How Often Should You Really Get Your Dog Groomed?

One of the most common questions I get asked is, “How often should my dog be groomed?”  The answer depends a lot on their coat type, your lifestyle, and how much maintenance you can do at home.

High-maintenance coats

Dogs with high-maintenance coats, like poodles, poodle mixes (cobberdogs, labradoodles, etc.), and shih tzus, need a full groom every 4–8 weeks. This is because their coat doesn’t stop growing - just like our hair - and they’re prone to matting or becoming impacted if they aren’t brushed or groomed regularly.

But grooms can be expensive, so how can you make them last longer?

1. Go shorter. Shorter clips may not be as fluffy or “styled,” but they last longer for obvious reasons. Even doing a shorter clip just for summer can give you a bit of a maintenance break.

2. Brush regularly. Regular brushing is your best investment between grooms. Focus on the high-friction areas - legs, tummy, ears, cheeks, and tail - as these tend to matt the quickest.

If your dog is kept in a fluffier clip or a more detailed style, a 4-week schedule is usually best to keep things neat and manageable.

3. Invest in a blow-dryer. If you frequent the beach or ever need to give your dog a wash at home - DON'T LET THEM AIR DRY if they have any length to their coat. Using a high-velocity dryer* helps straighten and separate the hair, especially when used in conjunction with a slicker brush.

*High velocity dryers like this one are a low cost, valuable investment that every coated-dog owner should have. They blast hair off the coat instead of using heat, like our human dryers, and therefore take a lot less time.

Double-coated breeds

Double-coated dogs like shepherds and huskies are a bit different. Their grooming schedule depends on their shedding cycle and your lifestyle. For example, I do a de-shed every 4–6 weeks in summer for my two shepherds because they really need it, but during winter they might just get a quick wash and dry once or twice - mostly because of the smell and dander build-up!

Heavy-coated breeds like Bernese Mountain Dogs and St. Bernards follow a similar routine.

Climate and coat health

In our tropical climate, keeping a regular schedule through the warmer months is especially important. A clean, maintained coat helps air flow properly to the skin and reduces the risk of matting and hot spots - especially for dogs that love swimming.

Avoid the “once-a-year” groom

Try to avoid leaving it until that big annual groom. It’s incredibly stressful for your dog and really tough on your groomer. Even every 6 months is much better than once a year.

To give you an idea - I once spent nearly six hours de-shedding a St. Bernard who was on the 12-month schedule. Not only was it super expensive, it was exhausting for both of us - I couldn't even hold a brush the next day as my hand kept cramping!

Finding the right balance I usually tell people - especially puppy owners who are new to high-maintenance breeds like poodles and doodles - that it takes time to find the right balance between aesthetics and your ability to maintain your dog’s coat. That balance will probably change as your lifestyle and the weather do, and that’s completely normal.

For example, I’ve already decided my next dog will be a mini poodle, and you can bet I’ll be shaving that dog from head to toe if we’re going camping or hitting the beach regularly during summer - even though the entire reason I’d get a poodle is to do fun, super-fluffy grooms at every other time! That's the fun in owning these types of dogs - the hair inevitably grows back!