Picking up the phone to dial your local puppy groomer, you hesitate before dialing. Last month the bill came to fifty dollars. All that was covered in that fee was Fluffy's wash and dry, with a quick peek at her ears. Her eyes, teeth, or anal glands were not cleaned, as professional groomers recommend, nor were her nails clipped. If you were to request these services the next time you take her to be groomed, the bill might well tally a hundred dollars or more.
Replacing the receiver, your mind works frantically to think of another way to get Fluffy cleaned up. Is there a cheaper method for having your pet groomed? Here are some possibilities to consider:
1. Take your dog to be groomed less often. Instead of a monthly visit, try to hold out for six to eight weeks. If yours is an indoor pet, chances are it won't smell too badly and may not acquire many burrs or ticks, like an outside animal does. And, if your dog has a short-hair coat, your chances of prolonging each visit are even better.
2. Do it yourself. Get some clippers and a brush, a washtub and a shampoo, and you're in business. Set up your own pooch parlor in the laundry room, basement, or garage. Put Fluffy on a leash and give her a doggy treat to chew on as you prepare the bath. Within minutes you will have a clean, detangled dog. Let her run around a garage or basement to dry off without getting dirty or dusty again.
3. Compare prices. If you have been taking your dog to the same groomer for some time, check the yellow pages, consult your vet, and ask your neighbors and friends to see if a new groomer has moved into the area or if another salon has lowered its prices. If you become aware of a more attractive price at a pooch parlor elsewhere, ask your groomer if he or she will match prices to give you a lower rate.
4. Offer to barter services. If you don't want to pay cash for each grooming visit, see if your groomer will exchange Fluffy's bath and trim for another service that you can provide, such as typing, filing, scrubbing floors, or planting flowers. Even a weekly home-cooked meal might be enough of an enticement to prompt your groomer into accepting a cash substitute as payment. It never hurts to ask, so plan your proposal ahead of time and see what happens.
5. Exchange frequency for economy. Suggest that you will bring your dog for grooming every other month on a regular basis for a slightly lower fee. In other words, your groomer can count on six visits per year at say, forty dollars per visit, instead of fifty dollars each time. The discount is made up by the fact that instead of coming in on a random basis, you are willing to set up a regular visit schedule.
6. Get the kids to do it. Add Fluffy's bath to their chore list or make it a fun competition. "Whoever cleans their room first gets to bathe Fluffy!" Until they figure out your little angle on this ploy, you may have more takers than you need. Of course, you'll still need to schedule an occasional visit with the groomer for trims, clips, and wipes to give Fluffy a detailed cleaning.
Be creative in figuring out ways of lowering your pet grooming costs. After all, even if your dog is "just a dumb animal," it's not a dumb idea to save money.
