I used Mark's services for my senior Maltese mix for years. He did a great job of grooming her. Unfortunately over the last few years his overall customer service has deteriorated. First, he has no assistant, so when the dogs are there for hours, they aren't able to go outside for a potty break. Second, he is often late for an appointment when we are the first ones to arrive early in the morning. In at 7 am and out by 1 pm if your lucky, is a long time for an old dog. Three, he is overpriced and increased his prices without notice a few times. The last straw was when he had given me a card for an appointment for her and when I checked with him the night before he said he didn't have her scheduled. I sent him a pic of the card and his response was "I've done that before". No apology, just here's her next appointment. I rescheduled her once, though he contends I rescheduled her twice. He has a short memory. Also, what is the point of having an appointment if he is going to take walk-ins while the dogs sit and wait in cages? One time while he and I were talking, he put my dog in a cage and forgot to lock it. She is old and blind. She started to escape and almost fell to the ground. Thankfully he caught her in mid-air. Since my husband picked her up the last time she was there, I simply asked him to tell Mark that she wouldn't be back. I heard nothing from Mark until about a month and a half later. Out of nowhere he sends me this insulting, arrogant, and ridiculous rant of a text message (see below). He thanked me for no longer being a client, said how he felt sorry for my dog, and that he appreciated the passive aggressive way I "dismissed" him. I used him for almost 10 years. The long and the short of it is that while Mark's work is good, his customer service lacks considerably. He is bitchy, often in a bad mood, unfriendly, and arrogant. His filter doesn't work well either. Downright insulting. If you don't mind having an appointment and having your dog sit in a cage for hours without a bathroom break, go for it. I think it's time he give-up grooming because it's clear that it's become more of a job to him, not a passion. read more

Top Dog - Pet Groomers Near Me

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Extraordinary Groomer and handler. Can do a lot of abused dogs and turns them into happy little people who are no longer scared of groomers.

There is simply no one else I would ever trust to groom my Bichon Frise, Steve! Mark has proven time and again, he is (by far) the best dog groomer in the entire Bay Area. His work speaks for itself. Mark has been grooming Steve for 10 years. Prior to Mark, we had tried many other dog grooming salons all over the Bay Area with comparable prices to Top Dog. Steve came back with cuts on his skin, razor burns, an uneven hair cut, one ear longer than the other, and overall never looked great. Mark changed everything. He is truly an artist and every time I pick up Steve, I am blown away about how great he looks and Mark's strong attention to all the details. Mark is simply exceptional and he treats every dog in his salon with the same love and attention as his own dog. Mark is that amazing hair stylist that takes forever to find, but once you do, you never go to anyone else ever again. read more

Top Dog - Pet Groomers Near Me

I tried this place based on referral from a westie owner in Los Gatos. Mark spent all of 3 minutes with my dog and was unable to trim nails and said "it's not a good fit". He was unwilling to work with my dog and topped it off with attitude about how he needs at least a month notice for grooming appointments. I reluctantly drove over to Petco (based on a bad experience at another location) down the street and was very impressed! The groomers are experienced and very friendly. The salon is clean and filled with very happy dogs. My dog was very comfortable and had a speedy drop-in nail trim for just $10. They were understanding and know how to handle anxious dogs! Skip the attitude here and head to Petco Los Gatos! read more

I am truly disappointed with my experience at top dog. I live down the street and twice I had stopped in to inquire about his services. Both times I asked about trimming nails and a simple trim on a 3 pound Yorki.e. I even showed him a photo of his last trim- where I currently take him. I wanted so bad to have a new groomer so convenient and close and after he told me that he could do it for the similar price of $55 I made the appointment. I had to reschedule because I got the flu and I did so in a timely matter and he was very cordial. When we rescheduled I misplaced the card -and as of a week and a half ago I messaged Marc the business owner asking the date and time of the new appointment and until this morning I did not get a reply. His reply was He didn't respond because it was a Monday and his day off .... then why didn't you respond for the next eight days is my question but I did not ask it. See text However all of our other messages to place on a Monday as an iPhone does not lie. I brought my dog in there this morning and he all of a sudden had no recollection of any of our conversation, and started asking me in a very insulting and snotty way what type of trim I wanted (completely forgetting we discuss this two times ago when I showed him the photo ), how I wanted his ears to look......when I said whatever you think is best, and it's a simple little trim... he seemed very irritated. I simply stated for the last six years I drop my dog off it's a simple trim and I'm not that picky and my dog is than 3 pounds !I'd like him trimmed and his nails cut. At that point in time he have to and puffed and was making this process extremely difficult. The The worst part of the story is after wasting 35 minutes of my time, as my dog was in my arms trembling in this new place ...Marc abruptly goes right for his face with his big hands (as to grab him from me) and of course my little dog tries to take and nip at him! Why would you stick your hands abruptly come at a dogs face who is guarding his owner and then look at me and say I'm going to pass your dog just took a aggressive bite at me. I am absolutely apalled if you did not want to work on my dog- just say so but to actually stick your hands in any dogs face quickly and abruptly like you're going to grab him right out of my arms without even any warning or letting him sniff you or try to warm them up is obsolete obnoxious. I left there feeling extremely angry that someone can treat a customer this way and is allowed to be in business. I'm disappointed because he so conveniently close and I would have liked to have a new monthly groomer. Please see photos for our text conversation. He may be really good at what he does but I would not want to leave my dog there alone as he does not appear in anyway to care for the dogs. read more

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Mark is a very unpredictable person who cancelled my appointments three times (on the same day ) without any explanations/apologies. He is ALWAYS late for the scheduled appointments and dogs spend long hours in small crates. Waiting for their turn to be groomed. Dogs are afraid of him and I witnessed him yelling at the dogs in crates. My dog is very sensitive and had terrible reactions to cuts and burns after deep shaving (Bedlington Terrier), so Mark insisted on me giving my healthy dog the steroid ( that my vet refused to prescribe), not mentioning that we ended up in the emergency room one time when Mark cut my dog's ear. Mark is not willing to listen to the owners needs and wants (he has the sense of grandiosity) and believes that he knows better. If you love your dog and don't want to deal with PTSD syndrome after grooming then do not take your pet to Mark! read more

Mark is a wonderful, extremely experienced dog groomer. No other groomer I have used comes close. He's great to work with and is conscientious about grooming your dog to your desires not his. It may take awhile to get an appointment but he's worth the wait. We schedule our dog monthly after each appointment so she stays clean and pretty at all times ;) read more

Mark has a chip on his shoulder and is moody and difficult to work with. He has a small salon with stacked crates and is constantly yelling and berating the dogs waiting to be groomed. My dogs left here looking great as he is a good groomer, but stressed and agitated. He is difficult to work with and constantly tried to over charge to raise money to pay his debts. They sit in small crates far too long. I stopped going there a few years ago and he constantly harasses me if I park in the strip mall where his salon is located. My sister and I parked there today on Sunday, she has peripheral neuropathy and has a handicapped parking pass. He yelled at us through the window of his salon threatening to have us towed. read more

Omg love this place! We've been from Texas to California and they know what they are doing here! Zoey came back super happy, and as you can see from the picture she's smiling! On the spot made the next appt. LOVE the cute charm of his shop! Took extra care, and really cares about these dogs. read more

Top Dog - Happy puppy post groom, this is what a Maltese looks like! - Pet Groomers Near Me

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If you can get an appointment, know that your dog will look amazing. Our Shitzu looks like a show dog after grooming at Top Dog. Mark takes his time to get to know his customers. Our dog always feels welcome. As a family, we love Mark and wholeheartedly recommend Top Dog. read more

Mark is a professional in every sense of the word. All you need do is look at the dogs already groomed and waiting to go home. His work is masterful, even artistic, done with the degree of competence that only comes with experience. As someone else wrote, he takes great pride in his work. I'm so happy I found him. I'd like to add this to my review of Top Dog from April '17. The three negative reviews below have NOTHING to do with Mark's skill as a groomer - - he never even worked on their dogs. Mark is in demand and you need to be somewhat flexible in scheduling, but that's typical of any business that has a devoted clientele. I understand that it's Yelp's policy, but it seems a shame that content based on bad vibes with the dog owner is even factored in when it could affect someone's business. read more

I would give zero stars, but want it to be clear that I didnt simply skip giving a star rating. I never even brought my dog to yhis place- and I never will. I contacted this biz to request a price quote for grooming of a rescue dog. My message was cordial and polite, and gave detailed info about the dog and what services were desired. The response from Mark was short and vague and frankly the price quote was high for the requested service. His entire reply was "$××× or under". When I replied that it seemed somewhat steep, Mark shot back a nasty, insulting message in which he whined about his high overhead, boasted about his credentials,blah blah blah- and made very rude and uncalled for comments about me. Ive never even seen this man or been near his shop; he knows nothing about me except that as a potential new customer I requested some basic info.And he responds with rudeness and hostility-how childish and unprofessional can someone be ? I was floored. It was Thumbtack that referred his biz to me, and so when they emailed me asking my experience with his biz, I told them. I recieved a reply right away from Thumbtack- they reviewed the messages he sent me and told me they were quite displeased and would likely remove him from their groomer recommendations. Bottom line: Dont let Mark touch your dog. read more

Rather unreliable- has missed appointments and does not follow through- a bit disappointing considering the amount of money he charges. I found Mark to be a little aloof, arrogant and inconsiderate of my time - He missed appointments and never returned my call re: my appointment to trim our Spinone - I always considered myself a valued customer and gladly and willingly compensated him for his time and expertise- As a groomer---- competent- ----as business-person- a zero! read more

I was very disappointed in the service and even more disappointed in Mark's communication skills (in other words his attitude). I asked him to do several services such as trimming the nails, cleaning the anal gland as well as grooming. When I made the appointment I informed him that I want to watch, mostly because my dog has been previously hurt at another groomer. I explained to him that I choose his shop because he has a big glass window so that I could see from start to finish. That was the time that he should have informed me that he doesn't want me to watch even with a disguise. However, once we came to the appointment, he complained that I was watching. Not once did my dog know that it was me as I had disguised myself with a coat and a large hat! My dog NEVER even once looked at me!! Mark had this nasty attitude when I picked up my dog. He blamed me for causing my dog to bark. However, much to his disappointment I saw the whole grooming and my dog was not barking. His other dogs were barking. The grooming itself was not great and many locations it was uneven or had stray tufts of hair that were not trimmed to the length as the neighboring hair. I saw the entire grooming and he did not do all the services he said he was going to do. I've been to other groomers and they do a much better job without the attitude! read more

Top Dog of Los Gatos is the best place I have ever brought my Westie to be groomed. He always looks so clean and handsome when I pick him up from his grooming. The owner, Mark, is awesome. He is so knowledgeable about dogs. I alway feel like my little guy is in good hands here. Totally a FIVE STAR Place!!!!! read more

We now have a second Bedlington terrier, who like her big sister, goes regularly to Mark at Top Dog. He does a fantastic job and is pleasant to deal with; unlike many groomers, Mark actually LISTENS to his clients. The cut for Bedlingtons is VERY had to do, but Mark is a perfectionist and the dogs always look great. There's only one drawback: The dogs look so good that I'm constantly stopped on the street and complimented and asked who groomed them. It's actually hard to get through a walk! There's a picture of Cracker, the older Bedlington, at http://www.forbes.com/sites/henrymiller/2011/03/23/frankenfish-fatuity/, although it's hard to appreciate the cut because the picture is small.. read more

I went to Top Dog recently for the first time and absolutely loved it. You can tell how much Mark loves animals, and how concerned he is for their well being. He took the time to really get to know me and my dog and to make sure that every aspect of their service was perfect. He was very up front about exactly what to expect from their service and he exceed my expectations on every count. I would definitely recommend Top Dog to anyone looking for a quality, professional, reliable, and caring groomer for their dog. read more

Top Dog came highly recommended and it's easy to see why. Mark is very professional and personable and does a magnificent job making my dog gorgeous. His rates are competitive with other local groomers yet his work is far superior. We consistently get remarks on how beautifully groomed our dog is, even several weeks between grooming appointments, and it's all because of Mark. I'm so grateful to have found Top Dog and will sing Mark's praises because it's obvious he really cares about understanding and pleasing his customers, asking questions that no groomer has ever cared to ask before, and treating the dogs with compassion. I wouldn't want any other groomer to touch my beloved dog now that I've become a loyal Top Dog customer over the past 6+ months. read more

Mark is an extremely experienced, professionally-educated groomer and knows the grooming standards of many breeds. He's been handling my Welsh Terrier for 9 years. She's been groomed by two others, but it's never as good. Mark works hard and is always booked solid. I never leave without another appointment in the books. He's a one man shop and does everything himself. If he's not responding to texts, it's because he's grooming someone's dog. As with many terriers, my dog likes to get the upper hand with anyone. Not with Mark. He knows the breed's temperament and knows he must teach her that he's the boss. I feel bad because she tries to bite him. She's an awful brat during grooming. He should probably be charging me hazard pay on top of his fees. He's worth every penny for his grooming services. He has enough business that he doesn't have to take every dog (or human) who walks through the door. If someone told me my dog was not a good fit for this grooming relationship, I would appreciate the honest feedback and find someone else. I only want my dog groomed by someone who truly cares for her and thinks he can bring out the best in her. read more

Mark is a wonderful groomer and he is the only I trust to groom my two Wire Fox Terriers. He clips one of the dogs and hand strips the other. Mark knows the proper cut for the breed and our dogs always look their best leaving the shop. Not many groomers do hand stripping so I am thankful that I found Mark 8 years ago. I travel from San Jose because Mark is the best around! read more

I have been taking my two Poochons to Mark since he opened the Los Gatos location several years ago. He grooms my babies to exact specifications every time and they never fail to turn heads when I take them on walks. For me, the best sign of a good groomer is that my dogs will pull towards his salon from blocks away just to see him - they love their groomer! read more

We've taken our boys to Mark for years. Wonderful work, and he treats them like his own while they are with them. We have nothing but praise for Mark. He does a great job and it's easy to see how much pride he takes in his work. read more

This review is long overdue. We have been taking our Westie to Mark for about 2 years now and we are so happy we do. He always knows exactly what we'd like and she always looks great. Mark is a true professional who takes great care with our dog. We have had bad experiences with other groomers in the past and as a result, our dog is a wreck at the groomer. Mark knows exactly how to handle her (which I am sure is no easy task!) read more

Mark is the best groomer and his work reflects that. He has been grooming Teddy, our little Maltese/mix for approximately 13 years, and he groomed my previous little dog for 14 years. He loves the dogs, and the dogs love him. My husband and I highly recommend Mark. He takes pride in his work and he is a true professional. You may have to wait a little for an appointment but believe me; it's worth the wait. read more

Found Mark again! Teddy was so excited to see his old friend Mark again. Mark has taken care of my dogs for nearly 25 years and I can't say enough good things about him. He assured me via text during the grooming session that my dog was doing well and I had nothing to worry about. Thank you, Mark, for taking care of us again!!! read more

My dog had multiple bald spots, was bleeding and his coat destroyed. My husband had talked to Mark (brought our dog in for him to look at) at which point Mark said he has a few other dogs of the same breed as regular customers, does do hand stripping on multiple breeds and would be able to hand strip our dog. When I picked my dog up, Mark started telling me that he had never worked on my breed before and was very new to hand stripping, complete opposite of what he had told my husband three days prior and what he said to me the morning we dropped our dog off. There were multiple bald spots (completely bald no hair at all) where he ripped the hair until my dog was bald and bleeding. I paid him what was due and gave a generous tip as he did come in on a holiday weekend to do this work. He contacted me by text to see if we would be bringing our dog back and I had informed no. He asked why and I told him due to all the bald spots and the fact he told us our dog was barking at people walking by he would not be returning. Our dog never barks and the fact that he was must mean that he felt threaten and uncomfortable, not an environment he needs to go back to. I was not going to review Mark until he decided to text back insulting me and coming up with every excuse under the sun as to why he did not know that you should not hand strip a dog until he is bald and bleeding. I cannot comment about Marks skills with a hair clipper but he is horrible at hand stripping no natural talent whatsoever and when he received the feed he asked for, he sent a nasty text back insulting me and giving more excuses as to why he did such a horrible job. never again will I take my dog to someone without references proving they understand what hand stripping is. read more