The Barking Lot

Meaghan Adams

2023-07

With all the rain we’ve had this year, it’s been so difficult to keep our boys coat from being completely matted. With the help from our friends (shout out to Luke) for the cutest little hair cut I ever did see, our Smokey man is feeling free! Thanks for the great job, and handling our gentleman with care! I highly recommend The Barking Lot RVA!

Atsy88

2024-03

Very disappointed with the service on both of my dogs! This is the second time they've given my dog a poor haircut but thought I'd give them another chance. This time it was even worse since the cut was uneven with stray hairs sticking out in various places, nails unclipped and barely cut around the head and face. Clearly, they rushed through the job considering they had more than 20 dogs that day which was a red flag. I will not be back to a place that passes off such sloppy work. Total waste of my time and money.

Honour Iantosca

2024-04

Bertie was a mess and Luke sent him back absolutely beautifully groomed. I requested that he not come back smelling like a bouquet and I requested a puppy cut without shaving. They listened.

Rachel Tilghman

2022-05

We were in Richmond for a wedding when our dog decided to take a roll in something really gross. Steve and the team were so helpful- they squeezed Welly in same day so we didn’t have a matted, smelly pup, and they did a beautiful job getting him clean and fluffy! We feel so grateful we found a groomer we can trust when we’re in town visiting family. Thank you SO much ❤️

Kelly Reilly

2022-05

I recently took my golden retriever Ollie here to be groomed. I found the staff to be friendly and helpful. My dog can get a little anxious when he gets groomed but everyone was really great with him and you could tell he felt at ease. They did a fantastic job on his groom and I was very pleased! The prices are also very reasonable. We will definitely be back! :)

Tinga Mastrelli

2021-05

My 4 yr old miniature poodle has been very difficult with groomers since his first time. I decided to try The Barking Lot because the reviews mentioned difficult dogs doing well here. Not only did they do a fantastic job getting all his mats and hair off, they said he was very good! I did give him a vet recommended tranq (Tramadone) before we left home and I'm sure it helped but I've tried that before and his previous groomer still complained about his behavior. The people at The Barking Lot must have the right attitude and attention to relax him.I highly recommend them!Yes, he's cute with long hair, but so itchy and uncomfortable and matted everywhere.We've found our furever groomer!Thanks Barking Lot!

Tonya Williams

2023-11

I had just purchased my dog. I took him to 2 other groomers and they said he was to active and they couldn't give him a cut. I went to the Barking Lot and they were able to cut my Kuno and he looked like a new dog. I will definitely be a repeat customer. Thank you for making Kuno look more handsome 😍

PAtricia Leitch

2021-05

Very pleased with all aspects of my visit. Very impressed with Nora the groomer, as she did a great job on my Lulu an 9 year old Morky that is very temperamental. She has been flagged red at 2 of the big name pet stores. With her expertise I was finally able to get lulu professionally groomed. I would definitely recommend the barking lot.

Akasha Jackson

2023-08

Wanted my pup to look like something while we went on a trip. Besides me, it was his first cut. I honestly think I did a better job. I called and they got me in same day. Customer service was good. When I went to pick him up my price had changed.. but I also had to ask what was done?? Soooo disappointed. I noticed my dog kept licking at his nail. He was clipped!!!!!!!!! Immediately I started examining him. Multiple scratches by his genitals . I’m very angered. My dog will never ever go back!! I feel betrayed and also robbed. I wanted to ask for a refund. I think what they did deserved 50% of what I was charged. I’d recommend not going here.

Karina Rodriguez

2024-01

They do an excellent job, my only uncertainty is with the time it takes to get the job done and the fact that the dogs don't have a nice area to wait in. Other than that, pleased with the place and the results.

Jess

2023-09

Owner was there at drop off, but secretary didn’t move my rescheduled booking - so I wasn’t even on the line up for the day. They fit me in and asked what I wanted - typical groom. Well, after being spoken to like a literal child, they took the dogs.When I came to pick them up, I looked through the glass to the back. It was FILTHY. Hair everywhere. All over the floor, I mean, more than the two malteses sitting on the tables could ever create alone.Girl behind the counter goes to get my dogs, she puts the smaller collar on my big dog and vice versa. Then, she tells me she doesn’t know how to put their stuff on so let’s the dogs into the lobby and has me do it.My dogs had clearly been bathed and blown dried, but all that was different was their feet. They did the literal BARE MINIMUM. I’ve been doing that on my own since I got the dogs. If I’m paying, I expect it to look better. They had fur all over them, were still shedding like crazy. Like they hadn’t even been brushed. Literally the most basic - my dogs came back LOOKING THE SAME!Needless to say, I will not be taking my babies back there. Really disappointed.

terri nelson

2023-08

The Barking Lot is great. Steve's staff is top-notch. Kudos to Luke for doing a wonderful job grooming our cat. It was only her 2nd grooming ever, and he took care to monitor her stress and make changes as needed. Great job!!

Benjamin Shute

2024-04

Factory-style service with little care for the dogs. Clipped half my pup’s nails in the lobby after forgetting to do them, and sliced through the quick and made him bleed. Also not clean after a bath. Really not a fan of writing bad reviews, but dogs deserve better.

Radiah

2019-05

Stumbled upon The Barking Lot by mistake. Nora was very personable and customer focused. She explained the process throughly and answered all my questions. Nora even called to confirm my trim request.I requested a cleanup trim and that’s all she did. My baby looked beautiful and appears really happy with experience. I will be going returning.Thanks Nora!!

Christopher Vu

2023-08

I took my american eskimo and corgi here once a month between November 2022 and May 2023. The objective was to tidy up my dogs, cut their nails and bath them.Scheduling with Steve was relatively easy since I scheduled appointments 6 months in advance. Steve was kind enough to call and remind us of each of our appointments. There's several issues which have stopped me from using this establishment:1. Pricing: Steve's cozen practice of stating "oh I don't know how much this is going to cost since there's so many factors at play here" without disclosing how much different services were resulted in the bill totaling $120 for both dogs some occasions and other times $170+.2. Method of payment: Steve prefers cash but states he's open to accepting cards, however, when prompted about how much the card fee is, the response was "oh I don't know". Interesting coming from the business owner himself. This inane practice coupled with the first grievance resulted in inconvenience having to go out and procure cash for the sake of supporting this small business's aversion to credit card fees.3. Health & safety: Out of the several months we used this service, the last three resulted in ear infections within the week of service which after the second time became a pattern. This place is absolutely filthy, with fur, dirt and grim all over the floor, a reflection of the quality of care you can expect to receive.4. Quality of haircut: my corgi was mangled by a previous groomer, however, upon leaving Steve's place, she often looked like a patchwork quilt. Further instruction and clarification were not met with subsequent groomings at this practice.5. Time: Drop off is between 7:30am-9:00am and pick up isn't available until 3:00pm or 4:00pm so you have to plan a whole day around this affair.6. Non-communication: I had called to cancel my last two appointments with this business with one of the employees but they didn't remove their appointments off their calendar so I was repeatedly called by Steve prior to their appointment times and the day of the appointment itself.There are better groomers out there in RVA who are consistent with their pricing which are cheaper, faster and they take cards with no extra fees.

Lauren Goodall

2023-05

Very friendly staff but I felt like they could have done a better job on my dog. His hair cut was uneven around his face and he still had strands of hair that were hanging from his face. I had to go home and trim them off myself. I paid close to $70 to get him groomed and should not have had to go home afterwards and finish the job. I will not be using Barking Lot again. I will go back to Pet Smart.

Britt Beasley

2024-02

Awesome owner and staff. Dog loves being there and looked great!

K. H.

2023-05

I've been to a lot of groomers since moving to Virginia, many have been terrible and some just seemed down right inexperienced. None of these describe The Barking Lot. Tucked away in downtown Richmond, this place has some of the nicest people you'll ever meet. They're very professional, they know what they're doing and demonstrate excellent customer service. Oliver did such a wonderful job on my dog. My pup typically shows me signs when she did not enjoy a grooming, but when I picked her up from the Barking Lot, she showed me that she was relaxed, calm and happy. If your canine friend needs a good grooming, I highly recommend parking your doggo at the barking lot.

Eric Casey

2023-05

They did a rather sloppy job clipping my dog. Lots of places where they missed small tufts of hair. Customer service was also mediocre. Price for the clip was decent, but quality really wasn't. Doubtful that I will be back.

Tyler Bradshaw

2018-05

Great place for your dog. Friendly service and knowledgeable staff. Definitely make your pet feel like one of the family.

Jess Shearin

2021-05

I made an appointment for the first time with this company today. My dogs haven’t even been seen yet. But I was so blown away by the wonderful customer service that I had to come on here and write a review based on that. (And I will be sure to come back and rate them again when my dogs are actually seen.) Anyhow, I had spent so much time the last few days researching online for a dog groomer that would work best for my two dogs. I’ve made some calls as well in the process. I hadn’t had any luck or felt good about any of the companies I researched or contacted. I felt at a loss today and even prayed for some divine intervention to be honest. I came upon The Barking Lot and decided to give them a call even though they’re almost 20 minutes away. The owner, Steve called me back right away after I left a message with them. He was SO professional, sweet, and personable. He sounded very experienced and was very explanatory with the services and how everything works there. By the end of the phone call, I wanted to give him a big hug and I really wish I could! I feel relieved and I’m looking forward to having my dogs visit there!

Kimberly Karn

2021-05

Took my dog to The Barking Lot for the first time recently and they did a great job! The owner greeted us at drop-off and was thorough in recommending the best cut for my mixed breed based on what I wanted done and it turned out great! The last groomer we tried did a somewhat sloppy cut and when I picked my dog up he peed himself the moment we got out the front door :( I was nervous about another groomer scaring my dog or not letting him out to go to the bathroom enough during the day while they had him but my dog was in good spirits when I picked him up from The Barking Lot! It seemed like they took really good care of him and gave him a good haircut, so I will be returning!

C RUDOLPH

2021-05

I love them already!! They took excellent care of my cat and since we're getting a puppy soon, we already know where to take them. Customers for life!!***Update***I can't say with words how grateful I am to these folks. They took care of my cat. We had a major family emergency and had to dart off to DC after we dropped off our girl for grooming. We'd planned on getting back in time to pick her up but the traffic was disgusting. One of the staff was gracious enough to wait about 30 min for my friend to pick up our cat. It was a very rough day and they made it less stressful. I'll always bring my pets here! She looked fabulous and was like a new cat

Emily Hearn

2019-05

Just moved here from AZ. Found the Barking Lot online and decided to give it a shot for my pup’s first cut out here in VA! Made a great choice! Would recommend to anyone! My pup is a handful and gets nervous when being groomed. The staff was very patient with her and she came out looking and smelling fantastic! Prices are reasonable too!

JD Smith

2019-05

Made to feel comfortable and confident they would provide great service. It was my First time bringing my dog Ducky to The Barking Lot We Was greeted by the owner as we entered the door. once I returned to get Ducky he was perfectly groomed looking and smelling great. Will definitely be back!

Katherine Carr

2021-05

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Jeff Kline

2024-02

They take great care of our two little pups 🐶

Yasss

2022-05

I took my pug/pomeranian here to get groomed. They claimed he would not sit still to get his nails cut which is the one thing is specifally told them not to do because he was going to get them cut at the vet the next day but what I couldn’t understand was what part of him got groomed¿ He got in the car and I smelled his ears ,which was one of the few things i asked to be done, and they were STILL DIRTY. The lady upfront really wasn’t very welcoming at all and seemed as if she didn’t want to be there. It was also dirty. Overall the vibe and service was just not optimal and I wouldn’t not return or recommend the barking lot to anyone.

Leslie W. Doyle

2013-05

My 3 dachshunds aren't fans of strangers, nor are they huge fans of grooming (except for our boy, he loves being pampered.) We saw the reviews on Google, and decided to drive 45 minutes out of our way to try The Barking Lot's services. I'm glad we did. The care and patience they showed with our pups, and the information we received while there, left us feeling like our dogs were in good hands. When we picked them up, they were happy, flea-free and oh-so gorgeous after their groom. They did a wonderful job and the price was very reasonable. The only problem is they aren't closer to me! :) They've found a new lifetime customer.

Douglas Quackenbush

2024-03

My wife brings her dog here all the time.