I have been asked this question many times over my almost 25 year grooming career. The simple answer is grooming a dog is much more involved and requires more skill than it sounds like. It is not 'just a shave.' I have also been asked “Why does my dog's haircut cost more than mine?” For that, I have a list of The Top Ten Reasons Why Your Dog's Haircut Costs More Than Yours, and while this list is amusing, it is also very true, and shows part of why it's not 'just a shave'. The list goes as follows:
#10 Your hairdresser doesn't wash and clean your rear end!
#9 You don't go for 8 weeks and never wash or brush your hair.
#8 Your hairdresser doesn't have to give you a sanitary trim!
#7 Your hairdresser doesn't clean your ears!
#6 Your hairdresser doesn’t have to remove the boogies from your eyes.
#5 You sit still for your hairdresser.
#4 Your hair cut doesn't include a manicure and pedicure.
#3 Your hairdresser only washes and cuts the hair on your head!
#2 You don't bite and scratch your hairdresser.
#1 The likelihood of you peeing or pooping while your hair is being cut is slim.