Bark Avenue Salon

Thiiiissss little girl stole my heart today.

Hazel kept looking at me like I had publicly embarrassed her family for seven generations.

Ma'am, I just trimmed your eyebrows.

I gave you snacks. I told you how pretty you are. I even adjusted the lighting for your photos.

And yet...

This is the face of a dog who plans to leave a one-star Yelp review and testify before Congress.
💅🐾🤣

I will NOT shave your dog without speaking to you first.
No matter what.

Yes, your dog may be matted.
Yes, we may both already know shaving is the safest and kindest option.
But I am still going to contact you before removing that coat. Every single time.

And while we’re here… I’m also not going to shave your double-coated breed “just because,” and here’s why:

Double coats are designed to regulate temperature and protect the skin. Shaving them can permanently damage the coat structure and create long-term issues that many owners don’t realize until months later.

When a double coat is shaved:

• The coat may grow back patchy, dull, frizzy, or uneven
• The soft undercoat can overtake the protective guard hairs
• The dog may stop properly “blowing coat” during seasonal sheds
• The coat can become thicker, more impacted, and harder to maintain
• Matting can actually become WORSE over time
• Their skin becomes more vulnerable to sunburn and irritation
• In some cases, the coat never fully recovers

A shaved double coat is not automatically a cooler dog. In fact, that coat acts as insulation against both heat AND cold when properly maintained.

Now, are there situations where shaving is necessary? Absolutely. Severe matting, medical issues, surgeries, elderly pets struggling with hygiene, hot spots, and quality-of-life concerns always come first. Comfort over cosmetics. Every time.

But if your goal is less shedding or keeping them cooler, the healthier solution is regular deshedding, brushing, blowouts, and maintenance grooming — not taking a blade to a coat that was never meant to be shaved.

Your groomer is not trying to be difficult.
We’re trying to protect your dog’s coat, skin, and long-term comfort. ❤️

Maple may look sweet and innocent… but this little spring-loaded chaos goblin spent her entire appointment acting like she was powered by espresso shots and woodland magic. 🤎✨

One thing about me? I LOVE the spastic ones. The wiggly babies, the zoomie queens, the dogs that keep me questioning my reflexes and my life choices. 😂

Miss Maple did SO good for her groom today, and now she’s fresh, clipped, and ready to launch herself into another dimension. 🚀

If your pup is due for a spa day — chaotic, shy, wiggly, or anywhere in between — Bark Avenue Salon would love to meet them. 🐾

Today was almost a first for me — miniature schnauzers. 😂

Believe it or not, through training and the last 4 and a half years of grooming, I just haven’t had many chances to work with them. So when TWO schnauzers walked through my door today, there was definitely a moment of “WELP… guess we’re doing this.”

And honestly? I’m super proud of how they turned out. 💅🐾

One thing about grooming — you never truly “arrive.” There is ALWAYS something new to learn, a new technique to improve, a different coat to figure out, or a breed that pushes you outside your comfort zone. That’s part of becoming a better groomer.

It takes patience, dedication, continuing education, and clients who understand that groomers are humans before we’re miracle workers. And I’m incredibly thankful for the ones who trust me while I continue growing in my craft. 💚

Four years, thousands of dogs later, and I’m still learning every day. That’s not weakness — that’s passion for what I do. And I’ll keep showing up, improving, and giving these pups my absolute best every single time.

Mom said there was a suspicious dust mop sprinting through the greenhouse.
Turns out it just had separation anxiety and overdue grooming appointments. 💀🐾

Before and afters like this are why I’ll never trust a shaggy silhouette again. One minute it’s cryptid folklore, the next it’s somebody’s tiny grandma dog in a bandana.

Message me for appointments!

✨ Wisdom From the Groom Table ✨

“I brush my dog every day!”

A quick brush over the top fluff is NOT the same as brushing all the way to the skin — especially for doodles, double coats, long-haired breeds, and dogs with thick undercoats.

This photo shows something called LINE BRUSHING 👇
(aka the magical anti-matting technique groomers wish everyone knew.)

Instead of brushing over the top layer like you’re petting the dog with a brush, you:
🐾 Part the coat into sections
🐾 Brush small layers at a time
🐾 Work from the skin outward
🐾 Move upward in “lines” across the body

If you can’t see skin while brushing, there’s a good chance you’re only brushing the surface fluff.

Mats LOVE to hide: ✨ Behind ears
✨ Armpits
✨ Collar area
✨ Tail base
✨ Legs
✨ Sanitary areas

A dog can look fluffy and still be matted underneath like a tiny wool sheep in denial.

Line brushing helps:
✔ Prevent painful matting
✔ Reduce shaving appointments
✔ Improve airflow to the skin
✔ Keep coats soft and healthy
✔ Make grooming WAY less stressful for your pup

Pro tip from your local groom gremlin: If the brush glides easily BUT the comb won’t go through afterward… there’s still tangles hiding in there. The comb never lies. 👀

— Bark Avenue Salon 🐾