Grooming frequency will vary greatly depending on the breed of dog, coat length, and at-home upkeep. For those who do not want to do a lot of at-home maintenance, we recommend longer coated dogs and doodles maintain at least a 4-6 week schedule. The longer you like your dog’s coat – the more frequently they should visit us! If you wait too long, your dog can be prone to matting and compaction.

For dogs with short coats we recommend an 4-8 week schedule to keep your dog smelling fresh! 

Nail grinding may need to be done on a more frequent schedule. The nail has a blood vessel called the “Quick” which will get longer if nails are unmaintained. More frequent visits (2-4 weeks) can help shorten the Quick and result in shorter nails over time. We offer a discount for dogs seeing us for nails every 4 weeks or less!

Here at Shaggy to Chic Boutique, we are always striving to produce the best groom possible. Therefore, our products may vary based on Pet Stylist preferences and the time of year. We always use shampoos and conditioners with all-natural ingredients and make sure to stock a wide range of products, so we have something available for all coat types. The main brands stocked in our salon are Envirogroom and Nature’s Specialties. We do not upcharge for whitening, hypoallergenic, sensitive skin or oatmeal products, so we are able to adjust our grooms to the individual dog and parent needs.

If you have any special requests for products (i.e. you have allergies or sensitivities), please make sure to mention this to the Stylist at drop off each time you visit. Our front desk team can also make a note on your account by request. 

You do not need to bring anything special to your grooming appointment. The front desk will reach out to you ahead of the appointment to secure your pet’s vaccine records and provide you with a digital copy of our liability waiver. Please bring your pet into the salon in a secured fashion (collar & leash, harness & leash, carrier, etc). Our groomers will take them back with your items and return them to you at pickup. If you prefer to take your possessions with you just let your groomer know at drop-off.

The length of appointment will depend on the services selected and the behavior of your dog. In general, you can expect around 1-2 hours for small dogs, and 2-4 hours for large dogs.

All pets are done one-on-one, meaning at drop-off, the groomer will get started on your pet right away and work on them all the way through. Once your pet is complete you will receive a text message and you can pick up at your leisure. You are welcome to stay in the lobby for your pet’s appointment; however, most of our pet parents will run errands while their dog is being completed (with the exclusion of walk-in services). Our front desk or groomers and can give you a more accurate range upon request. 

Congratulations on your new puppy! We recommend getting your puppy in for grooming as soon as possible to set them up for success in life. The grooming salon can be a very scary place, with sharp tools, other dogs, loud noises and weird smells. For haircut breeds (Shih Tzus, Doodles, Poodles, Havenese, etc) we recommend starting with our Mini Groom service. This is a shorter appointment and it introduces the sights and smells in a less intimidating fashion. Most puppies will need 1-3 Mini Grooms before their first haircut. Depending on age, we recommend having the first appointments between 2-4 weeks apart, but the more frequently you can bring the puppy in the better! If you’re pup is really nervous, you can also bring them in for our Walk-In Nail Grinds, which takes about 5-10 minutes.

We do! Just like human hairdressers, our Pet Stylists work on commission. That means, when someone cancels late, or no-shows, to their appointment, the Stylist doesn’t get paid. To lessen the blow for our team members, we have a strict 24-hour late cancellation policy. If you cancel your appointment less than 24 hours in advance, or no-show, there will be a $30 fee added to your account. This fee goes to your groomer to help account for their lost wages. We do offer text reminders 4 days and 1 day in advance of your appointment. These can be opted out of via your online account. 

Since our services are at set appointment times, you may find yourself with a conflict. It is rare that a groomer will be able to start on your pet before their appointment time, however both of our locations do have kennels to house waiting pets. If you find that you need to drop off early, you are welcome to do so if your pet is comfortable waiting in a kennel. We can only accommodate early drop-off before our open time at 10am if pre-arranged with our front desk. If you have the first appointment of the day, we cannot accommodate early drop-off.

Our Pet Stylist will send a text message to your phone number on file when your pet is ready for pick-up. You do not have to pick up right away, but it is requested you notify us if you are picking up later than an hour after completion. Pets waiting for their parents will be kenneled so that the Stylist can start on their next guest. All pets must be picked up before close. Please note, we close at 5pm on Sundays and Mondays. 

We require pets to be up-to-date on Rabies, Distemper and Parvo vaccinations for their age.

Vaccine requirements are set for the grooming industry by the Iowa Department of Agriculture. We cannot accept vaccine titers in replacement of vaccines. We cannot waive a Rabies vaccination for any reason. If Distemper or Parvo vaccinations are unable to be given, we can accept a letter from your veterinarian that the pet is exempt from vaccination due to approved medial reasons.

Vaccines can be emailed to the following addresses –

Grimes – grimes@stcgrooming.com

West Des Moines – west@stcgrooming.com

We are not a kennel-free facility. Our Pet Stylists do their best to minimize kennel time by performing each groom in a one-on-one fashion. We use the kennels as a safe and secure waiting area for your pet. Your pet may go in a kennel for human bathroom breaks, while the Stylist is finishing another pet, if your pet does not tolerate high velocity drying, or while your pet is waiting for pick-up. If you are bringing more than one pet in – one will be kenneled while the other is being worked on unless they are booked with separate groomers. 

If you would prefer your pet not be kenneled, please make sure you are on-time to drop-off and pick-up and communicate with your stylist at drop-off with your request. We will do our best to accommodate but cannot guarantee a kennel-free visit. We would recommend these dogs be the first or last appointment of the day to minimize risk of overlap.