What areas do you service?
I work in McKinney at the rates listed on the pricing page.  I am available to service surrounding areas for a $10.00 trip fee per 15 minutes from downtown McKinney. I charge minimally a 15 minute increment if you do not live in Mckinney. 

Do you offer any services other than grooming?
I'm more than happy to accomodate your pets needs, whatever they may be. Being as I offer a mobile service should I have open time or you book time, I'm also happy to run personal errands, baby-sit the little ones, or simply aid you in making your day run as smoothly as possible. I charge $40 by the hour if transportation is involved & $20 upwards per hour for work that isn't relevant to grooming at any one location.  Please don't hesitate to ask for fees regardless of what you need assistance with.  I am 100% committed to anything I do. 

I have a short coated breed, do you work on them too?
Absolutely. Service for these pets includes a nail trim, anal gland expression, ear cleaning, double bath, and a hand dried coat. Finally, the pet will be brushed with a hound glove and sprayed with a mink oil to enhance shine.

When should my pet begin being groomed?
As early as 8 weeks. Due to the service I offer being home based, your puppy isn't at risk to contacting illnesses he would be exposed to in a grooming facility.  The earlier you start acclimating your puppy to the process, the easier he will adjust to what needs to be done.

Can you groom a (insert your dogs breed here)?
Yes!!! I grew up as a canine enthusiast. I am familiar with every AKC breed in existence, and some other ones too! That's not to say that un-papered dogs or dogs of a different registry are any less lovable!

How long will it take to groom my pet?
Due to the fact that I have not yet worked on your pet, I don't know how he/she responds to the grooming process and therefore its impossible for me to know how long it will take. On average its safe to say between 2-3 hours. I pride myself in being thorough in what I do so patience is an important virtue on the part of the owner!

Why does it take so long to have my dog groomed?
A professional grooming involves more than a bath and hair cut. My grooming process starts with a nail trim. Then, I remove the hair from the ears (if applicable) using an ear powder. The reason ears are plucked is so that air can access the canal and keep wax or debris from building up as easily. Then the ears are cleaned with an ear cleansing solution and in some cases flushed. After wiping them out, I use Q-tips to make sure they are as clean as I can possibly get them. After this, the dog is brushed & combed (which can be quite time consuming if the pet is not maintained.) After the brushing, the dog is placed in a tub and has his/her anal glands expressed. The dog is thoroughly rinsed prior to having a shampoo and lather performed. Once the dog has been washed, he/she is rinsed, washed, and rinsed a second time. Care is taken around the eyes and ears so as not to allow water in the ears or soap in the eyes. Some shampoos (whitening, flea, medicated, etc) are required to sit on the pet for anywhere from 3 to 15 minutes. Once both baths have been given, the excess water is squeezed from the coat prior to towel drying. Then the coat is hand dried with a high pressure dryer. Once the pet is entirely dry, he/she is brushed and combed again to ensure that they are completely tangle free. The pads are assessed and the feet have excess hair cut to give a round appearance (in most cases). The hair around the rectum is scissored so that the hair does not catch feces as easily. A sanitary is done (by the genital area). The hair by the eyes is cut so that the pet can see and has a neater appearance. Then either a cut is done, or (in the case of a short-haired breed or a long-haired breed that wished to retain length) the hair is tidied prior to a mink oil or cologne being sprayed.

When are you available?
I'm available Monday through Friday.  The first appointment is generally between 9 and 9:30 and appointments thereafter are made according to the length of time the initial one for the day will take. 
 
Emergency Grooming! There are times when a pet MUST be groomed for whatever reason, he was sprayed by a skunk, got an unknown substance in his coat, or family is coming over and he's simply been allowed to become a mess! Occasionally, I can offer earlier appointments at an additional cost. It is 20.00 more per hour earlier than 9 a.m. that you need me to arrive. The same holds true for appointments after 4 pm. Appointments that are made before or after regular hours are charged by the hour regardless of if an entire hour is needed.
 
How often should I have my dog groomed?
It depends on your particular dog. Personally, I recommend every 4-6 weeks for most dogs. With long coated breeds or even hair in excess of 1.5 inches you must brush/comb on a regular basis to prevent matting. If your dog has short hair, the nails and ears should be maintained in addition to a regular bathing to make sure healthy skin and coat is maintained. Generally, short-haired pets are groomed every 6-8 weeks.

No matter how much I brush, my pet's coat still gets matted. What can I do?
In most cases, this is due to improper brushing. You must make sure you are getting the hair all the way down to the skin not just the top layer. You should start at the bottom of one leg and work your way up in sections, then do the same to the other 3 legs making sure you get the feet and under front legs very well. The tail, body, chest, stomach, head, ears, under and behind ears must all be brushed and combed. A comb removes any tangles that a brush may have left behind. Every tangle must be removed prior to wetting your pet, as water only tightens existing tangles/mats. When a comb can go through everything, then you have properly brushed your dog. It is a lot of work, but in my opinion the results are well worth the effort.

Why does my dog get so upset and shake so bad when introduced to a groomer or vet?
Dogs are animals of routine. When you disrupt what they are accustomed to they can be upset by that and react in a way that states they are distressed. Dogs respond to the way you feel. They can sense the slightest amount of negativity you have, and it channels to them. By feeling bad for them, you may unknowingly cause your pet to be stressed. What you are doing is for your pet's good and there is nothing to feel bad about. If you want your pet to be more comfortable and help ease the stress of him/ her being groomed, its very simple. From the time you book an appointment until the time I arrive, don't talk to him/ her about it. Act like its no big deal. When you meet me, don't feel sorry for him or tell him good boy, (especially if he is acting anxious), hand him to the professional, give grooming instructions and leave it at that. It may sound cold hearted, but if you are really concerned about his anxiety, this will take a great deal of it away. There will be plenty of time to ooh and ahh when he is finished. Even if he or she still shakes, be aware that they realize something new and different is about to occur.  However grooming is a necessary part of a dog's life.The more often its done, the calmer the dog tends to be regarding the process. Please be aware that even the most timid of dogs tend to calm down once they realize the people working on them are gentle, kind-treating animals fairly, and I will do my very best to teach your loved one that groomers aren't individuals whom they need fear. If your pet is stressed for a traumatizing even in the past, please be aware that I am a firm believer of  treating animals fairly.

Read what clients have to say about my services:

"Joni came out to our house to groom my dogs. How great is that? She did an amazing job and I wanted to highly recommend her to anyone else who is looking for an awesome groomer."
-Amy Mathews with Cheyenne and Sundance

"As soon as I heard I called right away and Joni got me in right away! She is the best with my precious puppy. My puppy was a stray and so life just freaks her out and Joni made her so comfortable from the first minute they met! I have been to many groomers and she by far is the best...she makes her smell so good and treats her almost better than me!!!!!!!  Joni,,,,welcome back to the area and THANK u so much!"
-Gina and Peyton!

"Wow, I just want to give gratitude where it's deserved. My wife and I have a Keeshond. This is a long haired dog that looks like an exact mix of a Pomeranian and Siberian Husky. The hair and shape of the hair is that of a Pom, but the hair is thicker and silver with black like that of a Husky. The size of the dog is also a mix. Right in between to two. Needless to say, she's a furball. We've had her for a little over 4 years. We tried groomer after groomer and never had a great haircut. Some were horrible and some were good, or at least from what we'd experienced. Our dog always had to be at the goomer all day, came home stressed, worn out, and hated going in the first place. Well, we saw a referral here on FOL and decided to try Joni. Let me start by saying, although a Keeshond is a challange to groom as is, my wife and I made it even more difficult by shaving our dog in the summer the past two years and almost ruined it's coat. It was almost like sheeps wool it was so thick. We called Joni, explained the situation and asked if shed take a look at her. Let me say, Joni is extremely professional, a perfectionist, and wonderful with the dogs. We dropped Zoe off about 10am and Joni called at 1pm to say she was done. We told Joni, if she needed to spread it out over several groomings, that was fine with us, as we knew it would be a chore. Well, we picked her up, she was beautiful, she was completely done, and she had never looked better. All of the undercoat was gone, her hair was like silk, and you could even feel her little body under all that hair, where as before, due to the thickness of her coat, you couldn't. I cant say enough good things about Joni. Even when we picked Zoe up, Joni was explaining things to us and just gently stroking Zoe's hair as she spoke with us. You can tell she just loves what she does. If anyone needs a great groomer, please give her a try. Spreading the word on her is the least we can do after the wonderful job she did for us. You will not be happier with a groomer."
-The Taylor Family with Zoe


Note: This testimonial is from an individual whom drove to a location I worked at in the past.
"We started using Joni as well after reading referrals about her on FOL. She does an amazing job with him and he's always so calm and happy when we pick him up.   I totally agree with everything you've said. I would recommend her to anyone that truly cares about their dog.  She's very well trained, loves what she does, and is incredibly professional. It's a bit of a drive for us but definitely worth it.   We've used two different, highly recommended groomers in Frisco, and Joni does a much better job with our dog grooming wise and emotionally. He's just a totally different dog with her. Very relaxed and happy. And he comes home free of razor burn and itching. His skin is incredibly sensitive and she's the first groomer to successfully groom him without him having any adverse reactions. She's really great at what she does.   I'm glad to hear that others are just as happy. Thanks for sharing."
-Anonymous



Please feel free to send  your thoughts regarding my services for future clients!