I wish I could give them a 3.5, but I'll round up.
This is a small shop that works on one dog at a time. I think that approach is great, and was optimistic about taking my elderly dog there since I think the busier places must be overwhelming for him.
They called me about 15 minutes after I dropped him off to say I needed to come get him because he was too stressed out to be groomed (he didn't bite or anything; they were concerned about his rapid breathing). I appreciated it, because I'd rather bring him come home without being cut than have them push through the full grooming if he wasn't up to it. They charged me just for the bath, which was kind of them.
What I didn't appreciate as much was that they refused to work with me to find a solution, e.g., booking another appointment and having me stay to help keep him calm--and I explained I'd be happy to pay in full for both appts regardless of the outcome. They recommended that I take him to my vet and have him "shaved down"--which would almost certainly be much more stressful for him. We have chosen to groom him at home. Much less stress for him, but since we have no skills his new cut is a bit... avant garde. Such is life.
If your dog tolerates grooming well, I expect they would be a very good shop. read more