This page provides independent, editorially reviewed information on pet-care business software. A grooming pricing method that sets rates based on a pet's breed, size, and coat type (and sometimes condition) rather than a flat fee, reflecting the different time and effort each animal requires.
Breed / Coat Type Pricing
A grooming pricing method that sets rates based on a pet's breed, size, and coat type (and sometimes condition) rather than a flat fee, reflecting the different time and effort each animal requires.
Breed and coat-type pricing is the grooming industry's standard way of setting rates. Instead of one flat price, the groom is priced according to how much work the animal actually takes — which depends primarily on breed, size, coat type, and condition.
A short-haired small dog is quick; a double-coated or curly-coated breed like a Golden Retriever, Doodle, or Poodle takes far longer to bathe, dry, de-shed, or scissor. Coat condition matters too: a matted dog requires extra de-matting time and often a surcharge. Cats, senior pets, and aggressive or anxious animals may carry their own rate adjustments.
In grooming software this is handled with a price matrix or per-breed price book. When staff select the breed (and sometimes weight and coat length) on the grooming ticket, the system suggests the correct base price and typical service time, which also helps schedule the right number of appointments per day. Add-ons — nail grinding, teeth brushing, de-shed treatment, flea bath — layer on top.
Getting breed/coat pricing right protects margins: underpricing a heavy-coated breed means the groomer loses money on a slot that could have served a quicker dog. It also sets accurate customer expectations, since the quoted price reflects the real effort the pet requires.