Absolutely love A Cut Above Grooming. Kat is amazing every single time. My dog is always so comfortable around her, which says a lot since he's not usually that relaxed with new people. My puppy absolutely loves her. She has such a calm and gentle way about her and it really makes a difference. Not only is she great at what she does, but she's also just an incredibly kind and genuine person. The best part is they come to you, which makes the whole process so convenient. Highly recommend her to anyone looking for someone they can fully trust with their pup. read more

A Cut Above Grooming Salon - They even put bandanas on them. Loved it! - Pet Groomers Near Me - Castro Valley, California

I was told my Shi Tzu was matted around his collar area and feet. When I picked him up she had cut all his hair off very short. Matted in two areas feet and around his collar area, yet she cut all his hair off with the exception of his head and tail. He looks like a macrocephaly, a hot mess. I'm extremely disappointed. read more

Found this place trending on Yelp with really good reviews. Pretty easy to locate and appointment setup was simple. Agave looked amazing and then I started to notice the licking... Customer service is really kind here -- Honestly, the people here are really kind. I can't stress that enough. Dropping off Agave was simple despite him shaking up a storm (he was pretty scared). Even upon picking him up, everyone was really kind and sweet. His cut looked great but... He's fluffy. I can't stress that enough. I love petting him after a fresh cut with it all fluffy. I tried my best to comb him the night before, carefully to ensure they wouldn't run into any issues with the cut. They did say some areas were tangled and would have to cut shorter, which I understood. It has happened before. However, once we got home, I noticed constant licking. Upon inspecting his lower stomach / private area, I found four nicks from the clipper. This was a bit disappointing. I really liked this place, the setup, process, etc. This is his 5th time being groomed (four times elsewhere) and I've never had any previous grooming experiences nick him before. That being said, this will be my one time coming here. Experience was good, Agave is fluffy, but I can't ignore these cuts. Best of luck to everyone else though. read more

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I have been going to this place for about two years now.Amazing people when it comes to dog grooming. Very professional.

Do not be fooled by the 5-star reviews. I brought my Golden Retriever here for the first time, and sadly, it turned into a very upsetting experience. When we got home, he started shaking his head non-stop. At first, I thought he was just adjusting to his new haircut, but I noticed some redness inside his ear and that the hair had been trimmed quite deep. Within a day or two, his ear looked much worse, there was a visible wound, a lot of discharge, and now he even whines when his ear is touched. It truly breaks my heart seeing him in pain and not able to tell me exactly how he feels. It seems like his ear may have been roughly handled or clipped during grooming. I'm extremely disappointed and heartbroken over the care that he received. read more

A Cut Above Grooming Salon - Ear infection - Pet Groomers Near Me - Castro Valley, California

Nathan did a fabulous job on my standard poodle. Looking forward to coming back and having our other poodles groomed here! read more

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Been taking my dog here for years. Most of the time I was happy with outcome. I recently established a groomer to groom my dog everytime. My nervous doggie just loved the groomer Ashley. Sweet girl. One day I booked with Ashley and got to the shop and was told Ashley was sick so someone else did Munchies grooming. I took my dog home and was very disappointed. Just wasn't how my dog usually is groomed. I ended up calling and taking him back a few days later for Ashley to tidy up the cut. Fast forward to last month I made an appointment online on a Friday. When you book online it says REQUEST, WAITING for approval. I made the request on Friday for that Monday appointment. Well, I never heard back, never got a call, did not get a text , nothing. So Monday comes, I assume they couldn't honor my appointment. The shop calls me and tells me if I want to bring Munchie in, ever, I would need to pay for Mondays No show. I explained the situation how I did not get confirmation, no one called so I didn't think they could take him in. After going back and forth and this very rude female butting in to our conversation which they had me on speakerphone, I told the owner Nathan that I couldn't pay 120$ for the missed appointment plus another 140$ for a new appointment. I always tip 20$!!! Nathan tells me, well ok he will just charge me 60$ for Mondays appointment. I explain to him , what it says online when booking, it says request waiting on approval! It does not say confirmed! I have been a customer for years. I always tip. Nathan says no, Munchie cannot come back unless I pay the 60$. He said that I no showed a few times in the past. If that was the case, why was I never charged or this was never mentioned to me. And how can they just make up a No show price of $120? No one has ever said anything to me ever about a no show until this happened. I expected them to consider the thousands of dollars I have paid them over the years. And to consider that besides this incident that was not my fault, I have been a loyal customer! I take my dog to them once a month! Every month! But no, Nathan insisted either I pay for the missed appointment from that Monday or not to ever come back! I think that says a lot about them, and now that I have found MOBILE groomers who come to your home for same price and do a great job, I am happy this happened. Otherwise I would probably have stayed there giving them my money. All in all, Nathan does not value his customers, or this would have been handled differently. I am disappointed my dog means that little to them as a customer and my years of spending my money with them means nothing, but I am happy I moved on to this awesome mobile grooming! It is so nice, so convenient you know your dog is right outside in the van getting groomed. I don't have to wait around all day to see if A Cut Above Grooming is gonna have my dog 2 hours or 4 hours. The shop itself is not clean. There is usually dog poop on the ground outside, that stays there all day from when I drop my dog off, until I pick him up, the same poop is still there. Kinda lame considering there's 4 or 5 workers there sometimes. read more

A Cut Above Grooming Salon - Pet Groomers Near Me - Castro Valley, California

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They took great care of our new puppy. They were patient and gentle for her first visit She looked great.

These folks are kind and true professionals! We have two dogs, and one of them is a Pomeranian that developed post-clipping alopecia after he got shaved at another grooming salon. His natural coat is very thick, and I think that groomer didn't have the experience with his breed to deal with it appropriately. After this happened, my husband and I searched to find groomers with more expertise, and we landed on A Cut Above. I honestly couldn't be happier with their services. First, they are very kind to our dogs. Second, they were really helpful giving us advice about the alopecia and even reached out to their network to get more ideas. Third, the dogs come out looking really great, especially the Pomeranian. They get him so fluffy you can barely tell he has hair loss. I really trust A Cut Above to know what they are doing. read more

A Cut Above Grooming Salon - Pet Groomers Near Me - Castro Valley, California

Love bringing my golden doodle here. We've tried several of their groomers and they've all been friendly, receptive to our requests, and thorough in their work. I've never found nicks or cuts around the ears, or even patchy areas- they always do a great job read more

Staff is very friendly and accommodating. I have a neurotic doodle and Kat takes the best care of him. Highly recommended!

Love this place!! I've only been here to cut my little girls nails so I cant say much about the other services. The employees are always super friendly and all are dog lovers:) the first time we brought Luna in she was very scared and timid. They only filed her nails down and poor baby needed two people to hold her down while her nails were trimmed. They charge extra if they require another person btw. But she is now a little more used to it. Hopefully the more we go, she'll let us cut her nails even shorter but it's honestly better than her nails overgrowing. They have a small parking lot and seats for you sit at while you're waiting. For the most part theyve always been super fast. They allow walk ins but appointments are taken as well. I would highly recommend this place for anyone with a dog read more

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They were so good with our puppy!!! She came out looking brand new lol! I almost couldn't recognize her from when she first went in since it was her very first hair cut! read more

I was hesitant to post but after speaking with the owner who shows no concern other than "sorry". I feel it's necessary. First time taking our pup here . The groom looked great . Within. 2 days his right eyelid was swollen, bleeding and oozing . Took him To our vet , bacterial infection "probably from unclean utensils you could see the small Knick on eyelid. Recheck at 2 weeks and still not healed . Bacterial infection in both eyes We won't be back , I'm not saying don't go here just that beware . read more

A Cut Above Grooming Salon - Eyelid nipped either cutting his eyelashes very short ( which shouldn't have been done or knocking his lid when trimming - Pet Groomers Near Me - Castro Valley, California

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We brought our 6 month old English Cocker Spaniel for a grooming session here and we were highly satisfied. Drake groomed our pup and we could not be any happier with the results. read more

A Cut Above Grooming Salon - Pet Groomers Near Me - Castro Valley, California

Nervous parents handing over their baby to a stranger is every new fur parent's experience at the first grooming appt. Lindsay came to the car to pickup Maya. She was personable and patient. She even advised us how to desensitize her from hair dryer noise etc. The length of the appt depends on the pet. Sometimes, they need breaks. So with the first appt, we did not know what to expect. By the time we were done with lunch and drove back home, Maya was ready to be picked up. The appt was about two hours. To our pleasant surprise, Maya did well. It was a testament to Lindsay's ability to handle nervous and anxious pets. The cut was pretty close to the photo we shown her. A friend had advised us to always inspect for cuts. All clear. We did notice the fur around her mouth was still creeping into her mouth. We called the salon (we were still in the parking lot) and asked if Lindsay can help. She immediately obliged. We had a wonderful experience overall. The full groom ($90) included bath, thorough trim, sanitary trim, and nail trimming. A couple of days ago, we were notified of upcoming changes for the new year - I believe appts are prioritized for clients with standing 4-week grooming appts. We're a bit dismayed since we most likely don't need such frequent trims and may not be able to book with Lindsay. If that's the case, we'll explore other local options. read more

A Cut Above Grooming Salon - Lindsay did an incredible job! She was patient and offered great tips with our pup. - Pet Groomers Near Me - Castro Valley, California

Great experience from start to finish. Really love having a small business in the area to support instead of the typical corporations. The dogs look great! Will bring our long haired ragdoll next! read more

A Cut Above Grooming Salon - Great haircut! Love supporting local small businesses. - Pet Groomers Near Me - Castro Valley, California

I absolutely love this grooming spot. In fact, I drive up from Carmel to take my adorable pup to either Drake or Ashley. Honestly any of the groomers are amazing. My mom loves Nathan and his wife. The first time I picked up Lily, she was walking around with her new furry friends instead of being caged up and fearful. Great grooming spa. The front office people, who also help in the back... are incredible. All hands on deck philosophy.My mom, 90 yrs young.. who can be very fussy when it comes to her beloved dog Romeo, sincerely loves Kat.. she is so kind and helpful. Just Great imo. read more

A review way overdue but this is my go-to grooming place for my maltipoo after trying all the local groomers in the area. They really listen to your needs and may they treat your dog with care and kindness. They always give her a cute little scarf or hair pin and she always comes out looking like a star. Prices are still decent. I pay near $130 for the works for her. read more

I''ve been bringing my husky here for probably a year, maybe just under a year. When I first got my husky I heard horror story's about Petco or other big stores that have grooming services treating dogs awful and I even know someone who's dog was killed at one of those places but having a husky I knew I had to get her groomed! So glad a good neighbor recommended this salon to me, she has been taking her dogs here for years so I totally trusted her and I'm glad I did! This salon is amazing!!! The groomers can be a stressful place for dogs however the staff here are all so great, they take their time and lots of breaks to make sure the doggies don't get too overwhelmed. During breaks the dogs get to play with each other so they come back home tired too. I drop my dog off and get a text when she is ready anywhere from 2-3 hrs later (great little break for me to run some errands), I pay through the link in the text before I even arrive so I can just pick up and go without any fuss. My dog always looks great at the end of her session! I can easily make an appointment online - they do require your pet to be on a 4-6 week maintenance schedule. Would recommend to everyone! read more

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Today I took Korben to be hand stripped. He is a Wirehaired Fox Terrier. I had him clipped the last 2 haircuts. He is 5 years old. His coat colors became dull gray instead of black on his spots. Jeanette the groomer was able to bring back his black and ginger colors. I highly recommend the Groomer Jeanette at Cut Above Grooming Salon she did an amazing job. Handstripping was not easy to find. I will continue to come back. It's over an hour drive but well worth the trip. Thank you Jeanette read more

Contacting Kathlena through Yelp was very convenient. She told me what her availability was and the protocol during shelter-in-place/COVID-19 and she would respond quickly. My sister brought her corgi here awhile ago so I decided to give it a try and I don't regret it. My dog looked so cute and smelled great after. You can tell that the grooming service is worth it because my dog looked like a new dog. Protocol during this time is a little different. We had to stay in the car and she would pick up our dog and take him in. And she would call when she was done and she would bring him out to the car once again. It's a little different but it was still great service. read more

A Cut Above Grooming Salon - Pet Groomers Near Me - Castro Valley, California

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I am more than obsessed with this time's grooming!! Thank you again for taking care of our princess Luna. read more

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10/10!!! I have taken my dog to plenty of groomers but this salon by far was the best! We never received our furrrr baby as happy as we did here! Super friendly and nice staff from front desk to groomers! Salon smelled super clean and looked super clean which made me feel good leaving my dog there knowing she would be pampered and in good hands. They will bathe , nail trim+file , clean your dogs ears and condition them so they leave feeling lusciously soft and they will give your fire baby a cute little scarf to go. Happy to see my baby girl looking pretty and happy! We have taken her to another salon during her post partum after having puppies and nothing compares to how we received her! I am happy I found this little gem and will be bringing my furrrr baby back here for pampering. read more

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My baby boy (mini Pom) loves this place. I had tried many different grooming places and every single time my boy came home scared and shook, but not here. Everyone is so friendly. Dogs can roam around the shop waiting to be petted. He was running around the shop when I came to get him. He didn't want to leave. That was unusual. He must love this place really much. The price is a little stiff but I don't mind since the service is superior and my pup is happy. read more

A Cut Above Grooming Salon - Pet Groomers Near Me - Castro Valley, California

Charlie (My Bichon) and I have been coming to Nathan for about a year or two now for all of his grooming needs. There is no one else in the Bay Area that grooms Charlie the way I prefer. When we found out that Nathan and Katie were opening their own grooming salon, there was no doubt in our minds that we were going there too! The place is nice and clean and there is a parking area and street parking. We made an appointment for their opening week, and they were already booked up and quite busy. But Nathan made Charlie and I felt welcomed and confirmed all the details of the appointment. If you can't pick up your pup right away after they are done, some places put the pups in cages until you get there. Not here! When I came to pick up Charlie, after running errands in the city, he was running around with the other pups at the salon having a great time! Every time I take Charlie to see Nathan, he always gets so many compliments. I would definitely recommend bringing your pets to this salon! Their prices are reasonable and they treat your pups with love and care. read more

A Cut Above Grooming Salon - Before... - Pet Groomers Near Me - Castro Valley, California

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Update 1/11/22: their prices went significantly higher. I went to another groomer today with high reviews, but they didn't quiet listen to the haircut I wanted, and his after bath smell doesn't smell as nice as A Cut Above Grooming Salon. :/ so even though they raised their prices, at least they listen, do a Fantastic job every time, your dog will smell sooooooo much better, and they give cute bandanas. It just made me appreciate the quality that they give all the time. read more

A Cut Above Grooming Salon - The holiday bandana they give out - Pet Groomers Near Me - Castro Valley, California

Our family has been going through a lot of transition including loss of loved ones, moving homes/towns, identity theft (yeah that, too!) etc. Our one year old Belgian Malinois is very emotionally attuned and has been feeling our pain through her tummy. She pooped her crate so I called for an emergency bath in the morning and they took her right away. Not many groomers (particularly ones who specialize in small breeds/ design cuts,) like to give this breed a chance. But they welcomed my sweet girl with open arms and were extremely compassionate to our situation and gave so many compliments about her. I was honestly caught off guard cus we deal with a lot of breed bullying even if she's a heartthrob! The cute cottage is super funky and eclectic which made my SF Native breed feel right at home. The staff is incredibly passionate, heartwarming and skilled at what they do. My girl either loves ya to death or will let you know you are not to be trusted. She left in love with everyone and I can confidently say they felt the same for her! The world map hanky they tied around her neck was the perfect finishing touch for this globe trotting fur mama! We're so grateful to find humans that give us a sense of support, understanding and care with style! Thanks, guys!! read more

A Cut Above Grooming Salon - How cute is this little hanky they finished my girl with?! - Pet Groomers Near Me - Castro Valley, California

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A long overdue review but I love this place! We adopted my dog Mina and took her to a different dog groomer within the first couple days and had a bad experience. She (and another dog I saw at the vet) had a bad reaction to the shampoo at that place so I was pretty nervous bringing her to another grooming appointment. We found A Cut Above Grooming and this place has been so accommodating. We've been going to Lindsey for the past year and she's worked with us to monitor Mina's reaction to shampoos. Mina is also pretty shy/nervous but Lindsey and staff have always been so patient and kind to her. I always feel safe leaving her there. 100% recommend! read more

A Cut Above Grooming Salon - Pet Groomers Near Me - Castro Valley, California

I think I can finally say I finally found the perfect grooming place in the Bay Area. Nathan did an amazing job on my pup! He was very friendly and professional from start to end. I felt so at ease knowing that my pup is in good hands. Making an appointment is super easy - you can call them directly or go online. On the day of, you park your car and give them a call, they'll come out to greet you and take ur pup in. Same thing for pick up. I will most definitely be coming back. Thank you for making my little guy cuter than ever! read more

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They have so much experience with grooming dogs. They are kind and gentle. Oreo always comes home smelling so good and he likes going there. read more

A Cut Above Grooming Salon - Jeanette did an awesome job. My Oreo looks so handsome. Thank you - Pet Groomers Near Me - Castro Valley, California

I've taken my pup here a few times already, and I have to say, I prefer this place than most places. My lil puppers - well she's no longer a pup, she's rather old, but always be the baby - is a bit timid. She may or may not be a puppy mill dog, we're not too sure. She's definitely anti-social, and she gets terrified easily. When I took her here, yeah, she was still timid, barking, snappy, but they all made her feel as welcome as they could. And they did not charge extra for her being a snappy little thing. They handled her very well, and I hope they don't give them a hard time. In any event, I highly recommend this place as they handle your pets very well and make them feel very welcomed! I think that's most important. Also they do cute little hair cuts for them as well. I am just so grateful for them. read more

I took my 19 week old yorkie, Jack, here for his fist grooming appointment. I was nervous because I didn't know how he would behave. Nathan talked to us before the appointment to gently meet Jack and making sure what I wanted done and how I wanted him groomed. Nathan did an absolute perfect job with my dog! Jack came out not only with a nice, straight edged, perfect cut, but he was also happy. I was excited that Nathan said jack did great and he was a good boy! I'm so happy to have found this place and will definitely be taking my dog back for his grooming appointments. They did an excellent job. I recommend this place to my cousin, who also has a yorkie, and she quickly made an appt to bring her dog in also. Thank you again Nathan for an absolutely beautiful job on our baby! read more

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This salon has turned my puppy to the cutest little pup ever yet. This was his first ever make over and we loved it. We got the bundle which included nail trimming and shower. Everything took a little over an hour but the results were astonishing. We highly recommend A Cut Above Grooming Salon read more

A Cut Above Grooming Salon - Pet Groomers Near Me - Castro Valley, California

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What a relief. We have a super high energy German Shorthaired Pointer. We tried without success to trim his nails. It was impossible on our own. A Cut Above Grooming Salon did it beautifully, economically quickly, and without appointment. We highly recommended them. They were very friendly. We couldn't be happier. read more

I called around local groomers to see if any offered special shampoo cleaning for de-skunking. Our dogs got sprayed the night before. The woman that answered the phone was informative, helpful and honest. The price was also reasonable. It took 3 hours for them. It is small so I would recommend waiting outside if there's people already instead. When I showed up there were two people in the waiting area + 3 dogs. I waited for one person to leave. When I went inside they let my dogs out but without their leashes. I tried my best to hold onto my dogs because I didn't know if the other dogs in the lobby were friendly. My clumsy dog backed into a dresser and knocked over a photo. I felt bad because the frame broke but also think it could've been prevented had they had their leashes on. Other than that, it was a positive experience. I will definitely be back! read more

A Cut Above Grooming Salon is the best! They always takes such good care of both of my girls. They always listen to the style & cut I want and my girls always leave looking their best! My older dog is almost 11 years old and has been going to see Nathan since she was a puppy. It's also a super sweet touch that they always go home with a bandana! read more

A Cut Above Grooming Salon - kylie's first haircut!! - Pet Groomers Near Me - Castro Valley, California

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We just started taking our 2 labradoodles here after our previous groomer moved and they're great. Both of the pups always look adorable and the team is super nice across the board. Scheduling is easy and you can book in advance if you're on schedule. Highly recommend! read more

Love it here, they are so kind, accommodating and really listen to your requests. I was nervous about my doodles new cut but they really listened to me and talked me through options. She came out looking like an adorable teddy bear read more

A Cut Above Grooming Salon - Pet Groomers Near Me - Castro Valley, California

TL;DR: HIGHLY RECOMMEND A Cut Above! Please support this business and brings your pups here to get groomed! I am watching my BFF's Goldendoodle, but when she dropped him off to my house he was less Doodle and more Woolly Mammoth. He hadn't been able to get groomed in months and his fur was super matted. I immediately hopped on Yelp yo see if there was a dog groomer near me that could take a last minute grooming appointment. A Cut Above to the rescue! I messaged them through Yelp and they were able to take Bear the next day (a coveted weekend appointment no less)! When I arrived for my appointment Kat met me outside and spoke with me about what I had in mind for Bear. Kat has one of those bubbly and infectious personalities that (a) made me feel like she was an old friend and (b) made me trust her instantly. Bear was also a HUGE fan and was hopping around giving her kisses. I told her to shave off whatever she needed and she could have creative license to do what she does best! She told me for an XL dog like Bear with all the matting he had it would take around 3 hours to complete. Exactly 3 hours later Kat called to say Bear was ready to be picked up! When she brought him out he was a completely different dog! He was SO happy and literally jumping for joy he felt so much better. The best part is their pricing is so reasonable for the amazing work they do. I was expecting to pay much more than what I was charged. It's been decided that every time Bear comes to visit Auntie Nicole he will be getting groomed at A Cut Above. Thank you so much to Kat for helping Bear look like the happy Dood he is! read more

A Cut Above Grooming Salon - Bear before (with Rufus) - Pet Groomers Near Me - Castro Valley, California

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