Puppy Bubbles: Pet Styling and Playhouse

11/03/2023

Hey furry friends! Starting November 11th, Puppy Bubbles will be open on Saturdays from 8am to 3pm.

That's right, you can now get your furry friend groomed on the weekend! Whether you need a full trim, or just a bath, our experienced groomers will make sure your dog looks and feels their best.

So book your appointment today and let's get your pup looking paw-sitively fabulous!

Email us at [email protected] or text 4259033443
Visit our website: https://yourpuppybubbles.com/

See you soon!😉

12/25/2022

12/16/2022

Now you can give your friends and family an unusual gift: professional care for their pets! 🎁🐩🎁

A good-smelling pet with soft fur and a beautiful haircut - such a pet is doubly pleasant to hug with, such a cutie will become the star of home photo shoots and get the attention of all passers-by on the street...

🥳🎉 All this you can give to dog owner with our special gift certificate. Just choose the gift amount: 100 or 150 dollars and buy this certificate. The recipient of the certificate will be able to exchange the indicated amount for professional grooming services at our "Puppy Bubbles" dog Spa. And we will provide professional care and a beautiful appearance for any breed of dog.

🐾 It is very comfortable
🐾 It shows your attention and care
🐾 It looks stylish

🔥 HURRY UP TO BUY YOUR GIFT CERTIFICATE BEFORE THE CHRISTMAS HOLIDAYS! For more information and purchase call us: (206)829-9743 or email: [email protected]

Our address: 2448 SE 76th St #108, Mercer Island, Wa 98040

11/29/2022

Dear friends, as you know, the weather forecast calls for possible snow in our area for the next week. We understand these weather conditions could create problems on the roads and it can be difficult to get to us.

Your safety is very important to us! If you feel not comfortable driving in winter conditions, we are ready to reschedule your appointment. Just let us know in advance by phone: (206) 829-9743 or e-mail: [email protected]

In general, we continue to work without schedule changes. All scheduled appointments remain valid. We look forward to welcoming you and your pets to our grooming salon!

10/12/2022

Hi, everyone! Puppy Bubbles team wants to greet you and provide an important information. We are continuing to provide best service for all our regular customers and new clients! Our new contacts for appointments are : [email protected]; Phone - 206 829 97 43. Make sure you made an appointment before the high season!

07/17/2022

Three of my 5 employees are out with Covid this week. Please bear with me as my remaining two and I try to handle the schedule, reschedule, and take longer on the dogs we are still able to groom.

04/11/2022

Important read.

SO JUST HOW LONG DO YOUR PET’S SHOTS LAST?

Definitely longer than a year!

According to the top pet immunologist (aka vaccine expert) in the world, Dr. Ronald Schultz, Ph.D. – “ Annual revaccination provides no benefit and may increase the risk for adverse reactions.”

What the heck are adverse reactions (or side effects)?

Well according to the other rock star pet immunologist Dr. Jean Dodds:

“Side effects from dog vaccinations can occur anywhere from instantly up to several weeks or months later. Vaccines can even cause susceptibility to chronic diseases that appear much later in a dog’s life (Dodd, 2001).

Severe and fatal adverse reactions include:

•Susceptibility to infections.

•Neurological disorders and encephalitis.

•Aberrant behavior, including unprovoked aggression.

•Vaccines are linked to seizures. Distemper, parvovirus, rabies and, presumably, other vaccines have been linked with poly neuropathy, a nerve disease that involves inflammation of several nerves. (Dodds,2001)”

SO HOW LONG EXACTLY DOES YOUR PET’S VACCINE LAST?

According to the recommendations of the American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA), (basically the dudes who set the standards for the vets): “Among healthy dogs, all commercially available [core] vaccines are expected to induce a sustained protective immune response lasting at least 5 yr. thereafter”

Here’s the breakdown of the core vaccines from Dr. Ronald Schultz:

Minimum Duration of Immunity for Canine Vaccines:

Distemper- 7 years by challenge
Parvovirus – 7 years by challenge
Adenovirus – 7 years by challenge
Canine rabies – 3 years by challenge

The moral of the story here, if you have no idea when your pet is due or has been vaccinated, then just run a titer test and this will confirm if you are due, rather than over-vaccinate your poor pet, setting the stage for future problems!

What’s a titer test?

A titer test (pronounced tight-errr) is a laboratory or in-house veterinary test measuring the existence and level of antibodies (necessary to fight off disease) in your pet’s blood. Basically, it’s a test that will tell you whether or not you actually need to vaccinate your pet.

It’s also super useful when making a decision about vaccinating a pet with an unknown vaccination history, or for determining if pets have received immunity from vaccination.

Vaccinating your pet is super important so don’t lose the overall message here: VACCINATE, JUST DON’T OVER-VACCINATE!

According to Dr. Dodds:

“Vaccines have achieved many important benefits for companion animals, and has saved more animals' lives than any other medical advance.”

Want more on titer testing? Check it out:

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10153271303942028&set=pb.509362027.-2207520000.1461100680.&type=3&theater

Rodney Habib

"An educated, informed and well-researched community of pet owners can only put more pressure on the pet food industry to be better! When pet owners know better, they will only do better!"

08/03/2021

With the new surge of covid cases in vaccinated people we are asking all clients, vaccinated or not to wear masks when entering our establishment. This is not negotiable.

02/14/2021

Well we got a ton of snow and I can’t get out of my driveway. Sooo we are going to be closed tomorrow. I guess try to enjoy the snow while it’s here. I’ve emailed everyone booked tomorrow to reschedule. Here’s hoping the snow lets up and we can open Tuesday!

01/13/2021

As there is no power in most of the Seattle area we are closed today. If power is restored we will reopen tomorrow! Stay safe out there!

09/25/2020

This is important for people who have dogs they’ve been home with the last few months more than normal, regardless the age. We’ve seen several dogs displaying signs of separation anxiety who’d never had an issue before.

They usually settle down pretty quickly but if you notice a more reluctant than usual reaction to coming to the shop, this is why, and actually what I’ve been surmising when asked by the client.

The world in which they're being socialized is a weird one.

06/23/2020

For those of you who forget your mask, please stop forgetting it. This needs to become a habit until the covid numbers go down and they get a handle on this virus. I don’t want to have to shut down again. We wear a mask to protect you, we ask that you wear a mask to protect us.

Washington state will require people to wear facial coverings in public settings, under a statewide public health order announced Tuesday by Gov. Jay Inslee in response to ongoing COVID-related health concerns.

06/22/2020

Make sure to check your spam folders. I’ve sent out several emails with no responses and I’m assuming that’s the most likely cause

06/14/2020

Fun and hairy day today! Had 8 of these guys visit me. They are so much fun. I was blowdrying another golden while these three chilled out and waited for their turn.

06/13/2020

Saturday sillies ❤️ Finn bringing me a toy after his bath

06/08/2020

First official day back and wow my body hurts after three months of doing literally nothing.

I just want to ask all of you to be patient with me as I get through the list. I only had a couple days notice before opening and I’m only one person. I have an incredible staff and I’m so grateful to all of them for coming back to work and kicking ass with me.

I ask that only those who are not already on the list send me emails, I’m getting a lot of repeat emails and I assure you I haven’t forgotten you but there are only so many hours in the day.

It’s overwhelming but I’m doing the best that I can with trying to schedule as well as groom.

There are only 4 of us when there use to be 7 so it’s going to take a while to get up everyone.

Thank you!

06/05/2020

Emails are starting to go out with appointments. Please try to get back to me quickly so we can maximize our efficiency. Included will be our updated policies. I'm posting these here as well so everyone can become familiar with them.

Feel free to email me with any concerns and please don't panic if you don't get an email right away. This is going to be a slow, arduous process for everyone.

Puppy Bubbles Policies

Covid Specific Changes:

Clients will be allowed in the lobby however we ask that you wear a mask and please only one person at a time.
We will be taking cash, checks and cards as always. If you prefer to pay via "touchless" I can run your card over the phone or in the lobby without taking the card. If you want to write a check ask your total when we call to inform you of your pet's completion so you can have it prewritten.

While we normally attempt to accommodate all reasonable groom requests, at this time we will be doing what is necessary to get as many pets in as quickly as possible in the event of another lengthy closure. Remember, this is hair, it will grow back. If a pet is matted, the hair will be shaved(including faces, ears and tails). If it is not matted we will strongly encourage you to go with a shorter haircut so they can last longer in between grooms. We will be unable to offer prebooking appointments until we are able to cycle through all the pets in need first.

Due to the sanitation requirements before, during and after each pet and client as well as running with a reduced staff and providing the necessary PPE, the cost of operating has gone up significantly. Prices will be going up to reflect that. If you would like to know the base price of your pet, please feel free to ask and also understand that that does not include anything extra (severity of matting can take longer to safely remove the coat and will drive the price up, as well as behavior etc). If it is out of your budget, we understand and can refer you to another groomer who can charge less but we ask you not to complain about the prices. It is incredibly stressful trying to navigate this new world and I am doing what is necessary to salvage my business while trying to provide the same caring service you are use to.

Finally- Email will always be my preferred method of communication. I check email several times during the day as it's much easier to skim an email and decide if its something I can get to later v.s. needing immediate attention compared to checking phone messages.

Regarding appointments:
1. Please be on time to your appointment. If you are going to be later than 10 minutes your appointment will be rescheduled and you will be charged the missed appointment fee. (1/2 the base price of the groom).

2. We ask that you give us plenty of notice if you need to reschedule your appointment so that we are able to fill it in time (preferably by 12pm the day prior). If you cancel the day of, or do not show up for your appointment, you will be charged the missed appointment fee.

3. Generally we give 4 hours for an appointment. Often we are done sooner, in extreme circumstances we are done later. If you are unable to pick up by the 4 hour mark we do charge a daycare fee of $25. This is to reduce the amount of dogs running around as we are a kennel free environment. If you need a dog back by a certain time please discuss this when making the appointment and we will do our best to work with your schedule or find a different day/time.

5. Please do not show up before your pet is due out. We will call when your pet is ready or give you a time in which will be safe for you to arrive. Often if they are on the table and they see you, they will be too excited and very difficult to finish and if this is the case we may have to send them home unfinished. You will be charged for the full groom if this occurs.

6. Occasionally injuries happen as we are working on moving targets. If we are aware of it, we will assess it, treat it and inform you of it. If we do not tell you about an injury, it is because we are not aware of it. Please feel free to inform us if you find something out of the ordinary. I believe fully in being transparent and honest about injuries should they occur.

These policies are in place so that we are able to give your pet the full attention it deserves. We schedule every pet around the others that are coming in as we generally know how much time each one takes us. We prefer not to overbook as we value quality over quantity.

If you have any questions or concerns please contact me directly: [email protected]

06/05/2020

King county has moved to phase 1.5.
I am going to start contacting clients from my list to get scheduled. Please do not contact me *unless* you aren’t on the list yet.

We will be able to work at 25% capacity.

We have over 400 dogs to get in between two groomers and two bathers.

Please be aware, we’ll be shaving every dog down. It’s going to be more important to get as many dogs in as fast as possible before we’re forced to shut down again. (There is no way after the protests and riots covid doesn’t explode).

I ask that you continue to be patient as we’re going to do everything we can to help as many pets as we can in this window we have.

I’ll be writing up and posting a new policy page and sending it with every booked appointment so there are no surprises with rate changes and pick up/drop off routines.

Adding also that we will not be able to resume our normal maintenance schedules until we get through all the dogs who need in first. I don’t think we’ll be able to do that again until next year honestly.

06/03/2020

Current update. We will not be opening any time soon at this point.

06/02/2020

More sink baths. Good thing it was a warm day so I could blow dry outside. Birds will like the loose hair!

Still no idea when we will be able to reopen.

Hope you’re staying safe. These riots are scary!

05/30/2020

Another groomer posted this. It may be a couple weeks yet.

05/30/2020

Even the groomers dog gets sink baths right now! Though I am hopeful that with Inslee’s newest statement we may be able to open soon. That said please don’t contact me unless you’re not on the list yet. I have an order in which I will be contacting people and ask that you are all patient!

05/29/2020

Saw this and thought it was good to share.

Luckily we have the best clients ever.

Lately, we have been called to the scene of several incidents where individuals not pleased with service, product or modifications to ways of doing business have resulted in threats and disputes bordering on physical aggression. This is completely unacceptable.

As more businesses start to reopen in the coming weeks and months, please understand that they have just survived one of the hardest professional and financial challenges that they have probably ever faced since opening as have their employees. Their businesses and employees are still under a great deal of stress and doing the best they can with the current climate due to COVID19. Many are running with bare bones staff and inventory that isn’t able to catch up with the demand.

Please do not go to a businesses and complain or initiate confrontations about changes to the ways they are doing business due to lost revenue, lost employees, low inventory, new policies and new safety protocols as a result of COVID19. The cashier didn’t make these changes. The food runner didn’t make these changes. The person on the sales floor didn’t make these changes. They are doing the best they can to adapt and adjust to the situation and provide the best service they can during this unprecedented time.

We 100% stand by our businesses, their employees and our business community during the bizarre time that we are all living through together. Please be patient, kind and respectful and understand that everything today is much different today than it was three months ago for everyone including businesses and their employees.

05/27/2020

I know it’s hard right now and everyone’s dogs are in bad shape but just understand the risk you are taking if you have your pet groomed by a groomer breaking the governors orders.

If something were to happen to your pet in their care, insurance will not cover it. L&i is now fining businesses caught operating while the stay at home order is in effect.

It is not worth the risk to me. Unfortunately others don’t take it as seriously.

05/23/2020

Sharing my sisters dog because he’s so damned cute.

Anyway my post about hardships of reopening got attention of Kiro 7 so I did an interview today at the shop which will be aired at 5ish tonight.

With the new regulations for social distancing between employees and sanitizing everything between each person (broom, vacuum, dryer hoses) reopening is going to be very difficult and we will be operating at a loss.

While normally we have 2-3 people bathing or drying at a time it would restrict us to one person a time in each of those rooms.

We wouldn’t be able to run at full staff and I don’t know how long this will last for.

I can’t double grooming prices but my overhead is a fixed expense.

I don’t know how long we can run once reopen at half productivity.

05/21/2020

Also! Thank you to those who have offered to help financially however the government has come through for us, however I just don’t know what the long term implications of new operating standards will have on our productivity. Because of how we groom (no kennels, hand drying, dremmeling etc) we are already taking fewer dogs in a day compared to other salons that operate differently. If we have to cut back more, I’m not sure what that will do to us.

Thank you all for your support, we miss you and will hopefully be seeing each other soon. Until then stay safe and healthy!

05/20/2020

Because I keep getting emails about this I need to address it.

Pet grooming is NOT open in King county. I do not know when it will reopen but I personally will not even consider reopening before June 1st, more likely June 8th.

I will NOT be booking ANY appointments until I have a solid reopen date.

I will contact you. If you’ve already emailed me and gotten confirmation that you are on the list, please don’t contact me again asking when I’m going to reopen. I’m getting very frustrated having to keep saying the same thing over and over again and I’m going to start dropping you down on the list.

EVERYONE’S dogs are in bad shape. We will get to all of them, eventually. They will all be shaved as we will not have time to do any dematting.

I am already down one groomer so it will only be Wendy and I doing haircuts. I do not know how the health department guidelines are going to effect our operations and there is a very good chance I will not be able to afford staying in business if it forces us to slow down and have less employees working in my space.

Prices will be going up across the board to help avoid that problem but I don’t know what the long term implications will end up being.

I will write up a drop off/pick up policy once I figure it all out and attach it to email reminders.

Hope you’re doing well otherwise.

05/02/2020

The order had been extended through the 30th of May. Dog groomers will be implemented during phase 2 which *might* happen three weeks from now.

Again I’m not making appointments until we have an actual date.

I am ok with this. Thank you all for your support. I hope in 3 weeks they have a better handle of this virus. I am in no rush to come back until they do.

They are learning new things about it every day. I don’t want to be one of the people they discover something new with.

I hope you are all staying healthy and safe! Until then, my dogs are loving all the time they are getting with me and I’m sure yours are too!

04/26/2020

Since so many are asking here are some at home tools you can get for maintaining your dog at home in between.

Brush:
Paw Brothers Stainless Steel Extra Long Hard Pin Slicker Large Brush for Professional Grooming https://www.amazon.com/dp/B014PFS2VE/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_C5FPEbJ9A29FN

If you use this brush make sure you don’t apply too much pressure or go over the spot too many times once the tangles are out because you can irritate the skin.

Comb:
ARTERO Double Width Comb w/Fine Teeth https://www.amazon.com/dp/B079DWSJQW/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_.6FPEbQP7JKMP

Paws Pamper Professional Anti-Corrosion Grooming Comb for Dogs & Cats, Tapered Stainless Steel Pins https://www.amazon.com/dp/B074XM8RSF/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_t7FPEbV40AJVQ

My preferred comb is the artero one but it’s a little pricey. I do not personally know how good this other one works because I haven’t used it but it might be ok for at home use. It’s used mainly to find tangles. Don’t use this to get mats out, use the slicker to work them out and follow up with the comb

Shears:

Gimars Titanium Coated 3CR Stainless Steel Dog Grooming Scissors Kit, Heavy Duty Pet Grooming Trimmer Kit - Thinning, Straight, Curved Shears with Comb for Long & Short Hair, Fur for Cat and More Pets https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01DZNAJ2W/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_o-FPEbHWNSEH8

I have never used these however after reading reviews by professional groomers this may actually be a good set. One gal said they didn’t work and customer service contacted her after her review and made it right. This is by no means a professional set but should be good for trimming eyes and feet. The comb may or may not work well, even though it looks similar there is a huge difference in the tine sizes and that will effect whether you find tangles or not. Lesser quality combs tend to skip over tangles more often than not but may not hurt to give it a try before buying the more expensive one.

Clippers:

https://store.ryanspet.com/Andis-Excel-5-Speed-Clippers

https://store.ryanspet.com/Andis-Super-2-Speed-Ultraedge-W-10-Blade

https://store.ryanspet.com/Andis-Single-Speed-AGC-Clipper-with-10-Blade

They are listed from best to worst. I do not know how the last pair work but the first link is what we use and the second link we use to use these before they bettered the design.

All these clippers come with a #10 blade(1/16”). This is not suitable to be used on any body part of the dog without a guard comb on it unless you are shaving out mats in which case it’s the safest blade to use.

Often it irritates the skin of dogs if used in the sanitary area so I like to leave it a touch longer. It is suitable for the pads of the feet however, we generally use a much shorter blade in the shop so a #10 is fine for that.

Blades/guard combs:

https://store.ryanspet.com/AND24585_2

https://store.ryanspet.com/Andis-UltraEdge-Blades?quantity=1&Sizes=229

The top link is a guard comb set. They are designed to go over the #10 blade. You can leave your pets hair anywhere between 1/8” to 1” with this set, the lengths are on the combs themselves. That said, in order to successfully be able to use these, the dog must be clean, dry and brushed out thoroughly including following up with your metal greyhound comb, otherwise it will just snag hair and not look good.

Alternatively you can purchase blades which will go through the coat a lot smoother if there are tangles you can’t get out however your options are limited for lengths you can leave the coat. The second link is for those. You may want to pick up a second #10 blade.

I suggest getting a blade (pleaseee make sure it’s the 4F. The other is a skip tooth and you run the risk of nicking your pet). A will leave the coat 3/8”. It’s fairly short but can get through most tangles depending on how bad they are.

A #3 3/4F would leave the coat 1/2” however it won’t get through tangles quite as easily.

A is what we use on their sanitary areas. It also is a good length to get through the coat if they are matted beyond what a can handle.

You can contact me directly and ask what your pets normal groom is and I can give you some guidance however please be patient as I have been getting a little overwhelmed with all the emails etc. I will sit down and get back to everyone when I am able to :)

Nails:

Lite 12-Piece Variable Speed Cordless 4-volt 2-Amp Multipurpose Rotary Tool (No Case) https://www.lowes.com/pd/Lite-12-Piece-Variable-Speed-Cordless-4-volt-2-Amp-Multipurpose-Rotary-Tool-(No-Case)/1000977218

We use a dremmel on 99% of the dogs that come in the shop. They mostly prefer it to being clipped. That said if your dog has long hair you may want to trim the hair away from the feet or you can get a pair of nylons and stick the toe nails through so you don’t risk catching the hair. This dremmel is excellent however and will stop if it catches in hair.

If your dog is uncooperative get help and if small enough try and put on a table or counter. If I have time later I’ll either try to make a video or find one online for your visual assistance. I’ll see if I can find something to help show you how far to go.

Shampoo/conditioner/finishing spray:

Shampoo
https://store.ryanspet.com/Best-Shot-Lemon-Aid-Oatmeal-Conditioning-Shampoo

Conditioner
https://store.ryanspet.com/Best-Shot-Ultra-Dirty-Plenish-Conditioner?page=1

Finishing spray
https://store.ryanspet.com/Best-Shot-Ultra-Vitalizing-Mist

Bottles for diluting
https://store.ryanspet.com/Paw-Brothers-Mixing-Bottle-32-oz

I prefer Best Shot products and these are the specific ones we use in our shop. You can choose any of the others except the one shot products as those are meant for bathing systems. All these products dilute so mixing bottles are important. My favorite shampoo/conditioner combo from them is the mandarin jasmine caressing puppy wash/conditioner but can’t seem to find the conditioner on Ryan’s pet.

It is important to condition the coat after shampooing it. We let the conditioner sit on all dogs for a minimum of 3 minutes (each station has a timer). Once we rinse all the conditioner out we dilute the finishing spray in a bottle designated specifically for that alone(mark with sharpees) and run that through the coat as well and do not rinse it out. Use cooler water for this so it helps close the hair shaft and make it easier to brush once dry.

Dryers:

https://www.chewy.com/flying-pig-grooming-simple-home-dog/dp/158277

I have heard decent things about these blow dryers. I’ve never used them however. They will probably be fine for at home use, if your dog is a shedder it will help push out a lot of dead undercoat.

Happy hoodie:
https://store.ryanspet.com/ZP10005

This is what we use to help block out the sound of the dryer for the pet. We dry their whole body before taking off the hoodie and then we can dry the head as much as they let us.

Don’t use a concentrator nozzle around the head and be careful about drying around the ears and eyes.

Table:

https://www.chewy.com/s?query=Table&nav-submit-button=

There are several here that aren’t too badly priced or you can check amazon or Ryanspet as well. It isn’t a bad investment especially if you have a dog that needs to be brushed between grooms anyway.
I guarantee your dog will be much better behaved on a table for grooming/drying as that is what they are use to.

Ok so that is it for now. I will attempt to make or find videos in the next week to help for at home grooming because I think this is going to extend beyond May 4th.

If anyone is interested I am considering doing consultations or one on one video chats or something to help out with at home grooming if there is an interest. Just let me know!

04/24/2020

Unfortunately the stay at home order is lasting longer than everyone anticipated. Regardless it will all be ok. Dogs, while they are looking a little rough around the edges, will be just fine for another month, maybe two if it goes that long.

The worst case scenario is everyone will be shaved down, but we’re going into the summer!

All that said, dog grooming is still considered a non essential business. Any groomer you see operating right now is going against the governors orders. If an injury were to occur to a pet in their care keep in mind insurance will not cover the injury.

My family and employees are important to me. I don’t want to risk any of their lives on this virus and am fine waiting until they have this a little better under control before going back to work.

I hope you are all staying safe and healthy. We will get through this.