Costs

The condition of the dog’s coat - What an owner may genuinely think of as being "a few knots" might in fact be a solid matte which may not be possible to brush out (not to mention being very painful and distressing for the dog). Solid mattes will be cut out. If the coat is found to be widely matted, I will contact you and advise that the coat will be cut down short (see also our Mattes page - link at top)
The dog’s general health - A dog who is older or inactive can often require several rest breaks during grooming, extending the grooming time required
What type of temperament the dog has - Dogs who are nervous or very protective can often require special handling, again extending the required grooming time
The style and extent of grooming chosen - Noting the comments about matting above, the style of the clip needs to be matched to not only the dog’s breed, but also to the owner’s lifestyle and the dog’s condition. A heavily matted dog, for example, may need to be clipped right back and the fur then allowed to re-grow before it can be groomed to a specific style.
Specialised styles -Dogs which require a very specific style (involving, for example, a longer, hand-scissored style) will occupy more of the groomer’s time