Barking Spa

They do a great job and are very nice. My little guy looked like a puppy and was very happy with his new look.

Roxy has been going here for years and always comes back with a good cut! The cut is exactly as we wish it to be.

We have bringing our Corgi here for over 5 years without incident until this past November when they shaved her completely to the skin. When my mother called the owner to ask why this would have been done she was told the computer system was down so they could look up her previous profile. Why wouldn’t you call if you were unsure? and when would the default be to shave a dog in November??? She has never been shaved before and her hair was not in bad shape that it would have needed to be shaved off. She should have gotten a shampoo and slight trim like usual.
The groomer called the next day to apologize but we should have been offered a refund. We had to go out and purchase a coat and sweater for our hairless dog to make it through the winter.

I’m not going to get too wordy on this one, but I like it here. It’s dead center between my house and my new job so it’s convenient. Aside from that my now wife has been bringing her/​our dog here since before we were dating (9 Years).
I will say they do not have the biggest cages available as the place is incredibly small, but the dogs aren’t stuffed in and barely fit either. Essentially there is enough head room and wiggle space for your dog to be able to spin around a couple of times when you walk in the door.
Last time I brought in Layla (our Cocker Spaniel) I dropped her off at 11 got a phone call at 2 and picked her up at 2:30 freshly cut and washed and dry.
I do have to disclaimer that when my dogs hair gets long she’s a messy puppy (She stands at your feet in the kitchen so tends to get a little more food in her hair then most) So we shave her all the way down and don’t get a «Cocker cut».
What I’m saying is I have no clue how they do when it comes to «Styles», but for what I need… I’m a fan.
We Will Return.

DO NOT GO HERE!!! We took our perfectly healthy bichon mix here for grooming, and one of the staff butchered the inside of both of his ears! They very aggressively pluck hair from the inside of dogs ears, causing extremely bad irritation which led to infection in my dog. My poor dog ended up with ulcers and discharge inside of his ears. When I brought him to the vet the next day, both he and the nurse said what they did was extremely inhumane and must felt like torture to my dog – they had never seen anything like it. My dog was quivering in pain for days. He said that if ear hair must be plucked, there is a technique to it, and it’s best if the dog is sedated. Clearly there was NO technique here. I ended up with a $ 200 vet bill. I found another place that agreed to only trim the air inside his ears so as not to cause so much pain and suffering to the animal, not to mention infection. This place should be fined for animal cruelty. NEVER AGAIN.

I’ve been bringing my 4 year old YorkiPoo here for 3 years to have his nails clipped, pads trimmed, and ears cleaned. The staff earned his trust on first visit.
Just want to mention that he was not so cooperative with Pet Smart or his Vet.
So after a couple visits at each and being told that my dog needed training classes because he didn’t sit well for the grooming, I started to inquire with my neighbors and friends on where they take their dogs.
That’s when I found the Barking Spa and have not went elsewhere ever since.
It is also convenient for me that I can call the day of and most always find that I can walk in with no wait. Kudos to Barking Spa and the staff for being so kind to my little pooch.

I have been taking my 2 dogs to the barking spa since I adopted them. I love the way they groom my dogs, my husky comes home so clean and no shedding for months after. My sheltie comes home looking amazing and no shedding for him either for a long time. I recommend them to anyone who asks me about a grooming place. The staff there is very friendly and is always welcoming. You can tell that they love there job and working with animals. And the treats they give out at the end is a definate plus !! I will never stop coming here!

DO NOT USE THIS PLACE. I dropped my dog off for a bath and when my girlfriend went to pick the dog up she had a cut on her leg that was bleeding and there was fur hanging off. When I asked them what happened they said they didn’t know and that the person who had groomed her wasn’t there. I told them I wasn’t leaving until I found out what happened but they insisted they didn’t know and that she must have come in that way. I demanded to speak with the owner who is unavailable daily because «she has a two year old daughter» but eventually spoke with me on the phone and was completely unprofessional, rude, and nowhere close to a business person. She had not been present for any of the exchange but insisted that the injury did not happen at her store. Awful. And dangerous!

I WOULD NOT RECOMMEND ANYONE TO GO HERE EVER!
If I could rate this place negative stars, I would. I wrote a review on my website in 2010 about my experience here, but thought I’d move it over for Unilocal for people who did not see it.
The short story:
— She accuses my dog of having fleas, then when I went to pick him up she asked the groomer «was this the dog with fleas?» — so first you accuse me and now you’re not sure? My dog had no bite marks on him, nor had I ever seen a flea.
— Grooming takes forever here, for such a crappy job. I was told he needed more time because he needs a bath. I asked for a bath when I booked my appointment. Were you going to charge me, but not bathe him?
— If you search Google you’ll find more negative reviews about this place, including my website with a worse story than mine!
I had a previous review here, but Unilocal!says it had personal attacks in it? Maybe the lady complained? So I’ve shortened it up and hopefully this is good for them. People need to know how bad this place is.
The lady who runs this place is not friendly and should not be in the pet business. I hope she doesn’t have kids.

I’ve brought my Bichon here a couple of times but the last time cemented my opinion. They shaved all of him, including his tail… Which is still growing back out (7 months later) I might add. They’re cuts seems on the amateur side (kind of like Hair Cuttery for people) and does not justify the cost — maybe around $ 60?
I prefer Anita’s wags to riches in East Brunswick — they let the dogs hang out once they’re done and not in cages. Slightly more $$ but at least they don’t butcher my dog.

Just moved into town. We drive pass constantly. Was intrigued by the curb side appeal & friendly «Walk-​Ins Welcomed» sign. We «walked in» at 10am. The girl in front seemed hesitant then was all ready to stick our pup in a cage. I didn’t even know the prices, I had to ask. Short hair pug (no haircut) shampoo, dry, ears&teeth $ 50 (places usually charge $ 35max). She assured me they have a special vacuum type brush that takes ALL the hair that sheds (our biggest issue). I wanted to try them out so I agreed. I asked for a 1^st time discount, she gave us $ 5 off then told me the painted nails would be + $ 10. Hmm. (It felt like a con) As I left I did see a cocker spaniel cry while getting nails clipped. Also a woman I’m assuming is the owner was yelling & speaking in such a ugly tone to her employes. You can tell she was definetley bi-​polar. I feel bad for the people that work there. They finished her within 2hours & called for pick up. $ 58 later– we asked for bows we got none. There was nail polish on her fur & her mouth was super dry to wear she was making weird grunts. Poor pug! I’m waiting to see if their «special vacuum» worked. If not I’m going back down Rt 18 to Goochie Poochie or Petsmart their both in our area with hospitality & prices that are way better. 2stars only b/​c of décor & cleanliness & the fact that they did indeed serve us. Good luck with your pets! If shedding thing works will come back and add a star or two.

Dropped off my Lhasa Apso at 10:30am. She wasn’t ready for pickup until 3pm. 4 and a half hours for 1 dog with an appointment? Sorry, that’s unacceptable when I can have the Shaggy Waggin come to my house and be done in under an hour.
Ignoring the ludicrous length of time our «appointment» took, they still did a rubbish job. Face, ears, and tail were not properly trimmed. Body looked like it was done by a total amateur. They put some bows in the hair near her ears… cute (not really) but impossible to remove because they’ve been put on so tight with rubber bands and not really safe or comfortable for the dog. I don’t see any way to take them out without cutting the hair it’s attached too.
Wasn’t worth the $ 50 it cost.