How often should your dog visit the groomer?

There's no single schedule that suits every dog. How often your dog needs a groomer mostly depends on their coat type, how active they are and how much brushing you do at home. These rules of thumb give you a good starting point.

Rules of thumb by coat type

• Short, smooth coat (for example labrador, beagle, boxer): a wash and tidy every 8 to 12 weeks is usually enough. Brushing at home once a week removes loose hair.
• Double coat (for example husky, German shepherd, Bernese mountain dog): every 6 to 8 weeks, plus extra visits during spring and autumn moulting. A groomer removes the dead undercoat; shaving these breeds is usually best avoided.
• Curly or continuously growing coat (for example poodle, doodle, bichon, shih tzu): a cut every 4 to 6 weeks. This coat keeps growing and mats quickly.
• Wire coat (for example terriers, schnauzer): every 8 to 12 weeks, often hand-stripped rather than clipped.
• Long, silky coat (for example Yorkshire terrier, Maltese): every 4 to 8 weeks, depending on whether you keep the coat long or have it cut short.

Signs it's time

Between appointments, your dog may show you that a groom is due:

• Tangles or matted patches, especially behind the ears, under the legs and around the back end.
• Hair hanging over the eyes, or dirt collecting around the paws and between the pads.
• Nails you can hear clicking on the floor.
• A smell that comes back quickly after a bath at home.
• Lots of scratching or licking at the same spot; if in doubt, ask your vet to take a look too.

What you can do at home

Regular brushing is the most useful thing you can do yourself. It prevents mats, spreads the natural oils in the skin and makes each groom shorter and calmer for your dog. Avoid shampooing too often: most dogs only need a bath when they are genuinely dirty, using a mild dog shampoo.

Start young

Puppies who get used to the grooming table, the dryer and the sound of clippers early on find grooming far less stressful later. A short puppy groom at around 4 to 6 months is a good first step. Ask the groomer to take it slowly.

Find and book a groomer

On Petovia you can compare groomers and mobile groomers near you. Each listing shows the treatments on offer, which pets they take, the price and how long it takes, and you can book a time that suits you online.