Nelson has been cutting my dog's hair for many many years now. He and his wife are always So friendly. He gives reminder phone calls. He treats my pup so gently. My pup always looks great when I pick him up. This place is one very genuinely caring small business that provides amazing results and service. This review is long over due. Thank you Nelson! read more

The first time I brought my dog here, her cut was great. No problems. I brought my dog here a second time--her hair cut was choppy. I brushed it off. I brought her a third time--choppy cut again, and he cut my dogs paw. I'm guessing it wouldn't stop bleeding because he had to put some green gunk on it ( I forget what its called). My mom was pissed he cut her. & it's really upsetting to re-read other people's reviews and see it's not the first time he's cut someone's dog while grooming them. Needless to say, I haven't brought her back since. read more

The owner Nelson is a nice guy. He did an ok job on my little guy, the only thing that I was not really happy about was his cut around his face,it was a little choppy. For $55 I really don't think I should have to go home and fix it, which I did. He got him done it about 2hrs and since my dog is a diabetic that is a better for him other places have kept him for 4plus hrs. read more

Mon chien a l'air si belle! Merci boucoup to Nelson and his crew for a great groom on my maltichon pooch! This is the first time my dog did not come back shaved naked, too perfumey, or 8 hours after I dropped her off. Great prices, A+ customer service. Will be back soon since the rainy season has begun and it is time to look cute in those winter sweaters! read more

What a great experience and Nelson, the owner, is phenomenal! I took my 1 year old shih tzu to him today and he made Kamalie look so incredible! I will definitely be taking her back as well as her baby sister in 4 weeks. I am so happy to have found him. Wish I was able to give him 10 stars! Thanks Nelson you are amazing!! -Lynne and Kamalie and soon to be Kaycee! read more

Customer Service - 5 stars Service Quality - 3 stars After reading through all of the 5-star reviews, I went here for my Pekingese-Poodle to receive his haircut. I was expecting an artistic haircut, as opposed to a standard haircut, for my beloved dog. Colma Classic Grooming in Colma (whom I also reviewed here on Yelp) gave my dog a cut with artistic qualities...and that was before the ratings for that place started going down here in Yelp. I was hoping for the same kind of haircut for my dog here at Le Chien Fortune. Oh well, I guess different people have different ways of doing things. read more

Avoid! My dog is terrified of Nelson, the owner and groomer! My dog is very friendly to everybody and not scared of anybody. However, my dog is petrified to see him so much that he would bark and squeal and try to run away. It seems like my dog cannot wait to leave. Am not sure what he does to my dog when he is grooming my dog and I'm not around. Nelson did a horrible job grooming my dog! My poor dog has been groomed by nelson a few times now.(I only went back to nelson because I wanted to give him more chances.) Like many other people have reviewed here, he did a very sloppy job with my dog. My dog's hair was not trimmed evenly and it looks very cheap and raggedy. On top of that, nelson put many more matted clumps into my dog's hair. I have to spend a few hours at home trying to fix all his mistakes at home. What a waste of time and a lot of money! What is worse, I'm not the only one who thinks nelson is unprofessional and terrible. Look at all the negative filtered reviews at the bottom of the yelp page. Bad business! read more

I got a reference from a woman at Fort Funston to have Nelson (shop owner) groom my dad's Jack Russell, Sweetie. Nelson was friendly and kind. He fit me in right away and I was able to drop off the dog that day. When I came and picked up my lil girl, she was all clean, cut and even wearing a cute little red bow. I can not wait for my dad to see her. I also bought a cute doggie sweater that was priced at a very reasonable $8.99. Sweetie and I will definitely will be back. read more

Just adding on to my previous review (which I can't see??) Was just looking through yelp & stumbled on some NEW yelp reviews for Le Chien Fortune... **For the negative reviews: Honestly, come on.. if you did not like the cut on your dog.. maybe you should have been REALLY specific when talking to the groomer. And instead of giving 1 star based on just the cut.. you should have knocked out just one or two.. because those 5 stars are based on your ENTIRE experience - meaning.. customer service, look & feel of the shop, the cut, etc. Just because you were not satisfied with your cut doesn't give you the right to put this shop all the way down. Now I know that the customer service at this shop deserves 5 stars and if possible, 10! I just have to defend this shop because I've honestly never had such great customer service at any other pet-related shops / grooming places. I rest my case :). 5 stars to Le Chien Fortune all the way. Will be making another appointment very soon for Brady, thank you Nelson for your wonderful services!! read more

Found this place of Yelp and though I'd give it a try. Once again it's been hard to find reviews about GSD and grooming, so I was thinking why not just give this place a try. First of, this place is APPOINTMENT ONLY. I tried swinging by one time just to see if I could have a chat with the owner but it was closed since it was Sunday. The second time, I was lucky enough to catch him! Nelson was super nice and friendly when we went to talk to him about my GSD. He was very knowledgeable about them and said he'd do the whole grooming service for $65. Not bad if you ask me. Considering most places might charge me $80+ for a dog that's 85lb and up. So I said I'll give him a call when my dog needs a bath. Two weeks later I come back! If Nelson doesn't pick up the phone he'll definitely call you back if you leave him a message! He told me just call him 24 hours in advance and he'll always try to fit you in the next day! Also 24 hours to cancel since he is only open when he has clients! So I dropped off my GSD and my Jack Russell/Queensland mix at 9AM. Got a call around 12 to pick them up. Not bad! Ear cleaned Nails trimmed Teeth brushed Shampooed Blow dried Anal Glands expressed Trimmed Nelson is very thorough with his report when you pick up your dogs. He'll tell you what he got to and what he didn't do. For me it's because a GSD does not like for new people to touch him.. so I can understand that things got missed. What I do wish they did was blow dry after they cut the dogs. When I pet my GSD his fur comes off when I pet him. -___- next time. And for him to cut his side claws... But my dog smells better than ever and looks so much better than ever! He's so fluffy!!!! read more

Hm...Where do I begin with this place & Nelson? My dog, gangster, hates coming to this place but then again he hates a lot of things in general. He dislikes the idea of being groomed so I definitely don't think Nelson/staff has anything to do with gangster crying whenever we arrive at this place. I have been to numerous grooming places and I think Nelson does a pretty good job. It's clean. It's quick. The staff just seem genuine overall. I always just want my shih tzu shaved and Nelson does it just the way I like it. He always gives me a mini report of how well gangster did during the process instead of just giving me the dog & taking my cash like many other groomers do. I just feel more comfortable having Nelson as gangster's groomer. I feel strong sense of reassurance. He also does overnight boarding! I am planning on trying him out for ten days while I go on vacation in November. Will revert on how it goes! read more

Nelson is great with my dog, Paddington! The facility is clean and gives you a warm feeling. I feel completely comfortable leaving my pup with Le Chen, I know he's in good hands. It's easy to make an appointment. I am a loyal repeat client. read more

My Musubi needed a haircut really bad. So I searched Yelp! and this place had all high marks... My dog came back smelling wonderful and clean. Now I can see her eyes! Nelson is very nice and approachable. I met the whole family on my first visit and even Pumpkin! This will be Musubi's regular salon from now on. Keep up the good work Nelson. Its hard to find a reliable pet groomer. read more

I made an appointment for Cali, my 2 year old Pit Boxer, for Saturday morning. Set for 10AM drop off and pick up at 1AM. He was prompt and Cali came out clean and smelling fresh! No more smell of dirty socks! She had scabs on her back from scratching and biting and those were all brushed out...everything was nice and clean! I couldn't have done it myself. I will be back for sure! Nelson, the owner, was very helpful. He told me what he was gonna do and assured me she will be fine. This was the first time I had brought Cali to a place like this. I read other reviews and chose to come here. Positive experience and glad I brought her. Now when I play with Cali, I don't have to hold my breath. =) I'll be making another appointment soon! Also, the store has supplies like healthy food and vitamins as well as little accessories for your loved one. Your loved one will be in good hands here. read more

I found Nelson's Le Chien Fortune through Yelp and boy, am I glad I did! I didn't want to just take my little maltipoo boy, Bailey to PetSmart to get groomed so I combed through Yelp to look for the best. I was very impressed with Nelson's reviews that I made the decision to bring Bailey there. When we first brought Bailey he was much too young to get a full body cut, which Nelson informed us of. He was very concerned about Bailey's puppy hair and even told us that he doesn't want to do anything to jeopardize the growth of his adult hair. I was pleasantly surprised to hear this because it showed that Nelson really knows what he's doing. I felt more confident bringing Bailey to somebody who is passionate about his work - and who cares about his clients. He also has a website which I love - making it more convenient for me to get the information I want without having to call the place. The gallery of dogs that he's groomed also shows me that he loves his work and his clients. I was sold! We brought Bailey in at 9am and got him an hour and 45 mins later! The second time we brought him in, Nelson told us it would take 3 hours, but Bailey was done in less than that. I'm really happy that we get to see our little boy right away and not have to leave him there for too long. The best part of it all is that Nelson has great prices. I definitely recommend him to anyone who is looking for an awesome groomer! read more

Nelson was nice but didn't do the job right. I told him I wanted Joy's fur short and he left the muzzle long(the part that seems to grow the fastest.) He left her eye boogers in her eye. Did not pluck the hairs in her ear. Handed her to me with a lot of loose fur so that I got a mouth full of fur when she head butted me. I had a livingsocial deal and that is the one and only time I will go back. read more

I brought my feisty barker to Nelson by the recommendation of the many Yelp reviews. Early on a Saturday morning, we were greeted by the cheery groomer. Upon entering the shop and seeing his other canine clients, I had no fears about leaving my beloved for about 2 hours of beautification. I always get nervous when I get my dog groomed, because her first grooming experience was at a different place--she was cut accidentally under her arm, deep enough that required surgery. So, I always have this fear that follows me. After receiving the phone call that she was ready to be picked up, I headed back to Le Chien Fortune. I was welcomed by a tamed lioness! My pomeranian sported her lion cut like a champ. It's been almost a month since her haircut and it still looks new. He did such a wonderful job, I'll definitely be back. Thanks Nelson, he IS totally awesome! read more

Nelson and Rose have the biggest heart. The love and respect they showed when grooming Sugar and to my family on her last day was incredible, thoughtful and so sweet. They are not just groomers, their humanity surpasses all with the love and respect they show to our fur baby! Nelson and Rose you are amazing and will forever be in our hearts. read more

My poor little chi/terier mix was sprayed in his face by a skunk last night. After washing him in a baking soda and hydrogen peroxide mixture he still stank to the high heavens. Since he needed a good grooming, nails trimmed & teeth cleaned I turned to yelp. Looking for high ratings and well thought out reviews close to my work I found Nelson. I called him at 8am to see if he could squeeze him in. Sure enough 9:30am we were there and Nelson had a plan of attack for that skunk funk. When I picked him up he looked handsome, smelled much better (the smell will fade more with time) and was a happy boy. I'm satisfied with our experience and will be using Nelson in the future. read more

Oh my goodness, Nelson is just the best and nicest groomer I have ever had work on my pugs. He did a GREAT job and my guys are still smelling good! I will definitely be taking them back, probably every month! Thanks, Nelson! read more

Great location off El Camino Real, with easy to find free parking right off the curb. No stinky dog smell. Usually require appointment, but Nelson was nice to call me back and told me that he could fit a bath appointment within the next hour. $55 bath= tooth brushing, shampoo & conditioner, ears cleaned, nails trimmed, gland extracted, and he even trimmed the toe hairs for my dog w/o charging me =) My dog smelled like sweet pea afterwards, will definitely take him there again. read more

My dog loves Nelson and his team. They are extremely patient, gentle, and kind. Although my dog is anxious about baths and being blow-dried, she's comfortable with the caring team. Always a positive experience for both pet and owner. A personal friend highly recommended Le Chien and I'm glad they did. read more

We moved to Millbrae Almost a year ago, and glad to have found this grooming shop! Nelson and his team are friendly, cut's reasonably priced and always does a great job with our baby read more

Nelson is on of the best dog groomers I have ever met. He brings a very personal approach to his clients. My Siberian husky is very afraid strangers, but he loved Nelson. Mac (my Husky) came home smelling great. Thanks Nelson read more

Changing my review to five stars after my second visit. I asked Nelson to cut my dog's hair even shorter this time, and he did so beautifully! Very meticulous. Oh, and the haircut grew out very nicely after the first time. I just wanted it shorter. Honestly, just a really great guy. :) Very accommodating. read more

I've been coming here for almost a year now and am very happy I have such a good groomer that's not too far away. Nelson is such a nice guy and very reasonable with his customers. I completely understand that it's a difficult industry to be in since dogs are sometimes more babied than someone's real baby! You are going to get some good and some bad clients from time to time. That's just the nature of the game. Our doggies always come back very happy and so fresh and so clean! A main concern of mine since one of my dogs is very shy and doesn't work well with strangers but she's always happy and wagging her tail when we come pick her up. Personally, I've had nothing but good experiences. Nelson is always easy to reach either via phone or email (I prefer email but that's just me) and he always gives a pretty accurate estimate on when they will be ready and will always call me when they are ready to go home. It took them a few adjustments to get the right cut I wanted for my doggies but they have it down to a science now. All I gotta say is the usual. This is just how it is though, you can't expect someone to know exactly what you want the first time unless you show up with a 3d scan of the dog lol! The last time though, looks like they cut a little too far into one of my dogs nails and there was a little bleeding. I would have appreciated it if Nelson let me know ahead of time so I could have treated the wound earlier. It wasn't tooooo bad though so I'll live. read more

I usually don't like posting negative reviews especially for small businesses. Our 7 year old dog has gone to Nelson every 5-8 weeks over the last 1.5 years. Before that he has had a similar ritual with other groomers ever since he was a 3-month old. Every one has only complemented him for his gentle demeanor and ability to stand still for the longest time (obedience training) Yesterday, he came back home trying to lick between his legs. We checked and found the wound. As Nelson's store was closed and I am the primary customer, my husband waited for me to return. By the time I returned, the vets' clinic had closed for the day too. I sent the pictures to Nelson to check if a novice had done the grooming. Instead of acknowledging and apologizing, as another individual would do, he turned on the dog. First that the wound was from licking - our dog doesn't- a difficult spot too. Second, he must have fidgeted which he countered himself by saying that the dog never even cried. Our dog, as I said before, is a gentle soul. Today we took him to the vet - he confirmed that the wound was indeed a grazed cut, he also found a couple of new nicks. We had found one yesterday, which Nelson said could be from scratching. While our dog does not lick, he does scratch once in a while. These were in a different location - inner side of the leg joint - unscratchable. Nelson had also noticed some scars from older nicks. So it must have happened before. I am now really sorry for not noticing them before. Make what you can of this. I hope your dog is luckier. I am surely not taking our baby back to Le Chien. My biggest annoyance is the lack of remorse and deflection. read more

My pup turned one last weekend and so I wanted to take my dog, Aiden to a private grooming service and found Le Chien through yelp! Boy was I happy with the customer service, attentive detail, and overall care of my pet. Nelson was extremely nice, greeted Aiden right at the start and gave recommendations of his haircut before starting. Dog is a long-haired dachschund so I didn't want him to cut too much hair since I wanted his natural appearance. It's been 5 days now and he still smells WONDERFUL and coat is as shinny as can be! It's a bit pricy at ($50) but beats going to Petco. read more

Le Chien Fortune - Pet Groomers Near Me - Millbrae, California

Nelson and crew are fantastic! I've now taken my doggy here three times, and I'm always impressed by Nelson's kindness, efficiency, and excellent work. My dog was a rescue who was likely mistreated at some point, so she can be a bit anxious. It's been touching to see her warm up to Nelson. She generally doesn't like men, so I think he definitely has the magic touch. I really appreciate his patience and sweetness with her. Also, I find his reminder phone calls helpful as time can fly by and I can easily forget when it's time to take her in. Also, the space/salon is great! read more

We are new to the Millbrae area and new owners of a Morkie puppy. Prior to owning "Oreo" we had "Katy" the beagle, so dog grooming is a whole new adventure for us. My wife and I are avid users of yelp and have found it to be an invaluable tool in choosing business for their product quality and customer service. This was our first visit to Le Chien Fortune and we are 100% satisfied. Nelson the owner is engaging and takes the time to inform, educate and answer any questions you may have. If you are looking for someone to care about your pet as much as you do and deliver a high quality of service based on solid knowledge of dogs - Le Chien Fortune is your spot. As very satisfied first time customers it certainly is ours! read more

Finally someone who can groom a scottish terrier correctly! I have tried so many places in the bay area, having moved here a few months ago....and this is the first place I have been happy with. It is a lot more reasonably priced than other places and Nelson takes care of teeth aswell as the other important areas. I am relieved that the search is over! I will be back! read more

Very good place to take your pet!! My Pompug looks fabulous and I even got him a Warriors jersey while there. The owner and his family are very welcoming and patient with your pet. My dog gets very anxious and I was afraid that would be an issue but the owner made us feel at ease and got the job done both professionally and safely. I highly recommend this business. read more

Le Chien Fortune - Looking fly!!! - Pet Groomers Near Me - Millbrae, California

I have been taking my dog to Le Chien Fortune for over a year now and I couldn't be happier with the service I have received. Nelson and his family are wonderful! My dog comes back in perfect condition every time. I have never been disappointed by the cut or condition of his coat. I highly recommend bringing your dogs to Nelson. He will even give you a friendly reminder call when it's time for a trim. They also have a teeth cleaning service that comes to the shop monthly, which I also recommend. 5 star service all the way! Thanks Nelson! read more

Le Chien Fortune - Fresh cut! - Pet Groomers Near Me - Millbrae, California

Wonderful pace. Knowledgeable staff. Kind staff. Efficient and caring. Know how to handle difficult animals like my chihuahua- mini pinch. Too great care not to harm animal. I plan on returning and would highly recommend this place for grooming. read more

I was hoping to find a groomer close to my new home. Scheduling a appointment to fit my schedule was somewhat difficult but I was able to get my girls in a couple of weeks out. So if you are looking to schedule, call ahead if your schedule is a bit hectic like mine. (6 month old baby that accommodated most of my time). I have 2 schnauzer girls, one is 5 years old, the other is one and a half. Now Bella the older girl has been around groomers a lot so she knows the drill. I know she likes to fight the water being sprayed at her, so when I wash her at home I spray from up top not from the side. And she also likes to fight the blow dryer.. now when I say fight I mean she likes to bark and what not. Not actually bite. Now Harley, god bless her, is a cry baby. Even when I clip her nails she is crying.. and that's holding her down. I understand my 2 girls have their issues with being groomed. Long story short... (kinda late for that) I picked them up and they were pretty sloppy. My requested cut was fairly easy, not the standard schnauzer cut, but a short cut all around and leaving the beard and eyebrows as the typical Schnauzer should be. The ears were left untouched all together, their faces were ALL bad, Bella looks like an owl... Harley looks like she has a unusually large head. Their nails weren't even clipped. I was thinking about bringing them back to let Nelson fix it but I don't think he can do it. When I picked them up he told me how difficult each one of them were, which I understand.. but my groomer in SF (who I will be seeing from now on) was able to handle them. Maybe it takes a experienced, patient groomer to handle my girls. I paid $55 for each of my girls.. that's a lot of money for not being satisfied! My groomer in SF is the Dog Barber, call them if you want a experienced groomer that can meet your requests without any problems. I wish I could comment about Nelson comment on my review, but somehow I can't figure out how. Yes Bella was fighting the water and the blow dryer, but I strongly believe its how you approach it. If you blew dried her from up top and away instead of directly at her face, she would've been fine with the blow drying, same with washing her with water. I told you I knew their quirks, and its about patience and experience about how to handle them. You said yourself Bella was fine with the actual grooming, then why was her nails left unclipped, her ears left untouched and her face left so unevenly cut? Apparently you do not have the skill and experience to handle dogs. I can guarantee that not at all dogs stay still and love to be bathed. Patience is a virtue.. read more

Bait and switch. Owner quoted one price over the phone then added $20 when I got there for my 9 AM appointment. When I mentioned that I drove all the way from SF and he had quoted me $55, not $55 and up, he just said that he couldn't do it. read more

I really wanted to like this place. I called the owner on the phone and he was very accommodating regarding scheduling and was able to get us in within the week. He did a good job of cutting my puppy's face which is very hard to do. But in closer examination he left some mats in his fur and did not trim his dew claws. Over all the work was sloppy. It was frustrating because our puppy is extremely shy and we want to limit the need for him to go to groomer places, but trimming a dew claw is not something that I can do and I will have to find another place that can do it. I feel that he could have payed a little more attention to detail and at least cut out some of the mats in his fur. read more

It angers me that most of Nelson's responses to negative reviews were either very defensive or plain out rude. I would still not go here two years later after that horrible haircut he gave my dog. This dude is a joke. Nelson is pretty well known for the wrong reasons around the block with other pet groomers. I've talked to the ladies at Petco in south San Francisco and Palo Alto and they literally gasped when I said Nelson's name. If you don't believe me, talk to Lisa at Petco south city, Diana in Palo Alto, or Bethina at Scrub A Pup San Mateo. read more

I was so excited to take by dog to Le Chien Fortune after reading so many good reviews. Unfortunately, I've never been so disappointed. The people are nice and the salon is clean, but the grooming is not what I expect as a customer. Sorry, I won't be back! read more

I took my dog to this groomer for maybe 2 years. The whole time hoping that they meant well. During those two years I had to take my dog(golden doodle) to the vet 2 times and get him treatments for the cuts he had. The second times was my wake up call. They made me feel bad when i picked him up as if it was my fault that they cut him... Finally I came to my sense and at the rescue of my sweet dog. We left found a wonderful new place where when I pick him up he is not yelping and can't sit for a week! I let my own insecurities about standing up and I let this happened. Nelson is a nice guy, I wished so much that they meant well! But it did not work for us! read more