Groom Dog City, 9 Ravenscroft Street, London E2
As long as it doesn’t harm the dog, I’ll do it,’ says Stuart Simons, owner and head groomer at Groom Dog City in Bethnal Green. ‘I gave a chihuahua a pink mohican recently, to match the owner’s hair!’
Until recently, dog grooming meant a quick wash and brush for short coated mutts, or a ‘breed standard’ cut for dogs like the Kerry blue or American cocker spaniel, whose coats require regular care. Now, though, the US craze for ‘creative grooming’, a cut and colour that can temporarily transform a dog into a lion, sheep, cartoon character or even Lady Gaga, is hitting our shores, and doggy parlours across the Capital are getting ready. ‘You need a dog with the right sort of coat,’ says Stuart. ‘Like Ralph, my standard poodle, or a bichon frise. With that sort of dog you can have anything you like. You can even get nail varnish for animals now.’
So why are our best friends becoming our accessories? ‘If you have a dog that needs to be clipped anyway, why not have some fun with it?’ says Stuart. groomdogcity.com
