Choosing the right groomer for your dog is one of the most consequential decisions you’ll make as a pet owner — and it goes far beyond price, location, or a beautiful haircut. Your dog spends several hours in your groomer’s care, often in a new environment, around other animals, and without you present. The experience can be calming and positive, or it can be frightening and unsafe, depending almost entirely on who is doing the grooming and how their facility is run.

After more than 35 years operating in Dunwoody, Georgia, our team at Robin’s Groomingdales has watched the industry evolve — and we’ve heard countless stories from new clients about previous grooming experiences that left them concerned, confused, or heartbroken. We put together this guide to help Dunwoody and Sandy Springs dog owners know exactly what to look for and what to avoid when choosing a professional groomer.

Why Choosing the Right Groomer Matters

Professional dog grooming is an unregulated industry in most U.S. states, including Georgia. This means that, legally, anyone can open a grooming salon with no formal training or certification. While many self-taught groomers do excellent work, the absence of minimum standards makes it essential for dog owners to ask the right questions before entrusting their pet to a new groomer.

The risks of choosing the wrong groomer range from a bad haircut to serious safety incidents. Dogs have been injured by improper handling, developed anxiety or behavioral changes from stressful grooming environments, and in rare but documented cases, been seriously harmed or killed by unsupervised heat dryers. Doing a little due diligence before booking your first appointment is genuinely worth the effort.

5 Things to Look for in a Professional Dog Groomer

1. Years of Experience and Breed Expertise

The grooming industry is unregulated in most U.S. states, including Georgia — meaning anyone can open a salon with zero formal training. In the absence of mandatory licensing, years of hands-on experience is the most honest measure of a groomer’s competence. A groomer who has spent years working with dozens of breeds develops a technical understanding that no short course can replicate: how a Yorkie’s silky single coat behaves under scissors versus a clipper, how to read matting depth on a Goldendoodle before committing to a blade length, or why clipping a double-coated Australian Shepherd short carries real risks for coat regrowth.

When evaluating a groomer, ask specifically how many years they’ve been grooming professionally and which breeds they work with regularly. A groomer with genuine breed expertise will answer concretely — they’ll tell you what guard they use on a Doodle in summer versus winter, or how they approach a nervous Shih Tzu differently from a calm Golden Retriever. Vague answers like “we do all breeds” without any technical follow-through are a warning sign.

2. Breed and Coat-Type Expertise

Not all groomers are equally equipped to handle all coat types. A groomer who excels with a short-coated Labrador may not have the technical knowledge to properly groom a double-coated Australian Shepherd, a matted Doodle, or a Yorkie requiring scissor work. Before booking, ask specifically whether the groomer has experience with your dog’s breed. A professional who understands coat structure — the difference between a single and double coat, how to read matting severity, which blade guards produce which results — will give you a straight technical answer, not a vague “yes we do all breeds.”

3. How Staff Handles Dogs at Drop-Off and Pick-Up

The way a groomer interacts with your dog in the first few seconds of arrival tells you a great deal about how they’ll interact throughout the day. Watch for calm, patient, and confident handling. Warning signs include: rushing dogs from their owners, rough leash handling, or dismissive responses to a nervous dog.

4. Drying Practices and Supervision Policies

Ask directly: “Are dogs ever left unattended while cage drying?” Unsupervised cage dryers have been linked to dog fatalities through overheating. A groomer who takes safety seriously will answer these questions confidently and specifically. Vague or dismissive answers are a warning sign.

5. Reading Reviews the Right Way

Look for consistency: a groomer with 200 reviews averaging 4.7 stars is more reliable than one with 15 reviews at 5.0. Read the negative reviews — how does the business respond? Look for specifics about safety and communication, not just “great haircut!” Also check longevity — how long has the business been operating in the community?

Questions to Ask Before Your First Appointment

• How long have you been grooming professionally?
• Do you have specific experience grooming my dog’s breed and coat type?
• How do you handle anxious or reactive dogs?
• What drying methods do you use, and is someone present at all times?
• What is your policy if I’m not satisfied with the groom?

What Makes Robin’s Groomingdales Different

We’ve been grooming dogs in Dunwoody and Sandy Springs since 1987 — nearly four decades. We welcome tours. We discuss every dog’s specific needs before their appointment. We use force-free, calm handling techniques. We hold a 4.9-star rating and have been recognized as Dunwoody’s Best Pet Groomer nine times. But our best endorsement is the clients who’ve brought their dogs to us for fifteen, twenty, even thirty years — and now bring their grandchildren’s dogs.

Robin’s Groomingdales is located at 2482 Jett Ferry Rd, Dunwoody, GA 30338. Book your appointment at robinsgroomingdales.us/bookings or call (770) 396-8902. Open Monday–Saturday, 8:30 AM – 3:00 PM.