Chicago Grooming Academy

I dropped my chorkie off right before our family Christmas photo. The guys who run this place are super sweet and quite hilarious too! I felt I could definitely trust my little Bruno with them. When I picked him up, he looked great, but I took a star off because of the rather high price for the trim… I probably wont be back until I get that promotion at my job!

We recently and suddenly lost Benny to cancer. Our hearts are broken. There was absolutely no warning and our boy lived a happy, healthy pain free life right up to the end. One of the reasons that we travelled from Deerfield back to the city to get Benny groomed was Steve’s demeanor towards Benny. Benny was not a fan of being groomed, but he couldn’t help but like Steve, who took his time with Benny and always was gentle. Should we ever get another dog, I will definitely consider coming back to the city for his grooms. Steve, Olga and I will miss you!

GREAT SERVICE !!! When I came when the signed said closed, but I seen Steve the owner inside cleaning up. I walked up to the door with my dog and Steve welcomed me and my dog Princess with open arms.

Unilocal say open til 6:00 pm on Friday. Sign says 5. They are closed now at 3:53pm friday

First let me go back in time. When I made the first appointment I asked for an idea of what the cost might be for a Lion Cut for a long-​haired Persian cat. Steve explained that it really depended on the condition of my cat’s fur, his size and temperament, and his reaction to the grooming experience. So I asked why. Steve was patient as he explained that we want to be fair to you and to us, we want to be as accurate as possible. Same thing on giving you an estimate on how long it will take. If we have to stop frequently to let your cat de-​stress, that’s one thing. If your cat does not stress much that’s different.
Pleasant surprise was that when I came to pay it was not as much as I had feared, and indeed, seemed quite fair. But, No, not cheap. Then, as now, my cat looked great and was not especially stressed by the time I picked him up, It’s a long-​ish way from our neighborhood to Chicago Grooming but definitely worth the trip. Cat is happy (!), so am I and, hopefully, so is Steve.

I just got off the phone with this shop. I was requesting prices for grooming my dog. He asked the type and size, I replied with 3yo, just under 100# Rottweiler. I was immediately corrected and informed that Rottweilers so get hair cuts. It was then he gave me the price of 45 – 80 without seeing the dog.
If your going to run a business that deals with costumers try to educate them on your expertise not correct them with an attitude in your tone that says they are unintelligent for not knowing your field.
I chose this groomers because of the positive reviews, but it seems that the one negative review has merit!!!
#takingmybusinesssomewhereelse
# workonyourtone

Love, love, love what they did for my 10 year old Shih-​tzu. We struggled to find a groomer close by that could give him an even cut, and finally decided to go outside of walking distance from our home. So glad we did. John did the grooming, and Steve, the owner, was extremely helpful and friendly. He also took the time to walk through the steps they’re taking to prevent the spread of the dog flu, which was reassuring. We’ll be back for our next cut!

Just had my sheltie groomed here and it was a great experience. My dog is an 8 year old rescue and I did not know how he would handle it, but happily he really enjoyed it and came out looking just beautiful. I did not want to take him to a loud, crowded place in a chain store and this was perfect. Caring, personal service for a dog badly in need of grooming at a reasonable price. Steve and Jimmy were very nice, and I will be back with this dog and my other!

I made an appointment based on the good reviews here on Unilocal and I was not at all disappointed. Steve and Jimmy are great guys and did an awesome job on my husky/​shepherd. I definitely recommend taking your pet here.

This place was great! We’ve taken our shih tzus to several places, and the cut she got here was by far our favorite. She was pretty matted but they still did a great job.

I love this place! They take care of my precious golden retriever Brandy. Brandy is a senior a needs special care. They do a great job grooming her.

A second awesome haircut for my pup at Chicago Grooming Academy. This time I was prepared for her to be un-​raggedy :) She looks amazing! Thanks guys!

We started going to Steve when the Grooming Academy was walking distance from us on Montrose a couple of years ago. We were bummed when we heard they were moving, but we didn’t hesitate for a second about making the drive for future appointments. Our pug Roxi loves going for visits, and she pulls me right to the door after I park. The place is always clean, and Steve, along with everyone else we’ve met inside is always super friendly and nice. They even have a fun assortment of doggy nail polish, if you’re into that. Roxi was in our wedding, and I was very tempted by the options but didn’t think my brother would be too keen on walking with her all dolled up.
Bonus: There’s also a nice park just down the block where Roxi loves to walk and file her freshly trimmed nails.

Great people, great service. Convenient, professional. In and out in no time and smelling and looking good!

If I could give this place 0 stars, I would. I brought my Shih Tzu here for a grooming and showed Steve a picture of what I wanted. Nothing fancy, just a puppy cut, keep her slightly long and fluffy. It’s a cut she has gotten many times before from other groomers with no problem. He responds with «I can’t do what you want, we’re gonna have to cut her short because she’s matted.» I told him I brush her everyday, she’s not so matted that he can’t do the cut I want. I mean, she IS a Shih Tzu, and any PROFESSIONAL groomer who knows what he’s doing would know that Shih Tzus tend to mat easily. I can brush her today and by tonight she’s gonna have matted hair most likely around the butt area, um, probably because she sits on it? But he said he can’t take the mat out without yanking on her hair, without my dog squealing in pain where you can hear her a couple blocks away. Are you kidding me? Like I said, I brush my dog everyday, I find mats everyday, and I’m able to remove those mats without yanking on her hair. Here’s a tip for you, Steve. Hold dog’s hair AT THE BASE. GENTLY brush matted hair out. There is no way I am leaving my dog in the hands of someone who tells me he’s gonna YANK on my dog’s hair. And by the way, Steve, take a class on Customer Service 101. You DO NOT talk to your customers with attitude and sarcasm, that is just not good business practice. Take Jimmy with you, too.

Steve and the Chicago Grooming Academy staff are the best. They’re creative, proficient and experienced, always putting the pet’s welfare first. I’ve been a client for 4 years since the Academy opened.
Initially, we discussed both dogs and I opted for out of the ordinary cuts for each. They cut both of my pups (American Eskimo and Chinese Crested Powderpuff) perfectly. Not an easy task with either dog since the Eskie got a lion cut and the Puff got a Waterdog cut.
The dogs were both comfortable there. Steve and his team were kind to me, too. When I lost my Eskie, they remembered her (and me) with a condolence card.
And yes, I’m a real person that was not solicited to write this review! Steve and his team really do rock the dog grooming world. Unfortunately for me, I’ve moved out of the area and now have to find another groomer. My loss!

I’m not an expert on dog groomers. As a matter of fact, I’ve only met 3. Out of the 3, this was the best experience I’ve had with a pet groomer. I’ll be back again.

I cannot say enough about Chicago Grooming Academy! My husband and I have been taking our Cocker Spaniel (Bo) here for the past several years. Steve, Jimmy and Lauren (?) are very professionals and they are excellent groomers. They are all very knowledge about a wide variety of dog breed cuts and variations as well as the care that needs to be taken with specific breed grooming needs. We love the staff at the Chicago Grooming Academy and consider them a part of our family.
Our dog Bo loves to go see Steve and his staff. We highly recommend Chicago Grooming Academy!
Once you have your dog groomed by Steve, Jimmy or Lauren you will not want to take your four legged companion go back to your other sub-​par grooming franchise.
Your Dog will thank you.

Chicago Grooming Academy does a wonderful job! I started taking our poodle, Calvin, there last year. We switched from Pet Smart, and I couldn’t be happier! Since Calvin is the first non-​shedding dog my family has ever owned, they took time to explain things to me about his coat before they took him back to be groomed! They also asked a lot of questions about the way I wanted him groomed. I could not have been happier with the results! Their price was actually a lot cheaper too! A hidden gem in Albany Park! As a realtor who specializes in pet friendly living, I am definitely recommending Chicago Grooming Academy to all my clients, family, and friends in Chicago! So glad they came to my neighborhood!

I stumbled upon this shop just as it opened last year, just as I was looking for a new groomer. Serendipity? I think so.
Steve is a sheer delight with some mad skills. The girls (my dogs) always look their best after a morning with Steve.
What I love the most is that he is so genuine and lovable with the girls and spends extra time when I arrive getting them comfortable as they tend to be a bit nervous.
Scrappy even jumps up onto the grooming table on her own now… seemingly pleased to get groomed!
Great prices, amazing service and lots of good energy and love.