Soapy Paws

I absolutely love soapy paws in Hartford! I have taken my two dogs there since pretty much the day they opened and I won't go anywhere else. My German shepherd blue tick coonhound is a big baby, hates getting her nails trimmed and getting a bath. They are always patient with her. They even groomed my grandma's miniature schnauzer a few times before he passed away. They take their time, are always welcoming, understanding, and get the job done. All the girls their are so nice and do an amazing job, even the ones who are their training now. They make you feel like your family. I always have and always will recommend them. Here is a picture of one of my girls right after getting her nails trimmed at soapy paws, happy as can be!!

I brought my 4mo. old puppy in for her first groom because it was the only place in Hartford with available appointments. I wish I had waited and went somewhere else. When I brought her in, the owner was working with three young girls and a crying baby. It was noisy and chaotic. Multiple dogs were waiting. Some were washed and put in a kennel completely wet, waiting to be dried. The shop was littered with human toys, goldfish crackers, a baby crib full of things covered in dog hair, and other clutter. They did not take their time on her groom. They handled her aggressively and scolded her for not cooperating. I have the most mellow puppy. She is unbothered by storms, lawnmowers, vacuum cleaners, strangers saying hello, etc, and she looked terrified. I also do regular baths, blow drys, and trim her nails, sanitary, and between her eyes on my own with very little fuss. As for the groom, the owner told me she would do what she could since this was my pup's first groom. Here's what they did: They gave her a bath, but I don't believe they washed her head since it still smelled, and there were still pieces of her breakfast on her chin. They trimmed paw pads and sanitary (things I do on my own regularly). Trimmed around her feet, but did a terrible job, in my opinion. Her fur was cut so short her nails were hanging out, and it was so choppy. It was almost impossible to even out when I got home. Trimmed between eyes, also choppy but mostly recoverable since this is a trim I've done on her. Rounded ears, decent job but uneven. They buzzed her body down with lots of uneven spots and clearly didn't check their work. What wasn't done: Nails were not trimmed. No fur on head was touched, other than between eyes and bottom of ears. (No bangs, chin, or muzzle) No transition between head and body shave. No fur on legs was cut other than the butchered job of rounding her paws. I could tell what wasn't cut easily since she hadn't had a cut before, so the appearance of the uncut fur was different than the cut fur with blunt ends. I also stayed for the appointment because after walking in, I didn't feel comfortable leaving her there alone. She was out of sight through the bath. And other than when she was first placed on the table, I did not engage with her, call her, or distract her. I was only in sight for the cut, but tried not to make eye contact with her so I wouldn't distract her. I wouldn't drop a child off in a strange, noisey place with someone scolding them and leave, so I wouldn't do that to a dog either. When I got home, I basically gave her an entire haircut on my own because theirs bothered me so much and trimmed her nails since it wasn't done. I specifically put off doing her nails at home so she could get used to someone other than me handling her paws. But I'm glad they didn't because by the time they were done, I really wouldn't have trusted them to do it, and I didn't want to be there any longer. The groom cost $74 for half a wash, a hasty, hack job of a cut, and some trama. They are grooming to make a buck, not because they care about your pet and want them to look their best. They take no pride in their work. It was a stressful experience for me and probably my pup, but luckily, she has more chill than I do and will probably get over it quicker than I will. She is a well behaved dog that listens and behaves better than most full grown dogs we meet. She deserved a full groom and better treatment.

I would HIGHLY recommend Soapy paws! You can tell this family loves dogs. My dog had plugged anal glands and was able to get in SO FAST. Tabetha shows her care for the dogs and making them comfortable!

Tabitha did an outstanding job on my sassy, energetic puppy. He is not the easiest to cut and she did an amazing job! She was extremely patient and kind to my rambunctious little guy! He looks adorable, is super soft, and smells amazing. They even gave him the cutest tie! I will certainly come again and make the drive! Great shops and places to eat at while you wait!

I have a highly anxious, medium-large sized German Shepherd mix, who can be difficult to work with sometimes. We have had groomers refuse to work with him due to his anxiety and size. I let the staff at Soapy Paws know, and they didn’t even flinch. They took such great care of Riley and it eased my anxiety about taking him to a groomer. Not only that but he is squeaky clean and his coat is shining bright! I will absolutely be coming back and would 10/10 recommend this establishment to anyone looking for a groomer.