Muddy Paws

I have been bringing my dog, a pound pup, here nearly six months. Due to my current employment and training my schedule is erratic and I have intense and long hours. Muddy Paws and their staff have not only been professional but kind and thoughtful while taking care of Dog and interacting with me.
Since Dog is new to me I appreciate their honesty if he should be mischievous or play too aggressively during the day so I can follow up on any trends in poor behavior.
I have peace of mind being able to have my dog with this lovely group of dedicated professionals. He loves going to Muddy Paws and enjoys being with the staff, greeting each one with twirling Dog enthusiasm. He has scrapes and bumps occasionally but he’s an enthusiastic, energetic dog hanging with other dogs not a china doll toy and is prone to these things.
Thank you to each of you at Muddy Paws in the daycare and grooming part of the store, you have made my black and white silly but loving dog’s life much less stressful during this very difficult year. Thank you for making a difference.

Best place I’ve ever boarded my dogs. I also buy their food here and they get groomed here as well since they usually hit the free bath mark on their stays. Their food prices are very competitive — at least for the brands I purchase. They are about the same price I’d pay online but without the hassle and cost of shipping.
After a couple stays, the staff knew who my dogs were by sight. They know which one is friendly and which one is still a bit shy and they WORK with them. They’ve both been coming here since they were puppies and they each had their own puppyhood problems and the staff worked with them a bit which has helped both tremendously. They’re not just sitting around in cages and then going play-​crazy, they get quality attention from members of staff as well. When I pick my dogs up, I get a progress report on how they did. Every time I hear about how my youngest dog has improved in some way. I cannot compliment the staff enough for that because I know a huge part of her overcoming her people-​shyness is because of them.
My dogs are always happy to go there and happy to come home. My oldest doesn’t even look back on her way to the play room!
I’ve been a happy customer for over five years now. They truly care about the animals they look after and I wouldn’t board my pets anyplace else.

I take my puppy here for doggie daycare, I really think he enjoys it! I also like their shop!

I’ve lived in Norfolk for 6 months and my Shiba Inu, Peyton, stays at Muddy Paws frequently. I’ve moved around quite a bit in the last few years and of all the places I’ve boarded Peyton Muddy Paws is the best.
I feel really comfortable leaving Peyton there because I feel like everyone at Muddy Paws really care about my dog. They go out of their way to take care of her. I feel like they treat her as if she is their own. She can be a little difficult and they are so accommodating. For example, she is a small breed so most pet boarding places want to board her in a crate. But Peyton does very badly in crates. Muddy Paws has always been understanding and boarded her in a run. They are even very good about working me in when I make a last minute reservation.
The customer service at Muddy Paws has always been exceptional. If I call to check on my dog, they are very nice and helpful letting me know exactly how my dog is doing.
The store at Muddy Paws is great, too. They have a ton of rawhides and treats. I always grab Peyton a new treat after she’s had a stay there.
I’ve also gotten Peyton groomed there twice. They have a variety of shampoos including a shampoo that helped reduce Peyton’s shedding.

Came in for grooming, this was her second time and it was phenomenal! Brittany was helpful when checking Mia in. She took note of how we wanted my Yorkie poo groomed, Ashley was very nice over the phone when I called they took me in 39 min after I had called so I was stoked. Plus muddy paws is in my way to ODU which is super convenient! Well for a small dog like Mia $ 50 is what they charge for grooming I had called other places that were cheaper to book however their customer service and professionalism were too far down the drain that I had to go with my instinct and bring her here, they do it all, nail trim, bath, cut and give any dog a whole lot of attention it was probably a fun experience for my soon to be 7 year old dog! Thanks Muddy Paws for a job well done :)

I sent my puppy, Hiccup for his first grooming at Muddy Paws. They did a great job on him. His hair is all fluffy and soft. I didn’t get the name of the groomer but she was really nice to Hiccup. I will bring him back next time.

Came in for grooming last week and had a great experience and a happy (and clean) dog. So I decided to try the daycare too. Brought her in for evaluation and got the tour. Great facility, really nice and attentive staff. We will be regulars!

We came in to get our scottie groomed and couldnt have been happier! Not only did the manager, Lana, listen to our requests attentively, she also gave some fantastic suggestions and was very knowledgeable. They were slammed in there, but as busy as it was, she took the time to hear us out and help us decide on the cut we wanted for our dog. He came out looking like a million bucks and was in a great mood. They groomed and bathed him for just $ 45. Phenominal service and they treated my dog with love. I will come back here again and again, no doubt. If you have a scottie, this is the best place in Hampton Roads to get them groomed. Believe me, I’ve searched and no one comes close to the amazing job Muddy Paws did.

Great groomers, awesome selection in the store, and the daycare is convenient. My one poodle (who is a rescue and is still very skittish) did not do well with the other dogs in daycare, so the women working at the front desk let both of my dogs stay up at the front with them. I thought that was very considerate. My only qualm is that they don’t accept tips via card– which seems like something they should look into.
The store is pricier than a big box store, but the people who work there are more knowledgeable and there’s usually specialty items you can’t find elsewhere. Plus there are cute daschunds slinking around

3 strikes… And I’m done with Muddy Paws!
Strike 1, not to mention our first visit: I picked up my 4 lb maltese and was informed that her paw pad was cut during her grooming apt… Which MY DOG was blamed for. My dog is 10 years old and she’s NEVER come back hurt or had any issues at the groomers. Hmmmm ok, accidents happen I get that. Strike 1 forgiven and I’ll give them another shot.
Strike 2: I walk in to drop my dog off around 10am… The grooming dept couldn’t find her appointment. Ok things happen I thought…
I keep a detailed calendar and I know when I made the appointment but ok… Maybe it was MY fault. The woman behind the desk in the grooming dept was SO incredibly rude to me, letting me know she was very annoyed and blaming me for screwing up the appointment. The girl on the side of her said they had been having issues with the computer and was very sweet… Not anything like her miserable co-​worker who wouldn’t stop slamming the mouse down, sighing LOUDLY and rolling her eyes. They ended up taking my pup for her SCHEDULED appt but not after expressing how annoyed they were, and not to let this happen again… BUT STILL I gave them another chance!
Strike 3: I drop my pups (I have 2 now) off at their usual 10 am appointments… I tell them the exact same thing everything I drop them off… That I get off at 4 and I’ll be here to get them as soon as I get off, the lady tells me «yes of course that’s fine, noooo problem» well around 3Pm I get a phone call saying my dogs have been put into their daycare center and I will be charged an additional daycare fee because I didn’t pick them up when they called and said they were ready. «UM WHAT?» I was told «sorry ma’am that’s our policy» when I went an hour later at 4:15, exactly like I said I would, I asked to speak with a manager. I explained my confusion to her and she basically patted me on the head like a puppy, and explained their «policy». «Ma’am you should have been told about the policy when you came in and we will waive the fee but we cared for your dogs and gave them water, that’s where the daycare fee comes in.» WHAT!!! So in order to get proper care for my animal I have to pay the $ 50+ grooming fee per dog AND a daycare fee? I’m sorry but that’s RIDICULOUS. If you want to rip people off you need to think of a better excuse. Did I mention the VARIOUS times my pups had been there until well after 530pm. That was very inconvenient for me, but hey that’s none of my business! Hopefully on those days my dogs were «cared for and given water»
I really honestly tried to like this place! It’s cute, has great reviews, my dogs don’t seem to mind it, and it’s near my work. But I’m done with this place, 3 strikes too many.

Took my miniature dachshund here for a bath, blow dry, ear cleaning, teeth brushing and nail trim. Called and got a same day appointment on a Sunday. The ladies on the phone were friendly and helpful and the shop itself is pretty cute. Their prices are awesome and they listened to everything I asked them to do. I am extremely happy with my experience and the way my baby was treated. She came home smelling great! Will definitely be returning!

FIVE STARS TO THE GROOMERS!
My little puppy made a mess of himself and I came into Muddy Paws distraught and in a frenzy. The manager (Alana) was so sweet and helpful and shaved the matted, gross parts of fur off my Pomeranian and cleaned up the fur on his paws too. I couldn’t believe how clean and back to normal he was! It was cute how Alana was talking to my puppy the whole time she was working on him, it seemed to calm him down (although he is a drama queen anyway!)
I also went into the retail store to pick up some dry shampoo and to pay for the grooming. I assume the lady at the register with 5 dogs was the owner. Sorry, minus one star because her energy was negative and she was NOT pleasant. Perhaps a bad day? Oh well.
Next time I’m in town, I’ll be sure to visit the lovely grooming ladies with my pup! :)

I’ve always been a fan, and we still are.
But more than that, our dog is in love with this place: I think his dream is to be a Muddy Paws shop dog. Probably not happening since he’s a bull-​boxer, and not a dachshund, but a pup can dream, eh?
Yes, we finally, actually, have a dog. Which means we aren’t buying the amazing dog treats at Muddy Paws for other people’s dogs quite as much because Jack would give us the big sad pouty eyes with the whine and the head tilt and oh-buddy-boi-boo-who’s-a-good-dog-you-are-you-are-that’s-right! Have some kangaroo jerky. Good boy!
Unlike Russia and Sarah Palin, I can ACTUALLY see Muddy Paws from my house. And if the dog had any leash manners, we’d walk over there lickity-​split. But because traffic is insane and I like my shoulders not being dislocated, Jack gets to ride the whole 2.5 blocks in the back seat of the car, whining the whole way because he just wants to get to daycare to play. And play he does.
Thanks to their hours, he can play for nearly 12 full hours for just over $ 20 — or half a day or whenever. The daycare packages save you a little extra money, and there are some great sales sometimes, so buy in bulk. He always comes home exhausted and is more than happy to sleep it off for a couple of days.
The staff are incredibly patient with his impatience. Not getting him behind the counter quickly enough? That’s a barking. Not opening the door to the play yard? That’s a barking. You want him to sit first? Ha! That’s a jumping lick to the face. Even so, they take it in stride. You can’t work there and not love dogs, and it’s obvious that they LOVE dogs.
Jack has also boarded with them over a couple of weekends. When he sees us packing up his overnight bag, he gets way more excited than usual. I think he thinks of it as a giant sleepover, and he’s still super-​happy to go back. He’s clearly treated well.
We’ve only had him groomed once, but he came back smelling delightful and looking handsome, so we have no complaints (nothing to gush about either — it was a bath and a nail trim. It’s hard to gush about that). They sent him home with a jaunty little green bandana around his neck. He seemed to put on some airs and started spouting stuff about buying railroads, so we took it off.
So, if you live in the area or commute past it, Muddy Paws is a great place for your dog to spend the day (or a few days), and is sure to come home happy and tired.

Melissa and Lana did a fantastic job with my two Great Danes today. My dogs are generally uncooperative for nail trimming but these two women had no trouble at all — I am very impressed and very thankful. We will certainly be coming back.

I took my 10 year old fluffy mix here for a de-​shedding treatment. They did a good job on her cut and bath and she seemed pretty calm about the whole experience. But, I have one major complaint: my dog was pretty dehydrated when she got back.
Since my dog is so fluffy, it takes a long time for her to dry thoroughly. She was at Muddy Paws for 4 hours and I guess she didn’t get access to water while there. I will be asking about this the next time I book an appointment.

Great place for a variety of high quality food and snacks. The low rating is solely based on the bad experience I had with the grooming department.
I have a rescue Maltese mix that must be groomed regularly and I found that our groomer here was inexperienced and rushed. They cut the pad of my dogs foot when trimming his nails while he was flipping out (which he doesn’t normally do), didn’t clean his ears, and gave him a mediocre cut. Instead of apologizing for cutting him, they gave me excuses saying that his nail had grown into the pad so it was unavoidable to not cut his pad, and «some dogs are just really unlucky in having their nails grow so close to their pads.» Again, I’ve been getting my little friend groomed for five years with a variety of groomers across the country and this has never happened. Also, IF his nails were growing into his pads, that’s a serious and painful condition that would need to be addressed by his veterinarian. Additionally, I was told it would be three to four hours and at four hours and when I hadn’t heard from them, I showed up and had to wait another thirty minutes or so until they were done.
Based on other reviews I’m sure some of the groomers are great but I’m kicking myself for straying from our regular groomer in Newport News for the sake of my convenience in trying to find somebody closer. Groomers are like doctors, when you find a good one, stick with them. The groomers were really busy and I’m sure they’re under a lot of pressure to churn out business and perhaps this is the standard here but I found it unprofessional and frustrating.
More than anything, I’m sad that my little friend had to experience this.

So after shopping around at every dog daycare place listed on Unilocal I finally settled on trying Muddy Paws and here’s why:
First off they’ve won Best of Norfolk multiple years in a row. Second I liked that they offered grooming. Some days it’s nice to have someone else bathe the pup, and if I drop her off at daycare, I can schedule an appointment and they’ll take her that day. Third they have the dogs broken up by size/​energy level, so no dog gets bullied around or ganged up on by dogs larger or rougher than they are. My dog started going when she was a little smaller so it was important to me she wasn’t getting run over by the larger breeds.
Overall I’d say the experience has been good. My dog is always tugging at the leash to get in and play and she always comes back exhausted. Which to me says she has a great time while she’s there. And when ever I pick her up there’s always a staff member keeping an active eye on the dogs.
Muddy Paws runs varying deals through out the month so it’s good to keep a keen eye to make daycare there am even better deal, but they are already offering daycare at a price comparable to the cheapest in town, so to me getting their deals only makes their good prices great.
Highly recommended to create happy owners and even happier pets.

I’ve stopped in a few times for pet food. I’ve never received the top notch treatment like I should for paying top notch for my pet food. I occasionally go there when I am in the area because they sell quality brands, I just don’t expect much customer service wise.
I did however have my cat groomed there and they seemed to have done a great job. She was surprisingly un-​traumatized and very clean.
Nikki

When I first adopted Relay, I wanted a professional grooming done and this place came highly recommended. I dropped him off and he came back looking great, and seemingly at ease with the staff who were very friendly.
When I wanted to try out antlers as a chew I was told they had a large variety of natural pet treats, and this place came highly recommended. We swung by and while the prices were a touch high, they had a good selection of great quality food and treats and a staff who were very friendly.
When I needed to knock out some spring cleaning and wanted the pup exercised and out of my hair, this place came highly recommended. I dropped him off and was thrilled at the photos posted on facebook showing him having a good time. I picked him up with his tail a waggling, getting special attention from the staff who were very friendly.

Well, all I can say is that I experienced much better. Based on what some of the people said here on Unilocal,I expected something more. Yes, they are expensive. About 40% mark up on everything, but I can forgive that since they are a smaller store with some organic foods. However, the service here was awful. I was visibly waiting in line to pay while the cashier walked away while I was at the counter several times. It took me 30 min to pay when there was only one other person in the store. While I was in line waiting, the person answered the phone call of another customer and went off to check stock while I was in the middle of my transaction.
They have great supplies, but awful service. Sorry, I will take my business elsewhere.