When to Book Dog Grooming for the Holidays: Do It Now

It is the eve of Thanksgiving, Tuesday. Thursday your in-laws come to visit, your dog is a wet doormat and all the salons in 20 miles tell you there is no opening till January. Sound familiar? The good news is that the fix only takes five minutes, and is most effective in October. Here are the tips on just the right spot to lock, what to request, and how to maintain the coat of your pup healthy during the cold months.

Quick Answer: Book your Reservation of your dog in its holiday time between early October and early November, preferably four to six weeks prior to the day you require it. Salon holiday books during the Thanksgiving-to-Christmas season are normally booked, and booking after December is normally a long wait or no appointment at all. When you have a long-haired or curly-haired dog, you want to shoot toward the earlier part of that window.

Do Groomers Get Busy Before Thanksgiving and Christmas?

Yes, and the crunch is initiated sooner than most owners anticipate. A lot of salons find their calendars tightening up early October and remain busy until the week before Christmas.

Imagine your own house. Visitors are invited, there will be photos, and the dog must look and smell good. Now multiply it by all pet households in your zip code.

There are a lot of them. There are approximately 71 million households in the U.S. with a dog (Source: APPA). In the meantime, there are numerous small salons that have only a few groomers and they can only accommodate a certain number of dogs in a day.

The Two Holiday Rushes

• The Thanksgiving rush: Demand is increasing in the late October and peaks in the two weeks before the holiday, with families preparing to host houseguests and travel.
• The Christmas scramble: This begins immediately after the Thanksgiving holiday and it normally reaches its peak during the second half of the month of December where photos, parties, and visits to relatives are piled up.

The area between is the hardest to land. In case you would like to have a fresh-looking dog to both holidays, book both dates simultaneously.

Why Dog Groomers Book Up During Holidays

Salons do not fill naturally. A number of forces struck simultaneously, and they are all drawn the same way, that is to say, with less open slots.

• Demand spikes. Almost everybody desires a clean, fluffy dog ahead of meetings, pictures and travelling.
• Supply shrinks. During holidays salons are closed and employees take vacation days, which means that there are fewer working days than usual.
• Each dog takes real time. It takes two or three hours or more to take a full groom to a large, curly, or double-coated dog, and thus a single groomer can take only a few dogs on a given day.
• Regulars are first come, first served. Most stores allow standing customers to make new bookings when they check out, making the most desirable holiday days frequently booked before the phone rings.
• Staffing is tight. The federal statistics show a gradual increase in the number of jobs in pet-care as more families adopt pets (Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics). However, it takes time to train an experienced groomer and therefore the shops cannot add chairs overnight.

The moral is easy enough to interpret: the sooner you are on the calendar, the more options you have. You are competing with the regulars of everyone else, in the event that you are a new customer.

How Far in Advance to Book Dog Grooming

Subtract four or six weeks (whichever is longer) off the date you want your dog ready, and then divide it by the coat of your dog and your salon. The following is a brief guide:

Holiday slots may be a slightly higher price too, as there are salons that charge seasonal charges. Early planning allows time to plan. The cost of having a dog in the first year of ownership, which we have broken down, indicates how grooming fits in the larger picture.

When to Book Dog Grooming for the Holidays: A Week-by-Week Timeline

Salon calendars are somewhat predictable, but your local market might be a week or two early or late. Thanks giving is November 26th this year and Christmas is Friday, December 25. In most markets, holiday slots are booked weeks prior to the actual holiday.

You are good in time, as long as it is still October.

If You Missed the Window

• Get on the waitlist today. Cancellations occur frequently, particularly during the weekdays.
• Ask to have a bath-and-brush. In between times that full grooms cannot occupy.
• Try a weekday. Tuesday, Thursday, slots are usually available earlier than Saturdays.
• Check mobile services. First, just have them vetted.
• Work on the fundamentals at home. A complete brush-out, and a paw trim in a moment.

How Often Should Dogs Be Groomed in Winter?

In winter most dogs still require to be groomed regularly, but the aim is different. Cogitate neat, cozy and warm rather than brief summer-type cuts.

The ASPCA cold-weather guidelines are unequivocal on two aspects. Shaving a dog in the winter to bare skin is not advisable as longer fur keeps the dog warm. And shower pets when it is cold (as little as possible) (Source: ASPCA).

These are general rules of thumb. Your groomer will be able to schedule it to your dog.

Between-Visit Care That Makes a Difference

• Wash twice or thrice a week. This is most important when one is wearing sweaters and coats, and fur is rubbing and tangling.
• Wipe paws upon walks. Melting ice may be harmful when licked (Source: ASPCA).
• Maintain ID tags. The number of lost dogs during winter is more than in any other season (Source: ASPCA), and guests during holidays leave the doors open more frequently. GPS tracker provides an added safety net, therefore, visit our AirTag vs. Fi collar comparison of the two.
• Keep learning. To further take care of your coat at home, visit our grooming and hygiene tutorials.

What to Ask When Booking a Dog Groomer

Some clever questions at the outset will help avoid surprises during the appointment day.

Questions About Scheduling

• Have you a waitlist or cancellation list?
• Will I be able to have a regular appointment every four to six weeks?
• What are your holiday hours, and what’s your last day before Christmas?
• Does it have a holiday charges, deposit or late-cancellation fee?

Questions About Your Dog’s Care

• What vaccines are you in need of? Most salons would require evidence of core vaccines, and rabies is one of the core vaccines that the American Animal Hospital Association advises all dogs to have (Source: AAHA).
• What do you do with nervous dogs? In case your dog becomes nervous, our dog care and training information can assist you to create calm habits prior to the visit.
• What will be the duration of my dog at the salon and is he going to be crated?
• How do you feel about matted coats? Other stores impose a higher price on dematting, or can advise a shorter cut.
• What is the entire cost? Request a written estimate which incorporates extras such as nail grinding, teeth brushing or de-shedding.

A Note for Puppy Parents

The initial groom of a puppy should be brief and good. Request a fast intro visit, and verify the vaccine schedule of your vet. Our new pet owner guides give us the information of what to expect during these early months.

The Bottom Lines:

The holiday rush is not too surprising, and it means that you can avoid it. Choose the day you want your dog ready, subtract four to six weeks and call this week. Request a rebooking, waitlists, and vaccine paperwork, and omit the shave-down. Would you like to screen a groomer prior to committing? Browse our mobile groomer red flag list and be aware of what to look out before you hand over the leash.

References

1. American Pet Products Association (APPA). National Pet Owners Survey / State of the Industry Report, which puts U.S. dog-owning households at about 71 million. americanpetproducts.org/insights
2. ASPCA. “Cold Weather Safety Tips.” Covers not shaving dogs to the skin, limiting baths in cold spells, ice-melt dangers, and more dogs being lost in winter. aspca.org/pet-care/general-pet-care/cold-weather-safety-tips
3. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Occupational Outlook Handbook, “Animal Care and Service Workers.” bls.gov/ooh/personal-care-and-service/animal-care-and-service-workers.htm
4. American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA). 2022 AAHA Canine Vaccination Guidelines (rabies listed among core vaccines). aaha.org/canine-vaccinations