Make Room in the Budget For Your Dog’s Blowout

Several very popular poodle mixes require expensive and frequent grooming—sometimes more than their owners By Alina Dizik | Photographs by Jutharat Pinyodoonyachet for The Wall Street Journal May 25, 2023 Tap story

Goldendoodles, a poodle and golden retriever mix, like Milo, pictured, were the second-most popular puppy breed, according to 2022 research from pet-sitting platform Rover. Labradoodles, a Labrador retriever and poodle mix, and Bernedoodles, a Bernese Mountain dog and poodle mix, were also in the top 20.

As poodle mixes have exploded in popularity, so too have the headaches and bills for their owners. Beloved partly for their low-shedding, humanlike hair, dogs such as goldendoodles, Bernedoodles and cockapoos require a lot of maintenance.

Goldendoodles were the most costly breed, according to a 2023 Rover survey of 1,500 pet owners. Milo has a 90-minute grooming appointment each month.

Owners say the pandemic dog boom has made appointments scarce as well as expensive.

Jenniffer Walter lives in Bayside, N.Y., and makes a living as a manager for a beauty salon for humans. She says her 50-pound husky-poodle mix’s coat takes 20 minutes to brush each morning. Monthly groomer visits for Megan Fox (so named because “she looks like a model,” Walter says) include a facial mask, take two hours and cost $120. Jenniffer Walter

Natassa Contini, founder of Château le Woof, a dog cafe and grooming service where Walter brings her dog, says grooming appointments have a two-month wait list. Natassa Contini, left, with groomer Luis Aristizabal. Natassa Contini, right, with groomer Luis Aristizabal.

Roughly 70% of her clients own doodles, many of which can’t sit still for grooming. She keeps CBD treats, freeze-dried broth and beef livers and hearts on hand to calm the dogs.

Some of Château le Woof's customers.

When Joy Claire drove to Idaho to adopt her goldendoodle in 2020, she didn’t realize how difficult grooming her would be. Daily upkeep requires two brushes and a comb. If she’s lax, her dog gets a matted coat and runs the risk of ear infections. “She’s like a big Muppet gorilla,” she says.

So each month, she takes Penelope Poodlepants for a five-hour salon makeover that includes a wash, blow dry, nail trim and blueberry facial to get rid of tear stains. The 60-pound goldendoodle gets the teddy-bear cut, a teased-out coif accessorized with a bow. Claire pays $250, including tax and tip. Joy Claire

“She’s my best friend, so it’s always in the budget for her,” says Claire, a creative agency owner in West Hollywood, Calif.

The cost of pet services was up 6.4% in April from a year earlier, according to the latest consumer-price index data. Human haircuts rose 5.3% over that time. Read the full story

Produced by: Matthew Riva Photo Editors: Daisy Korpics and Rachel Mendelson Read the full story