Nail trims cause more anxiety, for both dogs and owners, than almost anything else on this list — usually because of one bad clip, somewhere, that a dog never forgot. Johanna works slowly with dogs like that, often just handling and touching paws for a session or two before a blade or grinder ever comes near them, so trust gets rebuilt instead of forced.

She uses both traditional clippers and a grinder/dremel depending on the dog and the nail — the grinder tends to be quieter on nerves for nail-shy dogs and gives a smoother, rounder finish that's less likely to snag. Dark nails, which hide the quick and make trims riskier, get trimmed in small, careful passes rather than one guess.

Paw care doesn't stop at the nail. Pads get checked for cracking, embedded debris, or irritation between the toes — common in dogs who are active outdoors or dealing with allergies — and finished with a soothing balm.

If your dog has a history of struggling with nail trims, mention it when you book. That's exactly the kind of thing Johanna plans around, not something that disqualifies a visit.