My first experience with this grooming shop was in 2007. I had brought my 1 year golden in for a bath and tidy. I wasn't clear then I wanted all of her feathering to stay and being right at the start of summer, they gave her a it more "tidy" Than I was expecting as many goldens in the area get a summer cut. I said nothing, paid and left in tears. Not because the hair wouldn't grow back. What they didn't know that I lost my old golden suddenly to cancer a couple of weeks prior and she had a gorgeous coat of long feathering. The puppy was just getting her first long feathers and in a silly way it was like losing the old golden all over again. I waited until I calmed down and called the shop. I spoke with the owner Cathi, whom I had only first met that morning. I explained the situation and simply wanted to let her know that sometimes new clients might not be "speaking the same language" with terms like "tidy or trim". She was AMAZING!! To say the least. She apologized profusely, despite the fact that I know it is my job to be clear on what I want, just like when I get my own hair cut....no one can read their clients mind. She repeatedly insisted that she wanted to give me a full refund, which I refused because, as I told her, I was overly emotional for a completely different reason and she was being so professional and gracious. A short time later we got a 5lb toy poodle, which needs almost monthly grooming so I took him there. Cathi remember the previous experience when I walked in from several months earlier and came out front to hug me and give her condolences again for the loss of my old golden (you don't recover from that quickly). I have been going to U Dirty Dog every 4-6 weeks since that time and LOVE LOVE LOVE THEM! I love that they are so transparent with their whole process, most grooming shops rush your pup into a back room for bathing and blow dry so we can't see how they are handle. I had a friend lose their dog in a cage dryer that shops at the large pet stores often use...it was sitting in it cooking for several hours and died of heat stroke. Their prices were the lowest in all eastside area back in 2005 and still are...but their occasional increases make sense to me because I get a raise every year, gas cost more. Rent goes us, supplies cost increase...so it is only reasonable to expect any business to adjust for cost living. I also love that most of the dogs hang out in the office or on the floor where they can relax. My poodle hates his crate yet almost all grooming shops choose to lock them in crates for hours. I love that they are so fast...in past experiences I would drop our dogs off in the morning then told to come back in the afternoon. Little did I know that was because they were slowly drying in a cage dryer while the groomer tries to crank out as many dogs in an assembly fashion. U Dirty Dog does a dog start to finish....in fact sometimes they are done too fast and I don't get to "kill time shopping" long enough. I go to U Dirty Dog because after 25 years of owning 8 different dogs and using grooming shops in CA, Portland and various areas of Seattle, they are unique and choose to make this experience all about my dogs rather than me....I personally would have it no other way. So if I have to wait to get a phone call back or schedule days in advance (I have to for my own haircut too) I know it is because they care about my doggies more than they care about anything else. read more
