Most dog owners tend to care for their dogs themselves, doing all the necessary cleaning, grooming, and clipping themselves. However, for many people, this can be time consuming and not always a pleasant experience, especially if your dog doesn’t like to be groomed very much.
This is where a professional dog groomer can help. They have experience dealing with nervous dogs and can help calm them down, perhaps even to the point where the dog learns to enjoy being brushed. They also have all the right tools so they can get the job done in half the time and to a much higher standard than you can yourself.
Although paying a professional to groom your dog is more expensive than doing it yourself, it can also save you a lot of time and the results can be much better. So, assuming you’re considering paying for your dog grooming, how much can you realistically expect it to cost?
Most groomers charge anywhere from $35 to $70 for a complete do. Considering that it can take you several hours to do the job yourself, you can see that this isn’t so expensive after all!
Some groomers will adjust their base fee based on the breed and size of the dog. This is fair enough, as some breeds are more difficult to groom, and a larger dog generally takes longer to groom than a smaller one.
From time to time, groomers insist on seeing your dog before giving you a price. This is so that they can evaluate the condition of the dog before quoting his work. For example, a dog with a particularly dirty matted coat will generally take longer to groom, so the charges will be higher.
Finally, the price you pay also depends on the level of quality you want. Most groomers offer an extra special service for clients who are grooming their dog for a show. This is overkill for most people, who just want the basic service, but for people hoping to win a treat with their dog, it’s a must. Typically, you can expect to pay around $40 extra for this type of service.
While many dog owners shy away from the idea of having their dog groomed professionally, it can actually be a real boon, saving you a lot of time and effort, and producing better results than yourself. When you take this into consideration, you will often find that what you thought was a lot of money is actually a bargain.