Pantops Pet Salon & Spa
Charlottesville's Professional Dog Grooming

As of 11/10/07, I need to make a minimum of $35.00 an hour to operate the business.  The profit after labor, rent, utilities, etc is not enough for me to be employed solely as an owner—I have to groom as well.  Not as much as when the kids were at home, but I can’t sit and just supervise—yet.

Our top groomer salary is $16 an hour—add benefits, medicare and vacation to that and I need to budget $18 an hour.  Labor for our industry should be around 50% of cost—that’s where the $35 an hour comes from—the remaining $17.50 per hour goes to rent, utilities, insurance, supplies, equipment, etc

Our groomers can do 5-6 dogs a piece per day by themselves and that’s it.  They can’t do more and maintain quality.  I can increase that production by hiring a bather-dryer and I do.  When she is employed, the groomers can do between 7 and 8 dogs (but then I have an extra salary to meet).

So, the first consideration in determining the cost of a haircut is the per hour fee.  The second consideration is the skill required—full coated dogs that are scissored by hand require much more skill than a clipper cut.  Take a Bichon Frise for example.  A scissor cut between 1.5 and 2 inches costs $68 and that’s if there are no tangles.  A clipper cut to ½ an inch is $48 and takes almost an hour less time.  If you bring in a Collie and it takes 2 and a half hours to brush, bathe, and dry him, expect a charge of $87.  Add trimming of the feet, tail, and feathers—it’ll be closer to $100.

A third consideration is the density of the coat (whether it is matted or packed with undercoat).  Dogs that come in once a year to be clipped short for the summer cost more than those dogs who get the same clip but come in every 6-8 weeks.  For example, a 6-8 week short cut on a cocker is $48.  It will be more like $55 if the Cocker has a full coat.

Another very important cost factor is pet behavior.  Puppies and seniors generally require more time and patience, thus cost more.  Some customers expect that since their puppy is smaller that it will cost less, but it usually takes as much time or more to get them acclimated to the grooming process.

So, there you have it—time, skill, condition and behavior are factors considered in price.  Clients can get the best value for their buck by keeping the coat in a matt-free condition to reduce the labor charge.  Our posted price is based on a good condition—if we have to brush your dog an extra 15 minutes, expect a corresponding increase in your bill.

This is one of the best bargains going when I consider costs per hour of other service industries—called a plumber lately?

I would estimate that 60% of our customers are women and they are comfortable with what they want.  They can discuss bows, cologne, conditioner, and spa treatments quite freely and with enthusiasm.  The men that come in are usually more of a challenge.  They often don’t know much more than the dog’s name.  The conversation goes like this:  “What kind of haircut do you want?” — “I don’t know, it’s my wife’s dog.”  Oh boy, here we go.  He stands there in his jeans, baseball cap, unshaven and with a chew in his cheek.  As far as he is concerned, you could shave the dog bald–it means more to his wife than he does anyway!

I know that when I was younger, my dogs had to reflect my machismo.  I had a German Shepherd, Irish Setter, and Collie–see a pattern?  When we owned our Scottie Margaret, I found her to be too small to romp around the way I like:  “Want to jump in the car and go to Lowes?”  Probably not.  She became more my wife’s dog.  After a lot of complaining, I got my first of three Great Danes.  Now I could grunt, spit, and be thoroughly disgusting with my bad-ass dog.

Reminds me of the time I was admiring my granddaughter when she was born.  We were having a family dinner and I held her in my arms and said, “She is just precious!”  My son Michael looked at me in disbelief:  …Precious?  He said, “Dad, what is that, your feminine side?”  You have to understand that having been raised as an Army brat and then putting in 5 years myself, my personality reflects an atmosphere of male dominance and discipline.  Real men don’t say “precious,” and I think working in a female dominated industry for 32 years was having its effect on me!  The first three years of business I operated only a boarding kennel, and that certainly was manly enough.  But then I needed to expand my ability to make money so I added grooming.  It took me a long time to adjust to putting bows on poodles and spraying them with perfume.

One of my favorite customers is a guy who weighs about 300 lbs., shaves his head and has tattooed arms the size of my waist.  Occupation?  Tow truck driver.  Pet?  Toy Poodle named Midnight.  His hands are the size of a baseball mitt — much larger than his poodle.  I couldn’t help but ask him what he was doing with such a little dog.  He just smiled and grunted that it was his wife’s dog.  “Got a problem with that?”  I took another look at his arms and said, “Nope, how do you want him cut?”  His answer?  You got it.  “Shave him down all over and no foo-foo stuff.”

Archived from “The Paw Report:” Issue #17

In the last issue we discussed what type of breeders to avoid, but how do you know if you have found a good one? The key is personal attention. A reputable breeder is focused on doing their best by their breed in every way. Your relationship with them does not end when you buy the puppy. They will maintain contact with you and offer you any information and assistance that you may want from diet questions to training. They will give you a written guarantee of your puppy’s genetic health and temperament. They will take back the dog at any point in its life for any reason. They will specialize in one or two breeds and be thoroughly knowledgeable about the history and medical conditions of each.

They will not sell their dogs to pet shops but rather will keep them as house pets. In fact, the Code of Ethics of AKC affiliated breed clubs specifies that members should not sell to pet shops. These breeders will not sell their puppies before 8 weeks of age and they may even insist on visiting your home–they will certainly interview you. They will deny owners that they believe do not suit their puppies.

Because they keep their puppies in their home, the puppies are well socialized and are not exposed to poor health conditions. Reputable breeders may charge a lot of money–Susan Giles’ pet quality lhasa apsos may be $1000-1500. However, these breeders may actually be losing money on their breeding because of the cost of properly evaluating the health of their puppies. Typical tests include the OFA (hip x-ray certification), CERF (Canine Eye Registry Foundation), Penn-Hipp (hip joint laxity), and SAS (subaortic stenosis check). Research the common defects in your preferred breed and ask your breeder what he is doing to prevent and detect those issues.

Reputable breeders will have at least the dame on site for you to see and interact with. They will have a limited number of litters per year. They rarely need to advertise and usually have buyers lined up before a litter is born. They will be experienced and confident in their reputation as a reputable breeder and will be happy to offer you references.

I spoke with a breeder named Susan Giles because one of our customers is a very stand-out lhasa apso named Oliver. Due to backyard breeding and the breed’s natural inclinations, lhasas can come with a myriad of issues. They are typically supposed to be “chary of strangers” but poorly bred lhasas can be kennel shy, unpredictable, and aggressive toward strangers. They are susceptible to physical defects such as cherry eye, renal failure, and hip dysplasia. Oliver is a very healthy boy who is cautious toward strangers but friendly once he gets to know you–exactly what the breed standard calls for. Susan is a show breeder so the puppies she raises come with a thick, luxurious coat as well. She is very aware of the problem of backyard breeders and because of this she insists on a spay/neuter contract when she sells her puppies.

The most important thing to remember when looking to buy a puppy is Do Your Research. Know what health exams your breeder should be doing, what temperament problems you should watch out for, and find a breeder you trust who is first and foremost concerned with what is best for their dogs.