Full dog groom

A full groom is the whole job in one appointment. The groomer checks the skin, ears and coat, bathes the dog in a shampoo suited to the coat, dries it with a high-velocity dryer and brushes and combs it through to the skin. Then comes the cut, with clippers, scissors or both, to a breed style or a shorter pet trim agreed at drop-off. Nails are clipped, ears checked and wiped, pads cleared and the hygiene area trimmed. Most groomers book two to three hours for a small or medium dog and up to four for a large, heavily coated one.

The coat decides what the groom involves and what it costs. Poodle crosses such as cockapoos and cavapoos grow hair continuously and matt behind the ears, under the collar and in the armpits, so they need a full groom every 6 to 12 weeks, at the shorter end for a curly or long coat; the middle half of 37 published cockapoo and cavapoo prices is £50 to £60. Wire coats such as border terriers can be clipped, but clipping softens the coat and dulls the colour, which is why many owners book hand stripping instead. Double coats on huskies, collies and German shepherds are rarely clipped short; for them a full groom is a bath, a thorough de-shed and a tidy of feathers and feet. Smooth coats such as Labradors need no cut, and several groomers price their 'smooth coat full groom' close to a bath and brush.

Almost every published price is a 'from' figure for a dog on a regular schedule that arrives brushed. A coat left well past its usual interval, or matted close to the skin, costs extra by the quarter hour or is clipped short, and a groomer should say so at drop-off rather than at collection. Ask for the price for your breed and the coat as it is today, how long the dog will be there, and whether it waits in a crate between stages. Large and giant dogs, and doodles of any size, vary the most, so get a quote after the groomer has seen the dog.