Our doodle loves Alma! And she looks fresh and adorable after each grooming session.read more

I'd like to put in a review for Leading the Pack. I have two older schnauzers who were in real need…read moreof a grooming. Normally I do it myself but I was in the middle of moving. They were matted and the groomer, Alma, assess them ahead and let me know that they were going to have to be quite short. What I didn't know was that Alma assess their skin and gave them exceptional care with her understanding of dry skin. When I pick them up their coat was soft and I could tell that a lot of their skin issues were no longer causing them problems. She had taken great care to give them what she called a mud bath which helped their dry, itchy skin. I highly recommend giving this grooming Business a try. They are hard-working and they do know what they're doing.

Tao has been coming to take care of our 17 year old Zoe for several years. She is prompt, thorough,…read moreand has a way with our cat.

I do not recommend this woman. She used human toenail clippers (!!) instead of pet nail clippers…read more She did not listen to me when I asked her to stop what she was doing when my cat was visibly distressed. We were willing to pay someone to trim our cats' nails so that a "professional" could do it, but she ordered me to scruff and hold the cats, defeating the purpose of paying someone else. Finally, she lifted our adult cats by the scruff of the neck, which should never be done! Adult cats' bodies are too heavy for this - it can be painful/harmful. We will pay more to take the cats to the vet for nail trims going forward, so that they treated safely and efficiently.

I am super happy with this place!!! My toy poodle Curry is really nervous around groomers due to…read morebad experiences and gets really anxious, but she was doing great after her appointment with Heather!! Heather gave me really good instructions and commentary on how to prepare Curry for a grooming appointment so that she wouldn't be nervous or in pain and was super accommodating and patient with her. The cut is so cute and exactly what I wanted!! Love this place, will definitely come here for future hair cuts :-))

This is a positive review for Heather.  She was very knowledgeable and helpful. She also showed…read moregood character. I had reached out to Heather seeking advice on how to help a stray cat "Miss Kitty".  Miss Kitty comes around 2x a day for food in my backyard. She is a very pretty kitty with medium length black hair who seems to have some matting issues. Miss Kitty is very skittish but I have been slowly building trust with her these past few weeks. So can now pet her. Given she has been outdoors she is not used to being brushed and gets scared when she sees it. I contacted Heather seeking advice for how to best help the cat with her coat. Heather very generously spent 30+ mins talking with me.  We covered all sorts of topics. Including ways to desensitize the cat to brushing, which sort of brush/comb to use, and how to make sure it's also paired with a positive reward (like a treat). HEather also explained that I should first get her used to me brushing/combing her where there are no tangles, just so that cat can get used to the experience. Then as I build comfort with cat, gradually work my way over to the tangles to gently work on them.   She also gave her take suggesting that maybe this was winter undercoat growing out with some tangles. Versus extreme matting that was pulling the skin and causing pain to the cat. Which was a huge relief in itself! We also spoke about the pros/cons of shaving her. She explained it would definitely give her a fresh start for the coat. However, Heather voiced that if it was done now (April) she worried the cat would get cold outside.  So suggested if it was done, either to wait until warmer months or until the cat maybe was more socialized and willing to live indoors afterwards. We also spoke about if eventually the cat was shaved that would also be a good time to bathe her, which type of soap to use, etc. We also spoke about if I did ever get her socialized to that point, how we could make any future appt less stressful for the cat. During the conversation Heather also spoke with me about not rushing things, given strays have a lot of trust issues. So Heather understood how fragile the budding bond is with this cat. (She mentioned her mother in law did feral cat rescue, so was familiar with how to work with these types of cats who generally are not used to human interactions.) If Heather was as different type of person and greedy - she would have just wanted me to bring the cat in for an appt immediately or tried to sell me a bunch of products.  But she really seemed to care about the cat's well being which I really appreciated.  There was zero attempt to sell me on anything which these days is very rare. Heather also declined my offer to pay her for the phone consultation, saying she was happy just to help. Again very rare! If you want someone who is a knowledgeable and experienced groomer, genuinely cares about the animal's well being, and is a wonderful human being to boot - you will be in good hands with Heather.

Today was our first time at Spago! We were looking for a new groomer since I noticed how terrified…read moreshe was shaking to go to the last place. Right when we walked in, the little store front felt very spacious and cozy. I looked to the back, I noticed there was a lot of space for the dogs. I LOVED that my dog was NOT caged up until it was her time to be groomed. And I picked her up right when she was done. Miki was very kind and patient. I also appreciate the different options for payment. Looking forward to our second visit. I think my dog will be excited not shaking scared for her future spa days.

Miki and her team are great. We have been customers for 3 years. Our mini bernedoodle, Hopper, is…read morealways taken care of. Many thanks!

The most amazing and kind and gentle staff. Would recommend for anyone seeking a groomerread more

My dog is a Bearded Collie, notoriously difficult to groom. Froy and Noemi are highly skilled…read moregroomers who did a marvelous job on our pup. I have used many groomers in the Bay Area and I would put Bubbles (formerly Mr. John) at the very top. This is skilled, groomer, with a welcoming manner. I won't go anywhere else.

It's been nearly 2 years since I brought my dog to Spaw Fitness to be groomed and I have not…read moreforgotten how traumatized he was. He woke me up several times that night after I brought him home. He was agitated, seeking comfort. He'd been nicked and in some spots was shaved so close the skin was exposed. When we first arrived -- before I left him to be groomed -- he responded with panic. I have felt such regret for not listening to him and the plea in his gaze not to leave him. I wonder what he sensed. I will post a photo of how he looks after an excellent grooming elsewhere, and another of how he looked when I picked him up from Spaw. I didn't post a review at the time because I felt the owner was nice and meant well -- but I can't drive past the business without a shudder.

After a 6-hour appointment with Taj, my dog now looks like this. My husband and I are heartbroken…read morethat our dog came back stressed and anxious. We've recently moved to this area, and all our previous grooming experiences elsewhere have been positive. I had provided Taj with clear instructions for my dog's grooming: poodle paws, teddy-bear face, and a summer cut for his body. However, my dog came back with visible razor burns, uneven patches of fur, and nails that weren't trimmed. I was also in absolute disbelief that his face was completely shaved, contrary to our discussion. Along with the traumatic experience for our dog, Taj's interaction with my husband was less than professional. Instead of acknowledging the mistakes, Taj was defensive and lacked courtesy. Given our experience, I am genuinely surprised by the high reviews Taj has received.

Vanessa is amazing! She did a perfect grooming of our Sheltie today, and on top of doing a great…read morejob she was amazingly punctual - brought us in right on time, and finished just when she said she would. Very friendly and professional throughout!

Thank you Vanessa!!! She is so knowledgeable and experienced, both of which were really important…read moreto me since my dog is a toy aussie with a double-coat and we've had some really negative grooming experiences. Vanessa sat down with me for nearly 10 minutes before getting started to understand what my concerns were and how I wanted the grooming to go. When I came to pick-up, Vanessa went over everything with me verbally and provided us with a sweet "report card" listing everything she had done. She was so kind throughout. And my dog's haircut couldn't be cuter! I feel super lucky that we were able to book this appointment with her and couldn't sing her praises more enthusiastically! 10 out of 10 would recommend!

So thankful to have been referred to Susan. She was the perfect person to groom my 4 month old…read moreStandard Poodle, Bluebell! Susan's gentle way, care, and patience eased and calmed my puppy who was kinda terrified at first. She went inside so scared and came out so happy. Because of covid it has been hard to socialize our pup. Meeting people with masks has been pretty scary for Bluebell, so this was a wonderful experience for her to meet a new friend. She also came home looking gorgeous and smelled so good. We can't wait till our next visit. Thank you Susan!!!

Susan is a great groomer. Capi always looks super stylish when he comes back and does not seem…read moretraumatized - which has been our experience with other groomers. I think she has a way with him to keep him calm. Would highly recommend. FYI - Book up early, or you might have to wait a while :) We book up for the year so we can stay on top of it.

Our recent VCA in Albany closed and moved our records to this location. We've been here twice and…read moreboth times the staff and doctors were very friendly and open to any questions we had. Also, the crew was very friendly to our dogs and made them feel more relaxed. They are busy, so sometimes appointments are pretty far out. If they give you the option, they can place you on a waiting list and if anyone cancels you get a text for that available appointment. Compared to our original VCA, they have extended hours which is very helpful. Thank you all for your friendliness and compassion!

Great initial visit. Was able to ask questions to ensure my guy stays healthy for a long time. Very…read morecaring and adaptive to the animal (my pup has a lot of energy) ensuring the animal is comfortable and well treated. I wish my doctor's office exhibited the level of care they provided. Front desk could be better. In my multiple experiences with them, it's felt more like checking boxes than providing customer service (over phone and in office). Won't get into the nitty gritty (because all other staff was great) but I was able to notice differential service between me and other owners. Everyone should be treated with equal respect and care, would not want this to be mistaken as bias. My pup had such a good time, I dont think he will associate the vet with something to be scared of. Considering my pups story, this speaks volumes of the dedicated staff and the environment they cultivated

Jess is so so sweet and patient, and is a wonderful teacher for both dogs & humans! She's extremely…read moreknowledgeable and has had some really helpful and creative ideas for navigating confusing behaviors/challenges that my senior rescue dog has been struggling with. She really knows how to break down training steps in an approachable, non-overwhelming way. We have only had a few sessions with her so far, but her warmth and support have really helped us both already! :) I have some health challenges, and Jess has been incredibly accommodating and understanding about my different needs. Highly recommend!! :))

Jess is a patient, insightful, and thoughtful trainer. She helped us understand and work through…read moresome of our older toy poodle's quirky and problematic behaviors (attacking certain people's feet, barking at the tv, hiding whenever it was time to go for a walk, etc). We felt very stuck and unsure of how to navigate these behaviors prior to meeting with her. We worried that our dog being older would make change impossible, but that definitely isn't the case. I particularly appreciated how collaborative she was with us throughout the process-- she made sure to check-in with us each week about how we felt regarding her suggestions, how things were going when we were practicing training on our own, what interventions we were comfortable with or not, what behaviors we wanted to prioritize working on next, etc. Jess is also in general just a lovely and kind human who clearly has such a strong passion for the work she does. This made it really easy for us to trust that we were being guided by someone wise and with the best of intentions. Highly recommend.