Have you ever wondered why it’s more expensive to have your dog groomed than it is to get your own hair cut? There are a variety of factors leading to the price differences. Let me share a few of those reasons with you.
- You only get the hair on your head cut. Your hairstylist doesn’t shave your whole body. Even most small dogs have more surface area than the average human head. And small dogs can be even more difficult to groom than larger ones because they’re shorter than many grooming tools.
- Your hair stylist doesn’t include a pedicure and manicure in the price. Nail trimming or grinding is usually included in the price of your dog’s groom.
- You don’t need your butt shaved. If you ever asked your hairstylist to trim the dingleberries off your bum, you’d probably be arrested.
- You probably won’t scratch or bite your hair stylist. Assault charge, anyone?
- You probably won’t pee, poop, or vomit on your hair stylist. Welcome to the glamorous life of a dog groomer, where an after-work shower is mandatory.
- You probably hold still. Little kids might squirm for haircuts, but most adults cooperate. While some dogs hold still for the entire groom, most dogs wiggle for at least certain parts of the process, and some might fidget or fight for the entire grooming.
- You don’t go eight weeks or longer without brushing your hair. If your hair stylist had to demat your hair before they could cut it, they would definitely charge extra.
- Your hair doesn’t come out in tufts that blow around like a blizzard when your hair is dried. Imagine somebody blowing handfuls of hair in your face while you’re sitting in a sauna and you can appreciate what it’s like for a groomer to dry a double-coated dog like a Husky.
- There aren’t dozens of other people in the back screaming for attention. Most groomers keep dogs in kennels for several hours to dry, and many of those dogs will bark the entire time.
If you still aren’t convinced that groomers deserve to be paid more than hair stylists, find a grooming salon where you can watch them work so you can get a better appreciation of how much work is involved in a typical dog grooming.
