Tail Talk with Dr. O’Hara

Meet Dakota Amos, Grooming Manager - Everything You Need To Know About Grooming Your Pet

• Dr. O’Hara • Episode 8

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Tell Us About Pet Grooming

Ever wonder why some dogs practically sprint into the grooming salon while others panic at the door? We dive into the simple truth that makes the difference: consistency. With grooming manager Dakota Amos from Abingdon Animal Medical Center, we explore how routine care turns a stressful chore into a calm wellness habit—and why it can be the first line of defense for your pet’s health.

We break down the real daily maintenance long and double coats need, from brushing and combing to the signs that mats are forming before they become a crisis. Dakota explains why a 4–6 week cadence works for most breeds, even when a full haircut isn’t on the schedule, and how a bath-and-blowout can reset skin, lift undercoat, and cut down on itching and odors. You’ll hear practical tips to spot trouble early: resistance when the comb hits problem areas, tufts that won’t lay flat, or subtle changes around ears and armpits.

Beyond the brush, we talk health. Regular grooming helps prevent infections, reduces the risk of severe matting, and keeps nails, skin, and sanitary areas in safe shape. Just as crucial, a skilled groomer often notices ear infections, lumps, and small abrasions long before they’re visible at home—and can coordinate with your vet right away. Dakota shares what to ask when choosing a groomer, how ongoing education and a low-stress, single-room setup improve safety, and why a quiet, consistent environment helps dogs relax instead of react.

If you want a calmer, cleaner, healthier routine for your dog—doodle, husky, or anything in between—this conversation delivers clear steps and confidence. Subscribe, share with a fellow pet parent, and leave a review to tell us your biggest grooming challenge so we can cover it next.

To learn more about Abingdon Animal Medical Center visit:
https://www.MyAbingdonVet.com
Abingdon Animal Medical Center
19586 Dennison Drive
Abingdon, VA 24211
276-628-9655

SPEAKER_00:

Welcome to Tales Talk with Dr. O'Hara. Southwest Virginia is the spotlight they deserve. Combining small pound jar with the art veterinary care. Whether you're free friend fur, art, or just field your stock. This is the place for tips, tails, and a whole lot of tailwaging.

SPEAKER_02:

From table fur to nail trims, we're diving into grooming essentials every pet owner should know. Straight from the expert behind the grooming table. Welcome back, everybody. Skip Monty, co-host slash producer. Back in the studio with Dr. O'Hara and with a very special guest, Miss Dakota Amos, grooming manager at Abington Animal Medical Center.

SPEAKER_01:

Hi, how are you?

SPEAKER_02:

Doc, how are you guys doing?

SPEAKER_01:

Good.

SPEAKER_02:

Awesome. Awesome. I'm I'm uh doing well and ready to learn all about Dakota, what you do, and and what what all the important things we should know as pet owners. So tell us what's everything we need to know about grooming our pets?

SPEAKER_01:

The biggest thing that I always stress when people ask me just like that open-ended question, like that, is um probably the most important thing is just routine, right? The reference that I always use is just it's like going to the dentist. You know, if you go to the dentist on a normal routine, it's not a big deal. You go in, you get a cleaning, and it's it's over with. If you wait months in between, years in between, it can be a little intimidating. Same thing with your pets. If you bring them in, we kind of form a bond and it becomes to where it's just a another day to come hang out with Miss Dakota. It's not intimidating, it's it's not a big process. We just hang out. So to start off, that's what I always try to tell people is try to find a groomer that you can form a relationship with and your pets can form a bond with to where it is a relaxing, fun day for your pet.

SPEAKER_02:

Very good. Well, what are some common, uh most common grooming mistakes that pet owners make at home? Can you think of anything?

SPEAKER_01:

Probably neglecting daily maintenance. If you have a dog that has um a long coat, you know, doodles are really popular right now, golden doodles, laperdoodles, all the doodles, um, you know, the smaller dogs like York's and Maltese, anything with like a longer coat or even a double-coated dog, like a husky or a golden retriever. Um, you you have to do daily maintenance just like with yourself. You have to brush and comb daily. And that helps keep a healthy coat that prevents them from matting up to where um it gets real tight on their skin and it's uncomfortable. So I'd say that's probably the biggest thing is just um not knowing that you have to do daily maintenance. You have to do the brushing and combing at home.

SPEAKER_02:

Nice to know. Now what signs are there? Are there are there signs that a pet may be overdue for grooming? I guess, you know, if they kind of smell bad, it might have something to do with it.

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah, or you'll notice um that they'll start getting like kind of tufts on their fur, or you can even like visibly see the the knots and the mats starting to form. And at that point, you know, they are pretty overdue for a groom. Um if you're at home and you are doing the daily maintenance and you're and you're brushing and you're combing and you're noticing some resistance when you're doing that, then it's probably time.

SPEAKER_02:

And can grooming properly impact a pet's overall health and behavior?

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah, I would say so, wouldn't you?

SPEAKER_03:

Yeah, it's it's it's it's really important for hygiene and health. I mean, you know, I've had you know dogs in here that aren't groomed very often. And one of the grossest things I've ever found is like maggots and stuff, if they're, you know, and things like that. So, you know, if they can get caught up in the mats and stuff like that, and if there's like fecal material in there and stuff like that, that's that you know, flies with legs and then you get nasty, nasty stuff. But and there and there's other lighter stuff too, but the grooming is essential for health and hygiene.

SPEAKER_02:

Wow. Well, um, how often should you? I mean, I guess does it depend on the the breed or how often should you groom your dog?

SPEAKER_01:

Yes and no, but my rule of thumb is always every four to six weeks. Even if um your dog doesn't need a full haircut, uh, you know, every in that four to six week period, even a good bath and blowout makes a world of a difference. Um, you know, like we were talking about with the health, you have to think, you know, that you can look into skin infections and you know, irritation. Um, they might have cuts or abrasions on their skin that you you can't see. But if I have my hands and my eyes on every single part of your pet's body, that a lot of times I'm kind of like the first one to notice, you know, an issue that might arise. I'll see if your dog might be starting to get a little bit of an ear infection, if your dog has a lump or a growth. A lot of times my hands go in places and my eyes go in places that you know, when you're petting your dog on the couch, your hands might not feel that lump in their armpit or feel or see that their ears are starting to get infected. And I can notify Dr. O'Hara while your pet's here and we can get it taken care of before it becomes a real issue.

SPEAKER_03:

Yeah, me and Dakota have worked together for like eight years now. I can't tell you hundreds of times she's pointed out to me when she's grooming it on that we've been able to came to and call and you know solve the problem.

SPEAKER_01:

So yeah, I call it the one spot shop. You know, come get your haircut, your nails done, get your vaccines, and go home.

SPEAKER_02:

When um pet parents like me are are looking for uh a groomer, what should we uh what should we look for when we're we're choosing someone?

SPEAKER_01:

I think experience is really big. I I think somebody who, you know, never feels shy to ask about somebody's background, how long they've been grooming, um, where they've been trained. Um I also think it's important to ask if they are um continuing to educate themselves. There is no requirement for licensing or certification in the grooming industry, uh, unfortunately, because anybody can open up their own grooming salon and start and they've just learned off YouTube. But I think it's important to know somebody who continues to educate themselves, continues to um start to learn like the newest safety protocols and the newest trends. But then I also think it's important for you to feel comfortable with them. Um, it's just as important for the pet owner to create a relationship and a bond with that person just as much as it is with the dog.

SPEAKER_02:

Well, how does your approach at Abingdon Animal Medical Center, how does it stand out from other grinding services?

SPEAKER_01:

You know, I've done this for over a decade and I've tried many different ways to make a stress-free environment for for the animals that I'm working. And I really do think that uh my salon, it is in one room, basically. My bathtub, my dryers, my kennels, my table, everything is within the eye line of me. As well as I don't have a lot of in and out. There's not a lot of hustle and bustle. And I think that helps keep the pets calmer. Um, it is just me. So I do think that makes a difference as well because I do connect and bond with these dogs. I think of these dogs like they're mine. But I think just the fact that everybody's kind of in one room. When I say everybody, I mean me and the dogs. Um, when we're all in one room, we can kind of all see what we're doing. I can keep an eye on everybody. They can all keep an eye on me. I don't do anything too exciting, so they usually nap. And I just think it makes for a really stress-free, relaxing service. I I do know of several places that there's a lot of in and out and hustle and bustle, and it can get everybody a little riled up, but we're pretty slow, slow and go downstairs in the salon.

SPEAKER_03:

Yeah, I've seen the mother work with dogs and groom dogs, and I'm like, no way. Like she doesn't by herself, which is crazy. That's my experience and just having that kind of natural way with the dog is important because I'm like, how does she grow that? It's crazy. There's some dogs that just like her, you know.

SPEAKER_01:

I know how to butter them up.

SPEAKER_02:

There you go. There you go. I think that's that's the key, huh?

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah, oh, absolutely.

SPEAKER_02:

Absolutely. Well, Dakota, thank you so much for your insights. Um, very, very helpful. And for our listeners and viewers, you heard it here. Very laid-back environment, and you heard why Abington Animal Medical Center is the place to go for both health care and and uh grooming. So, Doc, Dakota, thank you so much for being here.

SPEAKER_01:

Thank you so much.

SPEAKER_02:

We'll we'll see you sometime in the next episode.

SPEAKER_01:

Okay, thank you.

SPEAKER_00:

Thanks for joining us on Tale Talk with Dr. O'Hara. If your four-legged family member needs to check up a stylish groom or just a cozy place to stay, give us a call or text at 276-628-9655, or visit myappingdonvets.com to book your appointment. Abingdon Animal Medical Center, a small town field with state-of-the-art chair and plenty of belly rubber.