Barking Lot Dog Grooming

No words can express the disappointing experience I had when I brought my dog here. It took two years for my dog’s coat to return from the damages made by Barking Lot. If you don’t believe it look at the before and after pictures I posted. Pom’s double coats have two layers of fur. The first, or undercoat, are the fine, fluffy hairs that are short and crimp (closest to the skin). It’s the fur that sheds; light and soft. This layer is excellent at trapping air and insulating the dog. Essentially it keeps them warm in the winter, and cool in the summer.
The topcoat is made up of tougher guard hairs that don’t shed, and protect your pet from the sun’s harmful rays and bug bites. It actually insulates them from the heat. WHAT THIS MEANS IS: do not shave your double coated dog. It’s a mistake to think you’re helping your animal stay cool, particularly in summer, when evolution has provided them exactly what they need to survive. By stripping them of their natural ability to heat and cool themselves, you could be doing more harm than good.
A key piece of understanding in this matter is that, unlike humans; dogs do not cool themselves through their skin. At most, it is only the pads of their paws that sweat. Their main mode of cooling comes from panting. As a groomer you should have a deep understanding of the breeds you’re working with. When I got my pom back with absolutely no coat I was more than devastated. I felt that my dog was stripped of it’s ability to protect himself from the winter and summer.
I NEVER asked them to shave my dog’s coat! What I do recall is that Joy had forgotten I made an appointment, insistent she could still take my dog even though it was very busy there and mentioned that her Father passed away. I’m guessing that’s why she forgot to schedule my appointment? Well, of course I felt horrible after she mentioned her Father so I said not to worry I can come by another time. She said «It’s fine I’ll take him». Great, I thought that’s so kind of her. Then when I returned to pick him up he had absolutely no hair. I asked «What happen?» She said «Oh, I thought you wanted a haircut.» UGH! I can’t believe it! And she continued to say that it will cost you $ 75. I stood in silence. I felt so heartbroken for my dog and stunned by her assumptions.
From what I gather she was more interested in making money than caring for the wellbeing of my dog. The haircut was just a shortcut to avoid having to wash and brush the coat out. Maybe it’s because she overbooked herself. I felt she completely cut corners to make a dime. She did this without considering the damage she made with my dog’s coat. The older the pooch is, the less likely it is that the topcoat of guard hairs will grow back. This leaves them with the undercoat, giving them a patchy, scruffy look. It can alter their coat for the rest of the dog’s life. Not only does it look bad, but you can end up having to shave the hair continuously from then on and once again, you strip them of their natural ability to protect themselves. Cocoa was born in 2000, he’s now 16 years. His coat took two years to return and it has never been the same. She didn’t just give him a bad haircut, she destroyed his coat for the rest of his life.

I didn’t actually purchase any services here, however, if I had a dog and lived in SF I most definitely would. The mini market next door was closed and I needed change to catch the bus during a weekend visit to the city. I walked into Barking Lot and met John. I inquired about getting change, but he didn’t have enough change for a $ 20. So what did he do? He simply handed me $ 2.25 for the bus no questions asked. For an owner that is so kind and generous to somebody who isn’t purchasing their services, I can only imagine how wonderfully they would treat their patrons! Support this business!

I’ve been taking my 45lb, shepherd-​mix, Luna, to be groomed here for the past five years. Joy and her husband are true dog lovers! Luna always comes home from the Barking Lot with a beautiful fur blow-​out, trimmed in all the right places and a spring in her step.

Pancake, my mini doxie, went to Barking Lot for years and I honestly am sad that we now live in New York and can’t go any longer. The owners are so kind and attentive — they always greeted Pancake by name and genuinely enjoyed her company. They were also very careful and considerate in bathing and grooming her. I never had a bad cut with them and I can’t recommend this place for your pup more than I already am.

DO NOT IGNORE the negative reviews on here. After our experience here, I am not surprised after reading the rest of the negative reviews. I’m sure that everyone who had positive reviews actually did have good experiences, but I’m just as sure that the negative ones are with really good reason.
When the owner made a fuss about our pup’s matted hair, the owner made it seem like we were troubling her. As if it’s not her job to just cut it (I get that it’s more difficult to cut hair when it’s matted, but seriously… this is kind of your job, lady — or maybe next time just let us know that he would need to be trimmed shorter). When she had made this giant fuss, we simply advised that we would go ahead pay for whatever trim service she made, and take our business elsewhere… no big deal. At this point, the owner would not give us our dog back, and thought that we worked at another groomer. WHO DOES THAT??? SERIOUSLY. WHO?!? Then the owner or her husband or whoever decides to take photos of us on their cell phone. SERIOUSLY. It was not until we threatened to call the POLICE that they eased up. Eventually, we got our dog and ran outta there. This was by far the worst customer service experience I’ve ever gone through.
We wanted to try this place because we needed a local, nearby groomer in the Richmond District. In the end, we found that it’s definitely worth it to travel a little further… (see next review).
Maybe the owner was having a bad day… I don’t know. But you definitely don’t treat people that way, let alone people who are trying to pay for a service you are offering. I would give zero stars if I could. I’d recommend taking your pup ANYWHERE but here.

Every groomer we have taken our Max to has aggressively suggested we leave his fur longer than we request. He does have a gorgeous black «golden» coat, but he plays on the beach regularly and needs to be rinsed off constantly (and a cold wet dog is unacceptable out here in the windy Outer Richmond) BUT Joy clipped his body super short and left his tail and feet long and furry with a slight trim exactly as we requested. He loves the cut and so do we!
I have and will continue to recommend the Barking Lot to friends, we absolutely love them and will return soon!

I really have had good experiences here. My dog arrives and leaves happy. The prices are reasonable (and slightly less than the fancier spots in other neighborhoods), it’s very convenient to me and I like that it is extremely low-​key.
I’ve had to wait a few times for them to let me in (they aren’t always in the grooming area, and occasionally I’ve had to wait a few minutes for them to arrive back from a dog walk, but that’s the only thing that I’ve noticed that is less than perfect.
I’ve gone three or four times and I will go back again.

I have to agree with the attitude and negative comments about this place. i called to take my Lab here as I am new to the area. I like my current groomer, but since finding an awesome nail place and an awesome salon in the Richmond Dist, I thought if I could find something within walking distance, it would be awesome. My dog is 13 and you know what the parking is like here. Anyway when I asked if he did large dogs, he hemmed and hawed and said «well, we are trying to phase them out». WHAT? I should have hung up then. I explained my dog was very mellow and gets groomed regularly and the groomers love him. He then quoted me $ 80!!! I have never paid that much for a wash & brush. He’s not a damn poodle and does not need any clipping. I said, «no wonder you are phasing out big dogs, the owners are probably phasing you out». He could have saved me a lot of time by just saying NO. He is rude and I would never take my dog here.

I have taking my labradoodle here since they opened. Joy and John are professional and do a great job. Loyal customer letting everyone know I am still happy after many years and so is my dog.

I brought my cocker spaniel puppy, Zoey, in about 1 – 2 months ago and wow the cut has grown in so great. She’s definitely overdue for a visit but Joy did such a great job that Zoey doesn’t look messy at all! I was definitely pleased by the experience. Zoey was immaculately groomed, nails cut, and a thorough ear cleaning. Joy even warned me about some yeast in my dogs ears and referred me to a great earwash. She even has play pens so the dogs don’t need to be caged.
I think all the negative reviews are from people who are neurotic, holding unrealistic expectations for unrealistic prices. Even a puppy cut in petco is over 50 $, and frankly I’d rather pay the extra 10 – 20 for Joy’s friendly and gentle service. Will come back every time Zoey needs a grooming!

The Barking Lot sure lives up to it’s name. There are dogs barking in this place of business. I’m not sure if they’re boarding, they’re suffering, they’re bored, or they’re just not trained. I digress and shall go on with my review.
I called The Barking lot today, 7÷17÷12, to get my Corgi’s nails trimmed. It was 2 hours before closing and Joy was able to accommodate my dog. When I get there, I was greeted by this older gentleman who would go on to cut my Corgi’s nails. He didn’t look like a groomer from his initial appearance, but insisted on assisting me. I told him I just wanted to have my Corgi’s nails clipped and he asked me to come back within a half-​hour, but I decided to stay and watch him cut my dog’s nails.
He pretty much finished within 8 minutes. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see my Corgi trying to put on a brave face and not squirm while getting her nails cut. This ‘groomer’ was patient only for so long (being only 8 mintues) before giving up and claiming to finish the nail clipping. Definitely a half-​assed job that was $ 5 more than my quoted price over the phone. $ 20 total to get 6 nails trimmed. I was definitely ripped off.

I recently went to the barking lot for the first time to get my tiny dog groomed (which was very much needed) and i absolutely loved the end result. I would usually go to pet co or pet smart to groom my dog but they’re just rude and i was never satisfied with their rushed work. I recommend everybody to get their dogs groomed here!

I am definitely a fan of the Barking Lot. My old Bichon, Cookie, hates baths, hates getting his nails clipped, and hates being caged even more. Me, I hate waiting weeks for any (!) appointment, hate pricey grooming/​nail clipping, and watching my terrified dog pooping all over the floor. just makes me sad.
I walked in one day to ask about grooming prices on a terrified, cranky, old Bichon who bites. Not only did they not kick me out for having an «aggressive dog», but they gave me a much lower quote than other grooming shops and gave me an appointment for the very next day. Amazing. Mind you, this is the dog who has a «warning» sticker on his vet file and gets charged extra at the vet’s office for any services.
The whole appointment from drop-​off to pick-​up was smooth and effortless (for me). He was clean and fluffy with a cute little scarf and waiting for me in the store window. They even took him for a nice afternoon walk, which I (and Cookie) very much appreciated!
Thank you, Barking Lot, for making my life a lot easier with my cranky, old dog.

Ive been coming to this spot for a couple years now and I can tell you this that i am completely satisfied. Joy knows how to cut and bath my lil shih tzu the way I wanted my dog to be! Worth the $$$$!!!

I wanted to take my dog here… but then I met the female owner and she pretty much kicked me out.
Why you ask? Because I scheduled a bath for my 12 lb terrier/​chihuahua mix. I asked what was included in the bath service. She told me the gland cleaning and nail clipping. I told the lady that I only wanted a bath… not necessary to clean my dogs anal gland or shorten her nails.
Less work for her = a good thing right? Nope! Apparently this woman has some serious principles! She started telling me that my dogs nails were too long, she was going to get arthritis… I was a bad person who hated puppies… etc.
Sorry crazy lady… my dog is happy, healthy, loved, and WILL NOT be coming here!

Yet again, I have to say that the care and gentleness Joy shows to my aging Borzoi, Kyrie, who she has been grooming now for years, cannot be equalled. So many groomers really don’t like doing these tall dogs, but Kyrie’s coat is SO much nicer when it’s professionally groomed, and it also keeps her from matting — important now that she’s so senior and lies around a bit more than she used to.
Anyway, Joy has been working with me on getting as much grooming done on Kyrie without stressing her or causing her the slightest discomfort, and her attentiveness and thoughtfullness mean the world to me. So much so that I bring my Deerhound, Rawley, to her for bathing and nail trims even though I could do them myself at home. I think the world of this place.

I’ve moved on from our experience here at the Barking Lot and have come to terms that having a dog will entail all sorts of pros and cons that you deal with along the way. I made the decision to not accept the free bath that the owner has offered because I’d just rather not have to come back.
So please stop harassing me with messages calling me «Pansy’s Daughter» because you thought my mother brought in a dog years before and she didn’t like your work either. When in fact, this is our first dog. That is absolutely rude and uncalled for. Who would sink so low as to use that to threaten a person. And according to her — I must pick my battles wisely. Do the SAME.
Because of these nuances from you, it seems like you just can’t let people be. Take the criticism and move on with your life. I’m glad your other customers do enjoy your work — but you can’t please everyone, can you? Just leave me alone. I love my puppy and I just want to be able to share better experiences with him. As an animal lover, I would think you could understand that instead of stalking me on Unilocal.

I’ve been contacted at least 4 times — through messages and a phone call in the last two days — by the owners about my review. Unprofessional and quite frankly, rude and really upsetting. I’ve even been threatened in one message to remove my review or I would suffer consequences. Not going to, because that’s not what Unilocal is about. Reviews are meant to reflect an individual experience and are meant to be helpful in guiding others about how to navigate theirs. How useful would Unilocal be if people were coerced into writing a particular kind of review?
This unfortunate incident has not only made my experience with the groomers sour, but has also ruined my Unilocaling experience. What if we were all to get nasty messages because we offered an honest opinion that wasn’t necessarily 5-​star worthy?
When I initially said «no hard feelings,» I sincerely meant it. I meant that I really do believe that it was nothing personal and that I just happened to be disappointed with MY results — reflective of my experience, not necessarily of all experiences. It was in no way sarcastic or meant to be malicious. There is no other intent other than the desire to share an opinion.
Yet, I get harassed about my account. Unfair and unprofessional. I have never met a business owner who behaved this way. 1star by default, clearly not by choice. If I could, I would give 0 stars.

Ya know we have this cute little 12lb white bundle of joy that barks at strangers, chases birds and sometimes wakes us in the middle of the night. I wouldn’t trade her in for anything…
So she has to look good and when that white scruff gets a bit long in the face and her coat isn’t has shiny as the «Lady K» would like it, she’s off to Barking Lot for a shave and shower!
Each time she comes back looking cutter than the time before. How do they do it? I don’t know but it’s well worth the money and the chuckle I get when she comes running to me after a day at the doggy salon!
Enjoy!

Our dog had there grooming a week ago and all I can say is wow… it has grown in so nicely… everyone compliments the look of the dog. We got lucky we found our groomer on the first try.