# Petco prices



## Aidan (Mar 4, 2009)

Where I work for a Standard Poodle puppy bath + mini trim at that age would be around $38. Normally it's fine until the poodle owner wants a full groom and the price then goes up to $60..that's usually when people gasp at me.

The problem with grooming standard poodles: Now, I love the breed..have standards and I enjoy grooming them. What owners don't understand is that grooming poodles is a money-loss for dog groomers. In the time it takes me to bathe, fluff, groom one standard poodle I could have easily done three smaller dogs or maybe even more depending on how much work this one standard is.

In some areas groomers can not charge enough money for the time it takes to do the standard. That is why some prices may seem so high. 

Also at a place like petco/petsmart the prices will never really be consistent throughout the company. I have worked at a petco..and groomers would often charge different prices for the same thing. I never understood why. I also worked with a bunch of bitches so that could have been part of the problem.

In any case it's great you are getting your dog groomed often. It makes life easier for you and your groomer later on! Perhaps it's something you should learn to do yourself. A simple trim on a standard and doing face/feet/tail isn't too difficult..there are many pet-owners here on the forum who have learned how to do that and much more with practice. It's a very rewarding experience to groom your own dog.


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## EmilyK (Mar 26, 2011)

Aidan said:


> Perhaps it's something you should learn to do yourself. A simple trim on a standard and doing face/feet/tail isn't too difficult..there are many pet-owners here on the forum who have learned how to do that and much more with practice. It's a very rewarding experience to groom your own dog.


I agree! I just started doing it myself and it's nice that with a puppy, you don't have to do everything. Of course, mine is just a bit over 3 months old and since we're both inexperienced, we're slow at it, but I think it's nice to learn together. It took me a couple of days to get his face reasonably well (I noticed all the mistakes the next day and went about fixing them). Now I need to do his feet and think I'll spread it over a day or two. It's not the same as having him all done at once, but I'm finding this gradual approach easier for getting us both used to it. I just thought I'd share in case you decide to go this route!


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## lavillerose (Feb 16, 2011)

Honestly... $62 for a standard poodle in my area is cheap. I start at $75 for full haircuts, although I will do a bath only with face, feet and hygiene shave for $45. Prices have to be competitive within the demographic. Now, Petco tends to be lower in my area, but they don't specialize in the breed. I do, and I get them done in a fraction of the time because I'm a straight-through groomer, rather than an all-day place. 

A lot of people don't understand the price difference between toy, mini and standard. Toys and minis are not all the different from each other in size and tend to be priced within $5 or $10 of each other, but standards are often four or five times as big, and with four or five times as much hair to deal with. They are a huge amount of work, that's why we charge a lot for them! Age doesn't matter either, puppies can be very difficult when they are learning the process, it doesn't matter how big they are. Even tiny puppies can and will sometimes will put up a great big fight!

Also, you're getting a phone estimate. Groomers will ALWAYS give you a high price over the phone, because we really need to see for ourselves how big and what sort of shape a dog is in. Many customers either don't know what matting is, or they lie about it to get in faster. I've had people tell me their dog is a lab that needs a bath, I squeezed it into an already full day, and then they come in with a rough collie that hasn't seen a brush in a year. It sucks, but it's true, and those people mess it up for the honest and well informed.


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## katbrat (May 8, 2011)

I'm totally ok with $62 or higher when she is bigger. Lexi is very easy to brush, she will even lift her feet for you so she is not a handful but a new groomed wouldn't know that. I have to admit it intimidates the heck out of me the idea of trimming her up. I would like to watch and see how it's done in person.


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## outwest (May 1, 2011)

My standard puppy at 4 months was $25. It is more if I wait longer. A full sized standard is $50 for once a month. $75 for every 6 weeks, $90 for every two months and can be more for lots of matts (we don't have matts). I have been using the same groomer for years. The incentive is to go regularly, so we make the next appointment when we pick her up from grooming. 

Once I was having a party and wanted a perfect poodle to attend . My regular groomer was busy on the short notice, so I took her to a competitor. They charged me $90.00! I think I will stick with my current groomer.

I only do the brushing every few days and bathe her every two weeks between groomings.


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## ArreauStandardPoodle (Sep 1, 2009)

I agree with Aidan. Standards are very time consuming and a groomer pretty much has to figure out how many smaller dogs they can do in the same amount of time and pretty much compensate themselves for the time spent.


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## katbrat (May 8, 2011)

Our regular groomer is charging my $35 next week when I take her in. We had standing appointments for our toy and will do the same thing with Lexi. Heck, I don't even have a standing hair appointment!


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## Maura9900 (Mar 31, 2011)

Geesh! Cocoa is almost 5 months. He goes to the groomer every 2 weeks. Today he had a bath and his feet/tail/sanitary done for $25+tip. When he hits 6 months, she will charge me $65 for a full groom. Right now I pay $30 for a full groom. Nail grind is $5 extra. She has him in and out of there in 2 hours or less (when he was shaved down, it was a little more than 2 hours). She lets him run around and play with the other friendly dogs when he's done and waiting for pick up. Love her!


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## Aidan (Mar 4, 2009)

I wish I could charge more for standard poodles in the area..but they do seem priced low where I live. I do charge more for standards in bad shape..or just bad dogs in general.

I did a standard poodle today that I absolutely love doing..he's actually one of Arreau's pups and is just about a year old now I believe. He hasn't had a haircut since he was a baby and had a good 4-5 inches of coat on him. Normally for a haircut like that I would probably have to charge around $100 not many people can maintain a dog in that kind of shape.

Luckily, Tigger's owner owns a brush and knows how to use it. I was able to have Tigger bathed, clipped, fluffed and completely dry within 90 minutes or so. I felt bad even charging her $60 but I don't set the prices where I work. I did also cheat and wet shaved him and that saved time. His owner wants to use the fur and have it turned into yarn so I wanted to send her with clean dog hair.


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## 3dogs (Nov 3, 2010)

Well as a groomer it is very hard to price quote a Spoo pup. Now granted I no longer do Spoo only 1 that I have done for the past 4 years, but they do vary in size much more than a toy or mini. On here there are owners that have Spoo's that are only 15lbs & others that are 40lbs or more at the age of 4 months. So, it really is hard to quote. Today my DH had a potential new client call with a "compact Aussie" & when my DH said how much does the dog weigh they said about 50lbs. Well, that is a normal if not a large Aussie & nothing compact about that. 

Stay with your groomer & make regular appointments. I think you will be pleased with her since you have been with her before. I am booked 3 wks out now so owners are getting used to booking either the year out or at least 3 groomings out.


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## lavillerose (Feb 16, 2011)

Exactly. I have a "miniature goldendoodle" that comes in, and while he might be smaller than average in frame, he's also enormously fat and weighs 55lbs. And his owner doesn't think that's out of the ordinary. It's not a miniature anything if it has potential to throw my back out getting it on the table!


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## CT Girl (Nov 17, 2010)

I am just wondering on the price for a toy. He goes to the goomer every 6 weeks and it is $40.00 (not including tip). I comb him every day.


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## outwest (May 1, 2011)

I think it depends on where you live. That seems high for such a tiny dog, but I don't know where you live. Maybe that is the only groomer around so there isn't any competition? A full grown Spoo is $50 if they have no mats and are regularly done here, but maybe my area is cheaper. I know other groomers charge more for poodles because they are harder to do than a little dog that needs no shaving. If the groomer is very busy they might just say 'no poodles'.


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## 3dogs (Nov 3, 2010)

$40 is a great price. That is what I pretty much charge as well. It really is a matter of time. If your dog is well brushed out then of course you have more options as to what you want done with your dog. If a Poo comes in matted then there are fewer options. I love a combed out dog because I like to leave hair & style but really it takes me about 1 hr 15 min straight through for most toy/mini poodle & are priced accordingly.


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## lavillerose (Feb 16, 2011)

CT Girl said:


> I am just wondering on the price for a toy. He goes to the goomer every 6 weeks and it is $40.00 (not including tip). I comb him every day.


$40 is normal in my area for a toy. I won't to any breed haircut for less than that except possibly a very minor trim on a chihuahua.

It depends a lot on your region. Prices are very different depending on costs of living in your area.

When I first started grooming thirteen years ago at Petsmart, we did Spoos for $45 and while owners thought that was horrendously expensive at the time, the groomers all wanted it to go way up!

I specialize in poodles and rarely have a single day without some variety or mix of one, I'm booked three weeks out (not including those who rebook in advance), and I'm still living paycheck to paycheck. I wouldn't be able to pay rent if I wasn't charging what I do.


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## katbrat (May 8, 2011)

We paid $32 out the door with our six pound toy we had. Lots to think about when people describe their dogs I'm sure! I'm sure that when I told them that Lexi was brushed daily and was behaved, they probably thought "that's what they all say!"


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## CT Girl (Nov 17, 2010)

I really have not priced out my area. I was just wondering. There are lots of groomers in my area but I drive about a half hour away to go to my groomer. I met her at a dog show and wanted someone who was experienced with poodles. I will have to post a picture of Swizzle right after he is groomed and see what the experts think. A couple of times he has not looked - I don't know -balanced - even. He is pretty good for combing but I don't know how critical I can be of a puppy cut. The dog is bound to be squirming around the first several times he is groomed. I had some pictures of Swizzle after his last grooming taken by a photographer but my husband has accidently deleted them cleaning out the junk email. Sigh. Thanks for the feedback good to hear the range.


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## BigRedDog (Mar 2, 2011)

*Poodle grooming*

I absolutely loved to groom Standards when I owned my shop in Carmel years ago. It's one of the reasons I have a Standard now. Yes they are large dogs, but they also (IMO) have a great temperment and are easy to work on.
Back in that day (1980's) I charged about 30.00 for a full groom, but things have changed I know.
In my opinion the best thing a Standard Poodle Owner could do is take a course in Poodle grooming if one is available, and learn to do most of the work yourself. If you could at least do the face, feet and tail and finish the dog, you might be able to just get a brush and bathe at the shop for a reasonable price but you _must_ be sure your dog is brushed properly.


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