Should I Groom My Dog the Day of, or Will He Look Too Groomed?

Mocha in between grooming appoimtments.

I've had a handful of clients book a session and then have to push it back, sometimes by a few weeks, sometimes longer, because of a bad cut. The groom didn't go the way they hoped, and suddenly the dog they wanted to photograph wasn't the dog looking back at them. So we waited. There's nothing wrong with wanting your dog to look his best for a session. The trouble starts when "his best" turns into a version of him you have to get used to.

Here's how I'd think it through.

If you take your dog in every week or two for a trim, then a fresh groom right before your session makes sense. That's how he looks. That's the dog your family recognizes when he trots into the room. Photograph him that way and the pictures will feel true.

If you go months between cuts, the question changes. Ask yourself honestly: does Mocha look normal the day she comes home from the groomer, or does it take a week or two before she settles back into looking like herself? For a lot of dogs, the just-groomed look is the unfamiliar one. It softens into the real dog after a few days.

The goal of a session is a printed keepsake that shows your dog at his best on an ordinary day. You want to walk past his portrait on the wall and smile because it's him, the dog you live with, not a freshly trimmed stranger you needed a week to recognize.

So what do I actually suggest before a session?

Brush her out. Work through any mats and get the bits of dirt and debris out of the coat. An hour or two before I arrive, wipe his face down with a damp cloth to clear away any eye boogers. Those small things, the brush-out and the clean face, are what spiff up the appearance without changing who he is.

That's the line I'd draw. The small touches that tidy him up are worth doing. The big changes that make you look twice are the ones to be careful about. A portrait should look like your dog, not like the day he came back from the groomer wondering what just happened to him.

If you're thinking about a session and want to talk it through, head to my contact page and schedule a complimentary consultation. We'll plan the timing around your dog, so the photos look like the companion you already love.