The Dog Nanny

On Old Town Road in Vestavia Hills, The Dog Nanny runs grooming appointments one dog at a time, a deliberate choice in an industry where multiple dogs are often crated and cycled through a single groomer’s day. Felicia, the shop’s owner and groomer, built the business around a cage-free, one-on-one model after more than fifteen years in the field, having graduated from the Florida Academy of Pet Grooming in 2011.

That one-on-one approach shapes almost everything about how the business runs. A dog scheduled for a bath or a full groom gets Felicia’s attention for the full appointment, without being parked in a kennel between steps. She describes her own patience as her strongest professional trait, and it is the quality regulars tend to mention first, particularly owners of anxious dogs or pets that have had bad experiences at larger grooming chains, where that slower pace tends to make a real difference.

Services are structured in three tiers, a bath, a tidy, and a full groom, each priced by dog size. A bath runs $50 for a small dog, $65 for a medium dog, and $75 for a large dog, while a full groom ranges from $80 for small breeds up to $130 for large ones, with the tidy package priced in between. Add-ons such as nail polish, teeth cleaning, massage, and furminator deshedding treatments are available on top of any package, and pricing adjusts for coat texture, length, and matting, since a heavily matted coat takes considerably more time and care to work through safely.

The shop also handles breed-standard show cuts for AKC breeds including Cocker Spaniels, Schnauzers, Poodles, and various terriers, for owners who compete or simply want their dog’s coat kept to a specific breed pattern, along with the shaggier, low-maintenance styles more common for family pets.

Doodles, in particular, get specific attention and are charged a full coat rate given the extra time their curly, mixed coats demand. That coat type is notoriously difficult to manage without the right technique, and matting can become a serious problem if it is neglected between visits. A groomer who has built real experience with doodle coats, rather than treating every dog with the same clippers and the same routine, tends to be worth the drive for owners of those breeds.

Senior dogs and anxious pets are another specialty the shop leans into openly, and Felicia offers house call grooming for elderly or severely anxious dogs who do better in a familiar environment than in a shop setting. Older dogs often need more time getting in and out of the tub, more breaks during a long groom, and a groomer who can read when a dog has had enough for the day. Felicia’s cage-free setup gives her the flexibility to slow down for a dog that needs it, rather than sticking to a rigid schedule built for the average client. Dogs over 50 pounds are accepted on a limited basis given the one-on-one format, so larger breeds are generally best booked in advance.

Because the shop runs on a one-dog-at-a-time model, appointments are booked in advance rather than accepting walk-ins, and regulars tend to book their next visit before they leave. Felicia is upfront that a heavily matted coat limits what she can safely accomplish in a single visit, since shaving down to the skin is sometimes the only humane option once matting has set in, which is part of why regular scheduling rather than occasional drop-ins tends to produce better results and less shaving overall. She lists texting as the fastest way to reach her directly at 205-441-6698, alongside a dedicated email address for booking questions.

For Vestavia Hills pet owners tired of dropping a dog off at a big-box grooming counter and hoping for the best, The Dog Nanny offers something more personal: a single groomer, a quiet space, and a dog that gets undivided attention for the length of its appointment.