Grooming prices can vary because every dog comes in with a different coat, body, comfort level, and amount of work needed.

The simplest way to explain Grooming Costs. 

When we price a grooming appointment, we are not only looking at breed or size. We are looking at the actual dog in front of us: their coat type, coat condition, drying time, haircut, age, health, and how comfortable they are with the grooming process.

For example, two dogs may both weigh 20 pounds, but they may not take the same amount of time to groom.

A short-haired pug may need a bath, dry, nail trim, ear check, and brushing. A 20-pound doodle with a curly coat may need a bath, full blow-dry, brush-out, clipping, scissoring, face trim, feet trim, and sanitary trim. Those are not the same appointments, even if the dogs are similar in size.

Coat type makes a big difference.

A lab may shed heavily and need extra brushing to remove loose coat. A husky may have packed undercoat that takes a long time to loosen, wash, dry, and brush out properly.

A poodle or doodle may have curls that need to be fully dried and brushed before the haircut can be done evenly.

But, if I brush a havanese like I brush a poodle I will break the fur and thin the coat. 

Shih Tzu, Maltese, or Yorkie may be small, but if the coat is long or tangled, the groom can take more time than people expect.

Coat condition matters

If we can get a comb through the coat easily, we can usually work more efficiently. If the coat has mats behind the ears, under the collar, in the armpits, around the tail, or between the legs, we have to slow down.

Mats

Tight mats can pull on the skin. We can spend hours pulling them out, but that would be abuse. Your dog would be in pain. 

Sometimes they hide redness, irritation, or sores underneath. We cannot just yank them out with a brush. That would hurt the dog.

In those cases, we may need to clip the coat shorter, work in smaller sections, or adjust the haircut for comfort and safety.

Drying time is another reason prices can vary.

A full coated havanese can take 2.5 hours to line brush-dry. 

A Husky can be tucked in and dried while he namps

Some dogs dry quickly. Others hold water in their coat for a long time. A thick-coated golden retriever, a doodle, or a double-coated shepherd can take much longer to dry than a smooth-coated dog.

If a dog is nervous about the dryer, we may need to use a slower setting, take breaks, or change how we handle that part of the groom.

Behaviour also affects time, but we do not mean that as criticism.

Some dogs are easy for the bath but hate having their feet touched. Some are fine for brushing but nervous about clippers near their face. Some sit down every time we lift a paw.

Some puppies are still learning. Some senior dogs need breaks because standing for a long time is hard on them.

For example, a young puppy may need a slower introduction so grooming does not become scary. A senior dog with sore hips may need support and rest breaks.

A nervous dog may need extra time around the dryer, nails, face, or feet.

The haircut makes a difference as well.

A short, practical trim is usually faster than a longer style that needs more brushing, drying, combing, blending, and scissoring.

If an owner wants a fluffy teddy-bear face, longer legs, rounded feet, or a hand-scissored finish, that takes more time than a simple shave-down or bath-and-tidy.

If we clipped fast you would complain about how bad the clip looked!

So when grooming prices are different, it is because the work is different.

We price based on what your dog actually needs so we can groom them safely and fairly. It is not about charging more for no reason.

It is about making sure we have enough time to do the job properly without rushing your dog through a process that may already feel big to them.