Sponsored. The Futterhaus branch in Baden is opening the Doggy Studio for dogs on 21.03. We got to try out a treatment at the new dog grooming salon in advance.
The Studio.
The canine grooming salon is a separate room adjoining the Futterhaus Baden store. The space is separated from the shop by a glass door, which is covered with frosted film so the dogs aren't disturbed. Everything is clean and practically set up. There's a partitioned area with a dog bed and water bowl, where in our case first Che and then Murphy spent their waiting time until it was each one's turn.
The Staff.
Both ladies are very friendly and attentive. The initial greeting could have been a little longer, especially since both Frenchies were complete newcomers to this kind of experience. I mentioned it on the feedback form and I'm sure it will be taken into account going forward.
For Che and Murphy it was quite a new experience, as up until now they'd only ever been bathed at home in the shower — and even then only when they'd rolled in something delightfully smelly. I had never blow-dried the two Frenchies before that day either.
The Doggy Studio team works well together and is very professional. Since Murphy isn't a big fan of the hair dryer, they just partially towel-dry him, give him another good rub-down with the towel, and turn up the room temperature instead. Excellent service.
The Treatment.
The dogs are washed in a tub fitted with a non-slip mat and lathered up with shampoo using a sponge. They're then gently squeezed dry and lifted onto the table with a towel. There they're further dried with towels before being blow-dried completely. Che finds it a bit strange at first, but he relaxes quickly — and being the little pleasure-seeker he is, he thoroughly enjoys being pampered by the two ladies.
Verdict.
It was a lovely experience at the grooming salon and we're really happy with the results. Che & Murphy smelled absolutely wonderful for days afterwards and their coats had a beautiful shine. I found myself wanting to stroke the backs of their necks even more than usual. That said, we won't be becoming regular salon visitors — I do believe that less is more. And French Bulldogs don't need regular trims the way many wire-haired breeds do.
Early Bird Bonus for Anyone Interested If you're interested in a treatment at the Doggy Studio, you can print out the early bird bonus voucher here:
Twice a year — once after winter and once before it comes back — I think a visit to the grooming salon makes sense for us. For Murphy, who sheds quite heavily, the treatment was great for washing out a lot of loose fur. So I think it can be a really useful boost during moulting season. In that sense, this may have been our first visit — but it certainly won't be our last.
