Frequently Asked Questions

We will arrange a one-time visit when you are home to meet your pet and evaluate their needs to ensure you get just what you want! Then, simply provide us a door code or a location to find a key. If you know that your pet is timid or shy, we will ask that you leave it in a small enclosed space such as a crate or a bathroom. We ask that you be available by text or phone during your appointment window if possible to answer any questions we may have about your dog's groom. If you would like us to keep a key, we are happy to do so in our secure location, or we can return it where we found it.

At this time, we exclusively groom dogs.

We currently service the following zip codes: 37909, 37919, 37922, 37923, 37931, and 37932. This roughly covers Bearden, West Hills, Karns, Hardin Valley, and parts of Farragut. We can only service homes that can easily accommodate parking for our extended Mercedes Sprinter van, at 23' long and 10' clearance.

While there may be some variations due to circumstances, we generally respond to appointment requests within 24 hours (excluding non-business days). The nature of mobile grooming makes exact arrival time difficult to pinpoint, so we may arrive up to 30 minutes early or 1.5 hours later than your preferred time. Appointments are scheduled within 2 hour time windows so, for example,  if your ideal appointment time is 10am, your arrival window would be 9:30am - 11:30am. Your appointment may be confirmed or an alternate date/time suggested.  You may cancel your appointment up to 1 business day (24 hours excluding non-business days) without penalty. Appointments canceled with less than 1 business day's notice (excluding non-business days) will be charged a $30 cancellation charge and will require a 50% deposit for all future bookings. Due to the nature of mobile grooming, appointments are booked with a 2 hour window of arrival. 

In the canine world, viruses are mostly readily spread via nose-to-nose contact. The one-on-one nature of mobile grooming makes it inherently lower risk for spreading illness. We have sanitation protocols between each groom to further reduce risk. We always do all we can to ensure the safest experience possible for your pet. 

While we consider the risk of mobile grooming to be the most minimal risk there is in pet grooming, it would be dishonest to say that risk is zero. As such, owners should weigh those risks for themselves and be aware that Swanky Mutts is not responsible for any illness your dog may incur as a result of grooming.

If you're concerned about viruses, our suggestion is to exercise caution and limit your dog’s exposure to other dogs, including avoiding dog parks and anywhere dogs may sniff and potty (which may include your own front yard). Talk to your veterinarian for more information. 

We remain committed to your pets’ safety. We ask that you cancel your appointment if your dog is exhibiting any symptoms. 

We require proof of current rabies vaccination. Because of the 1-on-1 nature of mobile grooming, we recommend but do not require distemper and bordetella (kennel cough) vaccines. We also require that your pet be on flea prevention and currently flea free. We sanitize between each client.

Our equipment limits us to dogs weighing 75 pounds  and under. For long haired dogs, we have a limit of 50 pounds. We do not groom pregnant, lactating, or in-heat dogs. We will do a limited groom on puppies after they have been fully vaccinated. Additionally, we do not accept aggressive pets or Huskies or Chow Chows.

The short answer is convenience. Mobile grooming saves you time and frustration, while providing a lower stress environment for your dog. That comes at a premium, similar to how McDonald's is more expensive when you have it delivered through Door Dash. 

The longer answer is that mobile expenses are high. A well-equipped van costs upwards of $100k. Serving one stop at a time rather than the multiple clients that storefronts can serve inhibits our volume. Our fuel and maintenance and repair costs are high. Specific to Swanky Mutts, we use only high-end products. We don't take any shortcuts to provide a quality experience for you and your pets. We invest in employee education to ensure a safe and skilled grooming experience for your pet. And, importantly, we strive to ensure that our employees receive a true living wage complete with benefits that are not commonly found in the grooming industry.

To make for the most stress-free experience for you and your pet, we attempt to schedule clients with the same groomer each time. However, demand and staffing and routing changes mean that is not always feasible. We give greatest priority to clients who are on frequent, recurring schedules, and those who request only occasional grooms are less likely to be served by the same groomer each time.

Please let us know at the door if possible. We aim to please, and are happy to correct as needed. As long as we are notified within 2 days of any issues, we will work to correct it, which may include coming back to address any unmet needs.