We arrived at Highgate tube station early and wistfully walked passed Highgate Woods and spent 15 minutes on some rather tough hills getting to the High Street. We passed a number of cafes where dogs and their owners were sitting outside enjoying the morning sunshine and arrived at “Hair of the Dog” early.
We waited while a number of people waited to check in their dogs for grooming and browsed some of the doggy goods on offer. A poodle owner was advised that her pet probably didn’t need to come in every two weeks – I like animal carers who are not just out for the bucks. Alfie was adored and petted as usual.
It’s a large shop and well-spaced out. As you’d expect there’s an assortment of dog beds, scarves, leads and collars. Lots of Lily’s Kitchen food too. Owners were offered a selection of rather fine walking boots.
I loved a tiny “Angel” jumper and an orange dog raincoat. And there was an adorable red polka dot treat bag but at £14 I thought it was a tad too expensive. I was tempted too by the skull and cross bone items for any pirate dogs. I liked that the boxes of dog toys were on the floor – so your dog could pick his or her own favourite. And I found some stuff for cats here as well.
There was a lovely assortment of cards. I particularly liked those that contained designs in raw hide – edible (for dogs) cards (£8.50). And I also found a lovely Halloween pumpkin design chewy (£6).
Stepping into the first courtyard I admired the fabulous wall art work by Teddy Boden. On the other side of a small fence was the courtyard for use by the doggy day care team. I noted the patio heaters so no chance your pooch will be cold.
Downstairs I met Roland, one of the groomers, and Victoria who was attending to a Yorkie who was lapping up all the attention. There are two grooming tables and a drying station and everything looked really clean. The waiting pens have bars – which I think is preferable to glass fronts as the dogs can hear what is going on. And I have to say it was amazingly calm. No doubt senior groomer Rita ensures her clients’ clients are kept happy.
The receptionist volunteered valuable info on where was dog-friendly nearby – Caffe Nero was mentioned and so was the Red Lion pub. Alfie and I said our goodbyes and crossed the road to take a peek at Waterlow Park.
The small main road entrance belies the size of this park. There are lots of paths across the hilly terrain (some kids were using their skate boards and roller blades to achieve astonishing speeds), tennis courts and lots of wide open spaces. We wandered down to the lake where the Autumn colours provided a fantastic vista. To say that we meet more than a few other dog walkers would be an understatement.
Further information: http://www.hairofthedoglondon.com/
