Doggy Royal Midi1 Groom

Everything the Executive Treatment covers — brush, bath, blow dry, ears, teeth and nails — plus the three jobs that turn a wash into a proper groom.

The de-shed is the one you notice at home. Mid-sized dogs are where shedding really starts to show, and pulling the loose undercoat out at the van means it isn't coming out on your sofa for the next fortnight.

The trim or shave is cut to suit the breed and the coat rather than to one house style, so a collie, a spaniel and a staffie cross each get what their coat actually needs.

And the anal glands — which nobody enjoys discussing, and every dog is better for having checked.

At R50 more than the Executive, this is the one to book if he's shedding, matting, or overdue a cut.

Before we come

This tier is for dogs between 15 and 30kg. Under that, book the Mini; over it, book the Maxi. If you want a particular cut, tell us before we start and be specific — "short" means very different things to different people. A photo is worth more than a paragraph. If you're not sure, we'll cut to suit the coat and the season. Give us somewhere to park close to the house and a plug point nearby if you have one. Take him out for a wee before we arrive. Tell us in advance about anything we should know — a sore hip, a spot he doesn't like handled, past trouble at a groomer, or anything your vet has flagged. On matting: if it has tightened against the skin, it cannot be brushed out without hurting him, and the honest answer is to clip it off and let the coat grow back properly. We'll tell you if that's what we're looking at rather than working at it for an hour.