We really hesitate to give a less than positive review, but we have to share our experience with Essential Grooming: We have a Maine Coon who is a house cat, 25+ pounds and a little older, so he has difficulty grooming his nether regions so we get him groomed - a lion's cut - which he loves (he acts like a kitten after he's been groomed!). We've gone to Essential Grooming for probably 5 years and have always had a good experience until the last time... We picked up our cat and he was visibly disturbed (howling, agitated, etc) in his carrier. An older lady came out from the back and said my cat bit her. He has NEVER bitten anyone - and he's been around small antagonistic children. When I got him home, there was a "to the skin" electric razor burn on his side. (Maybe that was the "issue"?) After the incident, he barely ate and became withdrawn. We took him to the vet (he was losing a lot of weight) and had a full workup done. The vet said there was no physical reason for his weight loss and that he had experienced a trauma of some sort. He explained that cats are sensitive and can be affected by things just as humans can. We would have appreciated a little honesty from the groomer at Essential Grooming as to why our cat bit her (IF he bit her) and an apology for the large electric razor gash in his skin. Our cat is fine now and we go to a different groomer that absolutely pampers him. read more

We just picked up our 9 month old puppy after his third groom at this location. Each time has taken at least 3.5 hours. This time it took FIVE HOURS! We dropped him off at 9:45 and he was ready for pickup at 2:45. We showed up at 1:30 thinking he would be ready soon. When we walked through the door they were just getting him out to start his haircut. It was obvious that throughout these 5 hours they never thought to take him out to pee based on how much he peed when we got him. The groomer also was grumpy with us, asking if this was his first grooming since he was squirmy during his haircut, which isn't surprising since he had been stuck in a crate the past 3.5 hours around a bunch of barking dogs. We had taken him on a long walk prior to the appt. so he would be calm for them but that won't help if he was in a crate that long before the cut. We still gave 3 stars because the haircut was still decent. read more

This is the best grooming shop in east county. They take excellent care of my dog. He comes out happy and looking great. Other groomers have struggled to trim my Rottie's nails but not here- they are able to trim them every time. My dog is never stressed for me to walk him in or to leave him here. read more

Laurie is the best groomer ever! I have been going to her for about 4 years now and I will ONLY go to her. I have taken my senior lhasa apso to other groomers and no one can handle him like she does. He is notorious for being "difficult" but she is great with him! My schnauzer gets the most perfect schnauzer cut. When I see other schnauzers at the park with bad haircuts, i always refer them to her. Santee is a bit far but worth it for perfectly groomed dogs. read more

I have nothing negative to say about this place they are AMAZING especially Lori!!!! Took me several months to actually find a professional groomer who knew how to cut my both schnauzers hair!!! After so many bad experiences with groomers i was losing hope and even had the idea to groom them myself but then a friend of mine who also have a schnauzer told me about this amazing place and how good they do her's puppy groom, i decided to give it a try and i was amazed when i saw my babies omg i was sooo sooo happy and eversince then i have been a regular customer, my babies even enjoy coming here and i love the little details and professionalism they all have :) my babies always have scarfs and they look sooooo good i will 200% recommend this place to any person who owns a schnauzer:) read more

Essential Grooming - My furry babies - Pet Groomers Near Me - Santee, California

This place is amazing! We moved to Santee a little over 1.5 years ago and discovered Essential Grooming shortly thereafter. We have had a great experience each time, and our dogs LOVE their visits and don't try to run away when we are bringing them inside. We sometimes have a tendency to wait a little too long before we call for an appointment, so our pups have some matting and they still make them look beautiful without cutting them too short! Some places wouldn't even take the extra time and would just shave it off. Not here! Their prices are totally reasonable and the facility is always super clean. Thank you for always making our dogs look like show dogs! read more

Thank u for taking such good care of my dog! From jojo and Melissa ! read more

Essential Grooming - Jo likes his haircut! He's just cold now!:) - Pet Groomers Near Me - Santee, California

We have been going to this groomer for years! We love it. Our Scottish Terrier, Lulu, always has an extra bounce in her step when we pick her up and the staff is so sweet with her. We had taken her to another groomer and she charged out the front door the second they opened the crate...when we brought her home she peed on our couch in protest to her new haircut. We were so happy to have found this groomer and to treat our sweet dog to some self care and somewhere she actually seems to enjoy! We are sad that with all the Covid restrictions we will not be able to get her in to cut that quarantine fro before we move out of state, but wanted to make sure to review! read more

I love this place. More importantly my 2 mini doxies love it here. They come home with their pretty kerchiefr and show it off to everyone. The prices are outrageously cheap for the work the do. Love them and will use them always read more

I have been taking my dogs to essential grooming since I got my first dog over 15 years ago. I love the services and the customer service from the employees is awesome! My dogs are always fresh and happy when they finish their trip there!!!! Never have I ever had a bad experience there! I tell all my friends about Essential Groomong! Great place to take your Furr-Babbies. I give two thumbs up to Essentia. The employees always welcome you with a friendly and happy smile. read more

Came here for the first time recently based on Yelp reviews ;0) My dog can be a scardey-cat. But they groomed her! Hair is gone! I brought her by for a follow up just to be loved on, to reduce her anxiety and they went all out. I expected the receptionist to hand her a treat and be done. Nope, she hopped up from her desk, took my dog in the back, fussed over her, everyone said hi. It was refreshing, they truly care about these dogs! read more

Been meaning to write this review for a while; the team at essential grooming was fantastic with my very energetic puppy. I had gone to a big box pet store the day before and they wouldn't even attempt cutting my wiggly boy's nails. Essential hero I g took him without question, was done so quickly and at a completely reasonable price. read more

Yes! You should come here! This place is amazing! So when I first came here I was new to Santee and I needed to find a grooming place for my two dogs. I have a very old French bull dog who requires special attention and a huge blue nose pit. Any time I go to a grooming salon I am afraid that I am going to be judge or get treated differently because of the stereotypes of pits... But Essential Grooming was SOOO AMAZING from day one that I felt like it was a huge blessing to find there business. EVERY single staff member there is SUPER polite, friendly and professional! On my second visit they had already memorized my dogs names. They do a fantastic job and my dogs always look great, I feel confident that my dogs are being well taken care of. There prices are fair and they always have appointments available! Again this place is amazing!! Can't say enough good things about this place! read more

Essential Grooming - Pet Groomers Near Me - Santee, California

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Great service. Returns your calls quickly unlike other places....like petco. Same day appointments. In and out quick. Our Boston's love coming here. read more

My lil bully boxer Lili loves being groomed, and they pamper her well. We've only had the regular bath which includes clipping her nails, and I'm glad they don't leave it too short. She doesn't require much else, so it usually doesn't take anymore than an hour or two. Thanks to you all for watching over our lil pup. read more

Essential Grooming - Spa treatments leave her sleepy - Pet Groomers Near Me - Santee, California

From the front desk staff to Cassie and the crew in the back, Essential Grooming is THE BEST! I have been bringing my dogs here for 4+ years and this is the only place my dogs don't shake and cower... they willingly run in like it's playtime. I am so thankful to them for taking such great care of Mike & Ripley and all the fosters they do for me too! Foster pups are not always easy to handle, but these guys treat them with love and care, go slowly and gently so the next time they won't be so scared. Thanks Essential Grooming! read more

I recently started coming to Essential Grooming after a very upsetting visit with Petsmart. I can't say enough wonderful things about this place. They are professional, excellent customer service and loving and compassionate to my dog. I highly recommend this place. It has a mom and pop shop feel. They take the time to make sure the pet's and people are happy. Thank you to the amazing people who make this business more like a family. read more

We have a dachshund puppy and have always taken him to Petsmart/Petco for nail trimming. We will NEVER take him there, again! I was driving by when I saw this place, and am so glad I stopped in. When we got inside, the girl up front was SO friendly to me and my pup. When she brought him back she picked him up and loved on him just like I would. When he came back out to me, he was not upset at all (like he always is coming out from Petsmart/ Petco). They are all so nice and obviously love animals. We can't wait to take him back here for more services (I've heard so many great things about the blueberry facial!). Thanks for treating our pup like one of your own! :) read more

Up until now, I was thrilled with them. Guess we are too high maintenance. Staff are great and do a good job. But, I was berated by the owner in front of another customer and an employee. She said I got an "F" in dog brushing and I had to pay more. That was ok, not a problem. My dog is indoors and they had just groomed the dog 30 days prior. I looked for mats before I took in. When I asked where the mats were in order to do better, she said very rudely and loudly, "Everywhere" and walked away. I was so embarrassed. Ok, we won't be back. Since I was not offered a future appointment, I guess the feelings are mutual. read more

Essential Grooming, has some of the best groomers and staff I have met. I have been too a lot of salons, and miss Laurie is the best. Her care, patience, and love for the animals is amazing, and her skill is unmatched in the area. This shop deserves your business and trust. Thank you all for the kind experience I had there. read more

They are extremely nice and very professional my Dog Jelly Bean love to go and see Cassie.My dog always looks great after grooming best place in East Country. read more

Amazing place with amazing people. First of all they do a great job with both of my dogs and my wife's cat. They are so friendly and genuinely seem like they care about all of our pets. Now the story of above and beyond. I dropped the ball and wasn't going to make it there by close and they stuck around for a little bit so I could pick up my wife's cat (thank god because she would have killed me). Anyways, I love this place and it's the only place I will take my animals even if I move half the county away. read more

This is hands-down the BEST groomer in San Diego! We have been looking for a high quality groomer who can meet the needs of both our German Shepherd and our chihuahua. They took excellent care of both dogs, and paid special attention to the grooming needs of both breeds. We drive all the way from Poway, so that should speak to the quality of care. read more

My dog was SHAKING when the dog groomers came out to speak to me about his cut. I am worried that my dog is not being treated kindly and I simply will not be visiting Essential Grooming from here on out. read more

My Mickey loves the staff. I use to take him at this one other local place and every time I got near the entrance he would stop in his tracks and I had to carry him in. read more

This rating is strictly based on the attitude of the owner (Laurie) after an unfortunate incident with my dog. I have a 130 pound Leonberger that I take here every couple of months for a "summer cut", shampoo, nails, etc. The groomer (Kathy) has always done a great job and my dog always looks nice when she is finished. I have no complaints about the staff or their competency. Accidents happen and I accept that. Yesterday, while doing the "summer cut", the clippers slipped and it caused a portion of her fur to be cut down to the skin (as opposed to the usual 2/3 of an inch long). It was an accident and did not hurt the dog physically, but it did make an unsightly gouge on her butt in very plain view and it looks terrible. Rather than consult with me, the owner took it upon herself to make a huge heart shaped "carving" on the dog's butt to repair whatever the clipper mishap had caused. I was called and told my dog was ready to go home and nothing was mentioned on the phone. I arrived to pick up the dog. Nothing was said until AFTER I paid $120 and left a tip. AFTER I paid, the groomer came out and told me there had been a little accident with the clippers. The dog was brought out and I was really taken aback - she looked terrible. Rather than get into it with the groomer, I just said, "Am I going to get a discount or a break on this?" She informed that only the boss could do that, so I took my dog and left. I got home, thought about it, listened to my wife vent about what a horrible job they did and decided to call the owner. It bothered me that she had put the groomer in a position to explain, rather than greet me herself and say something like, "Gee, we are really sorry, it was an accident but your dog does look bad, so this one is on us", or "we will give you a break next time", or some offering just for good business sake. So I called and spoke with Laurie. I was not in a good mood and I vented my frustration - not because of the accident but the way she handled it (or didn't). She showed no contrition and only kept repeating it was an accident. After a few minutes of back and forth, she finally asked, "What do you want or what can I do"? I think I said, "I don't know but SOMETHING would have been nice". So she said (and very reluctantly), "OK - when your dog gets real dirty, we will give her a bath and I won't charge you". Again, this poor rating is for Laurie's lack of attention to a steady customer and putting it in the hands of the groomer to explain. I do not know if I will go back. They have always done a nice job with my dog but obviously don't care if an accident happens. read more

I was very disappointed in this place. It had been highly recommended by my sister who takes her dog here. This place was very close to where I live and it's the same price that I paying at the other groomer. So I thought, why the heck not. Turns out I shouldn't brought my cat here. I have a Siberian cat who has so much fur. She has to go to the groomer every 2 or 3 months because she sheds like crazy. After her recent visit to this groomer I noticed that they failed miserably to de-shed her correctly. I get the feeling that their process of de-shedding involves using the Furminator which my cat absolutely hates. When I brought her in I distinctly told not to use this on her. The good news is that they abided by my request. The bad news is that it appears that they didn't de-shed my cat at all. In the past month since her visit there is more hair on our carpet and furniture than I have ever seen before. If this groomer had done this correctly in the first place I wouldn't have the large clumps of hair I'm seeing all over. I plan on going back to the first groomer I brought her to back in October. They are located a little further away and not only do they not use a Furminator, as the owner does not use them and she detests them more than my cat, but they de-shed twice during the visit. When my cat came back from her first visit to this groomer she looked like she had a lost less bulk on her because she was deshedded correctly. The price is exactly the same as compared to Essential grooming. read more

THIS GROOMER is really good at what they do - the groom itself is first rate and they brush the dog down to the very base of their fur. The girls who work there are always great with the pets. They are a tad expensive ($70 for a medium-large sized dog) *washed, brushed and hair groom/cut in areas. compared to other area groomers, which run about $40-$50 for a dog. But you do get what you pay for. read more

My two fur babies love going to Essential Grooming. They go in stinky and hairy, and come out looking and smelling great. Laurie and staff are very friendly to me and my babies. They are total animal lovers and it shows. They make sure to take the babies out to go pee so they are not holding it all day. I usually drop them off in the morning and pick them up in the early afternoon. They will even do blueberry facials, brush the dogs teeth, paint their nails, add a scarf, etc if you ask them to. I once saw them dying a dog's mohawk when I picked up my babies. They are very talented and go the extra mile for your pet. They are a little on the pricier side (I think...I'm not sure though, since I haven't shopped around the area since I'm a happy customer), but it's well worth every penny for the excellent service. Your pets will thank you. read more

This place is a great little gem I found for my silky terrier. She isn't the typical small breed dog, she is rough and tough and loves to be stinky and dirty. This requires some short hair maintenance to keep her ickyness minimal. Our last groomer refused to shave my dog, telling me her hair was too beautiful and she deserved a show cut. La La La, my dog may have beautiful hair, but not when she has twigs and we still don't know what that was stuck to it. This place does what you ask with no lip and wont charge you up the wahzoo for it either. They are always super friendly and my dog never seems scared when I get there. Oh and the "sani cut" is standard with them, I don't have to pay extra for it when I go. Thank you for keeping my girl clean!!! read more

I took my dog in for a shave & they shaved everything except his head. Didn't know this at the time I paid the $50 & then gave a $10 tip. I was shocked when they brought him out all shaved & then an extremely big fluffy head. I didn't say anything at the time. The next time I brought him in for a bath; THEY CHARGED ME AN EXTRA $5 for having to brush all the hair on his head. So at that time I told the girl that the previous time I brought him in for a shave, they did not trim his head. She just looked at me like I had 2 heads & didn't offer to make it right. I didn't think it was fair that I had to pay an extra $5 for them to brush his fluffy head that they, for whatever reason, didn't trim the time before, like they were suppose to ... & I spent with tip, $60 !!!! ***note to customers: tip after you see your dog!!! read more

If I had the choice they wouldn't even get a star. Grooming was expensive as hell. Grew back in a week. NEVER cut my dogs nails even though I payed them to. Resulting in a vet visit where I was told they hadn't been cut in two years making his feet sore and hard to walk on. Do not use this groomer read more

Took my rescue dog today and she looked and smelled fantastic. The staff was very friendly and the place was very clean.

Great service. I have been here 10 times over the last year and will keep taking my buddy back. They treat him great and he looks amazing and handsome and fluffy afterwards! read more

I have been very hesitant on taking my dog to a groomer ever since the groomer left my vet. I have a shih-tzu who is really sensitive when being bathed, groomed, and what have you. I know my little baby needed to be groomed badly, and all the wonderful reviews about Essential Grooming is what lead me to take her here. They were so nice. The woman I spoke to on the phone (I believe her name was Kelsey?) was so informative and made me feel comfortable upon making my appointment. When I finally brought my pup, I was terrified she would act out. Thankfully she didn't. They had called me about 15 minutes prior to her being done and said she had done really well in which I was so relieved! The groomer did an amazing job. I had explained a few concerns I had regarding some scabs my dog had from excessive scratching and she took the time to listen to my concerns and did a wonderful job on the cut for my dog. We'll definitely be regulars! read more

Essential Grooming - A bit blurry, but she looks like a whole new pup! - Pet Groomers Near Me - Santee, California

Ever since I got my 'little girl', Ruby, four years ago, I have been using Essential Grooming in Santee. Laurie Jennings and her staff are professional, warm, and caring animal lovers. I won't let anyone else groom my 13 lb. Shih Tzu. read more

I really like this place, they treat my dog so well. I have been coming here for almost two years. Laurie and staff are great people. My dog looks great and it seems as though she enjoys herself there. They are very accomodating to dogs who have sensitive skin. Tell them Sweet Pea sent you! read more

I have taken our 1 1/2 year Maltese Charlie for the past year. I have never been disappointed. We love taking Charlie ( or as they like to call him, Charles :) to Essential Grooming. He always gets a full bath, blueberry facial which is only $3, and a full groom. They are great with calling to tell us when he's ready & he always looks so handsome when we pick him up. He'll always have a cute little bandana on when we pick him up. I also don't live in Santee and make the 15 minute drive just to come here even though I have PetSmart, and so many other choices, I will only come here. Thank you Laurie & all amazing staff ! read more

My mom takes her Yorkie puppy here and has always raved about the grooms and service. I recently visited home with my border collie mix (who desperately needed a trim) and my mom insisted he take a trip to Essential Grooming. He gets nervous at places like the vet and groomers, but the entire staff made sure he felt comfortable and allowed me to walk him back when we first got there. His trim turned out great, he looks like brand new dog with a perfect summer haircut. Carrie did an excellent job and I couldn't be happier. You will not regret essential grooming! Make sure to add on the blueberry facial, my pup's face smelled amazing. I was so surprised when they rang us up, it was incredibly reasonable for the great service we received. read more

I take 3 of my dogs to Laurie at essential grooming and she is by far THE BEST in all of San Diego. My dogs are very reserved, have separation anxiety (insane barking!) and are just obnoxious messes. But Laurie and her kind staff ALWAYS takes the time to make them (and me!) feel comfortable and they always leave stress free and looking AMAZING!!! She is very reasonable priced especially for the outstanding services she provides. If you want your animals to be treated with big quality care and compassion....call them for an appointment....YOU WONT REGRET IT!! read more