Behind the Scenes at Bath Country Pets, Bath House Spa.

The Bath House Spa

Are you ready to take a glimpse behind the scenes of our Bath House Spa?

When we planned and built this new addition to our business,  we conducted thorough research and thought hard about the qualities customers look for in a groomer and grooming facility. We found that the answers included things like: a groomer being someone who is reliable, understanding, trustworthy and caring. Facilities which are calm, clean and non-stressful. Products which are natural, effective, non-toxic and deliver great results.  And then, of course, we wanted to put our trademark Bath Country Pets special spin on it all.

People and Pets

The relationship you have with your groomer should be one built on trust and respect, we know, not only are you trusting them with you beloved fur-friend, but you also want to be confident that your dog is having an positive experience.

To ensure we are able to achieve this within our own facility, we have built a beautiful space, which is both welcoming and spotlessly clean, we have road tested every product on both ourselves and our own pets before we introduced them to our range and we have built our schedule to allow for an unhurried experience.

Our naturally talented Head Groomer, Lulah is on a development pathway with the best grooming school in the South West so that she has a continual avenue for learning and developing her skills.  We can then offer a broad range of specialist and innovative spa services and styling skills for a wide range of dog breeds.

Whilst these are all important elements, really getting to know you – our customers, your lifestyle and your dogs likes and dislikes, coat and skin health will help us achieve a lasting relationship and the best possible results.

Prior to the Groom: 

Before we have even become aquatinted with your canine companion, we will already know a little bit about them from our grooming registration form. Every client will fill one of these out prior to their appointment, so that we can have some background knowledge with their previous grooming experiences. This helps us understand what pace we will be taking the groom and how we can make the session as positive as possible for both your dog and our team. We believe this sets both groomer and client up for the best ultimate outcome, as we can discuss the expectations of the groom, the realistic approach and goals on how we can achieve your dream cut and style on your pawfect pooch!

Introductions:

On introduction, we will touch base with your requests to establish what you would like to achieve from the grooms and you will be able to talk through everything. Once, both parties are clear and have a good understanding of the desired outcome, your furry friend will finally set foot on our spa floor! As soon as they enter, they will have the opportunity to drink some fresh water, have a calming treat and will be greeted with the sweet fragrance of lavender essential oils that fill the air. Just like you, you wouldn’t want to walk in to a chaotic environment if you wanted a relaxing spa treatment, so why should we treat our dogs any differently?

Bathing:

Once the guest has familiarised themselves with the environment, the staff will begin introducing them to the equipment. Taking everything slowly will help ensure your dog stays relaxed and begins to trust us. When in the bath, we will gently massage our deeply nourishing shampoos into the coat to make sure their fur and skin is getting a full clean. We try and test all of the shampoos before we use them in the spa, and we also retail our favourites within our shop because we are that confident in them and know you will like to use them at home too. The whole spa product range we have chosen has 100% natural ingredients, meaning there is no artificial fragrances or colours added, they are manufactured using essential oils, botanicals, making them great for dogs with sensitive skin. We think this important because a dogs skin and coat needs shampoo that has been specifically formulated for them, containing cleansers, moisturising agents and ingredients that help soothe their skin whilst nourishing their hair follicles these can all be found in natural ingredients such as Aloe, Chamomile, Lavender, Eucalyptus and Green Tea.

We also like to keep our spa guests entertained whilst they are in the bath and use positive reinforcement to allow them to understand the bath is a fun place to be! Once we have established with our clients that they are happy for their dog to participate, we use our Liki mats with either peanut butter, liver paste, or some tasty forth glade and stick them to the bath walls. As they lick away, we are able to clean each paw pad, wash their legs, wipe away the dirt on their bellies and give them a thorough wash.

Drying:

During the drying process, many dogs can be nervous of the sound noise from the dryers. As a result, we have three different dryers that we can use. Our main powerful one, a more gentle one and a hand held. This means that we can dry them in a way that ensures they are content. If that means it will take us slightly longer, than we will. Our main priority is that your dog isn’t having a negative experience. We can also use a head band over their ears to reduce the noise for them and keep them calm.

Grooming: 

In a similar way to the drying, many dogs can be unsure with the sound made from clippers or scissors and don’t always like being touched in certain areas. To overcome this, we listen to your dogs body language and give them frequent breaks throughout the groom and will  never push past to the point where they are unsettled. Instead, we will build up their confidence with a few sessions to achieve the desired look.

Throughout the groom, Lulah will be using methods of positive reinforcement to help them understand that the spa is a fun and great place to be. Not somewhere they should be fearful.

During the groom, it can be common that we come across some knots or mats. When we find these, we will do our best to brush them out, however, we have a 20minute time cap on this, as prolonged brushing of heavy matting can be really uncomfortable for dogs. If brushing exceeds this time, then you will be contacted so that we can talk through the different options going forward. We will always consider and emphasise what would be the dogs best interest, but, we will never do anything without speaking to you first.

Another thing the team at BCP are passionate about it being understanding. We understand that no one deliberately gets mats in their dogs coat and we understand that people have busy lives and commitments which can make finding the time to brush your dogs coat, a little difficult. As a result, we will never make you feel guilty for it, but we will work with you to achieve a more manageable groom that is practical and stylish but suitable for your dogs lifestyle.

Post Groom:

As our ultimate goal is to give both you and your dog the best spa experience, if you are unsure with anything post groom, all we ask is that you let us know and we will be more than happy to resolve it for you.

To say thank you for supporting our small business, we also have our loyalty cards that help you work towards a free bath and brush up, and we also hold spa events and workshops throughout the year that you are always welcome to attend.

Please note if you’re dog is staying on holiday with us and you would like them to have a spa treatment during their stay so they are clean and cuddly for pick up let us know and we can arrange it!

If you would like to find out more or book  a Bath House Spa experience, please click on the link to find our services, prices and availability.