Guide to Dog Grooming in Tri-Cities Washington
Living in the Tri-Cities, Washington area is great, with a mild climate, strong economic growth, numerous attractions, services and amenities normally found only in much larger cities, lots of outdoor recreation opportunities, and so much more. It’s no wonder that more and more people are calling the Tri-Cities home, with population growth that far outstrips the national average. In particular, many people have found the Tri-Cities area to be an exceptional place to live with one or more pet dogs. Indeed, the number of people with dogs as pets in the Tri-Cities area (while not kept as a formal statistic) is anecdotally among the highest in Washington, and perhaps of many states in the US. Naturally, this means there’s a great need for dog-related services by the population, including good dog grooming in the Tri-Cities.
Fortunately, there are a number of service providers offering a whole range of dog services in the cities of Kennewick, Pasco, and Richland. Tri-Cities pet salons, dog kennels in the Tri-Cities, Washington area, pet sitters, dog walkers, pet stores, veterinary hospitals, and dog groomers are numerous and varied, covering different service offerings, price points, and personal preferences of pet parents (try saying that five times fast). Sometimes, it can almost seem overwhelming to dog owners who are looking for service providers – how do you choose which is right for you and your pet? What do you need a professional for, and what can you do yourself at home? Aside from required vaccinations and regular health check-ups, what role does grooming play in your dog’s health? These are all good questions, and important to answer as you seek out the best and most affordable, high-quality services for your furry friend.
To aid in your quest, we’ve put together this guide to dog services and dog grooming in Tri-Cities, Washington. We’ll tell you everything you need to know about the basics of dog grooming, including what you can do at home, how to groom your dog, and when to visit a professional dog groomer in Kennewick, Pasco, or Richland. We’ll start by highlighting the services offered by Lucky Puppy Grooming, one of the leading, local-owned dog grooming businesses in the Tri-Cities area, based in Kennewick.
But we’re only just getting started! Later on in our guide, we’ll highlight some of the other dog services available in the Tri-Cities area, and a range of top-rated service providers from which you can choose. In addition, we’ll look at some of the top places to go and things you can do in the Tri-Cities with your dog, dog-friendly hotels, restaurants, shops, and more. So let’s get started on our journey through dog grooming in the Tri-Cities, Washington!
Lucky Puppy Grooming in Kennewick Washington
Lucky Puppy Grooming in Kennewick is one of the leading and most beloved dog groomers in the Tri-Cities. Since first opening in 2010, Lucky Puppy Grooming has made a name for itself as providing affordable and high-quality dog grooming services, with a particular focus on the care and treatment of your pet. In short, Lucky Puppy Grooming treats every client’s four-legged friend as if it were one of their own, with the same level of attention to detail, gentle demeanor, and love for the critters that mean so much to all of us. Knowing how to professionally groom a dog is one thing, but knowing how to work with them – and being good at it – is quite another. You won’t find that kind of expertise at a big box national pet store, but you will find it at top dog groomers like Lucky Puppy Grooming.
The staff at Lucky Puppy Grooming has gained a reputation among the local community for being exceptional at providing grooming services to the area’s pets. In fact, some repeat customers drive for over an hour and a half, each way, just to get their dog taken care of by the team at Lucky Puppy Grooming. There’s really no greater endorsement than the repeat business of dedicated clients, especially when a lengthy trip and extraordinary efforts are involved.
When you’re seeking the top dog groomers in Kennewick or the Tri-Cities, you should definitely check out Lucky Puppy Grooming. They’re open 6 days a week, and offer comprehensive dog grooming services, which we’ll expand upon in more detail in the next section of this guide. Whether you’ve been using a different groomer and are looking for a change, or haven’t ever taken your pet to a groomer before, Lucky Puppy Grooming is a smart decision. Not only will you find the costs reasonable and the work outstanding, but your pupper will look good, feel good, and get the expert, caring grooming experience they deserve.
Lucky Puppy Grooming – Dog Grooming with Love, Dog Grooming Done Right!
Dog Grooming Services from Lucky Puppy Grooming
As discussed above, Lucky Puppy Grooming is a full-service dog grooming business. You can choose from a number of different levels of service, and specific services for the grooming and health of your dog. The service offerings at Lucky Puppy Grooming go far beyond simple bathing, but include both essential grooming services, as well as some specially-designed services to really pamper your pooch. Those are some of the services that set Lucky Puppy Grooming apart from the competition, making them one of the top dog groomers in the Tri-Cities area.
The latest information on the available grooming services is always available on Lucky Puppy’s website (https://luckypuppygroo.wpenginepowered.com), and subject to change. Generally speaking, however, the services available include the below.
Full Service Groom
A full grooming session for your doggo includes the haircut or styling of your choice, along with all of the features of the Full Service Bath option discussed below. Additional/a la carte services can also be included as desired. Effectively, this provides a full cleaning, bathing, haircutting, nail and ear care, and more. Giving your pet a full service groom at Lucky Puppy Grooming will help to ensure they look great and feel great – whether it’s once a month or less frequently, your pet will greatly appreciate the pampering, which won’t drain your wallet, either.
Full Service Bath
The full service bath option at Lucky Puppy Grooming, which is also part of the Full Service Groom option, is one of the most comprehensive bathing services you’ll find, and arguably one of the most inclusive dog baths in the Tri-Cities area. It starts with the use of a customized shampoo and conditioner designed for your dog’s coat type and needs. Next, a doggie facial helps your dog relax, and provides much-needed cleaning and treatment to the face area. This is paired with teeth cleaning and breath spray, helping your dog to maintain ideal oral health. A coat blowout and/or brushing, as appropriate for their breed and coat type, is also part of the process. Ear cleaning is done as necessary, along with a nail trim and dremel, pad scoop and foot trimming, sanitary trim to keep them clean, gland expression as required, and even a scent spritz to send them off smelling great!
Additional Pet Grooming Services
Several other grooming services are available, including:
- A De-shedding Package, that addresses undercoats and helps drastically cut down on shedding at home.
- A De-skunking and De-odorizing Package, to address skunk spray or general funk and odor that may be plaguing your dog.
- Pamper your pet with a mud bath, which exfoliates and deep conditions their coat and skin.
There are also other, non-grooming related service offered by Lucky Puppy Grooming, which we’ll discuss further later on in this guide.
The importance of grooming your dog
There are a host of reasons why grooming your dog is important. Many of these apply regardless of whether or not you groom them, or leave that up to a professional groomer. One, however, is critical to your relationship with your pet, and one of the main reasons why the best dog groomers in the Tri-Cities and elsewhere will always recommend you do some basic grooming at home in between visits to the groomers. We’ll address that particular aspect of the importance of dog grooming in the next section of this guide.
For now, let’s take a look at some of the reasons grooming is important, whether done at home or at a groomer’s.
Aesthetics
Obviously, one of the biggest benefits of dog grooming is that it makes your pet look good. Even if you’ve never considered your dog’s looks – let’s face it, most people love their pets the way they are, and aren’t looking to get into competitive dog shows or anything like that – looking well-groomed is still important. It makes your pet more approachable, and less likely to raise eyebrows from the neighbors or at the dog park. They look better in pictures for all your social media posts. It provides a better image for you and your pet, and also communicates to the outside world that you care about how your pet looks, as a sign of how much you love him or her.
Dog Odor
Over time, from daily activities and life, your dog will naturally develop various smells and odors. Many dogs enjoy rolling in puddles, mud, even other animals’ droppings or territory markings. Even absent a close encounter with a skunk or something like that, the normal “wear and tear” of life takes its toll on your pet, and they will get more and more funky over time. That’s one of the most compelling reasons to bathe and groom them, either yourself or through a professional grooming service. It makes life better for you and your pet.
Pet Health
Grooming is also important for your pet’s health and well-being. By cleaning and caring for your dog, it makes it easier to spot changes over time which may be indicative or a health problem. Skin conditions, swelling, favoring one or more limbs, and so on can all be more easily seen when your pet is well-groomed and cleaned. In addition, many of the grooming services your pet may require, such as nail trimming and hair trimming from the urogenital area, help to maintain the good health of your pet, and maximize their quality of life. It decreases the chances of them developing a range of preventable health problems, and that’s always worthwhile.
Feeling Good
Perhaps most important from your pet’s perspective – the thing that will really get their tail wagging – is that regular grooming helps them to feel good. Think about how great it feels to take a shower or bath after you’ve been working hard all day, are covered in sweat and grime, and can finally get clean. It’s refreshing, energizing, and makes you feel good. The same holds true for your pet – even if they seem to dislike being bathed, which isn’t uncommon. Deep down, however, it makes them feel good and happy. So many dogs get the zoomies and are full of energy after grooming or bathing, both at home and at dog groomers in the TriCities area, such as Lucky Puppy Grooming, that it’s clear they’re feeling great after a grooming session.
Integrating Home Grooming with Professional Dog Grooming in the Tri-Cities
As we mentioned above, one of the most important benefits of grooming your dog is in the bonding and relationship that it creates between you both. That’s a critical part of establishing trust, and reinforcing the surrogate parent role you have with your pet. Not every pet likes being groomed, and many even actively fight against it (though we have tips for that later on in this guide). But no matter what, grooming your dog is vital to creating a solid relationship with them, and for them to know that you care for them.
It also helps fulfill one of the other benefits discussed above, keeping your pet healthy. By regularly grooming your dog, you become more familiar with how they look, feel, and sound. This makes it easier to spot when something is amiss, and, ideally, catch health problems before they become serious. Further, it plays into the “feeling good” benefit, too – your pets have emotions just as you do, and can glean some sense of the caring and compassion you have for them through your grooming behaviors. For all of these reasons, it’s critical that you spend some time grooming your pet – even if it’s only brushing or combing – every few days or once a week, regardless of whether or not you see a professional groomer.
However, there are many tasks which are best left to professionals. It doesn’t have to be an “either-or” relationship, and integrating some home grooming with periodic visits to a professional dog groomer in the Tri-Cities area is really the ideal scenario. Leave nail trimming or deep cleaning of their coat to the pros – but be sure to clean your dog at home, brush their coat, and build that trust between you. Don’t hesitate to bathe them or perform other grooming tasks if you feel comfortable doing so, have the right equipment, and so on. But just remember that professional grooming visits – even if it’s just once in a while – can also make a world of difference, and even serve as a treat for pet and owner alike.
Expert Tips for Grooming Your Dog
Before you consider home grooming, however, it’s best to get acquainted with some of the basics. Having the right tools and technique will help make the grooming experience as pleasant as possible for your pooch, and make it easier for you as well. It’s important to stress that every dog is an individual, with its own unique personality and temperament. Therefore, while these expert tips from Lucky Puppy Grooming are tried-and-tested to work well with most dogs, your individual results and success with your pet may vary.
There are also lots of guides and additional tips on dog grooming in the Tri-Cities that are available for free on Lucky Puppy Grooming’s website, in the “Resources” section (in the navigation menu at the bottom of the page). These guides help address both some specific and more common dog grooming questions and issues that have often come up in the Tri-Cities area, provide expert tips and advice, and more.
With that said, let’s cover some important basics and tips for home dog grooming, courtesy of the experts in dog grooming in the Tri-Cities at Lucky Puppy Grooming!
Bathing
It’s damaging to your dog’s coat if you bathe them too frequently – it will wash out the oils that are essential for conditioning their coat hairs and keeping their coat shiny and healthy. Most experts recommend bathing no more frequently than once per month. Spot cleaning is certainly advisable is your dog rolls in something or gets into a mess. You should always use a shampoo and conditioner that is designed for dogs – don’t use human shampoo, even if it’s meant for babies. Try to introduce your pup when they are young to a bathing routine, and stick to it. This will make them more likely to become use to it and tolerate it, if not outright enjoy it. Wash your dog with water, shampoo, and conditioner, and rinse out per the instructions. Avoid getting shampoo or water in your dog’s eyes, nose, mouth, or ears. Dry your dog with a towel, hair dryer, or dog dryer. If you use a hair dryer, be sure it is only on the lowest setting, and not too warm, to avoid overheating your pet or burning their skin.
Brushing and Combing
Every few days, and certainly after bathing, you should consider brushing or combing your dog’s hair. Comb –style brushes are ideal for most breeds. Always brush from the base of the hair outward, not the other way around. However, you should avoid using a comb on matted hair or undercoats. Instead, for these situations and breeds, use a shedding blade or slicker brush for the best results. It’s often easiest to try to brush some of your dog in one session, then another area in other. If your dog is afraid or reacts poorly to brushing, you’re not alone. To make it more tolerable, allow them to smell, see, and investigate the brush before you use it. Some treats nearby as a reward for good behavior also can help reinforce the need for your pet to sit still and accept brushing – they may even come to like it.
Foot and Nail Care
A dog’s feet must be properly maintained to enable your pet to feel good and be active. Their paw pads, nails, and the rest of their feet have unique grooming and maintenance needs, and if not handled correctly, can make it difficult for your pet to walk, run, and play safely or comfortably. You should never trim the hair between your dog’s toes – just on the outside, roughly until it is level with the paw pads. Grooming scissors usually work best for this task. If there is substantial dirt between their toes, rinsing with water, or shampoo and water, is recommended to remove the dirt. Don’t poke around with sharp instruments between their toes unless you know what you are doing – it’s very easy to injure them!
When it comes to the nails, this is one area where many pet owners prefer to leave things to their vet or dog groomer in the Tri-Cities. It’s easy to cut too much and end up with your dog bleeding and you feeling guilty. If you are going to attempt to trim their nails yourself, always use a clipper that’s designed for dogs, feels sturdy in your hand, and that you understand how to use. Err on the side of cutting too little in one go, rather than too much – you can’t put it back on after you cut it off. If you do cut too far, it’s best to have some styptic powder available to stop the bleeding.
Ear Care
It’s not advisable to ever insert cotton swabs or anything small, sharp, or pointed into your dog’s ear canal, just as with humans – it can cause injury and even damage their hearing, sometimes permanently. Dog’s inner ears are largely self-cleaning, and introducing excess moisture or provoking inflammation and injury is counter-productive. Instead, try to avoid getting moisture in your dog’s ears during bathing and other activities. To clean them, use cotton gauze or a cotton ball wrapped around your finger. Gently clean the inside surface of the ears only – not the ear canal. Excessively itchy or smelly ears may be a sign of an ear infection, which requires a trip to the vet and usually antibiotics to clear up.
Oral Care
While parts of your dog’s mouth are easily cared for by regular chewing of bones or other similar toys, not all of their teeth areas are covered by this behavior. The outer surface (the “front” of the teeth) and the sides are often missed. However, you shouldn’t brush your dog’s teeth with a toothbrush or human toothpaste, either – that’s not proper oral care. Instead, you can buy dog-specific toothbrushes at a pet store or online. You can also use a piece of an old t-shirt or other soft cloth cut small into a strip, and wrapped around your finger. With a little water, or water and baking soda, you can gently brush your dog’s front and sides of their teeth. Be sure to start slow and let your dog know what you are doing – let them get used to it, see and sniff the cloth and your finger, and so on. They may be resistant, so don’t force it – treats are your friend here, too.
Additional Services from Lucky Puppy Grooming
Despite the name, Lucky Puppy Grooming doesn’t only offer grooming services. There are other dog-related services available, whether or not your pet is a grooming customer. These services can be obtained on an as-needed basics, or be paired with dog grooming in the Tri-Cities. Many people enjoy knocking two things off the “to do” list at once, so the additional services from Lucky Puppy Grooming are a great convenience, too. These other services include:
- Doggie Daycare, where your dog can play with other dogs, under the supervision of the Lucky Puppy staff. This includes constant supervision, a temperature-controlled environment that is secure and safe, toys and games that they’ll love, routine brush out and scent spritz before going home, a doggie report card, and even a treat bag!
- This can be a full day event, for up to 8 hours every day, every week day, or only on days you choose.
- You can also enroll your pet in Doggie Daycare on a short-term basis when you need to, say, go see a movie but want to ensure they are cared for and not home alone. Hourly services are available for up to 3 hours at the hourly rate.
- Dog Walking is also available, through a trusted third party sitter whom Lucky Puppy Grooming can refer clients to if they are in need of this service.
- Overnight Dog Sitting is also available, through that same third party sitter service.
Many clients are great fans of the Doggie Daycare service, and pair it with dog grooming visits. That way, at the end of the day, your pet has not only enjoyed a day of socializing and play with other dogs and staff, but is also looking, feeling, and smelling great, ready to greet you and spend some quality time together. Perfection!
Other Dog Services Available in the Tri-Cities
Dog grooming in the Tri-Cities is important, but is far from the only dog-related service you’ll need for your pet. The good news is there are a number of different service providers, offering complete care for your four-legged friend within the Tri-Cities area. Roughly speaking, these include pet stores and pet supply, veterinarians and animal hospitals, dog sitting, dog walking, doggie daycare, dog grooming, adoption, and obedience training businesses. Below, we highlight some of the top-rated providers within the Tri-Cities areas in each of these major categories – though there are countless more beyond this list. With a little time and research online, you’re bound to find a provider who meets your needs!
Vets/Animal Hospitals in the Tri-Cities
- Animal Hospital of Pasco
- Horse Heaven Hills Pet Urgent Care
- Menk’s Mobile Vet Care
- Pet Medical Center of Pasco
- Sunrise Veterinary Clinic
- VCA Meadow Hills Animal Hospital
- VCA Meadow Hills South Animal Hospital
- VCA Vineyard Animal Hospital
- Vista Veterinary Hospital
Dog Training in the Tri-Cities
- PetSmart Dog Training
- PetCo Dog Training
- A.W. Method
- Sit Means Sit
Pet Supplies in the Tri-Cities
- PetCo
- PetSmart
- Paws Natural Pet Emporium
- EFC Pet Supply
Pet Sitting Services in the Tri-Cities
- Badger Mountain Pet Care
- I’ve Gone Mutts
- Royalty Pet Sitters
- Pet Boarding/Kennels in the Tri-Cities
- BnB Pet Retreat
- VCA Meadow Hills Animal Hospital
- Huck Finn Kennels
- Ruff Inn It Kennels
- VCA Vineyard Animal Hospital
- Sun Valley Kennel
- Fur Baby Love & Care
- Campbell’s Kennels
Pet Photography
- Michael Kloth Photography
Dog-Friendly Locations in the Tri-Cities
Throughout Kennewick, Pasco, and Richland, not only are there many dog-related service businesses, but in fact many dog-friendly locations and businesses for you to enjoy together with your pet. This includes many parks and outdoor recreation sites, hotels, and restaurants. Since the Tri-Cities area is such a dog-friendly place in general, this shouldn’t come as any surprise to locals, though visitors may be shocked at just how many locations are, in fact, dog-friendly.
As a sort of disclaimer, however, we suggest you always check a particular business’ online or in-person rules and information before visiting, to confirm that their policies of being dog-friendly remain in place. The information we’ve included here is current and accurate at the time of posting, to the best of our knowledge, but subject to change at any time. Therefore, the most current information for trip planning purposes is always to be found at each business’ own website, social media, or physical business location.
With that out of the way, the following are known dog-friendly locations in the Tri-Cities area:
- Hotels
- Baymont Inn & Suites Kennewick/Tri-Cities
- Best Western Plus Kennewick Inn
- Best Western Plus Pasco Inn & Suites
- Cabin Suites Bed & Breakfast
- Clover Island Inn
- Comfort Inn Kennewick
- Days Inn Richland
- Econo Lodge Kennewick
- Fairfield Inn & Suites Kennewick
- Guesthouse Inn & Suites Kennewick
- Holiday Inn Express Hotel & Suites Richland
- Holiday Inn Express Hotel & Suites Pasco/Tri-Cities
- Home2 Suites by Hilton Richland
- Horn Rapids RV Resort
- Kennewick Suites
- La Quinta Inn & Suites Kennewick
- The Lodge at Columbia Point
- M Hotel Richland
- Motel 6 Kennewick/Tri-Cities
- Motel 6 Richland
- My Place Hotel Pasco
- Quality Inn Kennewick
- Red Lion Hanford House
- Red Lion Hotel Columbia Center
- Red Lion Hotel Pasco
- Red Lion Inn & Suites Kennewick
- Richland Inn & Suites
- Shilo Inn & Suites Richland
- Sleep Inn Pasco
- Super 8 Kennewick
- Townplace Suites Richland Columbia Point
- Many AirBNB, VRBO, and HomeAway listings and locations
- Restaurants
- Barley’s Brew Hub
- Baskin-Robbins
- CG Public House
- The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf
- Coffee Town Espresso
- Country Mercantile
- Cousins’ Restaurant
- Costa Vida Fresh Mexican Grill
- Dairy Queen
- El Fat Cat Grill
- Famous Dave’s Barbeque
- Five Guys
- Fresh Leaf Co
- Frost Me Sweet Bistro & Bakery
- Ice Harbor Brewing Company
- The Kitchen at Barnard Griffin
- Mocha Express
- Sonic Drive-In
- Spurs Coffee
- Starbucks
- Stick+Stone
- The Village Bistro
- Wingstop
- Yokes Fresh Market
- ZPizza
- On-Leash Parks
- Columbia Park
- Sacagawea Heritage Trail Loop
- Most parks in the Kennewick public park system
- Most parks in the Pasco public park system
- Most parks in the Richland public park system
- Off-Leash Parks
- Paws-Abilities Place at Badger Mountain Community Park in Richland
Numerous small businesses and shops, such as those in Downtown Kennewick along the Kennewick Waterfront, various events in Kennewick, Richland, and/or Pasco, some beaches/lakes, nearby state parks, etc. may allow dogs as well, though policies vary, and we don’t have a good list available at this time.
Concluding Thoughts
Spending time in the Tri-Cities, as a visitor or as a resident, you’ll soon see that pet dogs are incredibly popular. As a result of this, a dog-friendly culture has taken hold, with many area businesses, hotels, parks, and other attractions allowing dogs, either on-leash or off-leash. This allows you to spend a lot more time with your pupper, no matter what kind of recreation or activities you may enjoy. It also means that there are a range of high-quality service providers, offering all of the dog-related services you may need, including vets, dog walking/sitting, pet supplies, and dog grooming in the Tri-Cities area. Lucky Puppy Grooming, a leading dog groomer in Kennewick, is happy to welcome you to the Tri-Cities, and is available for all of your dog grooming and doggie daycare needs.