Groomers in San Juan Capistrano, CA

San Juan Capistrano has seven grooming salons, the 20th largest choice in Orange County, where Huntington Beach accounts for 23 on its own. That is enough to choose on something other than availability. Ask who is set up for your dog's coat: a salon that hand strips terriers and one that mostly does doodle trims are doing different jobs with different equipment. Six list a website; the other is reached by phone.

If nothing here suits, the nearest larger choice is Laguna Niguel, about 4 miles away, with 13 salons. Worth the drive for a first appointment with a difficult coat, less so for a routine tidy up every six weeks.

The rain returns and coats stop drying properly between walks. This is the point in the year to decide whether you are keeping a full coat through winter or taking it shorter, because switching halfway is what produces a matted dog in January.