# How often to groomers?



## Mayasmom (Jan 4, 2012)

I take Maya into the groomers once per month.

Just curious how often others take theirs?

Is once a month too often?


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## DCluver33 (May 27, 2010)

I take mine once a week but, I am a groomer (or at least learning how to groom i graduate in two months) so I can bring them to the shop to learn on. I usually see my Shepherd clients about once every month or so.


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## Freestep (May 1, 2011)

I'm a groomer, and most of my GSD clients come in every 4-6 weeks. There are some folks that only bring them in when they are blowing coat, about 2-3 times a year, and boy is that a mess!


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## Emoore (Oct 9, 2002)

Once or twice a year for de-shedding.

Other than that they get bathed and brushed and nail trimmed at home.


I would be the one Freestep hates.


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## gsdraven (Jul 8, 2009)

My dogs have never been to the groomers. :shrug:


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## BlackGSD (Jan 4, 2005)

gsdraven said:


> My dogs have never been to the groomers. :shrug:


Me either. I refuse to pay someone to do something I am perfectly capable of doing myself!!! I will say that when I was a groomer, I took my dogs in occasionally and bathed them there, (why mess up my bathroom when I could take them to the shop?), but I was the only one to touch them. But even before I was a groomer, I never took my dogs in and had someone else groom them.


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## Lucy Dog (Aug 10, 2008)

gsdraven said:


> My dogs have never been to the groomers. :shrug:


Same here. Bathing, brushing, nail clipping, etc are all done at home. 

GSD's are pretty easy to groom. At least the stock coats.


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## onyx'girl (May 18, 2007)

I have one dog that I take for nail trims(once a month). He fights it, hates it and I can't do it by myself. So the first of the month I take him, wait while they dremel his nails. My other two are fine, and I bathe all three at my house. I'd love a grooming dryer! 
I never saw the need to 'groom' a GSD, but now with one that fights paw touch, I let them deal with it and tip generously. Pick my battles. If my DH would help me, we could do it here, but I can't do it on my own.


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## CeCe (Jun 1, 2011)

That's one of the advantages of a shepherd-they don't really have to go to the groomers unless you want to pamper them a bit. Mine have never been. The weather is warm enough here that I bath them outside with the hose once a month.


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## krystyne73 (Oct 13, 2010)

I take 3 of mine to the groomers once a month or so.
I am perfectly capable of doing all the grooming  but I don't like the wet dog smell in my house, plus Meika looses a lot of hair after a bath that sticks to my furniture lol


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## NancyJ (Jun 15, 2003)

No groomers here but I sure wish I had a special doggy tub for as muddy as they get sometimes. My luck I would take them to the groomer and it would rain the next day.


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## lafalce (Jan 16, 2001)

I take mine in about 3 times a year. Most of the small stuff I do at home, but a really good bath is for the groomers shop.

They don't have a doggie smell, which is great......unlike my sister bassetts. She goes once a month.....bassetts=doggie smell!!!!

I just wish the GSD didn't shed so much.....oh well!!!!!


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## KZoppa (Aug 14, 2010)

Have never taken them to the groomer. They've had their nails trimmed ONCE by a groomer because I couldnt find my clippers to do it myself. Beyond that, bathed at home. Anxiously waiting for the pet store I like to finish getting everything set up. Two weeks and they're grooming section should be up and running and I can take them in there, bath them and dry them and not have to worry about clean up!!


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## qbchottu (Jul 10, 2011)

I groom my dogs. I have taken them to the groomers but found that I like to do it myself. I like to do it once a month or so, but it depends on the dog. Whiskey gets bathed every 2 months or so since he is a very clean dog. Puddi and Wiva get bathed every 3 weeks or so because they are both stinky girls that roll in dirt. They also play fight a lot with each other and dried on drool tends to stink badly


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## AbbyK9 (Oct 11, 2005)

> My dogs have never been to the groomers. :shrug:


Mine neither. The only type of "groomer" mine have been to are those self-grooming places where you can use the big tub and the blow drier for a fee. But they've never been groomed by anyone else.


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## Chicagocanine (Aug 7, 2008)

I don't take Bianca that often, maybe a few times a year. I take her before we go on any trips to try to cut down on the shedding, and sometimes go a few times in the winter if she really needs a bath because it's easier than trying to bathe her in the tub.


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## Scarlettsmom (Jul 12, 2011)

I take Scarlett to the groomer about twice a year. At $68 a pop, I just can't afford to take her more often. Usually the groomer is when she is blowing her coat.  I do take her to get her nails clipped, I can't do that on my own. We have a big, deep tub at home, so I can usually bathe her in that. 

I miss the Wag-N-Wash we had in Colorado Springs. All the mess stayed THERE, the wet dog smell stayed there, I could do a WAY better job with a sprayer and not get totally soaked (and my walls didn't get soaked, the floor didn't get soaked....)

The only place like that in this area is more than 25 miles from my house...that's not going to happen.

I did find some stuff that I can spray on her after a good brushing that "freshens" her up a bit, so that will have to suffice. 

Scarlett gets about 6 baths a year (that includes the two at the groomer).


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## Freestep (May 1, 2011)

Emoore said:


> Once or twice a year for de-shedding.
> 
> Other than that they get bathed and brushed and nail trimmed at home.
> 
> ...


Hehe... don't hate doing it, just hate cleaning up afterward! In a way it's kind of fun to do twice-a-year dogs because of the huge difference I can make. The dog comes in looking like a molting bison, and comes out looking like a beautiful German Shepherd... it's an accomplishment!


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## Syaoransbear (Sep 25, 2008)

Mine has been once when he was a puppy because I worked there and they did it for free, and another time recently because his fur severely clogged up our pipes the last time I bathed him so I didn't want to try bathing him again. I'll say that he probably gets bathed every 3 months. That's usually about how long it takes for him to need bathing because he either stepped in something gross, get diarrhea from something and pooped on his legs, or got muddy.


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## Freestep (May 1, 2011)

Scarlettsmom said:


> I take Scarlett to the groomer about twice a year. At $68 a pop, I just can't afford to take her more often.


Wow, I guess I need to raise my prices! I usually charge $40-55, depending on size, and the condition of coat. Some people gasp at those prices, others find them very reasonable.

Oh, I guess I do charge a bit more for longcoats. Up to $75 if they want them clipped to look like a standard stock coat.


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## N Smith (Aug 25, 2011)

I self-groom my dogs three times a year.

I can rent a "groom room" with crates, crate dryers, tables, tools, show quality shampoo/conditioner, towels, a raised "hyro wash" tub and professional dryers for $20/hr. So I bring all 5 of the dogs and take 2 hours to completely groom them. I do have to do a good brush out and nails the night before (along with a dry clip on the Leo's feathering), to save on time, but it is so worth it to leave the mess there and have nice smelling, DRY dogs to take home.


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## martemchik (Nov 23, 2010)

What do you do to a GSD as a groomer? I've never been to one but it seems interesting to try during the time he blows his coat. Does it help that much? Do they have special tools to make him not shed for a month or something? I'm just curious as it is something I would consider doing is there is that much of a difference. I brush about twice a week and can dremel and bathe myself when needed.


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## EJQ (May 13, 2003)

Considering the fact that my girls are therapy dogs they are at the groomers on the average of once a month.


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## EJQ (May 13, 2003)

martemchik said:


> What do you do to a GSD as a groomer? I've never been to one but it seems interesting to try during the time he blows his coat. Does it help that much? Do they have special tools to make him not shed for a month or something? I'm just curious as it is something I would consider doing is there is that much of a difference. I brush about twice a week and can dremel and bathe myself when needed.


As far as a GSD is concerned the groomer doesn't do much more than bathe them. I comb/brush them every day; it helps to keep their coat neat and it saves wear and tear on my Dyson ball. I will admit that I do all of the bathing myself during the summer months. It helps to have a outside source of warm water.


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## jang (May 1, 2011)

I take Sib in about every three months--they only charge me 26$ so this as a home project is not worth it to me--Her nails I get done about every three-four weeks at 6$ a pop..
jan


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## Freestep (May 1, 2011)

martemchik said:


> What do you do to a GSD as a groomer? I've never been to one but it seems interesting to try during the time he blows his coat. Does it help that much? Do they have special tools to make him not shed for a month or something?


Well, no one can stop a dog from shedding, but we do have specialized equipment that helps a bunch--most importantly, the force dryer which blasts out all the dead, shedding hair. Of course, you could brush it all out yourself, but the force dryer is much quicker, more thorough, and easier on both you and the dog. You should see the hair that comes shooting out, it's like a blizzard. No worry of wrist pain or brush-burning the dog. I can blow all the hair out of a shedding GSD in 20 minutes or less. If I had to brush it all out, it could take hours in some cases, and it still wouldn't be as thorough.

You can buy a good force dryer for home use, they cost anywhere from about $250 on up, but you need a really powerful one to get through a thick coat. I've heard of people using air compressors to the same effect.


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## Emoore (Oct 9, 2002)

Freestep said:


> Hehe... don't hate doing it, just hate cleaning up afterward! In a way it's kind of fun to do twice-a-year dogs because of the huge difference I can make. The dog comes in looking like a molting bison, and comes out looking like a beautiful German Shepherd... it's an accomplishment!


Well, my dogs don't ever look like molting bison, I do brush them 2-3 times a week. So hopefully mine aren't so bad.


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## BlackPuppy (Mar 29, 2007)

EJQ said:


> Considering the fact that my girls are therapy dogs they are at the groomers on the average of once a month.



I was wondering why take a GSD to a groomer. My dogs don't go, but they are not GSDs. Therapy dogs are excused.


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## Freestep (May 1, 2011)

Check this out...


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## mysweetkaos (Sep 20, 2011)

Freestep said:


> Check this out...


Great work....what a beautiful dog!! 
Kaos goes in 2-3 times a year....but he gets brushed 2-3 times a week @ home.


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## Freestep (May 1, 2011)

mysweetkaos said:


> Great work....what a beautiful dog!!
> Kaos goes in 2-3 times a year....but he gets brushed 2-3 times a week @ home.


If I recall correctly, this was a twice-a-year dog whose owners didn't touch him in between (obviously).

This is just one example of what a groomer can do for a GSD. Imagine having to brush all that hair out and wash out all that dirt at home!


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## Emoore (Oct 9, 2002)

Oh, and every foster goes to the groomer on his/her way to my house. Because, you know, they stink. And some have fleas.


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## mysweetkaos (Sep 20, 2011)

Freestep said:


> If I recall correctly, this was a twice-a-year dog whose owners didn't touch him in between (obviously).
> 
> This is just one example of what a groomer can do for a GSD. Imagine having to brush all that hair out and wash out all that dirt at home!


 
I can't imagine having a dog that dirty in my home. Even if I miss one of K's normal 2-3 brushings a week.....it's obvious!!


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## krystyne73 (Oct 13, 2010)

OMG that was one dirty pup! I clean the dogs bedding each Sunday and brush them each week. But we do a lot of outdoor fun so they definitely need a bath each month. 

I would loved my own dog washing area in the garage. I showed a high dollar house once (when I was a Realtor) that had a top of the line wash room for pets...I was drooling


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## Freestep (May 1, 2011)

I'm so lucky... I have a whole grooming shop on my property, just steps away from my house... you'd think my own dogs would be clean.


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## bunchoberrys (Apr 23, 2010)

Im a groomer, and I groom Kane once a month. Basically due to having 3 people in my house with asthma/lung disease. So its a must. A good grooming tip that I love especially around that time of year when he's blowing coat is when I apply conditioner to his coat I leave it on then use the high velocity blower. It loosens up all the dead hair but doesn't blow it all over the place due to the heavyness of the conditioner keeps it from blowing all over.:thumbup: After a few minutes of blowing then rinse..... wah-la. It comes out sooo much easier, and I don't have tons of hair floating all over.


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## NewbieShepherdGirl (Jan 7, 2011)

I took Sasha for the first time a few months ago. I wasn't ever going to take her in but she decided she was afraid of the tub (I had been washing her outside with the hose previously so I didn't know it) and it became so ridiculous that I said, skrew it I'll just pay someone to do it. I'm going to try to take her in quarterly or so. I'm thinking of making her and appointment for a few weeks from now and then she'd be good until she starts exploding all over the house. I really wish she'd let me do her at home because she's such a good girl when it comes to drying off. She thinks the blow dryer is a game


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## LissG (Jun 18, 2011)

i take wolf once every 5-6 weeks. i have to say i LOVE the way he smells when he comes back  and the smell lasts so long! the last time he went, he came home smelling like cranberries for a month! no puppy stink hahahahaha


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## AbbyK9 (Oct 11, 2005)

> Considering the fact that my girls are therapy dogs they are at the groomers on the average of once a month.


My dog is a therapy dog and we don't go to the groomers once a month. We bathe before visits. At home. And brush and dremel nails. Also at home. I think it's silly to say that therapy dogs = frequent groomer visits.


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## BlackGSD (Jan 4, 2005)

Freestep said:


> You can buy a good force dryer for home use, they cost anywhere from about $250 on up, but you need a really powerful one to get through a thick coat. I've heard of people using air compressors to the same effect.


I would be one of those. Air compressors work great! Even better, they are OUTSIDE so wet or dry dog, all that water and/or hair also stays outside, rather than in the house. I also like that it is cool/cold air. So it doesn't dry out their shin.


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## chelle (Feb 1, 2009)

I've never taken any of my dogs to the groomer. Just always done it myself. The Shiba likes to fight me on nails, but in the end, I win.  My big hairy dog loves being brushed out and she'll lay there all ga-ga eyed while I do whatever I need to do. The youngest isn't too tough, either. I've played with his toes since he was little and he doesn't hardly fuss. He is handsomely rewarded for his compliance.

I guess I am just a cheap skate. I can do the job, so I prefer to save money doing it at home. More money for chewies and toys!!!!!


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## Lauri & The Gang (Jun 28, 2001)

None of my GSDs, past or present, have ever been to a groomer. I really don't see the need.

Mauser gets brushed MAYBE once every couple months.

My Cocker Spaniel and my Cresteds get more grooming time (at home) than the long haired GSD. 

Forgot to add - I think Mauser has had two or three baths so far in his 3 years of life. Usually outside with the garden hose and some dog shampoo.

If I HAD to bathe him during the cold weather it would be in the bathtub.


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## Freestep (May 1, 2011)

BlackGSD said:


> I would be one of those. Air compressors work great! Even better, they are OUTSIDE so wet or dry dog, all that water and/or hair also stays outside, rather than in the house. I also like that it is cool/cold air. So it doesn't dry out their shin.


Actually force dryers are cool-air, too. Most don't have a heating element. Although after it runs a while, the motor does warm the air a bit. On a cold day, I'll usually let it run on the lowest setting for a few minutes just to let it warm up--that way I'm not blasting cold air on a wet dog on a cold day. Brrr!

I've never had a problem with force dryers causing dry skin, or even warm-air cage dryers for that matter. I suppose it would if you did it every day, though. 

I have a compartment dryer that I use in winter, it gently blows warm air up from the bottom. If I use a leave-in conditioner on the dog and put him in the compartment, it actually seems to help the skin absorb moisture. Warm moist air on a cold dry day=wonderful. I love that dryer--it's big enough that I can crawl inside it when I do my own hair, and I almost fell asleep in it once.


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## lhczth (Apr 5, 2000)

I have never taken one of my dogs to a groomer. I do it all myself.


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## Cassidy's Mom (Mar 30, 2003)

I've never gone to a groomer before either. We bathe ours anywhere from every one to 3 months usually. I prefer taking them to the self service tubs at the park, but I've done them in the bathtub at home too.


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## fuzzybunny (Apr 29, 2011)

I take Jazz for a nail trim every 6 weeks but everything else is done at home. Both dogs need a bath right now because they really stink so I should get on that this weekend .


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## Liesje (Mar 4, 2007)

I've never taken my GSDs to a groomer.

I've taken Coke twice but after the second time it cost a lot of money and I wasn't really thrilled with the cut so now I do it myself. He gets cut once every 2-3 months (never shaved - I use scissors and thinning shears to trim and a de-matting blade to hand strip).


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## Cheerful1 (Sep 27, 2011)

We were going to take Joey for a grooming when we first got him. The owner of the place we went to said she wouldn't take him in because he was not neutered.

Since we have him (last August), we just brush him once a week. My husband has used the Furminator twice on him. We gave him a bath twice because he went into the water and smelled like wet dog.

I'll save my money for more important things, like toys and treats!


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## Freestep (May 1, 2011)

I just have to say, it's been wonderful to read this thread and not see "groomers are a rip-off" or some such nonsense. I have to hand it to anyone who grooms their own dogs at home. After my shop burned down, I suddenly, for the first time in 20 years, had no place to bathe my own dogs. Guess what? I took them to a groomer.


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## Cassidy's Mom (Mar 30, 2003)

I have no idea how much a groomer would cost, but I imagine with two longcoats it would not be cheap! Especially compared to the DIY tubs which are only $11 each, with a free bath after the 10th punch of the card, which would be 5 baths each for mine. And at home it's free, except for the price of a bottle of Earthbath shampoo. I do wish I had an elevated tub though.


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## Freestep (May 1, 2011)

Cassidy's Mom said:


> I have no idea how much a groomer would cost, but I imagine with two longcoats it would not be cheap! Especially compared to the DIY tubs which are only $11 each, with a free bath after the 10th punch of the card, which would be 5 baths each for mine. And at home it's free, except for the price of a bottle of Earthbath shampoo. I do wish I had an elevated tub though.


Yes, two longcoats would be expensive! As to an elevated tub for home use, have you checked this out? http://boosterbath.com/


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## LARHAGE (Jul 24, 2006)

I used to take Gavin to be groomed a week before his shows, I go to Petco as I know the girls there because my Cairns get groomed every 8 weeks, he used to be really good and would just chill out with the girls when I left, the last time he was about a year old and I thankfully went into the store portion after dropping him off to get some stuff, about 5 minutes later I hear people screaming to close the doors and than people shouting running away, I go to see whats happening and it's Gavin trying to find me, he was actually tracking me, his training kicked in I guess  I calmy called him and he came bouncing up to me happy as heck he had found me, I ran into the groomer who said he had slipped his collar and hurdled over the swinging gate after me, I never took him back, I bathe him on my horse washrack on a rubber mat and dry him in his kennel.


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