Pet Grooming: How Raising Prices Can Protect Your Dog’s Health

Why do grooming prices increase, and how can those changes actually benefit your dog?

Ever wonder why grooming prices go up and what you actually get for that extra cost? We pull back the curtain on professional dog grooming and show how training, specialty tools, and time on the table translate into safer, calmer visits and healthier dogs. From all-inclusive services that cover nails, paw pads, ears, eyes, and full brush-outs to the products you never see—like coat-specific shampoos and properly maintained blades—we explain what quality looks like when your pup is the client.

We also talk about culture behind the scenes. Our groomers are paid hourly, not on commission, which means they can slow down when a coat needs more work or an older dog needs breaks. That team model reduces stress for everyone, lets us match handlers to dogs when needed, and gives your pup consistent care across visits. We share why coat condition and time are the true drivers of price, how double coats and doodle textures change the workload, and why “cheap grooming” often turns into expensive fixes like mat shaves, nail injuries, or ear infections.

If you’re managing a budget, we’ve got practical advice: choose a cut that fits your life, align coat length with at-home brushing habits, and set a visit cadence that prevents matting before it starts. Shorter styles can stretch appointments; plush looks require more upkeep. We’ll work with your goals and your dog’s comfort to find that sweet spot, whether you’re caring for a high-maintenance doodle, a shedding double coat, or a beloved senior who needs extra gentleness.

Serving North Texas and beyond, we put humanity over vanity every day. If you value transparent pricing, skilled hands, and a calm salon that treats every dog like family, you’ll feel right at home. Subscribe, share this episode with a fellow pet parent, and leave a review to help more dogs find stress-free, professional care.

To learn more about Hound Therapy visit:
https://www.HoundTherapy.com
Hound Therapy
3509 E Park Blvd.
Plano, TX
469-367-0009

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:03

Welcome to Tale Talk Grooming Chronicles with Health Therapy, the podcast where we talk all things pet grooming, daycare, academy, and more. Hosted by Shannon and Tanya of House Therapy, serving pet owners across North Texas. We're here to share expert tips, hilarious pet stories, and the inside scoop on keeping your furry friends happy and healthy. Our motto, humanity over vanity. And don't worry, we don't fight. Let's get started.

Meet The Hosts And Setup

SPEAKER_01 0:50

Welcome back, everyone. I'm Sophia Yvette, co-host and producer, back in the studio with Shannon and Tanya, professional groomers at Hound Therapy. Hi, ladies, how's it going today?

SPEAKER_02 1:01

It's good.

Why Grooming Prices Rise

SPEAKER_01 1:02

How are you? I am so good. Now it's great to have you both back on. So let's jump in. Why do grooming prices go up and why is that actually good for your dog?

SPEAKER_02 1:15

That's a great it's a great question and something that we love to talk about as you know, as people call and uh are coming in and out, or you know, if if we have to have a price increase, which we do um typically once a year, um it it's it's not just because you know we're trying to get more money. Um grooming is a skilled trade. It's just it's it's not some quick service that that you get. Um, so that's the first thing that I want to lead off with is that you know, what we do here for dog grooming at at Howm Therapy is, you know, we have skilled people that are here. We do continuing ed. We take a lot of time. Professionalism in dog grooming is hard to find. And you add that with you've got supplier costs. I mean, everybody has these things. We've got um professional trade, you've got tools that you've got to go with it. You have maintenance for those tools. We are insured here. We're insured for ourselves and for you. Um, there's uh a shampoo that we have to use. We don't just, you know, go to the store and buy something from Walmart we have to order and have special products in.

SPEAKER_03 2:20

Um and there's no just like regular store that we can go to to buy those products.

What Professional Grooming Includes

Hourly Pay And Calm Salon Culture

Time, Coat Condition, And Quality

SPEAKER_02 2:25

Like they all have to be ordered, shipped, and and specific for specific dogs. So we do try to, we're all inclusive here. So our price that that we have, it's not just for your dog. It's everybody here gets the same price. So if if I don't care if you make a million dollars or if you make, you know,$30,000 a year, if you have a dog, the prices and what we do here is designed so that you can budget for that. You can everything is included here. Our nails are included, the paw pads are included. We do the back, we do the brush-out, we can clean it in front of the eyes, the ears. We do everything. Nothing here is an add-on. So um, for us, all of those things cost money and they take time. Uh we don't work on a commission basis here. And uh unfortunately, a lot of salons do. Uh at Home Therapy, our groomers here are paid on an hourly basis based on how many dogs that they're doing. So if we have four or five dogs that take longer to do, we can take the time to do this. Our grimmers are going to take the time that is needed to do that's better for your animal. Um they're they're paid a regular payroll, they're happy to come to work, they're not trying to, you know, fight over who gets what. So that makes a much calmer environment for us here. And your dog. Oh yeah. Which your dog should should, you know, reflect on that. And we hope that it helps with our customers as well because they're able to um, you know, get to know who's here and know that their dog isn't attached just to one person. They're getting a lot of different feedbacks from a lot of different people. Um it it it it it helps with retention, it helps to release burnout uh on the dog and the people that are here. If a dog doesn't like a certain person or is having a bad day, well, there's five other people that that dog can go and see. Uh, and we all kind of groom the same here. So um one of the other things that is, you know, coat, whether your, you know, your coat condition is going to make a difference, again, we go back to time. So we take the amount of time to better serve your individual needs without saying, hey, look, you know, this is how much our time costs versus every little bit picky service that uh if you go somewhere and you get your dog groomed, your nails don't get Dremeled down, to me that's a disservice. Um, cheap grooming is not good grooming. Uh, we want to do good grooming. We are a professional salon here. Uh and we have every time. Yeah. Uh and it doesn't matter whether you're, like I said, rich or poor. We have a budget that you can budget on. Uh, we don't price gouge what we do, we do for everybody. Everybody here is equal. The dogs are equal. And this is the amount of time that it takes for us to do any dog with your hair, coat, and style, you know, comparatively so for everybody. Um cheap, cheap grooming is can almost always cost you a whole lot more in the long run. Uh nails get long, they don't, they get missed and get quick, they can uh, you know, catch on the carpet. You've got cuts, you've got razor burn, you've that somebody didn't uh take proper care when they were washing and bathing. Uh so you've got an ear problem now, or you've got you know eye problems, you've got coats that if you do not brush and demat properly, you're gonna have hot spots.

SPEAKER_03 5:46

So Or I've even had people come in that have previously been groomed somewhere else, and I'm like, hey, we have to shave your dog because it is it's a mat. And they're like, I got it groomed three weeks ago. How is that possible? Because they didn't brush it all the way through.

The Real Cost Of Cheap Grooming

SPEAKER_02 5:59

Yeah, it's grooming, grooming prices isn't about us charging you more. It's about protecting you, your dog, supporting uh experienced scrimmers because we do work very hard to continue learning um on what we need to do here on a calm and and cohesive environment where you get the regular. And at home therapy, we focus on professionalism uh in dog grooming here in Plano. We we do, you know, a lot of different surrounding cities, Alan Murphy. You know, we have people that drive from all over. Uh and and your dog deserves to have time and skill. If it, I mean, this can be a very stressful situation. And it's it's it's something that we take a lot of pride in. So we have to charge accordingly uh in order to continue to provide those level, that level of service, I should say.

SPEAKER_01 6:50

Wow. Now that was some fantastic information overall as far as why it's so important to really take that time. Now, are there any final words of wisdom you guys would like to include before we close up today's episode?

Professional Standards And Service Area

SPEAKER_02 7:09

I I would say if if budget is a problem, or you know, it's big dogs are big money. Um doodles are kind of the thing that everybody is getting now. But we've we're seeing now this is the time of year spring is popping up. And uh we've got a lot of you know, double-coated breeds, collies, chows, border collies. Uh, all of these this is they're they're two and three year grooms, right? But they're not cheap grooms. So know that if you do come here to Helm Therapy, that we're gonna take the time to make sure that your dog has the best experience and the fastest time possible that we can do it and get it done. Uh, or if they're all elderly, or and that that said, if even if you just don't want a breed cut, a lot of people are very caught up. A lot of groomers are caught up on it's not an AKC breed or it's not, I don't care. Whatever is going to make that dog comfortable and whatever you are able to maintain is what we want to do for your dog. We want to give you something that you can maintain. So we've got something here that will give you a longer time in between grooms. We will work with you with your style and how you want to have your dog groomed.

SPEAKER_03 8:18

Within reason.

Budgeting, Breed Needs, And Maintenance

SPEAKER_02 8:19

Within reason, within reason, with well, with what, with what, you know, with what we can do. But if we need to go a little shorter or if we can go longer, longer means you come more often. Shorter usually means you come less often. It may not be the desired look, but it's gonna better fit your budget. We're gonna discuss with you all of the things that are gonna be beneficial to your dog and to your pocketbook if that's a problem. I'm we're happy to work with you.

SPEAKER_03 8:43

And on you maintenance-wise. I don't want to set clients up for failure, knowing that, like, hey, we don't have time to brush this dog, so I'm not gonna leave two inches of hair on a dog that you don't have the time to maintain. So we're gonna give you a cut that you can do.

SPEAKER_01 8:58

Well, thank you, ladies, for the heart behind what you do, and we will see everybody next time.

Custom Cuts And Honest Expectations

SPEAKER_00 9:08

That's a wrap for this episode of Tale Talk with Hound Therapy. Ready to book your pet's next groom daycare stay or grooming academy tour? Call us at 469-367-0009. That's 469-367-0009. To schedule an appointment or visit us online at www.houndtherapy.com, serving North Texas with expert pet care. Until next time, keep those tails whacked.