# mobile groomer



## selzer (May 7, 2005)

About forty five miles away, there is a PetsMart where I can take the dogs to have them groomed. About 30 miles away there is a DIY grooming facility and they will groom them also, but they do not take Visa and are always closed when I try to set up an appointment. 

Several months ago, I got a brochure at the vet about a mobile groomer. 

A few weeks ago, I tried to find it, but couldn't, and found another person, and well, I talked to her over the phone and was not impressed, also she would take several weeks to open a saturday up. I know that means she has plenty of customers, but I just did not think we were a good match. 

Anyway, while cleaning, I found the original ad, and gave the woman a call. Yes, they will do all eight dogs in one day. There will be two groomers in the van and it will be an all day endeaver. 

I really grilled the woman with questions, discussed training, previous grooming experiences, temperament, etc. She had groomed GSDs for another guy out my way who was showing them, so I feel a little better about this. 

They can do my lot on July 19. Does $40/dog seem right. When I have PetsMart do it and have them do the added undercoat raking, it always comes up to about that much, if not more. And I will not have to waist gas and days getting the lot of them in there. 

Still it is a major chunk of change all at once. Hmmm. 

I am excited. I figure twice a year I can get all of them done. Most of them are currently blowing coat, so there is nothing but hair everywhere. My shedding blade only gets so much, and they usually look like they have regrown whatever I yanked out the day before.


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## kbigge (Dec 29, 2007)

I've never heard of a mobile groomer. Do they come out to your house and set up shop with a van or something? Do they use your water supply, etc? I don't have any advice, just wanted to know how does a "mobile groomer" do things?

TIA!

OMG - 8 dogs? You must have the patience of Job...LOL!


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## Fodder (Oct 21, 2007)

did you explain to the mobile groomer that your dogs are currently blowing their coats? if so, and she's still doing $40/dog (maybe a mulitple dog deal) then thats a steal!!!

i used to have a very long coated mix breed and utilized a mobile groomer for him between the ages of 15-17 because it was easier for him to just be in front of my house rather than stressed out at a groomer for half a day. from time to time i'd allow the lady to groom gia as well and she charged $60 or $75 if she had to pull out a bunch of undercoat. just to give you an idea.

and to answer kodeegirl - the groomer i used parked right in front of my building and used her own water supply. she just had to have access to an electrical outlet for the blow dryer or clippers and what not. she just had a mid sized van with a tub in the back... very similar set up to mobile vets if you 've seen one of those vans, but with a tub in place of an exam table. i recommend it for cases like selzer or like mine with a very old or easily stressed dog, but its generally pretty expensive.


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## mkennels (Feb 12, 2008)

wow all that is very high I have a very thick coated long coat and to get him groomed, ears cleaned, nails trimmed is only $30 and my short coats when I don't do it myself is $20 not moble but she is only 10 mins away we don't have a moble groomer here but there is 3 within 30 mins


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## CertainlySpoiled (Dec 2, 2007)

If you really think about it $40 isn't too bad considering gas rates and all, i'm sure it takes a lot of gas to fuel the vans. Goodluck, let us know how it goes!


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## lawhite (Feb 4, 2004)

i had a mobile groomer here do my long haired cats for the last 3-4 years when their grooming became spotty. it was ~40 as well and sooo worth it. No having to drag them around, less stress all around, and the woman was fantastic with them (they came back calm and relaxed.. seriously i do not know how she did it.. when i did it at petsmart they had to put a cone on my female because she kept trying to bite them).
All considering $40 for a GSD seems like a great deal!!


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## Qyn (Jan 28, 2005)

I think you are also getting a good deal - probably that is also due to them being able to remain in the one area and do all the dogs at once. I admit I do not know prices in your area but in my area that would be a more than fair deal - providing the dogs are done satisfactorily.

To the person with $30 LC and $20 SC prices, unless you are in an area of very low living costs, that groomer will both burnout their business and their body in a very short time. I stupidly gave GSDs a lower groom price because I love the breed but even my discount price was never approaching that low a price and those clients brought the dogs to me.


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## selzer (May 7, 2005)

Yes, I told her about them blowing their coats. She asked whether they were long coats, and I told her two are plush, but no coats. 

I am really wondering about tipping them. Do you do 10% or 20%? 10% of $320 is a chunk of change. If I give each of the groomers (there will be two) a $20 would I be concidered cheap -- this is of course concidering a nicely done job. 

They said it will take 7 hours and two groomers. They will have 55 gallons of water, but they will need to hook into my well to complete the job. 

Out here, everything is cheaper relative to big cities and more properous states. The cost of living is low because we have high unemployment, and low paying jobs. People have to drive an hour or more to make decent money and then they put it all in their tank. But I thought the price was better than I had hoped. Now I just have to wait and see. 

If I have a good experience, I will have them do Mom's dogs too.


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## JeanKBBMMMAAN (May 11, 2005)

I pay $30 to take Nina to the groomer here, so I think the extra ten for curb service would be great. I tip $6 (please tell me my math is right and that's 20%) but don't know if there are special rules for more dogs/more groomers. Maybe Qyn will chime in. She knows this stuff!









I was going to start taking more to the groomer, but Nina goes every 5-6 weeks now and I had computer bills, more vet bills than expected...so...I bought a $70 tub (or whatever it is) at Tractor Supply, some Earth Bath shampoos and am hoping to give each dog 2 baths this summer/fall, plus still take Nina to see Gina. I have two to go to finish round one. It's actually too hot this week so far to do the last two. 

BUT-the groomer does a way better job no matter how much I try to copy what she does. 

Bella and Nina checking out the new tub:









Maybe someday Nina's vet will go mobile!


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## Qyn (Jan 28, 2005)

Tipping in Australia is not expected (even in restaurants, although some people, mostly that includes me, do) but they are always nice to receive, so ..... I can't really help with that. When I visited the Groomers Lounge forum (US based) there seemed to be an etiquette of groomers getting either nothing or about 10% depending (sometimes) whether they were the owner or not.

Here is a thread concerning a number of different points of view. Just go with what you think is right.

http://colleenscorner.com/blog/?p=291


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## BrennasMom (Mar 2, 2008)

Grooming prices vary based on your area. Mobile groomers typically charge a slightly higher than average fee. My friend has a mobile business and charges about $15 over the local shop prices.

You may be getting a discount because they will be spending the whole day at your house rather than driving from one appointment to the next. $40/gsd is very reasonable IMO, though I am used to the DC area prices.

If you can't afford a generous tip you may also ask for business cards and emphasize that you will send more business their way. A $20+ tip is always awesome but the money made from referrals will add up to be much more than that.


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## mkennels (Feb 12, 2008)

She has been doing this for over 20 years and she stays booked all the time, she also shows horses and she has several people helping her out, she also runs a doggy day care as well.


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## selzer (May 7, 2005)

Well, tomorrow's the day. Yesterday i broke my @#$% tooth in half and swallowed the free half and have an appointment with the dentist tomorrow and 9:20. The groomers will be there at 11:00 -- I am afraid I am cutting this a bit close! I better give her a buzz in the morning and let her know that if I am not there when she gets there, I will be there by 11:00. 

The appt is for 11:00 because she has a dog before me.


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## selzer (May 7, 2005)

The job is done. 

We did all eight of mine and both of my parents.

Instead of shopping and spending money for two hours, I hosed out my kennels and scrubbed all the water buckets, vaccumed hair in the doggy room.


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## middleofnowhere (Dec 20, 2000)

I think that's a pretty good deal. Here, at my vets, it's 25$ for the lighter dog; 30$ for Barker the Younger who tends to be chunky. A friend in Denver pays $60 or more to have her much smaller dog groomed. They do clip him but it's not a serious clip like a poodle or a terrier.


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## arycrest (Feb 28, 2006)

I pay $40 for the easy groom Hooligans, Mac and Bruiser. Slider, who has a thicker coat, costs $50. Honey has a very dense undercoat and Kelly is a long hair with a thick undercoat, and if I recall, they cost $60. This is a full grooming including all the dead hair/undercoat is combed out (which in Honey's case is a boatload).


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## BrennasMom (Mar 2, 2008)

> Originally Posted By: selzerThe job is done.
> 
> We did all eight of mine and both of my parents.
> 
> Instead of shopping and spending money for two hours, I hosed out my kennels and scrubbed all the water buckets, vaccumed hair in the doggy room.


Did she charge extra to do your parents? I hope you tipped her well!


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## selzer (May 7, 2005)

She charged me $40/dog, filled up her water tank from my well twice, I gave each of them a bottle of water from my fridge. It was a deal. 

I talked a bit to the one that wasn't doing the bathing. They know that I am living alone there and trying to make ends meet. I gave each a $20 tip and told them to have dinner on me. That was all I could really do. 

I would have had to travel 5 times to mentor and back in my SUV to do that many dogs, pay about $100 for grooming each time, waste 3-4 hours each time, and spend money while I was there too. 

I had my parents' dogs waiting for them when they arrived in a couple of x-pens with a sun shade and cardboard to protect them. When they finished their boys, I threw them in the car and gave the Tori and Dubya promising that these would be the worst ones. I then ran Cujo and Pip to moms, came back and put Dubya away, and gave them Arwen, put Tori away and gave them Heidi. I was hosing the kennels by then. When they gave me Arwen back I gave them Whitney, and replaced Heidi with Rushie. Then I waited for both to be done before giving them Babs (pregnant). I waited for her to be done, but had Jenna ready for them when they were done with Babsy. 

In all it took 3 hours. I felt run off my feet. They were covered in hairy dog and it was a real job. But it was done. I asked specifically about fleas, and they did not find any. That is good because my flea prevention is Revolution used every 6-7 weeks rather than every month. 

They had guestimated 7 hours for my lot with only eight dogs. So I am only guessing that it went a bit quicker because the dogs were well-behaved. Either that, or they had a good system going.


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