How Long Does It Take to Have My Small Dog Groomed?

Grooming your dog is absolutely essential for keeping your dog healthy and looking cute. The grooming process involves more than just trimming your dog’s coat and the time it takes will vary depending on your dog’s size and needs. On average a small dog should take between 1 – 2 hours to be groomed. As mentioned above, the time frame can increase or decrease depending on the services, it is not unusual to plan 3- 4 hours for grooming as there are factors that can either lengthen or shorten the average timeframe, some of which are:

Type of Coat

In most scenarios, trimming a dog’s coat takes up the bulk of the time in the grooming process. The longer and thicker your dog’s fur, the more time will be needed for the trim. If your dog’s coat requires little maintenance, the time spent on trimming their fur will be reduced and the overall time required to be fully groomed will also be reduced.

Style of Cut

If your dog is being prepared for a dog show or you are looking for a very specific style of cut, you should expect added time to the grooming process. This is because there will be more attention needed by your pup and the process will move along at a slightly slower pace.

Dog Breed

The breed of your dog plays an important role in how long the grooming session will take. Some dog breeds tend to be more difficult to groom, even if they are smaller, which lengthens the process. A Bichon Frise is an example of a small dog that takes extra time to groom. The grooming needs for smaller dogs like the Bichon Frise exceeds more than just a periodic bath, it will require additional time invested both at home and at the dog groomers.

Behavior

Your dog’s behavior can extend the grooming process. For some dogs, they can get overly excited or even aggressive when at the groomer, this behaviour will lead to an increase in the time needed to finish grooming your dog. If your dog is calm and can be touched and moved around throughout the session, this makes the process easy and allows for a quicker grooming session. If you know your dog gets excited or aggressive during their grooming visits, it is best to let your local dog grooming services provider know, so they can schedule some extra time for your appointment.

Presence of fleas

Removing fleas can be a time intensive task, this is because the fleas need to be thoroughly removed to ensure they do not spread. Removing fleas is never an easy task as fleas are tiny and can scamper around your dog’s body when forced from a surface. Because of the time needed and the process required to remove the fleas, your dog may become irritable, which can extend the process.

Grooming a smaller dog can be an easy, straightforward process that can take as little as 30 minutes, but occasionally, there may be a combination of factors that lead to increased time needed to properly groom your dog. It is advisable to contact your professional dog grooming services to book an appointment based on the needs of your dog.