Inconsistent Policies and Customer Service I have been bringing both of my dogs to The Barking Lot for grooming for over a year. Unfortunately, my recent experiences have left me extremely disappointed. On one day, I brought in one of my dogs and was never asked to provide proof of his rabies vaccination, even though I had the documentation with me. The very next day, I brought in my other dog. He was approximately one month overdue for his rabies vaccine, and I had already scheduled his vaccination appointment for the following day. When I arrived, a different employee asked for his rabies tag and refused to accept him for grooming because I did not have it. What frustrates me most is the lack of consistency. If proof of vaccination is required, that policy should be applied equally to all customers and by all employees. Instead, one dog was accepted without any verification, while the other was turned away the next day. To make matters worse, when I later attempted to schedule another appointment online, my request was simply rejected without any explanation or communication. Beyond these issues, the front desk experience has often felt unwelcoming, with interactions coming across as passive-aggressive rather than customer-focused. I understand and respect the importance of vaccination requirements, but customers deserve consistent enforcement of policies, clear communication, and professional service. After over a year as a customer, this experience has been very disappointing. read more

I took my dogs in to get groomed. The girl who took care of the grooming was named Samantha (Sam). She did a wonderful job on both. They were both groomed, nails clipped and smelling good. I was really impressed because it's hard finding someone who's good. Thank you Sam! I'm looking forward to taking my dogs to you again. read more

I asked for a Mohawk and got this . Then the lady said oh his hair wouldn't stand up and just use gel. This cut is only on one side. Please tell me the name of the person that worked on my dog so I don't make the mistake of using her again. The lady I spoke to initially said they could give my dog a Mohawk not this Gumby look! She is also the person who advised me to use gel. read more

The Barking Lot - My dog did not get the Mohawk I requested - Pet Groomers Near Me - Wheaton, Illinois

After going here for her haircuts for a year, they SHAVED our Aussiedoodle...in December.....without asking. When talking to the groomer, we had said same as last time....which has always been a light trim. They've had to shave parts of her legs in the past due to matting, which was fine. That wasn't the case this time - she had no matting. She just said "well you said shorter"..... When my dog came out this time totally shaved, I was floored. Absolutely heartbroken. All I got was a "sorry" and "well comp this haircut". Why would you think it's okay to shave her? She's never been shaved before. Her hair is always kept long. Even if you thought that was the case, why wouldn't you confirm SHAVING. Never ever ever going back, and encouraging my fellow doodle owners to do the same. read more

The Barking Lot - Pet Groomers Near Me - Wheaton, Illinois

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Set up a two week appointment for my dogs nails & shampoo. When I showed up I asked for muzzle & they said morning only it was 2.30 appointment . nothing said on phone when I set up. Then is he on medication I said yes. Again morning again. I was turned away but I looked at it as a blessing in disguise. It smelled very bad & floor was filthy. Imagine what I could not see. Probably would have got Kennel cough or Flees. So thankful I was turned away. very unprofessional & like I said very dirty but make up your own mind. read more

Well I'm disappointed in the pricing. Paid $50.00 to Grind and trim my dog nails. Then cut down the hair off his paws. I was cha $35.00 then come back to charge another $15.00 for what. I can get a shampoo and cut and nail trim at Petsmart for $50.00 just way too much money to spend. read more

For some reason they can't seem to keep good, qualified, experienced groomers. Went there for a long time and the turnover in groomers has recently become a real problem. The good ones never stay very long anymore. They groomed my Shih Tzu for 7 years and for a long time had a relatively stable staff with groomers that were very capable. Now all of a sudden they are claiming that she is "aggressive". Not sure how she became "aggressive" overnight when they never had a problem before. She has never been "aggressive" with me. Could it be that the current groomers just don't have the necessary skill set? If they can't handle a 9lb Shih Tzu, how do they deal with a 75lb German Shepherd? read more

My dog has been coming here for YEARS. Even they mentioned to me that in her notes there's a history of her being skiddish and timid, Causing her to have a muzzle. Cool it's always been that way so I understand, But now all of the sudden they wanted me to pay an aggression fee. For what ? And when I asked when did this start no one replied to me. She just went back in November, How did she become aggressive all of the sudden ? I never had to pay it in the 8+ years she's been coming here. What gets me upset is that they look at me like i'm crazy but I just asked a question. The new lady before I had to reschedule my appointment was telling me how she's scared because my dog bit her, But my dog has no teeth LOL if you're so scared maybe dog grooming isn't the job for you, and maybe you should read her notes and know that you should've put her in the muzzle to begin with. Then they had the audacity to ask if I wanted to leave a tip, yeah! My tip for you is to treat your customers that has BEEN coming here for years with respect, instead of looking at them like they just called you out your name or something for simply asking a question. read more

Look what they did to my dogs tail! A catastrophe of errors, the most obvious is that they cut her tail feathers at random?? To top it off, they shaved her but area ( gross) I am so sad. My dog wiggles a lot when we pick her up, I didn't notice the tail until we were in the car going home. read more

The Barking Lot - Pet Groomers Near Me - Wheaton, Illinois

Fantastic Job. Brought my babies here for grooming and they were perfect. I had very specific requests for grooming and they did it exactly. I didn't know until I looked at my receipt that this place is the same as Bentley's.... but maybe geared more towards grooming. They do have a small store with food and accessories, but not as much as you would find at a regular Bentley's. read more

Took my giant there quite a few times, called me in less than an hr for a full groom. Walked him back in shop every time with pieces hanging and chopped up nails. Massive attitude with groomer. read more

Our whole family loves this place ~ awesome every time!!! Every employee soooo sincerely happy and helpful and wonderful with our fur babies. Thanks all read more

The Barking Lot is great! We use them to clip our dog's nails & for a bath when our dog needs one.

Samantha is the absolute best! Our girl Luna can't stand water but she still seems to get excited for her grooming appointment. Just nice to have someone friendly you know you can trust that goes above and beyond. 100% recommend! read more

Took our springer spaniel there yesterday for 2pm grooming appt. Have used them in the past. Well yesterday at 5:30 pm when I haven't heard from them I called and they said he was ready for pick up. Upon arrival they say he peed and pooped on the table and they wouldn't do it again unless he was medicated. They hadn't cut even one hair or nail. NO GROOMING. Only bath. Charged us 50.00 for bath! OUTRAGEOUS, and he was totally traumatized. I intend to get a refund and would never recommend them again. We had been getting the nails trimmed there when it was 6.00 now 10.00 however have come to realize they trim them barely only to go back more frequently. Last time I had nails done there were 2 other customers pointing out that the back nails hadn't even been trimmed. Examine your dog! Our springer is a mild mannered family dog with 3 small children at home and has never been traumatized to this extent! read more

They are great with our dog! Very friendly staff and our puggle comes back very happy.

The groomers are so kind and patient with my dog. She is very frightened to visit and have her nails trimmed. Thank you for always being gentle, kind and concerned for her. read more

Anna is the best. Our boy looks forward for his monthly "pampering" time with her. We have been using her for over five years

I took my 12-week old puppy, Chloe here yesterday for her first grooming appointment. I was initially a little bit nervous leaving my baby pup behind but I knew right when I met Chloe's groomer, Allison, that she would be in great hands. Allison was very attentive to my concerns and you could tell she is a true animal lover. My puppy immediately fell in love with her right when they met! Anyways, I dropped Chloe off and after a couple of hours, picked her up. They gave her a bath so she smelled lovely and got the mats out of her easily-tangled Yorkie fur. She was soft and had an adorable haircut and clean nail trim. They only charged me $30 for everything (plus expressing her anal glands). Plus, there are two lovely kitties in the store lobby that you might catch sleeping on the shelves if you're lucky. My puppy and I will definitely be returning. read more

The Barking Lot - Chloe looking fresh - Pet Groomers Near Me - Wheaton, Illinois

We have been going here for a year and a half ever since we got our puppy Cooper. Cooper is my first dog and I at times had no idea what I was doing the parking lot was really great Kaitlin specifically would help me with my dog got allergies when I needed help with vaccinations and what to do. What to try to help his allergies... anything and everything the parking lot really feel like family and I'm so happy that we found them and that there's a location so close to me that sells Zignature! They graciously help me with all of my questions and I could not recommend them more Also they have the cutest cookies for pups read more

The Barking Lot - Pet Groomers Near Me - Wheaton, Illinois

My old groomer lost her lease so I found The Barking Lot. I used to go to them and stopped. I had my dog cut this week.....NOT very happy. For 85 dollars including tip, he was chopped up. The groomer did consult with me, if consult was what that was? I will not be returning to this place. The shop was more worn and dirtier than before. I should have saw that as a sign of the quality of their work. Incidentally, my old groomer only charged 54 dollars for a much better cut and cleaner facilities. sign, Looking for a new groomer read more

Love the Barking Lot. All of their groomers have always taken excellent care of my dogs. Keep up the great work!

I went to The Barking Lot today to get my dog's nails trimmed. On Tuesdays and Thursdays they offer $6 nail trims. When I went to pay for my dog's nail trim the lady asked me if I wanted to have them filed? I said yes why wouldn't I? She said it would be $12, I said I thought today was a $6 special. She said it is a $6 special but if you want to file that's $6 extra. I then asked to speak to the manager. Megan told me the same thing. I asked her on a regular day when you pay $12 to get your dog's nails trimmed is it $6 extra to have them filed? She said no. I am really confused on what they call a special. I will no longer bring my business to them.... I also could not help to notice that there was an awful pet odor in this store today. There was also dog poop in the parking lot. I did tell them but they didn't go outside to clean it up. Just as a reminder there is another pet groomer located right on Gary across from the Wheaton bowling alley it is called KITTY'S CORNER. Kitty trims nails for $6 ALL DAY EVERYDAY!!!. *****Filing is included**** The owner's name is Kathy and she is very sweet, her and her daughter work very well together. read more

First time last time ! I had a appointment and was constantly reminded thru messaging that my appointment was at 1:30pm ... I was there with my dog at exactly 1:30 ! My appointment lasted from 1:30 till 6:30! I was only getting a bath and dry ! I was told that my dog made a mistake and they had to re-wash her! I was eventually told when I literally asked she peed on herself !!! How could she do that unless for 5 of the hours she was caged ! My dog did not make a mistake you made a mistake and kept her caged !!! I got her home she panted nonstop for at least 5 hours AND DRANK 5 huge bowls of water thru out my evening ! Did they not offer water??? CAGED AND NO WATER IS WHAT I COULD ONLY IMAGINE! AGAIN NO THANKS read more

We took my dog here all the time before we moved to the city 6 years ago. We just moved back to the burbs and nothing has changed at the Barking lot. They are still phenomenal with our dog and he gets the best hair cuts here! He is older now and has bad arthritis. They were very accommodating and were able to complete his grooming quickly. Highly recommend! read more

The Barking Lot - Pet Groomers Near Me - Wheaton, Illinois

Poor customer service, attitude, and unwelcoming atmosphere! Every time I drop my dog off for service, they ask for proof of vaccination. I have submitted the correct updated information SEVERAL times. However, this time the greeter explained Illinois law and their late charge for picking up your dog after 30 minutes of their completion of a service call with an attitude and a fake smile. I questioned whether I should leave my dog in a place where the greeter feels it's inconvenient to treat people with authentic kindness. When I picked up my dog, I submitted the vaccination proof again, and there was no conversation, just entering the information and the famous question, would you like to tip. In the past, my dog would have a cute little bow, necktie, and scarf, with a few words about his experience and an offer to schedule the next visit. Unfortunately, there was nothing, but here's your dog. There has been a merger with another grooming business. My experience has led me to look for a different groomer. read more

Came in today for a nail trim for my puggle, and they were able to get her in immediately. They told me that it's half price on Tuesday and Thursday, but I thought that $12 was reasonable as it was, so I decided to just do it today. They had her out before I was even able to pick out the treats I was getting her from their amazing case of dog treats! Apparently the owner's mom makes all of the treats, and they look good enough for a person to eat! They also had a big plate of samples so I could bribe my skittish dog to go back with the groomer. This place is great! I imagine they are probably quite busy on the half price days, but I think their prices are really good anyway! Keep up the great work. We will be back for sure! read more

The Barking Lot - Pet Groomers Near Me - Wheaton, Illinois

best groomers around. always do a great job and very friendly. I highly recommend. i take my dogs here every time

I have been taking Griswold to The Barking Lot since he was a puppy (he's almost 6 now). Every groomer is amazing, they always go ABOVE AND BEYOND for my baby! the shop is super clean! Megan is always super sweet and you can tell she loves her job! The prices for their services are affordable too. I can't say enough great things about this place!! if you are looking for a groomer that will treat your pet like their own family this is the spot for you!! Thank you to all the amazing ladies that make Griswold feel like a million bucks!! read more

And bring my friends dog here to get his nails cut on Tuesdays just $6 are very friendly fast service the dog just loves it at the store it seems like they have everything your puppy could want great service good prices read more

Love The Barking Lot! Very friendly, very clean. My dog always leaves looking great! read more

I have made MANY referrals to The Barking Lot. Not one person has been disappointed. They are now regulars to the store. These folks genuinely care and love animals. My fur babies are precious and priceless. Don't be cheap folks. Finding a gem of a groomer is important and they work hard for their living. When I read some of these negative reviews, I just wonder how much of it is the owners misunderstanding of fees and what's involved in the process. Bottom line- you have to come to your own conclusion. In my experience, these folks are a premium service provider. read more

I was pretty excited to bring my dog here for the $6 nail trim. I also opted to pay an additional $5 for the dremel to round off her nails too. She was gone less than five minutes and she's still scratching me up, so I have to wonder whether they did the rounding at all or just went too fast. When her groomer does it they aren't sharp for at least two weeks afterward. I don't think I'd come here again for a nail trim. read more

Our large breed mix turns into a crying baby when it comes to nail trims. Caitlynn was a miracle worker and was very calm through the entire process! read more

The Barking Lot is great and you can't beat their $6 nail trims on Tuesdays and Thursdays. We bring both of our dogs here for nail trims, and they are both very anxious (I mean, screaming anxious) about getting their nails trimmed. The staff handles both of them with ease and they smile and say how good both dogs were- however, I can hear the drama queens screaming in the back while getting their trims! ;) The staff are all friendly and courteous and treat our pups very well. The store also has great treats that our dogs love! read more

I love shopping small businesses. Each experience here is pleasant and personal. They carry Fromm grain free dog food that you can't purchase at big box pet stores. They have a good variety of food products for dogs read more

I've been patronizing the barking lot since it bought out previous owner on Main Street . The groomers are excellent with our two golden doodles( 3/4 standard poodles 1/4 goldens) and little man a papa Pom . They get excited soon as I mention the barking lot and can't wait to be first in the car. The types of shampoo are available for all sorts of skin conditions and even gluten allergies . They also file the cut nails and are gentle with one of my doodles very allergy prone . It especially impressed me Catlin taking the time to isolate the best products for our aller gy dog and pro biotics while Megan the owner helped finding the ideal treats with out ingredients she is allergic to a dedicated me on goats milk. Reese grew in much hair and comfortable most days with out expensive shots from the vet and yet to have ear infection . They come out looking awesome !!! They offer rewards and much more! We took out older rag doll cat in and did not have any problems reported trusting second time would of been consistent however end of the day it seems he was hurried and left humiliated as a prideful big rag doll 10 years old shaved so much his stomack legs had no hair and he cried for something. The groomer is a sweetheart and did say we did great combing him well so leaving with a nearly bald rag doll male took weeks for his pride to come back . Must of been an isolated experience however since he is full of personality and he was severely ego injured likely stick with out canine kids. We enjoy all the groomers especially Megan and Veronica read more

I was not especially happy with my experience here. The inside of the shop smells a good bit which made me question the cleanliness. Then I could see dogs walking around in the grooming area, but there were buckets and other obstacles that seemed odd to have loose dogs in. What if a pair of scissors was dropped? Also, the employees seem to be a bit rough around the edges. I currently take my dog to a grooming boutique in Geneva, I was trying to find a place closer to home. But, I will not be back to The Barking Lot. read more

We were clients for the past 2+ years, but after the last ear infection, no more. When I expressed concern, I was told that he should have cotton in his ears when bathing...why not take that precaution, and why did you get water in his ears in the first place? Although I like Megans cut, Buddy will not be returning because of the infections, and the $100+ vet bill each time. So sorry. read more

Hack job groomers, beware! Not trained staff, and have NO idea how to groom a goldendoodle. After I specifically asked to leave my dog longer, they shaved her, and not only that but soo uneven. Her ears were at different lengths, and even shaved her face! I cried for days! The lady told me she was matted and there was nothing that she could do. What?! You couldn't call me and warn me? I went to another groomer, and she told me that was the worst grooming job that she had ever seen! On top of it, I paid $80 for something that I could have done better. Unbelievable. And after I went to the new groomer, I had no idea that my dog could look so beautiful after a groom, therefore I'm even MORE mad at how incompetent this place is. read more