Editorial Policy: How We Test
Everything on Small Dog Cuts starts at the grooming table, not at a keyboard.
How we test
- A real salon. Products and techniques are used by our groomer, Martina, in her salon in Kumanovo, North Macedonia. More about Martina and the site.
- Real dogs. We test on the small dogs that come in for grooming, across different coat types.
- Real products. We use the actual product in normal salon work, not a press sample on a desk.
- Two to four weeks. A product is used for about 2–4 weeks before we write a verdict. Products still in use are marked "testing", and products we haven't used yet are marked "planned".
- Verdicts come from the groomer's notes. Every verdict is written from Martina's notes about how the product worked. The text is edited for clarity, but the opinion is hers.
What we never do
- No medical claims. We don't say a product cures, heals or treats anything. Grooming problem articles tell you to see a vet if the problem persists.
- No invented reviews. We don't make up tests, ratings, experiences or quotes. If we don't know something yet, we don't publish it.
- No AI-generated stock content. Photos of haircuts and products come from the salon. We don't use AI-generated images or stock photos to pretend to show real dogs or real results.
Photo privacy
- We publish photos of a dog only with the owner's consent.
- We don't show owners' faces and don't publish owners' names.
- We remove EXIF data, including GPS location, from every photo before it goes online.
Affiliate links
Some posts contain affiliate links, and those posts say so near the top. Commissions don't decide what we recommend. See our affiliate disclosure.
Corrections
If you find a mistake, email TODO@martinaspaw.shop with the page address and what looks wrong. We check every report and fix confirmed errors.