Understanding the Cost of Professional Dog Grooming
Professional dog grooming services are not low-cost due to the skill and expertise required to deliver them. At Furst Class Lounge, we offer diploma-qualified grooming services using the best products in the world at our luxury salon. We ensure that you get a lot for your money with our reasonably priced services. Here’s why:
Typically, a dog is dropped off at the grooming salon and picked up one to two and a half hours later, with the owner completely unaware of the workload and expertise that has transformed their pet’s appearance.
Why is Dog Grooming More Expensive than My haircut?
Many people are surprised that dog grooming costs more than expected when they first hear or see a price guide! Many people are confused about why dog grooming costs more than a human haircut.
Many valid factors contribute to the higher price. So we’d like to explain why grooming is more expensive than human hairdressing.
The first factor to consider is time. Grooming a dog takes far longer than giving a person a typical haircut. Most people only need the hair on the top of their head to be cut, while the groomer must bathe, dry and cut the hair over a dog’s entire body. You probably don’t go six to eight weeks without thoroughly washing or brushing your hair. Your groomer will also perform other tasks, including hygiene or sanitary trim. Ears and eyes will need hair removal and cleaning. The nails will require trimming. Ticks and fleas may be removed. Your dog may pee or poo on the table or, even worse, in the resting cage after being beautifully bathed and groomed, needing an additional bath and drying. All things your hairdresser doesn’t do for you, and the hairdresser isn’t likely to cuddle you if you look nervous or tickle your ears before saying goodbye.
How Expensive is Dog Grooming?
The average cost of professional dog grooming in the UK is £25–£90. Large dogs with long or thick coats can cost much more. On top of this, some professional dog grooming companies, including FURST CLASS LOUNGE, use first-rate products, and their groomers hold professional qualifications and diplomas they have worked hard to achieve. They will also be animal first aiders if your dog has health difficulties while in their care.
Some people may compare the cost of dog grooming to the price of a human haircut because they believe there isn’t much difference. Or that barbers and hairdressers are better trained.
This could not be further from the truth! The process and workload for dog grooming are vastly different from those for hairdressing, contributing to the higher price.
Dog hair is dense with multiple layers of complexity and, for most breeds, is not comparable to human hair. One consideration is the cost of groomer’s scissors and clipper blades, which require sharpening more frequently than your hairdresser’s scissors and blades because they have to work harder on different coat types. On the other hand, human hair is consistently cleaner, finer, and easier to cut than canine hair. How frequently do people go to the barber or hairdresser with matted, tangled hair full of sticky buds, grass seeds, or fox poo that needs meticulously preparing before styling?
How expensive dog grooming is will fluctuate depending on the individual pet.
Taken into consideration will include temperament, behaviour, condition (how well the owner maintains the coat at home), coat type, size, parasites (fleas and ticks), amount of de-matting or conditioning product required, whether or not the dog has been adequately toileted and exercised, affecting their bowel movements, urination and energy. Some coat types can take over an hour to bathe and dry to the correct standard for scissoring or clipping.
As a result, it is clear that dog grooming requires a great deal of work and takes significantly longer to complete than human hairdressing or barbering.
Grooming can be Challenging.
The additional workload required for dog grooming contributes to the higher cost. But there’s more to it than that!
Professional pet grooming also presents challenges that a hairdresser would never face. Do you, for example, fidget constantly when you get your hair cut? Maybe start barking uncontrollably at the next client who walks through the door? Then lay flat, twist, and face the other way whenever your hairdresser attempts a snip with the scissors. Does your hairdresser have to figure out how they can safely continue while you attack the clipper with your teeth?
We sincerely hope not! However, this is a daily occurrence for the groomer, who must have the expertise to groom to a professional standard even when the pet’s attention is focused elsewhere.
Pet grooming is riskier and more difficult than human hairdressing. Pets can lash out and bite or scratch their groomer if agitated, aggressive, or in pain. Due to their uncooperative behaviour or unwillingness to remain still while delicate procedures are being carried out, a dog may also be at risk of injuring itself.
As a result, the higher cost helps cover the difficulties and hazards that a dog groomer will likely face.
How much a dog will cost to be groomed often comes down to the bigger the job, the higher the price.
Furst Class Lounge Professional Grooming
Our aim is to provide the best holistic dog grooming service possible and remain competitively priced without compromising our codes of practice on ownership responsibilities.