How Often To Groom Your Dog For Safety and Health

Suggested Grooming Frequency By Dog Breed
One of the most common questions a groomer is asked is how often should I groom my pet? My usual response is “got me, it depends on you and your lifestyle.”

If you are an obsessive person who can have no speck of dust, dirt or dog hair present in your home, car, or within a 100 mile radius then more often than other people with the same dog with a different set of priorities. If you have pet allergies, that pet should be done more frequently than someone who does not have allergies. If your pet sleeps on your bed and you are fighting for a pillow and one square inch of blanket at night, then more often than the pet that sleeps on the floor. Everything is subjective depending on the person. Many people would rather put their pet in a zip lock bag with just the nose holes poking out than only groom that pet every 12 weeks. Others are not bothered.

 As a professional, people such as myself know that the longer apart the grooming the less likely the dog will have hair left on them. Equally and more importantly, the more matted the dog is the more dangerous that dog is to groom. Clippers and scissors cannot discern between matted hair and flesh. The more matted the dog the more likely the odds are of injury as well as more costly. There is not one groomer in the world who can honestly say they have not made an “oops.” Usually the “oops” happen when you have a very matted animal, not only a dog but also worse a cat. All they have to do is jerk or move the wrong way and you have an “oops” situation. Below is a partial list of dogs groomed in traditional coat and the suggested frequency they should be groomed. Many people cannot afford in today’s economy to have the pets done as often as they did before. Consequently what should be followed and what reality is are frequently diametrically opposed. All bets are off if your pets roll in dead things in the backyard or swims in vile smelling rivers or creeks, etc.

When does the below not apply?

• A) The dog is brushed correctly.
• B) The dog is brushed frequently.

Those dogs can usually go further apart in weeks being groomed.

When does the below also not apply?

• A) The dog is not brushed correctly,
• B) The dog is not brushed frequently,
• C) The dog is bathed at home in-between groomings.

If A, B, and C are done at home you can be assured with most certainty that your pet will have to be shaved. Below is a partial list of dogs in traditional coats.

Note on author: The advantage of opinions is they cannot be wrong and they cannot be right. Consequently all written material is strictly my opinion based on over 30 years working with animals. I do not believe in “experts” for one finds out quickly that there is always someone who is smarter, better educated and a wider life experience. If I was an expert and knew everything I would opt to be dictator of the world, not working with animals. I do not believe in statistics since for every con argument there are equal pro arguments to challenge those statistics. Consequently rarely, if ever do I use them.

All information is copyright by Mimi Davis d.b.a. Curbside Clippers. (Copyright 2002. All Rights Reserved) Any use must have prior permission.