Professional Dog Groomer & Tutor 
17/04/2025
I hear a lot of people talking about the cost of dog grooming and always looking for a cheaper groomer. But I’d like to explain a few things to you.
This is what I hear a lot of:
“God, it’s expensive isn’t it?”
“Why do they charge so much?”
“Crikey I couldn’t be spending that all the time, I’ll find somewhere cheaper”
“XYZ out the road doesn’t charge that much”
Now, hear me out. Would you say these things to your hairdresser? Your beautician? Your nail tech? Your barber? All of these who you visit every 4-6 weeks...
You wouldn’t question €50 for a wax that takes 15 minutes would you? 2 hours to get a wash, cut and blow-dry for a €80-100? €55 for nail refills that take 1.5hrs? No… No you wouldn’t.
You wouldn’t ever say these things to their faces. And you know what happens when you get cheaper? You get what you pay for.
The cost of dog grooming is what it is because we are dealing with live animals. YOUR live animal. The fur baby that is your family member, best friend, sidekick. This is the little living breathing fur ball that you’d be lost without and we are trusted to look after them during their time with us.
But we are dealing with animals who don’t understand “can you tilt your head back there slightly for me, thanks”. “Can you stop trying to eat me and my equipment, thanks”… “Please don’t p**p on the table again, Thanks”.
These are animals who move, jump, fidget, tap dance all over the table, whimper, howl and sometimes like to take a snap at us. And they don’t understand p**ping on the table is not allowed, peeing all over the salon is not allowed. Peeing on ME is not allowed… yes, it has happened. It’s not a pretty job. We don’t just sit around and play with cute dogs all day. It’s an extremely difficult job. We are using very sharp scissors and clippers on animals that are not guaranteed to stand still. Imagine your hairdresser trying to give your hair a nice trim and you’re dancing like Michael Flatley around the place… That’s pretty much what it’s like at times.
As groomers we have spent thousands on our careers (as well as on rent, equipment, supplies, maintenance which is through the roof). We have spent years learning animal behaviour, up-skilling and being as knowledgeable as we can be so that YOUR dog is looked after in the best way. There are many courses out there that are cheap, and that’s where you will find your cheap grooms. But their knowledge and expertise won’t be a patch on a groomer who has poured their heart, should and bank account in to their career. Just the same as your beautician has, or your nail technician.
So when you question the cost of grooming it might be wise to take all this in to account. We are not just The Help. We are trained professionals doing a very difficult job. We adore all of your dogs as if they were our own and treat them like they are ours for the time they spend with us. We learn their likes, dislikes. We spot lumps and bumps before most of you do. We know when something is wrong as their skin will tell us a lot about what's going on with them. We learn to read their body language and communicate with them without words.
Please be kind to your Groomers and respect what they charge for their hard work. They are doing a lot more than you think 🐶❤️
