dog spa

Full service Dog Wash Opens Third Location in Twin Cities

Maple Grove Magazine - December 2015

Just in time for the holidays, treat your pup to a full or self-service wash or professional grooming at the newest Bubbly Paws location at The Shops at Arbor Lake in Maple Grove. Allow your furry friend to have a grooming experience in a bright, upscale setting. If you are looking for a deep-clean bath, consider the full-service dog wash, where staff members bathe and dry your dog, as well as perform complete ear cleaning, nail trimming and a light brushing.

If you prefer independent bonding time, consider using the fully stocked self-service dog wash. You will find waist high professional tubs as well as necessary materials to allow for a complete cleaning treatment. “Our self-service baths are very family-friendly, and it is not uncommon for kids to stand in the tubs and scrub down their dogs,” says co-owner Keith Miller.

What I hope will be true in 2025… “I would love to see the Twin Cities become even more dog-friendly than we are today! There are a good handful of restaurants and stores that are dog-friendly, but I would love to see even more.” —Keith Miller, co-owner, Bubbly Paws

Pricing varies by breed and other factors.

Maple Grove Magazine - December 2015

Thanks Lill

lill
lill

I was  just asked to write a paragraph about one of our employees that has made Bubbly Paws dog wash and grooming the success that it is (this will be featured on something cool in the next few months, but I can't talk about that yet).  It was so hard to narrow it down to just 1 while keeping it under 400 characters!  After about 20 minutes of hard thinking, I decided it was Lill, our General Manager! I copied and pasted the paragraph below! “Our General Manager, Lill has been a huge part of the success of Bubbly Paws!  I remember her first day almost 3 years ago, the day before Thanksgiving and it seemed like the whole city came to bathe their dogs; it was the busiest day we had ever had. It was Lill's first day of training and she killed it with customers even though we had not trained her.  Ever since that day, I knew she would be a huge part of Bubbly Paws. Now she runs the stores! I often find myself saying "how would Lill handle this".  She is more than a General Manager... She is our CBO...  Chief Bubbly Officer! Thanks Lill”

The right time to start grooming your puppy

Coco has been a regular at Bubbly Paws since she was a tiny puppy. When she was ready for her first big grooming she was calm and comfortable allowing Mallory to give her a great cut!
Coco has been a regular at Bubbly Paws since she was a tiny puppy. When she was ready for her first big grooming she was calm and comfortable allowing Mallory to give her a great cut!

Every dog needs to be groomed, at least a little. We love seeing new puppies (who doesn't?) but it is even better to see young dogs get regular nail trims and baths so they start a lifetime of grooming on the right paw. I often get asked when you should first get your dog groomed and the simplest answer is soon after they have their vaccinations up to date enough to make other trips in public, usually around 10 weeks old. Many dogs do not require regular grooming so as long as bath time and nail trims are done in a positive way a few times during their puppyhood they grow up being calm and comfortable with normal healthy grooming chores. However, if you have a breed that requires grooming it takes a little more planning to make sure your puppy has the best chance at being positively accustomed to grooming.

Breeds that require grooming are anything non-shed, hypoallergenic breeds from Bichons to the biggest doodles. These breeds need to be groomed on a regular schedule for their whole lives. Bubbly Paws offers a great deal with our Puppy Package, for puppies' first groom before they are 6 months old. We offer such a great deal because we believe grooming should be a low stress and fun activity for your dog and the best way to do that is to start early and make the first grooming a good one. In the Puppy Package we get all the good healthy necessities done, like a bath and nail trim and hope to get some more trimming done but we play it by ear. If the puppy is doing great maybe we'll get an all-over haircut done but if the puppy is stressed or too wiggly we focus on using positive reinforcement on calm behaviors and offer breaks for play time and to let out some energy before getting back to business.

Puppy coat is so soft and lovely, it's hard to see it go when they start growing up. You may want to keep your Wheaten terrier's puppy coat until they are 9 months old but it might not be the best thing for your dog. Unless you are brushing your dog thoroughly everyday that puppy coat will matt when the adult coat starts coming in. Nothing is more stressful for your dog and our groomers then having to shave down a matted dog that has never been groomed before and that has all the energy a 9 month to year old dog might have. It's much better to plan regular grooming (even just a bath and brush out or a little trim) every month or two and part of everyday to brush your dog. By preventing tangled fur you can prevent your dog from having to be shaved and keep that soft puppy fluff as long as possible.

Shadow had his puppy's first groom at 4 months old and was so well-behaved Jessica was able to give him an all over trim!
Shadow had his puppy's first groom at 4 months old and was so well-behaved Jessica was able to give him an all over trim!

We work hard everyday to make grooming fun and we (and your puppy) hope you do too!  Grooming is offered daily at both our locations.

We're Turning 3!

Minneapolis Dog Wash
Minneapolis Dog Wash

We want to thank all of our wonderful customers for 3 years of business and voting us "Best Groomer" and "Best Customer Service" at our Excelsior and Grand location in St Louis Park.  Join us this Saturday from 10-6 for a special celebration! We will have refreshments, custom cupcakes from Sweet Retreat (while they last), and treats for our 4 legged friends!  Anyone that stops in will be entered to win a $50 gift card to Bubbly Paws (if you can't make it in, make sure to visit our Facebook Page on Saturday for another chance to win).

All our retail items will be 15% off this Saturday!

Thanks for helping us to become the premier dog spa in the Twin Cities, we could never have achieved this without our great customers!!

(This event is only taking place at our St Louis Park location!  We will do something special for our 1 year anniversary for our St Paul store in August).

Muddy Mutt Contest

blog13
blog13

Now through Sunday, April 20th, we are searching for the muddiest dogs in the Twin Cities.  Simply upload a picture of your dirty dog to our Facebook fan page, or use #bubblypaws on Instagram.  We will pick one lucky dog to win the grand prize: a free self service bath at Bubbly Paws and a photo shoot with Eva Noth Photography!  This prize package has a value of $250! And now... The rules

- The Bubbly Paws staff will be judging the pictures and looking for the dirtiest dogs in the Twin Cities.  Have fun and get creative, we know there are lots of dirty dogs out there!  Extra points are given if your dog is at Bubbly Paws, heck we will even take the picture for you on your phone!

- Photos must be uploaded to the Bubbly Paws Facebook Page or use #bubblypaws on Instagram.

- The photo has to have been taken this spring.

- You must be a resident of the Twin Cities.

- One entry per person.

- We might re-post the entries that have been submitted, or your pooch might be used for promotional purposes by Bubbly Paws or Eva Noth Photography.

- Decision of the Bubbly Paws judges is final.

Top 5 Tips for Taking Better Pictures of your Dog in the Tub

A special guest blog post from Eva Noth Photography.  For more pictures from this photo shoot, you can visit our Facebook Page! Towels?  Check.  Shampoo?  Check.  Camera?  Wait, what's that for?

Bath days at Bubbly Paws Dog Wash and Grooming can be fun and fresh smelling days around our house.  After all, who doesn't love a sudsy pup - and all while not having to break your back or do all the clean up?  Which leads me to the camera - none of us can resist taking a cute picture of a dog especially at bath time, and with portable cameras on our smart phones, we never have to miss an opportunity, even at the dog wash!  Want a little help to avoid the drowned rat look with green demon eyes in your next photos?  Here are my top 5 tips for taking better pictures of your dog in the tub:

Tip 1.  Treats and Toys

BP Tub Photos-9
BP Tub Photos-9

Bath time can be a scary or unhappy time for some dogs, no matter how cutely miserable they look!  Using treats and toys to bring out that happy pup smile can really make a difference in your pictures.  Bubbly Paws has an amazing selection of delicious and fun treats and toys that can make bath time a reward and get those ears to perk up in the tub - and only an arm's stretch away!

Tip 2.  Get Down on their Level

BP Tub Photos-1
BP Tub Photos-1

Nothing is more interesting than seeing the world the way your pet does.  Try crouching down or putting the camera near their face on the edge of the tub to capture them from a new or silly angle.  You will be amazed how different the world and bath time looks from down there!

Tip 3.  Avoid the Drowned Rat

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Some dogs just don't look good soaking wet, in fact, they resemble that "drowned rat" rather than a dog (What happened to that cute fluffy dog I brought in???).  If you want to do some photos in the bright and fun colored tubs at Bubbly Paws, try to take your pictures while your dog is sudsy but not soaking wet.  Another tip, leave its head dry until you are done with photos - nothing says adorable like a big fluffy head and sudsy skinny body!

Tip 4.  Turn Off Your Flash

BP Tub Photos-19
BP Tub Photos-19

The auto function on our cameras makes taking pictures easy, but it also can cause some pretty freaky looking pet pictures.  By turning off your flash, you avoid the notorious "demon green eyes" that make your photos turn out wrong.  A bonus to this technique: many pets are scared by flashes so this makes having a picture taken less stressful!

Tip 5.  Have Fun!

BP Tub Photos-15
BP Tub Photos-15

Animals pick up on our moods much better than other humans and can sense when we are angry, stressed, sad, or frustrated.  Don't try to force your animal to be what they aren't (ex. If your dog hates bath time, don't get mad when they perpetually express their stress by panting when you wanted a closed mouth picture) as you will both become stressed and frustrated.  Allow you and your pet to relax and have fun instead.  Dance to the fun music at the shop and enjoy your fresh smelling pooch!  After all, bath time with your pet should make you happy, not frustrated.

I hope you enjoyed the tips and will be trying some photos in the tub next time you visit Bubbly Paws!  If you have any more questions or want to book a pet photography session please contact me at info@evanothphotography.com or check out my website at www.evanothphotography.com.

Saint Paul Dog Wash

saint paul dog wash and dog grooming We are so excited to finally be open at our Saint Paul location on Grand Avenue.  For the longest time, Trycia and myself were looking for a great spot in Saint Paul, and we found it at the end of April!  Construction started May 1st and finished last week.  We have tried to bring many of the things people love at the Saint Louis Park location and incorporate them into the new dog wash!  We have the same waist high tubs, professional equipment, locally made shampoo and our drying room.  One thing that we wanted to remain the same was our level of customer service.  All of our new staff have been trained at the Saint Louis Park location and are ready to help spoil your pooch!  In addition we have Bri, who was doing some grooming with us the past 4 months, who will now be our full time dog groomer in Saint Paul!  We are so excited that this store is open and can't wait for everyone to check it out!  Yesterday was our first day with the Saint Paul dog wash being open and it was a huge success!  We had so many people stop in to check it out and we even did a few baths!  Our new space is at 949 Grand Ave, just a few blocks away from Anthropology and LuluLemon (shocking how everyone knows exactly where these stores are, and all those stores are dog friendly).  A big thanks to Lill, our general manager of both locations, she has spent lots of time working hard to make sure everything works just right!

Thanks again for all of your support as we grow our small family business!

Keith

Paws On Grand

Paws On Grand - Saint Paul,mn Bubbly Paws Dog wash is proud to present  Paws On Grand on Sunday, August 4th from 11am-4pm.  Grab your pooch and check out our brand new location at 949 Grand Ave (between Lexington and Dale).  We will have our dog bar set up serving doggy beer samples, and we will have a misting station to make sure your pooch stays nice and cool.  The Pet Project will also be at our location.  We are so excited to show off our great new location on Grand Ave in Saint Paul.  Click here for more information on Paws on Grand.

Wine and Wag - 2013

wineandwagPampered Pooch Playground and Bubbly Paws Dog Wash are proud to sponsor Wine and Wag presented by the K9 Connection on Wednesday, June 26th!

"Wine & Wag" The annual benefit for Homeward Bound Rescue

Eat. Drink. Save Dogs. The proceeds from ticket sales help provide much-needed medical attention to the dogs of Homeward Bound Rescue (a no-kill shelter).

This tail wagging event will include:

5 courses of gourmet appetizers paired with wine Live music (TBA) Raffle (one entry with ticket purchase, additional tickets available for $5) Gourmet treats for your dog Favor bags with goodies & special offers for you and your pooch

When:Wednesday, June 26th, 6-9:00 pm

Where: Darby's, 401 North 3rd St., Minneapolis

Parking is free in the ramp right next to the Designer Guild Building

Price: $33 Buy your tickets now!

*This is a leashed event, one dog person please

St Louis Park Magazine

St Louis Park - Dog friendly business
Roxy gets a bath in Minneapolis

We were proud to be chosen for the cover of the St Louis Park Magazine - Pet edition. Below you can read the article that featured Pampered Pooch Playground and Bubbly Paws.

Pampered Pooch Playground Owners: Trycia and Keith Miller Services: Dog day care, boarding

The tale:

Trycia and Keith Miller launched their dog day-care center five years ago. They initially opened it for their beloved Bernese mountain dog named Roxy. Today the Millers manage about 95 dogs per day at the Pampered Pooch Playground. They have three separate rooms for canine frolicking, including 11,000 square feet of climate-controlled indoor space and a 3,500-square-foot outdoor area. There are also luxury suites for the extremely pampered pooch.

“Minnesota is unregulated for doggie day care, so it’s a point of concern for dog owners,” Keith Miller says. “Someone could rent any old garage and put 60 dogs in it.” The Millers do everything they can to alleviate worry. Pampered Pooch is the first dog day care in the country to have iPhone, Android and Blackberry apps so owners can watch their pups at play, day and night. There are 11 live webcams streaming from the three playrooms and regular Facebook posts and tweets. The outside play area is made with recycled sports turf, which is ecologically appropriate and, unlike gravel or Astroturf, easy to clean.

“The St. Louis Park pet business network is really supportive,” Keith Miller says. “If someone had a fire or got sick, they could bring their dogs to us or I would go work at their place to help out.” Miller stays current on developments in the doggie care world and is a fan of the “busman’s holiday”: Whenever he travels, he stops by other pet care facilities to take notes on what they’re doing right and what he would like to avoid in his own establishment. “There’s a real difference in big-city day cares,” he notes, adding many have a less than fragrant smell. 7020 Walker St.; 952.922.8183; pamperedpoochplayground.com

Bubbly Paws

Owners: Trycia and Keith Miller Services: Self-serve or full-service dog washing, grooming Hangers-on: Roxy the Bernese mountain dog

The tale:

Bubbly Paws is the Millers’ laidback little brother to their high-maintenance big baby, the Pampered Pooch Playground. The Millers opened Bubbly Paws two years ago, mainly as place to wash their own Roxy, a 100-pound Bernese whose bulk and thick hair demand an elaborate bathing process. They nabbed a light and airy space in the busy Excelsior/Grand complex and outfitted it with five elevated step-in tubs with shower hoses, a grooming room and a drying room. Customers can bathe their dogs themselves or pay a bit more for a house shampoo.

The Millers are dedicated to the St. Louis Park community and even use a locally made shampoo, which is actually a reformulated horse shampoo. “I like it because it doesn’t smell fake or overpowering,” Keith says. “I mean, I’m a guy, so I couldn’t care less about smelling like flowers.” Nevertheless Bubbly Paws’ grooming services offer plenty of bling for their canine clients, including toenail polish and in one unusual case, a pink polka-dot dye job.

The couple loves the tight-knit animal owning community in St. Louis Park. “People know each others’ dog’s names. Everyone goes to the Dakota dog park and people recognize each other [from the dog park],” Keith Miller says. “I’ve seen love connections happen here. Seriously, if you were a single guy, why wouldn’t you get a dog?” Miller dreams about opening a pet rental business for hopeful single guys hanging around the dog park. In the meantime, “we just have fun here,” he says. “C’mon, it’s a dog wash!” Each month Bubbly Paws gives back to support a different pet rescue organization, donating $5 from each bath, and hosting creatively awesome occasions like doggie yoga and doggie happy hour. 3730 Grand Way; 952.657.5300; bubblypaws.com

Pet Friendly SLP

We also provided St Louis Park Magazine a list of some of the pet friendly businesses in St Louis Park:

Primp Hosts fundraisers for a local pet rescue 1628 West End Blvd.; 952.303.3791; primpyourself.com

Lululemon Stop in with your dog and get a treat 1639 West End Blvd.; 763.545.9069; lululemon.com

McCoy’s Public House Dogs can hang out and get treats on the patio 3801 Grand Way; 952.224.9494; mccoyspublichouse.com

Yum! Free house-made doggie treats 4000 Minnetonka Blvd.; 952.922.4000; yumkitchen.com

The Four Firkins Browse the local beer selection with your discerning pooch 5630 W. 36th St.; 952.938.2847; thefourfirkins.com

Galaxy Drive-In Bring your pooch while you enjoy a superb burger 3712 Quebec Ave S.;952.277.7777; galaxy-drivein.com

Frattallone's Ace Hardware Great nosing around for dog and man (or woman) 5025 Excelsior Blvd.; 952.456.6630; frattallones.com

Filament Lighting This business provided the lighting for Bubbly Paws 5007 Excelsior Blvd.; 952.926.5007; filamentlighting.com

Beer With Your Buddy

Beer with your buddy in minneapolis, mn Last night was the final Beer With Your Buddy of the season, and it was a great night despite the colder weather! Bubbly Paws Dog Wash has been part of this event for the past 2 summers, and we love it!  Roxy had lots of fun watching everyone make s'mores and walking from table to table begging fir treats. This might be one of her favorite events!  People often ask why we do so many events, and I always say they are fun and I love to sport anything that makes Minneapolis a dog friendly city and we like to support businesses that support local pet rescues.  Don't worry, just because Beer With Your Buddy is over for the season, that does not mean everything is over!  I am working on putting together a great event with one of our favorite Micro Brewery's.  Hopefully we will have everything worked out soon and we can give you the details!  Until then, get excited for our 5th annual Woof 'n Treat Dog Halloween Party!

Have a great day!

Keith