Mobile dog grooming (van)

A mobile groomer works from a van fitted out as a small salon, with a raised bath and hot water, a grooming table, a high-velocity dryer, clippers and scissors. The van parks outside the house and the dog is groomed inside it, one dog at a time, usually in one and a half to three hours, then handed back at the door. The owner does not drive anywhere, and the dog does not share a room with other dogs or wait in a crate. A smaller number of mobile groomers work inside the customer's home instead of from a van, and these mostly take small and medium dogs.

That suits some dogs better than others. Nervous dogs, elderly dogs with stiff joints, dogs that are sick in the car and dogs that react to other dogs often cope well with a van. Very large or heavy-coated dogs are harder: a van's bath and table have weight and size limits, and some mobile groomers state that they no longer take giant breeds or large doodles. Most vans are run by one groomer, so the diary fills weeks ahead, and in very cold or very hot weather the van has to be heated or cooled before the groom.

The practical check is the space outside your house. A van needs to park close to the door, often in a space the length of two cars, and many need a standard socket within reach of a cable; others carry their own water tank and generator and need nothing from you. Parking permits and charges are usually for the customer to arrange. Also check where the groomer is based: several national websites take bookings for every town in a county and pass them to whoever is nearest, which is not a problem in itself, but you should know who will arrive.