Dog grooming is not a licensed trade in the UK, so there is no register to check. Ask about qualifications and insurance, and ask how they handle a dog who will not settle. Rompo has not assessed anyone here.
A dog who dreads the clippers is worth working on between appointments rather than during one.
Browse in Torbay →5 dog groomers listed in Torbay. They are based in and around Paignton, Torquay.
Dog grooming is not a licensed trade in the UK: there is no council licence and no register, so anyone can set up. That makes the questions you ask more important, not less. Ask what qualifications they hold, whether they are insured, and how they handle a dog who will not settle.
Ask to see where the dogs are kept while they wait, and whether yours would be left in a cage to dry. If your dog is nervous, elderly or matted, say so when you book rather than on arrival: a good groomer will want to know, and may suggest a shorter first session.
Ask what happens if your dog panics. A good groomer will describe stopping, and will not finish a groom at any cost. Ask about qualifications, since grooming is unregulated and anyone can use the title, and ask whether they hold public liability insurance. Ask to see the premises: where dogs wait, and whether they are cage dried.
No. These are directory listings compiled from public business information, not recommendations. Rompo has not met anyone here or verified their qualifications. Dog grooming is not a licensed trade in the UK, so there is no register to check, which is exactly why asking directly matters.
The groomer comes to you in a fitted van, and your dog is groomed there rather than in a salon. It suits dogs who find a salon full of other dogs overwhelming, dogs who travel badly, and owners without transport. It usually costs a little more, and the van needs somewhere to park.
It depends entirely on the coat. A short-coated dog may need little more than nail trims and the occasional bath, while a poodle or doodle coat usually needs professional grooming every six to eight weeks to stay free of mats. Leaving a curly coat too long is the commonest reason a groom turns into a clip-off.
Say so when you book, and ask about a short introductory visit with no grooming at all. Some groomers will do this, and it is far better than a first appointment that goes wrong. For a dog who is genuinely frightened rather than just wriggly, a behaviourist is worth seeing first: the handling can be taught at home before anyone picks up clippers.