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 GROOMING... IT'S MORE THAN SKIN DEEP Regular grooming is important for your pets overall mental & physical health.
HOW OFTEN SHOULD MY DOG BE GROOMED? There are SO many factors that need to be considered when we decide the most effective (& the most affordable) grooming regiment for our pets. Such as:
BREED Although all breeds need to be groomed on a regular basis, some breeds tend to require it more frequently than others. For example, under normal circumstances a Doberman would not need to be seen as often as an Alaskan Malamute, a Jack Russell would require less maintenance than a Shih-Tzu, and so on & so forth. If your pet is a higher-maintenance breed, lets use a Poodle as an example, and you choose to wait 12 weeks to have that pet groomed your visit will take longer and therefore be more expensive than if the poodle was in every 4 to 8 weeks (time frame is determined by coat type & hair style). When the coat becomes matted, overgrown & excessively dirty more time, product & labor is required to get the dog back into the desired condition - this is why the over-due session could potenitally come with a higher price tag. LIFESTYLE The type of lifestyle you lead with your pet is also a huge deciding factor when determining the proper grooming schedule. For this instance lets use 2 Labrador Retrievers. One is a pampered house pet who spends his leisurely days lounging on the sofa just "vegging" out; the other is more the outdoorsy-type & enjoys spending time in the yard chasing squirrels & digging holes just searching for that perfect stinky dead thing to roll around in before happily throwing himself into a mud puddle (c'mon you all know the type..). Now here we have the EXACT same breed of dog, but the couch potato would need to be seen less frequently than the field dog. COAT/SKIN TYPE Determining the type of coat your pet can be tricky because coat-type can vary greatly even when comparing dogs of the same breed. Genetics, diet, health & lifestyle are some of the factors that determine your dogs coat type & condition. Some dogs have skin & coat problems that require more frequent grooming. Dogs suffering from allergies, dermatitis, external parasites (like fleas) or bad body odor (such as some of the hound breeds) will need to be seen regularly to help keep these coat symptoms at bay. A change in diet, the addition of supplements &/or a trip to the vet is in order if these conditions are chronic. HAIR-STYLE If your pet is one of the 'hair-cut' breeds (like poodles, maltese, shih-tzus, spaniels, some types of terriers, etc) & you choose to keep the coat in a more stylized clip, your pet will need to be seen on a regular basis to maintain the style. Depending on the growth rate of the coat, and the amount of at-home maintenance done (like brushing & combing) are some of the factors determining the amount of time scheduled in between visits. TEMPERMENT When a pet is not used to being groomed, they may become very combative towards the groomer while on the table. If your pet is not-agreeable during their session, it will take longer to complete the groom. It requires a great amount of skill, love & patience to work them through their session. In my opinion, the most successful way to train a pet to allow their grooming session is with repetition and positive reinforcement. I recommend my 'troubled-kids' schedule more frequent but shorter sessions. Overtime, the pet will learn to trust me & allow for a safe grooming session. Oftentimes, it just takes a few visits for them to realize that I will not hurt them. Lots of kisses & good treats help drive that point home. I truly hope that this helps clarify some of the factors considered when creating a grooming schedule for your dog. This is only meant to outline some key points as each client comes with their own unique situation. Please feel free to email or call so we can help you create the best program for you, your family & your companion. [coming soon!] |