Spa for Pets

They are the best! I am so glad our neighbor told us about this wonderful groomer! Spa for Pets does such an excellent job grooming our shih tzu. We are never disappointed! I have a hard time trusting groomers after the many groomers we have gone to. I usually get really apprehensive before I drop off my dog to the groomers, but with them, I’m at ease. I know our baby is in good hands. They do such an amazing job that they will forever be our dog’s groomer, even if we live hours away. Thank you!!!

Lovely people. Very nice location. Clients seem to really like it here.
We had our pups hand stripped here and regrettably didn’t quite get what we were looking for. We don’t show our dogs, we never will, we just want to keep their coats short so that they don’t get too hot and don’t shed quite so much. So we brought pictures of what their breeder used to do and asked her to do the same. «We want them naked, as short as we can get the coat.»
They came out with more hair than expected, and that’d be ok except that their behinds were left way too hairy. So three days after getting stripped they already have poop getting stuck in their hair.
I guess we just have to keep looking for a hand stripper

I’ve been taking my shih tzu to Spa for Pets on a monthly basis, for almost a year now. Both the groomers and front desk reception are always very nice and keep a card on file for you, so that they can remember all the specifics regarding the type of cut you want.
Making an appointment is very easy to do over the phone, and they’re usually able to see me the same week. I try to make appointments on weekdays — since weekends appointments can take up to 5 – 6 hours before you can pick up.
The normal «grooming service» on a weekday takes a few hours — and i believe includes hair cut, wash, nail clipping, ear hair plucking, and anal gland cleanse. The dogs are kept in kennels while not being worked on.
Yumiko does a great job trimming and shaping my dog’s face — giving my shih tzu a puppy cut and a teddy bear-​like appearance. I’ve taken my dog to many different places around San Mateo and Saratoga, and this groomer definitely has the most skill, and also has true staff members (meaning someone’s there to PICK UP the phone, and can give you an ETA on when your doggy is ready for pick up)!
If you’re a first time customer, make sure to call and ask for a quote before you bring your dog in. They keep the price they charge on file, via your customer card.

This place has NEVER let me or Ted (my shar-​pei) down. They always make time, or schedule something to help you out. Love this place, and the friendly employees. We always come here now, it’s an easy decision when they treat my dog with love. =)

This post is long overdue. And now that I just left a stellar review for Canine Showcase, it reminded me to leave one for this place. Sadly, you cannot leave 0 stars.
Do not bring your dog here for handstripping. Even though Yumiko says she can. SHE CANNOT.
I brought in my Norwich Terrier for a handstripping and she came out looking like a beat up Westie. It was so insane. I paid in advance because someone else was picking her up. I wish I hadn’t because if I would have picked her up myself, I would have taken her and walked out. She would have had to call the police. My poor dog was so sheepish and so tender to the touch — she even had major bald spots. It was awful.
I asked for a refund and she refused. Finally she said she would give me half back (it was $ 140). And when she did, she still said, it was not her fault — that she was not taking responsibility for it. I don’t even know how that works in her mind but whatever.
I’m sure Yumiko is fine and capable with clippers, but do not trust her to handstrip your wirey-​haired dog. I will attach a few photos. Her leg hairs are long, her back is thin and short, and you will see her bald spots. Google a Norwich and you will see how crazy this handstripping was.

Spa for Pets is GREAT!
I have a Yorkie and I like to do different lengths with her hair dependent on the season. Yumiko always listens to my requests and we always get the perfect cut and length. I highly recommend Spa for pets as the best place to go for your dogs grooming needs. The staff is always warm and welcoming as well.

I took Daisy back to Yumiko to «clean her up» as I’ve been grooming her myself due to the expense. Yumiko did such a great job on her, I had forgotten how pretty she is able to make Daisy. She looks like a quite the little lady now. I have no complaints with this place and would definitely recommend Yumiko as the groomer. As my previous post stated, Daisy is a «special rescue» in that she doesn’t like people or dogs. She can be quite aggressive but Yumiko seems to have her under control.

I have a Coton de Tulear, which is a fluffy long-​haired white dog that is pretty difficult to groom. We like to keep his hair on the longer side, which makes it even harder to maintain. I once read a comment on some random website where a groomer said they refused to work with Cotons because their hair «mats from just sitting there», or something like that.
Yumiko came highly recommended to me by the breeder from whom we adopted our dog, Indy. Many of Indy’s siblings and cousins use Yumiko’s grooming services as well. When she grooms Indy, his hair is ultrasoft and stays silky for a long time. I wish I could learn her secret! Whenever my I bathe and condition him, his hair feels coarser afterwards and it doesn’t take long for mats to start developing again.
Indy does this «smiling» thing where he shows all his teeth, which he only does when he sees people he really likes. Yumiko is one of these people. :)

Brittany was great to us and took care of our lovely dog. We only called a couple days beforehand and was happy to offer their services. Our dog was able to get some playtime in, nails clipped and bought her some food as forgot to bring some.
Britanny was very nice and polite, sent us pics and made us feel like our dog was in a good place while we had to travel. highly recommended!

I love this place and so does my cat «Dorito» and my dog «Cannella». Friendly staff, quick service, and great grooming all for a good price. I love how I can call last minute and still get invited in for the same day appointment. Parking is easy and check in/​check out is super fast. Try them out, you won’t be disappointed.

I’ve been impressed by the way they «transformed» Cordy — after an haircut and a bath it looked way cuter and even younger than before. Great job.

Took our botched home shave and made our darling dog look cute again. Great job. Caring and got us in last minute to save Cali further embarrassment.

Yumiko is able to groom my dog when no other groomer can.
My dog, Olive is one of the nicest pups you’ll meet. Very submissive and loves ALL people. Unfortunately she got into an accident where she gets very anxious and scared ONLY when groomers try to trim her paws/​legs.
Petco, Petsmart, other groomers, said it was impossible for them to completely finish grooming Olive.
Yumiko on the other hand is able to groom my pup beautifully and Olive is always a happy camper when I’m there to pick her up. They provide the dogs pee breaks and Olive comes out looking better than ever. I’m okay with the steep price since I’ve finally found a professional groomer that can safely clean up Olive. I’m so happy to have found Yumiko.

They are fine. My problem is with paying $ 17 for a nail trim only on a tiny 5 lb. dog. From now on, I will be going to the Boulevard Dog Salon where a nail trim is only $ 10. Sorry, I don’t think you are worth the extra $ 7.

Spa for Pets saved my mini goldendoodle! I am a new pet owner and took my dog to Petco for her first grooming. That was a big mistake! Petco traumatized her and when I picked her up, she was completely scared. Driving home, I remembered my friend telling me about Spa for Pets. I walked in and showed them how Petco butchered her haircut. Spa for Pets took her in immediately and fixed her haircut. My goldendoodle now looks great! My dog seemed happy and excited at pickup. I am a firm believer of this place and will definitely be back!

Love Yumiko and all the ladies working there. They are all so nice and gentle to all the pets. Yumiko took time to consult with us before my dog’s first groom, and made the best day for us! We can’t wait for the next coming appointment with her.
Thank you!

The dog grooming is FANTASTIC. Yumiko is a Master Groomer and is very thorough and kind to our dog. Bella always looks great after a wash and grooming from Spa for Pets. When we first brought our dog, she had never been groomed. Bella was comfortable from the beginning. Yumiko has noticed problems with our dog that we had not yet seem; she kindly let us know, and we then treated them.
People always think our dog looks great, and it is because of Yumiko’s detailed service.
Bella loves Yumiko, and so do we.

Went here for the first time yesterday with my golden retriever. He had been nicked at the last place we took him, plus they cut his hair so short he looked like a yellow lab which led me to go searching for a new groomer. I was referred to Spa for Pets by a friend who has used them for grooming and pet sitting for over a decade, so under old management and new management and they were happy in both cases.
Even with a friend vouching for them, I got a bit nervous reading some of these negative Unilocal reviews, but when I picked up my dog all my fears were put to rest! He had the perfect golden retriever hair cut (not short and spiky like the other place), was nick-​free — which is not easy when his fur was a bit dread-​locked and matted in a couple places — and happy as can be. I will continue to bring him to Spa for Pets and update if we get any different experiences, but for now I can say I’m a dedicated client and wouldn’t hesitate to refer them to dog owners (and cat owners too, though I haven’t yet tried them on my cat).

We’re so lucky to have found Yumiko on Unilocal!
I have two small shih tzus, Maile & Lola, who are like my kids. I have a hard time leaving them with just anyone, but I trust them w/​Yumiko. She’s groomed them three times now, and they always come home happy and looking good!
Here’s what’s great about her shop:
+ Scheduling is professional, and it’s easy to get appointments. Unlike some of the other groomers we’ve tried, there’s no hard sell to book the next appointment .
+ Yumiko is fast and super accommodating. Unlike some of the other groomers who kept my girls for 8+ hrs, Yumiko usually finishes in half that time, so the girls come home happy… not stressed out and dying of thirst.
+ Even though she’s a dog show-​certified groomer, Yumiko listens to her clients’ requests (i.e. to trim the ears or tail a certain way) and doesn’t act like she knows better.
+ Pricing and service is consistent. Unlike other groomers, what she charges ($ 65 for each of my dogs) is consistent with what she quotes. She doesn’t tack on bogus additional fees at the end.
+ The shop is light and bright, and there’s convenient parking. We usually pull right up to the front door.
+ Yumiko always sends the girls home with cute little bows in their ears. (This one’s kind of silly, I know, but it’s the details that count!) I’d asked for them at other groomers, but they’d act like I was asking for something unreasonable OR they’d just ignore my request and send the girls home with lame handkerchiefs tied around their necks.
+ And lastly, my girls come home HAPPY! This is the biggest and most important difference from the other groomers we’ve tried.
Yumiko is a really great groomer. I highly recommend her!

I’ve been bringing my shiba here for monthly bath/​brush out and the occasional boarding since 2003. Unlike chain stores, the groomers here are experienced with grooming show dogs and acknowledge shibas are «weird» about getting wet or having their paws touched, and may scream bloody murder (though mine’s mute). While the ownership has changed, the grooming staff has remained the same and I can’t say enough good things about Tina and Justin. I also appreciate the owner Janet’s flexibility in fitting us in at short notices.
Anyhow, the main reason I love them is they care enough to give me feedback out of concern for my fur kid’s health. For instance, there was a while when I had my fur kid on Advantage monthly, and he started to bald/​thin around his shoulder blades. Tina noticed the change and suggested I might want to consult w/​the vet. Another time I was trying to get the fur kid to loose weight and went overboard, they gently suggested he was on the thin side. They respect my input to either shave my shiba’s pads or leave them alone depending on seasonality, and do a good job with his nails.
Other than the place occasionally smelling more like cats than I’d like (I suspect allergies or sensitivity on my part), and I can’t fault them for hosting rescue cats who need forever homes, I’m really surprised by the one-​star review.