. Not even an apology. Take your dogs elsewhere...they provide a poor service and their customer service is atrocious. (Sorry for the gross picture..just thought you should see what they did before bringing your dog here ). Wish there was a zero star option read more

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Some of the reviews for this spot seem unfair, so I wanted to add our positive experience here. For the record, if your dog is matted, there is literally nothing a groomer can do except shave them. Maybe if you took better care of your dog you wouldn't have to worry about them getting matted?? This is not Barking Spa's fault and for the record every time we go in all the dogs we see going in and out look happy which is a good sign of a good groomer. They do both large dogs and small dogs, and their pricing is very fair. Our little girl never gets upset when we hand her over and she comes back smelling amazing and fur so soft! read more

Barking Spa - Happy with her little bandana! - Pet Groomers Near Me - South River, New Jersey

Excellent grooming service. Fairly priced. Caring and welcoming atmosphere. Highly recommend.

Horrible! They are lazy and do not want to take the time to brush your dog! If your dog has any tangles they will immediately shave them down completely including the ears and tail which is dangerous. I am disgusted at what my beautiful dog looked like after picking him up. He went 4x before every month so he is a very well groomed dog not a matted mut off the street. DO NOT TAKE YOUR PETS HERE!!! I guess that's why the only take cash, very shady! O they also want to sedate a friendly dog that absolutely loves people. These people should not be in business. read more

I wish it was possible to give 0 stars my dog went for a routine groom (wash,nails,teeth etc.) my dogs nails were absolutely chopped off as if the person cutting them was blind EVERY single one of his nails were left bleeding from being cut way to low and not even straight hacked away at . DO NOT TAKE YOUR DOG HERE. read more

If i could give 0 stars i would the OWNER told me i had to come get my dogs because they cant be here acting the way they are (barking) and then charged me for an express service without telling me because of their behavior (again barking) and when i questioned why i was being charged more she told me "charge him whatever the F he wants and get him out of here" and then told me there not allowed back. Unprofessional scam artists read more

Dropped off my Lhasa Apso at 10:30am. She wasn't ready for pickup until 3pm. 4 and a half hours for 1 dog with an appointment? Sorry, that's unacceptable when I can have the Shaggy Waggin come to my house and be done in under an hour. Ignoring the ludicrous length of time our "appointment" took, they still did a rubbish job. Face, ears, and tail were not properly trimmed. Body looked like it was done by a total amateur. They put some bows in the hair near her ears...cute (not really) but impossible to remove because they've been put on so tight with rubber bands and not really safe or comfortable for the dog. I don't see any way to take them out without cutting the hair it's attached too. Wasn't worth the $50 it cost. read more

I HIGHLY RECOMMEND. I love this place everyone is so nice my dogs can't wait to get in the front door and when I pick them up they look spectacular and even better my big girl isn't shedding anymore which my wood floors appreciate! I love their new location it is absolutely adorable I would never bring my babies anywhere else! read more

Barking Spa - Pet Groomers Near Me - South River, New Jersey

I have been going here since my Bergamasco arrived 10 years ago. They learned the process and work with me with all three of my Dogs. They know what to do and the entire staff that works on my baby Juno is Amazing! read more

Barking Spa - She is one happy customer! - Pet Groomers Near Me - South River, New Jersey

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Kind, flexible, reasonably priced and they make my dog look like a princess! Highly recommend.

It's been a while, but I feel that I should let the consumer aware of my experience with this dog grooming place. I've used this place a few times despite of a bit expansive service fee because they were saying they actually bathe with water. Last time I took my miniature poodle and he came home hurt. He stayed inside the blanket for a week. Nothing like normal behavior of this active dog. I wrote an email explaining my situation and expected response , but never respond or neither called. I felt that this owner, Kristine is not companionate toward the animal. Only for the business. I was looking for her compassionate response. Since then, I've stopped patronizing this place. read more

considering they are now only accepting cash and charging $70 for grooming (haircut , bath etc) for a small size dog i think its steep.

I read these reviews and was scared because so many people complained about them shaving the dog because of matting. Well I decided to give them a chance because my neighbor speaks highly of them. I have a ShihPoo. She's got longer fur and it's curly. I bathe her weekly and every day I go through her fur with a wire brush and small comb. I told them that she had matting under her arms and they can shave there. But I asked to keep her fluffy and shape her face. I was so specific on how I wanted the face that I even sent a picture of a dog with the cut I wanted to the groomer and asked not to cut her beard. Well, the dreaded call came that she was 'matted' and needed to be shaved. I told them I've never had an issue with matting before but they swore up and down that she was matted. They said they wouldn't go 'too low'. So, I picked up my dog and was so sad as soon as I saw her. She was shaved so low that you can see the pink Of her skin. Her face looked nothing like I wanted and they did everything that I asked them NOT to do. To top it off, they saved her beard completely off!!! She looks absolutely ridiculous. When I picked her up they said that she had matting on her belly and underarms. So WHY did they have to shave her entire body!!!!!!!! Awful job. Don't go here! They don't listen and take the easy way out when they get a tough cut. I pay less at Petco and get a way better cut! Pictures are before and after..... read more

Barking Spa - After - Pet Groomers Near Me - South River, New Jersey

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My fur baby looks amazing. And his hair has grown in beautifully. He's never looked better. So impressed and pleased.

We love the quality of service and care that our Milo receives at the Barking Spa! They are attentive to our grooming requests. As a rescue, our dog sometimes has difficulty interacting with other people. They are very sensitive to his needs and it is obvious that he enjoys going there to be groomed. We are very happy with their work. read more

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Another great appointment... Bosco is super happy to go every time. Always available and super friendly with each visit. Worth the trip across the area for the service. read more

I'm not going to get too wordy on this one, but I like it here. It's dead center between my house and my new job so it's convenient. Aside from that my now wife has been bringing her/our dog here since before we were dating (9 Years). I will say they do not have the biggest cages available as the place is incredibly small, but the dogs aren't stuffed in and barely fit either. Essentially there is enough head room and wiggle space for your dog to be able to spin around a couple of times when you walk in the door. Last time I brought in Layla(our Cocker Spaniel) I dropped her off at 11 got a phone call at 2 and picked her up at 2:30 freshly cut and washed and dry. I do have to disclaimer that when my dogs hair gets long she's a messy puppy (She stands at your feet in the kitchen so tends to get a little more food in her hair then most)So we shave her all the way down and don't get a "Cocker cut". What I'm saying is I have no clue how they do when it comes to "Styles", but for what I need....I'm a fan. We Will Return. read more

I have been taking my 2 dogs to the barking spa since I adopted them. I love the way they groom my dogs, my husky comes home so clean and no shedding for months after. My sheltie comes home looking amazing and no shedding for him either for a long time. I recommend them to anyone who asks me about a grooming place. The staff there is very friendly and is always welcoming. You can tell that they love there job and working with animals. And the treats they give out at the end is a definate plus !! I will never stop coming here!! read more

Barking Spa - Fresh blow out and scissor cut! - Pet Groomers Near Me - South River, New Jersey

I've been using Barking Spa services for about 8 years and love how Ali has groomed my dogs however, I will no longer be a returning customer after our most recent visit. Our almost 2 year old labradoodle has been going there since she was 3 months old. This last time, when I picked her up I could hear the front office worker screaming at our dog. Now, being a puppy and a large labradoodle at that, she is excitable and a handful when trying to get her leashed however the tone and volume coming from inside was concerning. For the next 2 days our dog was skittish and hiding under the bed most of the day. Since dog owners are not permitted inside, I do not actually know what my dog was doing or her behavior but I feel like anyone working with dogs should have some knowledge on how to handle and treat them. As always, The grooming itself was great however, because of the way she was treated and her subsequent behavior when she returned home, we will not be utilizing their services again. (Which is a shame because Ali really is a wonderful groomer. ) read more

This was my first time at the Barking Spa.. I brought my golden retriever Daisy.. I will be bringing her back again.. What a fantastic job they did on her.. The cut was exceptional.. I'm very pleased with this place!!!! read more

I have just moved back to Milltown, with my two dogs. I only brought one dog down to the store at first to check them out. Though my dogs are not aggressive, they fans eager to have a bath or have their nails clipped. I stayed and watched the bath process and the handling of one stubborn dog not willing to go into the tub. They handled it professionally and did not cause any distress to the animal. I felt so comfortable i went home and got the second dog, who is always a nervous wreak. for they could do him also. They noticed his nails were long and offered to do his nails. i told them even the vet office had to have three people hold him down. I let them try. It took two of them, but no problems. I now have two happy, clean dogs for the christmas holidays. By the way we were walk in's and it only took an hour for both. Many thanks, we will be back, Valerie Noe read more

Lovesss Barking Spa and Seymour as well. I have referred numerous ppl to Barking Spa BC they do such a wonderful job with my baby. Seymour (my dog) always goes to "Z" since day one. Their relationship is so cute BC unfortunately Seymour doesn't take to new ppl too easily, but "z" was great with him from day one. I highly recommend Barking Spa! P.s. "Z" always does seymour's Mohawk just the way he likes! read more

If there was a way to give this company a negative number of stars I would. I provided them with a photo of my 5 year old schnauzer to use as a guide. They ended up ignoring the photo and cut off her beard. For a schnauzer that is a huge mistake. My dog looks ridiculous. When I spoke to the manager she was able to look at the before and after photos and was similarly speechless. She didn't even know what to say to me. She could have offered to refund the price of grooming - which was not cheap. I guess she knew I'd never be back. This was the worst grooming experience EVER. read more

Just moved into town. We drive pass constantly. Was intrigued by the curb side appeal & friendly "Walk-Ins Welcomed" sign. We "walked in" at 10am. The girl in front seemed hesitant then was all ready to stick our pup in a cage. I didn't even know the prices,I had to ask. Short hair pug(no haircut) shampoo,dry,ears&teeth $50 (places usually charge $35max). She assured me they have a special vacuum type brush that takes ALL the hair that sheds (our biggest issue). I wanted to try them out so I agreed. I asked for a 1st time discount, she gave us $5 off then told me the painted nails would be + $10.. Hmm. (It felt like a con) As I left I did see a cocker spaniel cry while getting nails clipped. Also a woman I'm assuming is the owner was yelling & speaking in such a ugly tone to her employes. You can tell she was definetley bi-polar. I feel bad for the people that work there. They finished her within 2hours & called for pick up. $58 later-- we asked for bows we got none. There was nail polish on her fur & her mouth was super dry to wear she was making weird grunts. Poor pug! I'm waiting to see if their "special vacuum" worked. If not I'm going back down Rt 18 to Goochie Poochie or Petsmart their both in our area with hospitality & prices that are way better. 2stars only b/c of decor & cleanliness & the fact that they did indeed serve us. Good luck with your pets! If shedding thing works will come back and add a star or two. read more

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We have bringing our Corgi here for over 5 years without incident until this past November when they shaved her completely to the skin. When my mother called the owner to ask why this would have been done she was told the computer system was down so they could look up her previous profile. Why wouldn't you call if you were unsure? and when would the default be to shave a dog in November??? She has never been shaved before and her hair was not in bad shape that it would have needed to be shaved off. She should have gotten a shampoo and slight trim like usual. The groomer called the next day to apologize but we should have been offered a refund. We had to go out and purchase a coat and sweater for our hairless dog to make it through the winter. read more

I was referred to them by a close neighbor and have been there 2-3 times before. This time I dropped my dogs off at 9:45am and they said I could not pick them up until 4:00pm. When I looked around, they were already grooming two dogs, and had several dogs in cages waiting to be groomed. They were way over booked. I asked for puppy cuts (like I always do) and to be 1 inch all around. Maria, the groomer, said she would use a size 4 clipper. I called back to see how long that was and she said she would use a size 3 clipper instead. I asked what would a size 3 clipper leave, and Maria gave the phone to Christine Panzica the owner. Christine said that would leave 3 and 3 quarters. I asked if that was 3 inches and 3 quarters or 3 and 3 quarters of an inch because I only wanted them to be an inch all around. Christine got very nasty, screamed at me and at the groomer, telling her to leave only an inch, and basically hung up on me. Maria called me at 2:45pm, telling me to be there in a half hour. When I showed up, Maria said that my Aussie got so worked up that he was coughing. Then they charged me $20 more than the last time, and said it was because the prices went up. It would have been nice if they would have told me that at the beginning. Plus, whoever did my dogs grooming the previous time, I wish did their grooming this time because the person did a rubbish job and left a lot more hair on them than just an inch. On the ride home, my Aussie was couching so bad that I called my vet. The tech told me to watch him over night and if it did not get better to bring him in the following morning. Well the next morning he was still coughing horribly and I had to take him to the vet. My vet determined that they must have had his collar so tight that it was choking him, and his trachea was very irritated. My Aussie was given a shot on the spot to help the swelling go down and medicine that he needed 3x a day. I wanted to call the groomers but they were closed on Sunday and Monday, so I had to wait until Tuesday. Tuesday morning, before I could call the groomers, Maria the groomer called me, asking how the dogs were. I thought that was suspicious because they had never called any other time I bought my dogs there. I told her about having to take my dog to the vet, and she said that he was like that when I brought him in. I reminded her that when I arrived to pick my dogs up, that she told me my Aussie got so worked up that he was coughing. Maria's response to me was that she would have the owner call me. Christine Panzica, the owner, called me and denied it was their fault, and she said he was like that when I brought him in. I even explained to her what Maria had informed me on Saturday afternoon when I came to pick my dogs up. Christine told me that I was wrong and she was there the whole time. Funny how I did not see her when I dropped them off and when I picked them up. The place is very very small; I don't think I would have missed her. I told her that my vet said the grooming collar must have been too tight and was squishing his trachea. I told Christine who my vet was and she said that she does not take anything they say into account because they were a low income vet and inexperienced. My vet consists of 7 doctors and they have a very high patient count. I have been going to them for the last 4 years now and they have been around for way longer than that. I told Christine that she had lost a customer and I would be reporting them. Her response was "F*** off, and have a nice holiday." I spoke with my neighbor after all of this, and it turns out that Christine Panzica had been nasty with them several times, so they no longer have their dog groomed there either. Also, I would like to mention that I have looked up this company online and found that Christine Panzica is reporting on her own company and giving it 5 star reviews on other websites/search engines. read more

They do a great job and are very nice. My little guy looked like a puppy and was very happy with his new look.

We have been here 3 or 4 times before without a problem, but this last time will keep me from ever going back there again nd I warn other flat faced dog owners to be aware as well. We scheduled an appointment a week in advance for my 2 pugs. They should have been there for less than 2 hours, so when we called an hour and a half later, and told they were backed up and the dogs would now not be ready for another 4 hours I was concerned. We thought they were a reputable groomer with knowledge of dogs. They keep my two girls caged except for when they were grooming them, and did not provide any water to they during that time.. My girls were so overheated when they got home, one of them couldn't even stand and drank so much water so fast that she threw up twice in the first hour she was home I will never go there again and never recommend them to anyone. read more

Roxy has been going here for years and always comes back with a good cut! The cut is exactly as we wish it to be.

We've been bringing our dog here since she was 11 weeks, she's now almost 7yrs old. They do a great job and leave our dog looking & smelling great for weeks! They are also great at listening when I tell them not to cut just file her nails because they always split easily. My only complaint is sometimes they can take a long time, so drop your dog off early if you can, but that's why we call it Chloe's spa DAY! But I guess I rather they take their time and not do a rush job on my dog. Overall, it's a great place to bring your dog and I would definitely recommend it. read more

Went back for my second visit, was disappointed that they only take cash. I had to run back out to an ATM. But the haircut is great, took only 2 hours, and my puppy was so happy. read more

I found the place very clean. The staff very friendly and professional. They did a great job with my dogs and I will definitely be going back. read more

I just picked up my 2 Brittany's from a day of grooming and they look gorgeous! I am very happy with the service there. I have being going there for years and couldn't be happier. read more

I have an almost 4 year old lab mix that has special needs who also constantly needs her nails trimmed. By the time she was 2 she had both of her back knees replaced. She had been limping or completely not using one of her back legs since she was 6 months old. After a temporary wheelchair, countless xrays, examinations, doctor appointments and a total of 3 brutal surgeries she would get extremely nervous when people touch her back legs. She never gets nasty about it but will panic, slip and fall, and then hurt herself. I emailed Barking Spa ahead of time and explained her situation and asked if they would even be comfortable having a dog Steph's size who was scared of having her back legs touched for a nail trim. Barking Spa has been so accommodating of our needs. They didn't shy away for a minute and were confident in their ability to help me with my special needs dog. They always have 2 people cut her nails and always make sure she feels calm and safe before starting, even if they're busy. They also file them so there is no sharp edges. Steph is comfortable going to the groomer now and doesn't mind people near her legs nearly as much as she did before we started going to Barking Spa. read more

I have been bringing my 11 year old Golden Retriever Charlie to the Barking Spa since he was 5 months old. They consistenly provide a quality grooming experience. Their care for him is obvious. I would not take him to any other Groomer. He loves them. read more

Love the barking spa! Came to the barking spa from somerset for my two dogs! They love it here and we will continue to come! They always do such a good job with my golden retriever's hair! read more