Grooming senior dogs properly
Hallandale Beach has one of the highest concentrations of long-term residents in South Florida, and a great many of our clients here have dogs who have been with them ten, twelve, fourteen years. Grooming a senior dog is a genuinely different job from grooming a young one, and doing it the standard way can hurt them.
What changes with an older dog
- They cannot stand for long. Arthritic hips and stiff hocks make a 90-minute stand painful. We work in stages and let them rest, and we never rush the table.
- Skin thins and tears easily. Older skin bruises and splits far more readily, so clipper work has to be slower and lighter.
- Lumps and warts are common. We go over a senior dog by hand first and map anything raised so a blade never catches it. This is why we will not rush an intake.
- Hearing and sight fade. A dog who cannot hear you approach startles. We keep contact constant so they always know where we are.
- Cage dryers are dangerous. Heat stress kills older dogs. We have no cage dryers at all — every dog is hand-dried by their groomer.
Every grooming service we offer Hallandale Beach dogs
One groomer handles your dog from start to finish, whichever of these you book. Everything below is available at our 18980 W Dixie Hwy salon, about 10 minutes south on Dixie Highway.
Full Groom
Bath, blow-dry, breed-specific haircut, ear cleaning and a finishing spritz, plus a $20 nail trim and grind add-on. The cut is matched to your dog’s real coat type and condition rather than to a breed chart, so a flat-coated doodle and a curly one do not leave with the same trim.
Bath & Brush
Wash, full brush-out, blow-dry, ears and a sanitary trim, with no haircut, plus a $20 nail trim and grind add-on. A bath and brush is the right booking between full grooms, and the only one short-coated dogs that never need scissoring ever need.
Spa Treatments
Oatmeal for itchy skin, hypoallergenic baths for sensitive dogs, whitening for pale coats that have gone dull, and a full de-shedding treatment for double coats. All pet-safe and professional grade, added on top of a bath or a full groom.
Puppy First Groom
A gentler, shorter introduction for a puppy who has never been on a grooming table. The aim is a calm first visit, not a perfect haircut — that comes later, once your puppy has learned the table, the dryer and the clippers are nothing to worry about.
De-Shedding & De-Matting
Undercoat pulled out properly in the salon so it is not left on your floor and your clothes. Heavy matting takes longer and is always quoted before we start, never after.
Add-Ons
Teeth brushing and ear cleaning, paw balm, nail grinding for a smooth finish, and creative colour. Zoom Bath (+$20) and Zoom Groom (+$30) move your dog to the front of the day when you need the fastest possible turnaround.
Dog grooming by size in Hallandale Beach
Price and time are driven by size and coat condition, not by breed. Find your dog below — these are the 7 bands we quote from for every Hallandale Beach client.
Extra Small dogs — under 12 lb
Typical breeds: Yorkshire Terrier, Chihuahua, Maltese, Toy Poodle, Pomeranian.
Fine coat that mats fast behind the ears and under the harness. These dogs do best on a tight schedule — a short gap between grooms is far cheaper than a de-matting session.
Bath & dry from $55 · full groom from $80.
Small dogs — 12–25 lb
Typical breeds: Shih Tzu, Bichon Frisé, Miniature Poodle, Havanese, Lhasa Apso.
The classic scissor-work breeds. Face, feet and tail shape are what make the groom look right, so this is where breed-specific finishing matters most.
Bath & dry from $65 · full groom from $85.
Medium dogs — 25–50 lb
Typical breeds: Cocker Spaniel, Schnauzer, Border Collie, Cavalier, Springer.
Feathering on the legs and ears picks up sand and salt, which is why these dogs usually need a full bath rather than a tidy-up between grooms.
Bath & dry from $75 · full groom from $95.
Large dogs — 50–80 lb
Typical breeds: Goldendoodle, Labrador, Husky, Australian Shepherd, Standard Poodle.
Doodles and double coats. This is the size band where matting is most often hiding under the surface — the top looks fine and the layer against the skin is felted.
Bath & dry from $85 · full groom from $115.
Extra Large dogs — over 80 lb
Typical breeds: German Shepherd, Golden Retriever, Bernese, Newfoundland.
Volume of coat is the whole job. A proper de-shed on a big double coat takes real time in the tub and under the dryer, which is what the price reflects.
Bath & dry from $95 · full groom from $125.
XXL dogs — giant breeds
Typical breeds: Great Dane, Saint Bernard, Leonberger.
A groom on a dog this size is a longer appointment on our table and in our tub, not just more shampoo — that is what the price reflects.
Full groom from $140 · bath-only quoted by phone or WhatsApp.
XXXL dogs — extra-giant breeds
Typical breeds: English Mastiff, Irish Wolfhound.
Our largest booking. Call or WhatsApp ahead so we can block enough time on the schedule for your dog specifically.
Full groom from $160 · bath-only quoted by phone or WhatsApp.
Not sure which band your dog falls into? Call (786) 661-0388 or send a photo on WhatsApp and we will quote you before you book.
Condo dogs and Gulfstream-area residents
Hallandale is also dense with condo towers along the beach and around Gulfstream Park, and those dogs have the same lobby-and-elevator considerations as our Aventura clients: nails ground smooth so they do not scratch or click on hard floors, thorough de-shedding so loose coat does not end up in a shared elevator, and a light finishing spritz rather than a heavy one.
Small breeds we see most in Hallandale
Shih Tzu & Lhasa Apso
Prone to eye staining and packed ear canals. Both handled every visit.
Poodles & Bichons
Fast-growing curly coats that mat quietly under the topcoat. Four-week schedule recommended.
Yorkies & Maltese
Fine single coats that tangle at the collar and behind the ears.
Senior mixed breeds
Comfort-first grooming, worked in stages with rest built in.
| Dog size | Bath & dry | Full groom |
|---|---|---|
| XS — under 12 lb (Yorkie, Chihuahua, Maltese) | $55 | $80 |
| S — 12–25 lb (Shih Tzu, Bichon, Poodle toy) | $65 | $85 |
| M — 25–50 lb (Cocker, Schnauzer, Border Collie) | $75 | $95 |
| L — 50–80 lb (Goldendoodle, Labrador, Husky) | $85 | $115 |
| XL — over 80 lb (German Shepherd, Golden) | $95 | $125 |
| XXL — giant breeds (Great Dane, Saint Bernard, Leonberger) | Call for price | $140 |
| XXXL — extra-giant breeds (English Mastiff, Irish Wolfhound) | Call for price | $160 |