When Tina Farrar rolls up in her truck with the attached grooming trailer, the dogs aren’t usually excited. Which is exactly the kind of dog clients Tina wants to help. Specializing in small dogs that are elderly and/or anxious, Tina commits to making these pups feel as comfortable as possible during the grooming process.
Mobile dog grooming was not something Tina had planned for in life. It wasn’t until she got her Shih Tzu, Buddha, that she even learned that some dogs needed regular grooming! Most of her dog experiences up to that point were around shedding breeds like labs and shepherds. Tina’s first grooming experience with Buddha is all too familiar to many. Tina shares, “I went to take her to be groomed and she was very shaky when we got inside. I heard another dog yelp in the back and I left.” Continuing, Tina laughs, “when I got back home I started cutting her hair myself and it didn’t look so bad!” After that, Tina went to grooming school to learn more before investing in her own mobile grooming service. That was 14 years ago. Now her truck and trailer is frequently seen around Coronado as she services regular clients.
Specializing in Small Dogs
Tina used to groom dogs of all sizes when she lived in Denver and had a bigger trailer but now she sticks to small breeds. Big breeds require not only a bigger trailer but different equipment, like a walk-up sink bathing area, as opposed to little dogs that Tina can pick up herself. While she grooms all small breeds she finds her passion in handicap, nervous, or elderly dogs. “I just LOVE doing this,” she gushes, “when you work for someone else you can’t take the time. I can usually spend between an hour and an hour and a half with each dog.”
Tina also shares that she has a dog client that is paralyzed and another that is blind. In situations with special dogs she shares, “they feed off my energy. They sense the calmness.” Part of the transition from owner to groomer for nervous dogs is for the owner to make it a less scary process for them. Tina advises that instead of telling your dog that, “it’s going to be okay…don’t be scared..” which is a natural response, instead make it happy for them! “Look Tina is here! You get to be groomed now!” The energy starts with the owner.
Linda Mcleod trains dressage horses and shares that she and Tina, “have spent many hours discussing methodology around gaining an animal’s trust and how we can better serve their need for safety and security. I have observed Tina work with an incredibly frightened dog who was in complete emotional meltdown, the time she took, the complete connection and focus on calming the distress of the animal was breathtaking to watch. I would recommend Tina for her natural empathy, compassion, honesty, and desire for all animals she works with to have a positive, safe experience.”
Tina is also an advocate for PAWS of Coronado and she frequently posts on her Facebook page about upcoming dogs for adoption. She recently did a makeover of Tux so he was feeling his best to be adoption ready!
Why Mobile Grooming
Mobile grooming has quite a few benefits for the owner and pets alike. It’s very convenient. With Tina just outside in her trailer, owners can still go about their day- put in a load of laundry, do some gardening, finish up the dishes. It’s cage free which is a lot less stressful for the dog. Brick and mortar groomers can take up to three or four hours; if a small dog can typically be groomed in 60-90 minutes, that is a lot of extra time they would spend in a cage.
Tina has competitive pricing – she offers $20 nail trimmings for dogs and cats when they don’t require a full grooming. For full grooming, the first time price is $69 for small dogs, and $79 for first time medium dogs. Clients report that they feel like the time between grooming appointments is actually longer with the quality grooming that Tina provides.
Coronado client Patrick shares, “Chip is our Yorkshire Terrier. He has always had anxiety being away from our family and our home for several hours. Having Tina come to our house is a much better experience for all of us. First, she is very careful to make sure he is comfortable before taking him. Secondly he received her individual attention and she was able to groom him in less than an hour. I am happy with her grooming ability, but the convenience of not having to bring him to a groomer is so convenient. I would recommend Tina for anyone in need of a trustworthy and very competent groomer.”
What Owners Should Know
Tina has a few things that she wants dog owners to know. The first that she shares is, “I don’t judge. When dogs are scared or nervous they can be rejected from other groomers, sometimes going a long period of time without grooming. Don’t be embarrassed to bring them! I’m here to take care of them.”
90% of Tina’s clientele are Coronado dogs, making it easy for her to zip from one appointment to the next. She is careful not to overextend herself though. “I like to do three dogs a day, not ten,” she says, this allows her to spend good time with each. Lastly, if you are looking for a fluffy dog brush out, the glamour aspect is not Tina’s forte. “I am not a froo-froo groomer. I typically do the short puppy dog cut,” Tina explains, “I like to work with nervous, elderly, and handicap dogs and trim them on the shorter side. That way they don’t have to experience grooming as much.”
You can find more info on her Facebook page
To book directly, call or text (720)999-7311
