When your dog jumps in a puddle, slides in some mud or rolls around on the grass, where do you take your furry companion for a bath and grooming? If you want to avoid a hairy disaster and clogged bathtub, skip the mess at home and consider a dog care location that offers baths and grooming.
Keeping your dog smelling fresh and clean can be a real struggle. So we got some tips from Amanda Lattanzio. She’s the owner and manager of the Muddy Mutt, the place to bring your dog for a bath and grooming.
In this chat with Amanda, she shares some great insights on how to care for your dog and her adventures in the dog grooming and washing business.
- The schedule for grooming and washing your dog depends on their breed, activity level and environment. For example long haired dogs like Doodles may require more maintenance than a short-haired breed. Giving your dog a bath every four to six weeks is a good guideline and the nail trims may need to be done more often, like every two weeks depending on their growth. One warning don’t give your dog too many baths – that can dry out their skin.
- A sure sign that your dog may need an anal gland expression is if you see them scooting on their butt or constantly licking their rear. You may even notice that they start to leak from their behind. If you notice any of these signs ask your groomer to check your dog’s glands. This can be an issue for any dog with a short tail like Bulldogs, Boxers, Pit bulls and similar breeds. The signs often pop-up when the seasons change. Also note that once you start expressing your dog’s glands it’s a process that needs to happen on a continuous basis to keep your dog in good health.
- Well trained dogs are the easiest to groom and wash. You might think that there would be certain dog breeds, personalities or sizes that would make the bathing and grooming experience more difficult, but that is not really the case. It really comes down to how well the dog has been trained. Handling a 110 pound Great Dane to managing a 2 pound Yorkie can require the same amount of effort; it’s really about how much training the dog has experienced.
- Amanda got involved in the dog bathing and grooming business because of her love for animals which started when she was young living out in the country with all sorts of animals from horses, cats, birds and dogs. She is the kind of animal lover that will go to a party, spot the dogs and hang out with them.
- As the new owner of the Muddy Mutt, Amanda has updated the look and feel of the shop a bit to better reflect their brand and the needs of their customers. She wanted to make sure her shop reflected her range of customers from the person that is looking for an organic treat, a quality leash or just a great bath and grooming session for their dog. The Muddy Mutt has done well through the Covid-19 pandemic thanks to the very loyal customers. In the future Amanda is looking to potentially expand the Muddy Mutt offerings into mobile dog grooming and dog walking. She may even open a new location in a different area in the future.
- A key reason to visit the Muddy Mutt is because they can handle the easy and the hard cases. Their staff is very skilled and can take care of a wide range of dogs and issues from grooming aggressive dogs, trimming nails to bathing the really muddy dogs that aren’t cooperative. The Muddy Mutt is located right next to the Shirlington Dog Park, one of the largest in the Virginia area, so the staff gets lots of practice. Everyone there is also a dog lover, so every dog gets the care they deserve. After letting your dog romp around in the Shirlington Dog Park, easily get them clean by visiting the Muddy Mutt.
If you live in the Arlington area of Virginia or visit from outside the area, let your dog loose in the Shirlington Dog party and enjoy getting your dog clean at the Muddy Mutt.
