Treats & Tips

I have been meaning to write this review for months and now getting close to a year.
Treats and Tips is my dogs second home with his second family, that is how good this place is in treating myself and my dog companion Bailey. I participate in their daycare service program, boarding, grooming, and «tips and treats» (great selection on food and incentive positive training treats). My dog is everything to me, so his health, wellbeing, and happiness is my biggest concern– the staff here knows it and works with me to always give my dog the absolute best service and care. There has been countless times where I have needed more than their «menu services» and they have ALWAYS been there for me. It is great for a business to be run not just with a fiscal profit approach but one where they are focused on providing the best if service, and then going the extra mile to achieve it. My dog knows FULLY well when I say «Let’s go to School» it means he gets to spend a full day at his second home playing with all his friends and human companions— he leaps in happiness and bounds and runs to get his leash!
I have been with Treats and Tips for almost 1 year now and they have trained my dog to be his best self (and his human parent as well!): a well rounded, good behaving, affectionate companion. I look forward to doing business with you guys for all the years to come. Thank you for the happiness you have added to our lives!

I went here yesterday to try a dog coat on my sweet long haired chihuahua terrier mix. He is still relatively new to us, because we rescued him only a few months ago. He had zero socialization and definite fear and anxiety issues when we got him. We are currently working with a wonderful trainer who is helping us, patiently and lovingly, teach him to understand that other dogs are not threats. Anyhow, we went in yesterday only to look at coats and when Massimo growled at the other dogs (not in a menacing way, simply in a way that told me he was not comfortable), I am assuming it was the owner, started to reprimand him. Firstly, I was taken aback at just how presumptuous this was. I did not ask for any help or advice, and he proceeded to lecture me and poke and yank at my dog for a good ten minutes. When we finally got away, Massimo refused to walk home. He had totally shut down and was not receptive to anything. I carried him twelve blocks and when we got into view of home, he finally started to relax a little. That sort of bullying works to make the dogs quiet, but is only a quick fix. Certainly not the way I want to train my dog.

I’ve been meaning to write a review and hadn’t got around to it. We took our 3 year old teacup Yorkie Mr. Biggs here about 3 months and hands down has been the best doggy haircut he has gotten! Service is great and very pleasant! Definitely making this place his go too!
We are also looking to mate him before we clip his hammer so if you’re interested or know of anyone please let me know –Angel

While I never neglected my cat, I had little insight as to why she was acting how she was, what could provide her with a healthier diet and how to better sooth her during aggressive times. I expected to just walk in and walk out with goods that I researched on the Internet, but I met Alex. He was genuinely passionate and understanding. 45+ min later I left with a boatload of knowledge and only 1 small purchase. I have been there twice since and my experience has been amazing. I am a lifetime customer and recommend them to anyone passionate about their pets.

Updating my review — decided to try them again since I was upset about his upset stomach with the 1^st review. Grooming and food issues were addressed. Puppy came home exhausted, happy, and best of all walking like a pro without any corrections needed. Still wish there was more structure. and space… for what they charge. They are very expensive by comparison and would be a bit happier if there was some training taking place but feeling a bit more positive… but still wouldn’t use every day without webcam, updates during the day, and enrichment activities.

I took my Yorkie mix to get his first grooming and I was feeling very anxious about the whole ordeal. The staff was so professional and kind, my dog took to them very quickly. I felt at ease automatically! It took about two hours and they called me the moment he was done, my dog looked cuter than ever (if that’s possible). When I went to pay they offered really great advice around vaccination up-​keep and treats. Not to mention the staff remembered boyfriend also has a dog and asked about him. The price was right and I feel confident I found the place to get all my doggy needs.

Liked them when Emily was the groomer. After Emily left I took my dog here a couple of times and did not like the service, not to mention that my dog cried when I dropped him off the last time (which he has never done). I now take him elsewhere. Wish I knew where Emily currently works, she gave my dog the BEST haircuts.

My golden retriever goes here for grooming every month. I have lived in Manhattan, Staten Island and here in Astoria, and this place is by far best at grooming my dog. It is pricey as I pay around $ 100 every time I visit, but I see the difference.
I highly recommend!

Treats and Tips is a godsend! It is clean, provides a safe environment for dogs, and encourage socialization. Alex and Thiago, the owners of Treats and Tips, are friendly, informative, and take a genuine interest in their canine charges.
Hammer, our 5-​year old Beagle, has been a regular at Treats and Tips for two years. She loves it, as do my wife and I. As a rescue dog with massive separation anxiety, she could not be left alone on her own for more than an hour. When we drop her off, we know she will be under constant supervision. She will receive plenty of exercise and structured playtime. In addition, Alex and Thiago always take the time to answer any question we may have.
I cannot recommend Treats and Tips highly enough.

Great place very friendly ! I took my pup here for the first time two weeks ago and she looked great! Will definitely take my little girl back here

I used to go to the day care at treats and tips until my baby became to big. I was a little confused because there were other big dogs there. Anyway, I found them to be very nice and caring. I still get my dogs groomed there and they do a great job. Check it out !

Very friendly staff !! I have been purchasing my little pomeranian her favorite food from here orijen red! I must say she loves it! Anything else bothers her little tummy.. I have been wanting to get her groomed here but seems a little pricey. I guess will see.

A friend foisted a cute little Pomeranian on us for two months. We’ve never taken care of a doggie before and she needed a haircut badly. Tiago and Alex took care of her within an hour for $ 60. They also answered a few of our questions on basic dog care and made themselves available to us when we called later on with other questions.
Good guys, good service.

Due to its proximity, I was really looking forward to bringing our shih-​tzu here for his hair cut, nail trim and other grooming services. In fact, I visited this place long before we had a dog and thought it would be a great experience for my puppy and for me. After all, I’m the one with the credit card and the cash. :)
We promptly showed up for our appointment. I wanted the puppy to have bell-​bottom cut for his legs. Tiago tried to manage my expectations and said that I should just ask to give him a puppy cut, etc. and that since I was a first time mommy etc I’d probably be disappointed. I firmly requested them to ask the groomer if it can be done. The groomer confirmed that it can be done. So, I left and was back at around 4:30 when they said I should be back. Alex tried to sell me on dog food and other items that they were carrying which was fine as I understand that they are running a business. I just don’t appreciate hard-​sell tactics.
Despite telling me to be back at a specific hour, I waited very long before and it was already closing time when they brought out the puppy. I was just glad to have him and went our merry way. I have to say, the groomer did try to give him bell bottoms but did not achieve it. No matter though, the puppy was safe, the haircut was accomplished, so I still gave a tip.
When I got home. I noticed that his nails were not trimmed. When I called, instead of saying that let’s have a look and verify, Alex immediately said on the phone that they did trim his nails and that they will have to charge me an additional amount to trim his nails when I bring him back. Right.
I just went to another place to have my puppy’s nails trimmed. So, in my experience, it was not a treat to deal with this place but that was as far as grooming the puppy. They do claim they provide other services of which I cannot speak of.

Maxine is a 77lb Lab teenager. I brought her in for grooming this week after a few days of swimming in the L.I. Sound, rolling in the sand & dirt and just needing to get rid of several months of NYC grime. Thank you, Miranda, for giving my dog the absolute best make-​over she has ever had! Your attention to detail is incredible. I have never seen her coat look this good & I can’t believe how pink her belly actually is. Her nails are gleaming, too! I would also like to point out that the price for this amazing grooming is very reasonable. I won’t hesitate to bring Maxine in again!

I have been bringing my maltipoo London here for over 2 year now and I am so grateful to the owners Alex and Thiago for taking excellent care of London who had so many issues as a shelter dog badly abused. I moved further away from their shop but refuse to board/​groom my dog anywhere else.
I often work long hours during the week and it gives me tremendous amount of reassurance leaving London at the day care where he is walked, fed, exercised and affectionately cared for. Treats and Tips also gives London the opportunity to socialize with other dogs without giving me the anxious feelings that I get at the dog park since it’s more of a controlled setting and Alex and Thiago always keep an eye on the dogs.
Aside from the genuine love that they have for the dogs, Alex and Thiago are very knowledgeable. They helped me treat London’s food allergy and his separation anxiety (he’s from a shelter and had a lot of issues!). Their shop carries top quality dog food like Orijen and Primal which are only usually carried in holistic/​organic pet food shops (hard to find outside of Manhattan!).
London also gets groomed here and he always looks and smells great after his grooming. The groomer was the one to inform me that London had an ear infection (I had no idea!) which the vet said could’ve turned really bad had he been treated any later. They taught me how to carefully clean London’s ears which is not as easy as it sounds.
When I went out of town the guys boarded London at their home and not at the store in a cage. Yes, cageless home boarding! I hate putting London in a crate/​cage so this was a major plus.
Overall I am very happy with Treats and Tips because London is not only taken care of but these guys really love their dogs. I trust them completely with my London.

My only regret in leaving a review for this place is that there isn’t anything LOWER than one star. A negative rating might be more apt.
I was fostering a sweet 8lb maltipoo named Tommy and decided the poor little guy needed to change his mojo. After I got a good look at his bushy and uneven face; I thought a new hair style was in order and decided to get him groomed. Treats and Tips was the second attempt I made at getting Tommy groomed and I was hesitant. I called and explained that he was a rescue and very skittish. I was assured over the phone that they could handle him. I dropped him off for his 11:30 am appointment and was greeted by the owner. I’m a pet owner with a life time of experience with animals. Over the course of my life I have rescued and rehabbed many dogs but Tommy was a special case. After explaining Tommys behavioral issues and my concerns, I advised the owner that I had given him a vet prescribed tranquilizer for his anxiety.
I handed over the leash and the owner proceeded to lecture me about the evils of a retractible leash… he «educated» me for about 15 minutes about what a bad pet parent I was for having one. Last time I checked, I hadn’t asked. I’ve been a dog owner for 40 years and used retractible leashes as far back as I can remember. Never have I had any issues. But either way, his Cesar Milanish advice was UNSOLICITED. Cesar Milanabee seemed more interested in the sound of his own voice than he did taking care of Tommy. I guess he is used to lecturing people who have little real experience having dogs so they don’t realize how ridiculous he is. Needless to say I was irritated, but had already walked all the way there so I put my feelings aside and powered through.
I was advised Tommy would be ready around 2pm and they would call me to pick him up. 2:30 rolls around, no call. So I call and am told he should be ready around 4. I have NEVER heard of an 8lb maltipoo taking 6 hours to groom. I return to pick him up around 4:30pm. I see his face is barely touched. Not even trimmed. So I said to the man at the desk, why isnt his face groomed? Oh, he wouldnt «let us» was the response. I was flabbergasted. Really??? The dog was sedated when I dropped him off. I paid 70 bucks thinking and assuming hia body fur had been trimmed and returned home. Once I inspected the job at home I realized not only wasn’t his face done, they hadn’t cut ANY of his fur. I contacted them and complained, asking for a refund… no response.
Outrageous. 70 dollars for a shampoo that took 6 hours. They should have paid me… On a side note. He stayed still just fine when I trimmed his face.
Cheap Cesar Milan wannabe immitation. AVOID AT ALL COSTS

Today I took my Yorkie puppy for his first grooming and can’t be happier! He looks so adorable plus he smells wonderful! Their customer service was great and they seem really knowledgable about dogs. They even gave us tips on food and behavior.
A little on the pricey side but it was totally worth it. I was looking for a place where he would feel comfortable and seems like he actually had a good time as he didn’t want to leave and kept pulling me back to Tips and Treats on our way to the car!

These guys are just awesome.
My fur baby comes here every few months for a grooming. The first time I dropped him off, I felt a little nervous leaving him amongst the other small dogs in their play area. (My fur baby is super shy). The trainer/​employee recognized my anxiety and 15 mins after I had left the location he surprised me with a photo emailed to me of my dog happily sitting by the window amongst the other puppies (not cowering in a corner like I imagined). I didn’t even ask so I love how he went the extra mile to make me feel comfortable.
The grooming usually takes a while — a few hours — but my baby gets to have some playtime and that lets me have some free time doing chores and such.
They also keep an interesting stock of high end treats and such. This is Astoria, not Manhattan, so these places are few and far between.
Fur baby always looks like a rock star. Everyone is super nice and VERY well informed and educated. I only give 4 stars (wish it were 4 ½) because the prices are a little steep for the neighborhood. But as you can see, it’s worth it to me.

I have used their services for grooming, daycare, boarding and behavioral consultations. My toy poodle always comes back from grooming and boarding very happy and relaxed. He is a real Mama’s boy and doesn’t like being away from me or socializing with other dogs. This is the only place where I am comfortable leaving him outside of family.
Emily is an excellent groomer. My dog always comes back looking adorable.
Alex helped us find the only dog food my dog is willing to eat (Primal Chicken).
Thiago is a true dog whisperer. I strongly recommend his services if you are having a problem with your dog’s behavior. For my me, my husband and my dog, it was worth every penny!