Tipping a groomer?

[Lari]

I will be honest.  I've never owned a dog that required professional grooming.  I've had a lab and a german shepherd that we just bathed in the backyard with a garden hose.  After taking Chaucer to his first groom (he's 16 weeks old) I was unsure how much to tip.  I didn't want to tip too much or too little and just wanted to make my groomer know that I appreciated that she fit me in on short notice and she did a wonderful job.  He was also in and out within an hour.  I bought a puppy package type deal that allows me to go once a week for a bath/dry/nails/ears cleaned.  No hair removed off his body..just cleans up his face a little bit.  The package cost me $135 but I can go once a week for 6 weeks.  I paid in full at the first appointment and then after I tipped $10.

 

The package is supposed to get him used to the grooming process and learning to be brushed and things like that.  She also spent some time with me showing me how to brush properly and then comb after to check for mats.

 

I was very happy with this groomer and hope to be able to keep his coat in good shape.  I've never had a dog that required this much work but I look forward to the challenge.

 

I really just want to know how much I should tip each time for a groomer I really like so far.  I sometimes bring my hairstylist chocolate chip cookies (i like baking) and I know she loves them in place of a tip.  In fact she mentions them every time I book my appointment so I thought about doing the same for a groomer but I wasn't sure if it would be rude to do that instead of giving extra money.  I know the groomers must work very hard for what they earn and want to make sure I'm showing appreciation.

[Donna Vee]

I remember....

[Kathy]

Hi,

 

Chaucer is such a cutie!!

 

I tip a groomer the way I tip a hairstylist - approx 20%.  Cookies sound like a great treat and I can't imagine anyone not wanting them but I might give cookies and a tip, just a smaller one.

 

Bathing weekly sounds like a lot - does he really get so dirty?  And do his nails grow so quickly?  It's great that you like the groomer but I think they are hosing you if they are trying to talk you into weekly maintenance.  As long as we keep our dogs coats' clean by brushing/combing 2-3 times per week, they stay clean and smell sweet.  I have found grooming to be really expensive so I bought a clippers and scissors and do the small maintenance things myself - sanitary cleaning, scissoring around the eyes so they can see and the hair isn't an irritant, around the ears to maintain air flow.  Petsmart dremels nails for $10 so I bring them in for toes and then have them bathed, ears done etc every 8-10 weeks.  I am going to learn how to pluck ears myself and then I will bring them in for grooming even less frequently.  We like a long coat so we don't have to pay for clipping that often.

[Lari]

Thanks for both of the replies!  I plan on eventually grooming him myself but I just did the package deal to get him used to grooming while he's young.  After this I plan to stick to every 6 weeks or so.  I'm going to try to keep him in a longer coat.

 

I've read on a few dog forums how bad some doodles get as far as matting and even behavior issues when not groomed regularly as a pup so that's why I bought the puppy package.  It's been helpful the past week or two since he's been filthy.  It keeps raining and he loves to play in it.  I just moved into this house and the backyard is mostly dirt so he's staying pretty dirty.

 

He seems to love the grooming shop.  He hasn't started hesitating about going in..and he already will sulk when exiting the car outside the vet office..so I think he likes the grooming place and the girls there seem to adore him.  They are also right next door to a doggy day care so when he's older they can go next door after he's had a day of play and groom  him and I pick him up after work all tired and pretty.  So, I'm looking forward to that.

[Jennifer,Chloe & Myla]

Hello, We go to Petsmart for our younger dog Myla. Chloe is done at home we had a BAD experience at our regular groomer on her 1st b-day and never went back. (She still gives my cat a lion cut) Myla's hair is crazy! She didn't like us touching her.

So we held our breath and took her to Petsmart because we inquired when we were in training there. We found a girl we like and who Myla actually would let touch her and we made sure to tip her! We ask for the same girl all the time, if shes off or sick, we reschedule. She just brushes her out every 3 weeks and sometimes does sanitary and paw trims. She spends time withus discussing how she did what we can try at home, what she used, etc. So we began tipping her more. They charge like $6 every 15 minutes for a brush out so she's usually done in 1/2 an hour and we still give her around $10 on the harder days like when she was playing in the snow. We bathe her at home and then she can do a full brush out and save us the episodes at home with her temper. We'll gladly pay the charge pus tip. Chloe loves it too because she gets to people watch and shop and get belly rubs without Myla! We personally hand it to her.

[Helen & Kirby]

I kinda like that package!  Especially when you get near the "mat stage" its nice to to have a professional help with the maintenance. Sounds like you found a great place.   I say you already tipped some, so baking treats would be a great extra tip for your weekly visits!

[Nancy, Ned, Clancy, and Charlie]

We began taking Ned to a groomer at 3 1/2 months.  Even during the matting stage (which was pretty bad with Ned) we wouldn't have needed a weekly grooming.  Well, I would have loved someone else to work on the mats - but he had to be brushed daily or every other day at the least, but bathing him weekly would have been very drying to his type of coat.  I do think it is a good idea for the dog to get used to grooming situations and I think it is wonderful that the groomer took the time to show you how to brush and comb Chaucer.

  I do tip - between 15 -20%.  And I give an occasional gift  including a Doodlekisses doodle calendar of course, with Neddie-poos picture so she can admire her handiwork. If she worked us in or Ned is particularly matted, I tip even more.  My groomer does not charge a lot and she tries very hard to do what I want with Ned's coat.

[Renee Bogi]

Depending on how much they do, I usually go with ... a clean up (which sounds like your weekly visit) $5

then $10 or 15% depending on the total.