Best In Show Grooming

We hate that we have to say goodbye to all of you. It's been 15 years that we have owned this business and in that time made so many friends with you and your furkids. This move was very unexpected, and we wish we had more time to say goodbye. We will be closing April 1st, but we have a potential buyer who we completely trust. Hopefully that will go through, we will keep you updated. We want to thank you for all the support you have given us throughout these years. Most of y...ou have known us for almost half of our lives and seen us go through a lot in that time! With this unexpected move, we are finding ourselves in a very difficult spot financially, and it is hard to ask, but we have started a GoFundMe to try to get to Oklahoma where we can hopefully get back on track. Even if you aren't able to give, know that we still appreciate you very much and the business you have given us throughout these years. https://gofund.me/352082a8

Back when things were a little more simple. Tristan Davis showing the Bearded Collie, Everett, in the herding group after he took breed. It was an amazing experience and one I will never forget!

Best In Show Grooming would love your feedback. Post a review to our profile. Thank you! https://g.page/r/CbrPP59IUNGpEAE/review

A NEW DANGER INVOLVING PETS AND FLOOR VENTS: #SHAREALERT #PLEASEREAD Older homes have floor vents, and pets can possibly get their collars stuck in the vents and this can result in a choking hazard which will result in the pet panicking.

We are raising money for Helen Woodward Animal Center by collecting votes for Tater Tot and Roland. Every dollar you give is a vote for them and goes toward rescuing animals. Roland was adopted from Helen Woodward and that is where we board our dogs anytime we go out of town. They are an amazing organization.

Socialization... it's probably not what you think it is. Dogs go through a critical period of development that lasts roughly from 3 weeks-16 weeks of age. In t...his time, they're forming ideas and opinions about the world around them; good and bad. They're developing social bonds, and learning how their behaviour impacts other living creatures. A dog that has a quality socialization program is one that will reach its fullest genetic potential. Socialization is about giving them the tools and outlook on life to navigate through our society with minimal stress to themselves and others... now to my point. If your entire plan for socializing your puppy is taking it to puppy classes, puppy play parties or the dog beach, you are GOING to have problems. Unfortunately, the idea that puppy-puppy or puppy-dog interactions constitute 'socialization' has been continually force fed to well-meaning, but misinformed pet professionals. Either two things will come of such a plan... 1. Your puppy meets the wrong dog and has a bad experience. Bad experiences are just as bad as no experiences. A bad experience during the critical period can result in lasting negative impressions and behavioural problems; namely, fear and aggression. 2. Your dog has a positive experience. And that positive experience creates a positive value for other dogs. And their positive value out-competes the puppy's value in you. Doesn't sound that bad? As it stands, the second problem is waaaay more common than the first. Right now, the issues associated with an extreme positive value in other dogs is taking up probably 70-80% of my workload. What issues are they, you ask? - Inconsistent Recalls - Poor Leash Walking Skills - Reactivity (sometimes eventuating into aggression) - What many refer to as 'selective deafness'; *Fido is perfect when it's just us, but as soon as he sees another dog...* Just to name a few. And the thing is, most owners see all that as the problem. When in fact, it's just the various symptoms of the real problem; a poorly structured socialization program that's resulted in their dogs developing a TONNE of value in other dogs, and comparatively little in them. The owner. The one that feeds, walks, plays and loves them. And the thing is, it's not the owner's fault. It's my own industry's. Other trainers. Well-known, well-read sciency-folk. And I don't know why other people aren't seeing the correlation. I very rarely see behavioural cases that stem from a LACK of experience, but that overwhelming stem from an extremely skewed socialization picture. I'm sure the word 'socialization' is the problem too. It implies *social* experiences and interactions. When really we can broadly divide 'socialization' into social and environmental experiences. And of the 'social' experiences, MOST should entail NO direct interaction. While a lot is missing from most owner's socialization programs, that's probably the biggest thing; they've never given value to themselves, particularly in the presence of other dogs. A huge part of what I do with my personal dogs is to take them around other controlled dogs, and pay them for looking at me. In their head, they're learning that other dogs are good (socialization), and that when they're around, I'm going to pay them really good stuff. Here, I'm giving myself value. I'm building the puppy's engagement in me. Thus, what often becomes a distraction and a constant thorn in the side of obedience and manners, now becomes a cue to focus on me. The graph below is an example of a (not very detailed) socialization plan. The exact percentages will differ between puppies a great deal, but the main point to note is that MEETING OTHER DOGS and MEETING PEOPLE constitute a tiny fraction of the whole shebang. And that ratio will stay relatively consistent across the board. I'm not offering nor recommending any puppy classes anymore, with the exception of @dogmanaustralia. I'm now offering private lesson programs which I've found to be infinitely more successful in preparing puppies for life. If you're after a class environment, I'd also recommend you check out @northcoastk9academy. And for online training purposes (for my remote followers) check out @thedogtraininglab by @solutionk9dogtrainingtaranaki

A NEW DANGER INVOLVING PETS AND FLOOR VENTS: #SHAREALERT #PLEASEREAD Older homes have floor vents, and pets can possibly get their collars stuck in the vents and this can result in a choking hazard which will result in the pet panicking.

We are raising money for Helen Woodward Animal Center by collecting votes for Tater Tot and Roland. Every dollar you give is a vote for them and goes toward rescuing animals. Roland was adopted from Helen Woodward and that is where we board our dogs anytime we go out of town. They are an amazing organization.

Socialization... it's probably not what you think it is. Dogs go through a critical period of development that lasts roughly from 3 weeks-16 weeks of age. In t...his time, they're forming ideas and opinions about the world around them; good and bad. They're developing social bonds, and learning how their behaviour impacts other living creatures. A dog that has a quality socialization program is one that will reach its fullest genetic potential. Socialization is about giving them the tools and outlook on life to navigate through our society with minimal stress to themselves and others... now to my point. If your entire plan for socializing your puppy is taking it to puppy classes, puppy play parties or the dog beach, you are GOING to have problems. Unfortunately, the idea that puppy-puppy or puppy-dog interactions constitute 'socialization' has been continually force fed to well-meaning, but misinformed pet professionals. Either two things will come of such a plan... 1. Your puppy meets the wrong dog and has a bad experience. Bad experiences are just as bad as no experiences. A bad experience during the critical period can result in lasting negative impressions and behavioural problems; namely, fear and aggression. 2. Your dog has a positive experience. And that positive experience creates a positive value for other dogs. And their positive value out-competes the puppy's value in you. Doesn't sound that bad? As it stands, the second problem is waaaay more common than the first. Right now, the issues associated with an extreme positive value in other dogs is taking up probably 70-80% of my workload. What issues are they, you ask? - Inconsistent Recalls - Poor Leash Walking Skills - Reactivity (sometimes eventuating into aggression) - What many refer to as 'selective deafness'; *Fido is perfect when it's just us, but as soon as he sees another dog...* Just to name a few. And the thing is, most owners see all that as the problem. When in fact, it's just the various symptoms of the real problem; a poorly structured socialization program that's resulted in their dogs developing a TONNE of value in other dogs, and comparatively little in them. The owner. The one that feeds, walks, plays and loves them. And the thing is, it's not the owner's fault. It's my own industry's. Other trainers. Well-known, well-read sciency-folk. And I don't know why other people aren't seeing the correlation. I very rarely see behavioural cases that stem from a LACK of experience, but that overwhelming stem from an extremely skewed socialization picture. I'm sure the word 'socialization' is the problem too. It implies *social* experiences and interactions. When really we can broadly divide 'socialization' into social and environmental experiences. And of the 'social' experiences, MOST should entail NO direct interaction. While a lot is missing from most owner's socialization programs, that's probably the biggest thing; they've never given value to themselves, particularly in the presence of other dogs. A huge part of what I do with my personal dogs is to take them around other controlled dogs, and pay them for looking at me. In their head, they're learning that other dogs are good (socialization), and that when they're around, I'm going to pay them really good stuff. Here, I'm giving myself value. I'm building the puppy's engagement in me. Thus, what often becomes a distraction and a constant thorn in the side of obedience and manners, now becomes a cue to focus on me. The graph below is an example of a (not very detailed) socialization plan. The exact percentages will differ between puppies a great deal, but the main point to note is that MEETING OTHER DOGS and MEETING PEOPLE constitute a tiny fraction of the whole shebang. And that ratio will stay relatively consistent across the board. I'm not offering nor recommending any puppy classes anymore, with the exception of @dogmanaustralia. I'm now offering private lesson programs which I've found to be infinitely more successful in preparing puppies for life. If you're after a class environment, I'd also recommend you check out @northcoastk9academy. And for online training purposes (for my remote followers) check out @thedogtraininglab by @solutionk9dogtrainingtaranaki

We will be reopening tomorrow June 3, 2020 with very strict guidelines to keep everyone safe. We have a very long waiting list and will be happy to get you in as soon as possible. Clients will not be allowed inside the facility and are encouraged to wear masks. We will take your pet through the door and replace their collar and leash with our own and give you back their leash and collar. Payment can be made over the phone or passed through the mail slot. We ask that everyone be understanding and patient because of the extra protocols that are required of us to be open that will take more time. We are excited to see all of our favorite furry clients again and hope that everyone is well.

We hope everyone is doing well and staying safe. We are still not reopening the shop until we feel it is safe to do so. All of us at the shop are in the high risk category for Covid-19 due to age and/or pre-existing health conditions. After talking to medical and science research professionals we feel that San Diego is being a bit premature with the reopening of businesses. We are going to wait and watch the statistics as other businesses open and hope that San Diegan residen...ts will still maintain proper social distancing and sanitary practices so that we will not have another surge of infections. If everything goes well over the next few weeks then we are looking to reopen, but right now our main goal is safety. I know we want our dogs looking freshly groomed again to feel some normalcy returning to our lives, but we want to make sure we aren't risking people's health to do so. If you feel your dog is in desperate need of essential grooming for their health, like nail trimming or gland expression, your local vet is able to do this. Thank you so much for your understanding, we hope that things will get back to normal soon. See more

EVERYONE needs to hear this and STAY HOME! Follow Occupy Democrats for more.

Today we honor Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. He made huge differences in our country for civil rights. Sadly, these signs that were used at his rallies still apply today and we must always strive to be better! #martinlutherkingjrday #martinlutherkingjr

Sierra all finished and looking adorable! She had such a fun day playing and making new friends while getting pampered!

This was Sierra's first time coming to us and she wanted to show us that she could bathe herself! #letmedoit

Today is National Bubble Bath Day! Instead of breaking your back washing your own dog, give us a call and we can pamper them for you!

See our Co-owner/groomer win Best Brace in Show at the Palm Springs dog show this last weekend with two bearded collies.

We hope everyone had a happy New year's Eve! Here's to a great 2020!