ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø


Blog Layout

Dog Grooming Experts at ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø Reveal The Most High-Maintenance Dog Breeds To Own in 2024

Jan 25, 2024

Research by ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø has found that the English Springer Spaniel is the most high-maintenance dog breed, with grooming needed every 2 weeks at an average annual cost of £1,222. By looking at UK dog registrations in 2023, compiling annual grooming needs and care costs per breed, at have identified the most high-maintenance dog breeds to own in 2024. 

 

Dog ownership has soared over the last few years, with more people than ever opening their homes to a new dog. From getting a puppy for Christmas to wanting a fluffy companion for company, the estimated number of in the UK in 2023 was 12 million. With over 220 different breeds to choose from and certain breeds needing more care than others, be it food consumption, regular grooming or constant stimulation, it can be difficult to know which breed to pick that will suit your home and lifestyle the best. 

 

The Most Popular Breeds in the UK

 

By looking at the number of dog registrations in the UK over 2022/2023, experts at ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø identified the most popular breed with over 44,000 registrations was the Labrador Retriever. Following close behind is the French Bulldog with 42,538 UK registrations, with the Cocker Spaniel coming in third with 29,491 registrations. 


Dog Breed No. of UK Registrations
Labrador Retriever 44,311
French Bulldog 42,538
Cocker Spaniel 29,491
Dachshund - Miniature Smooth-Haired 15,308
Bulldog 11,667
Golden Retriever 11,075
English Springer Spaniel 9,603
German Shepherd 7,211
Staffordshire Bull Terrier 6,561
Miniature Schnauzer 4,788


The Most High-Maintenance Dog Breeds

 

Depending on which breed you go for, they may require different levels of maintenance. , based at Wright Scruffs, says that a dog's grooming needs will entirely depend on the breed, the length and type of coat and the lifestyle your dog has. “This is really breed-specific, depending on the coat. Some breeds need to visit every 4-6 weeks whilst others can go without for longer, every 6-8 weeks.”

 

Shirelle adds, “Woollen coats and long coats should be maximum every 6 weeks. This promotes good coat care, skincare, and can prevent ear infections (clearing the ears). It also ensures the dogs don't have parasites/matting and helps avoid potential skin conditions.”

 

Taking into consideration the breed, frequency of grooming and the average cost per breed, ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø has revealed the most high-maintenance dog breeds. The English Springer Spaniel took the top spot for the most high-maintenance breed in 2024 with grooming needed at least every 2 weeks at an average annual cost of £1,222. Coming in second is the Labrador Retriever with grooming also needed every 2 weeks, with an annual grooming cost of £1,014. The French Bulldog was third most high maintenance, requiring at least a brush and bath every 2-4 weeks at an average annual cost of £503. 


Breed How often the dog should be professionally groomed Average Annual Grooming Cost
English Springer Spaniel Every 2 weeks £1,222
Labrador Retriever Every 2 weeks £1,014
French Bulldog Every 2-4 weeks £503
Miniature Schnauzer Every 4-6 weeks £458
Golden Retriever Every 8-10 weeks £358
Cocker Spaniel Every 6-8 weeks £349
German Shepard Every 4-8 weeks £338
Dachshund - Miniature Smooth-Haired Every 4-6 weeks £302
Staffordshire Bull Terrier Every 4-8 weeks £286
Bulldog Every 8-12 weeks £172


Whilst the most high-maintenance dogs will require regularly scheduled grooming appointments, it’s important to know the needs of different breeds. Shirelle recommends there are things owners can do in between appointments to care for their beloved pets, “Labradors shed their coats, so regular coat brushing is essential to ensure the undercoat is maintained. French bulldogs are a brachycephaly breed, they are renowned for bad skin conditions. Their faces must be cleaned daily, coat combed, and skin checked for any issues. 

 

Cocker spaniels are naturally water-loving dogs, with lovely long ears and their coats can matt easily. Because they have long ears this breed often has ear infections, so regular brushing and checking of ears is advised.”

 

When it comes to dog grooming, pet owners mustn’t leave it too long between appointments and keep up regular grooming at home, otherwise further issues may develop. Shirelle says that one of the most annoying things they see is knotted fur, “Dog owners need to ensure they are regularly combing breeds such as Cockapoos, as their coats can easily get tangled and knotted together.

 

If the breed has long hair but wears a harness, this can also cause friction knots under the arms of the dog. This can take up a lot of grooming time to remove, which results in not having the time to carry out a complete groom.”

 

The Cost of Grooming by Breed Per Grooming Session

 

In the UK alone, Google searches for “dog groomers near me” hit 74,000 searches per month. But at what cost? By looking at the average cost for a full groom (shampoo, blow-dry, nail clip, hand stripping/clipping) for each breed, we have identified how size and type of coat can impact grooming costs. 

 

The most expensive dogs to have professionally groomed per session are on average, the Golden Retriever, Newfoundland, Collie, Airedale, Husky and Portuguese Water Dog which all have an average cost of £62 per grooming session as they are the largest and usually have the thickest fur, meaning they take the most time. The cheapest dogs to have professionally groomed are unsurprisingly the smallest breeds, including the Jack Russell, Dachshund, French Bulldog, Chihuahua and Pug with an average cost of £29 per grooming session. 

 

Size of Dog Short Hair/Smooth Coat Long Hair/Silk/Wool Coat Wire Hair/Double Coat
Small Dogs Jack Russell, Dachshund, French Bulldog, Chihuahua, Pug £29 Bichon Frise, Toy Poodle, Shih Tzu Border Terrier, Sheltie, Norfolk, Norwich, Patterdale
£29 £39 £40
Medium Dogs Beagle, Greyhound, Bulldog, Dalmatian, Staffordshire Bull Terrier Cockapoo, Cocker Spaniel, Springer Spaniel, Miniature Poodle Westie, Wire Fox, Scotty, Cairn, Miniature Schnauzer, Welsh, Lakeland Terrier
£33 £47 £44
Large Dogs Labrador, Boxer, Pointer, Weimaraner, Vizsla, Great Dane, German Shepherd Standard Poodle, Labradoodle, Border Collie, Setter Golden Retriever, Newfoundland, Collie, Airedale, Husky, Portuguese Water Dog
£39 £52 £62


The Cost of Grooming by UK Region

 

Most UK Pet owners will be spending an average of £32 to have their dogs professionally groomed, but this can vary between £20-£100 depending on the breed and the area of the country you live in. To identify the average spend on professional grooming by UK region, we looked at the 3 highest-rated dog groomers in each UK city to estimate the average cost of professional grooming in that area.

 

The most expensive UK city to get your dog groomed in was identified to be London, with an average grooming cost of £50 per session. This was followed by Edinburgh with an average of £42 and Leeds with an average cost of £41 per groom. The cheapest city for professional dog grooming is Norwich, with an average cost of £20. 


UK City Average Grooming Cost
London £50
Edinburgh £42
Leeds £41
Bristol £39
Cardiff £38
Sheffield £37
Leicester £35
Manchester £34
Birmingham £31
Plymouth £29
Brighton £29
Liverpool £25
Newcastle £24
Nottingham £24
Norwich £20


Whilst grooming a pet may seem like a luxury or an added expense it’s incredibly important for the health of the dog - but any at-home grooming isn’t recommended. Shirelle advises caution when it comes to at-home grooming and to keep it simple. “If owners are confident to cut nails, clean ears, and maintain their dog’s coat, great. However, groomers are there for the owners who are not confident grooming their beloved pet for fear of hurting them. Always better to play safe and leave this to the expert, inevitably, you always find something that needs sorting, so better to have the right skills and tools to ensure this is sorted.

 

Also, it’s worth considering some training if you’re keen to do this yourself, some groomers run workshops on a 1-1 basis, teaching owners how to groom their dog.”

 

Choosing the right breed 

 

It’s always important to research any dog when finding the perfect breed for a certain lifestyle and accommodation. From the size to the grooming needs, exercise and nutrition, there are many characteristics to consider when it comes to choosing your furry friend. If you already have a dog and are unsure of its maintenance needs, contact your local for more information on how best to care for your dog whatever the breed. 

 

Methodology 

 

We used a series of data sources and lists to identify the most high-maintenance dog breeds in 2024. 

 

We used   to find the total number of UK dog registrations by breed in 2022, as well as the as pets between 2011-2023. 

 

To calculate the average cost of grooming per breed, we used ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø’s directory for the 3 highest-rated per city and calculated the average price for a full groom by city and by breed, as well as which breeds need the most regular grooming. We also utilised average costings from and multiplied our total averages by the number of times per year each dog breed needed to be groomed to calculate an overall annual grooming cost which gave us a list of the most high-maintenance breeds in the UK. 

About ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø

ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø Ltd exists to connect businesses and consumers via its leading marketplace for local services and offering managed digital marketing helping businesses to find, connect and sell to consumers online. ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø Ltd is a proud Google Premier Partner, Microsoft Advertising Elite Channel Partner, and Meta Business Partner.


Learn more at  and our Media Centre


Visit our social media channels: 


Download the free ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø consumer app from the  or 


Download the free ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø for Business app from the  or 


For media enquiries, please email:


03 Oct, 2024
Research by driving experts at ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø has revealed that Leeds and Belfast are officially the best cities to be a learner driver. With driving lessons averaging at £33 per hour in Leeds, this city makes an affordable choice for most learner drivers at 13% less than the national average of £38. Belfast is 3% above the average of £38, but learner drivers benefit from short wait times of 10 weeks. Demand for driving lessons is at an all-time high as the backlog from the pandemic continues. Until driving test capacity increases, the backlog is expected to only get worse, with high-demand areas having seemingly no end in sight. In 2024, there are an estimated 3,712,728 learner drivers in the UK competing for driving test slots, but the Driving Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) can only accommodate 2,042,976 of them. This means that demand for driving tests is expected to exceed capacity by 82%. This pressure only continues as data from the DVLA shows that , from January to March 2024 (Quarter 4), 666,000 car theory tests were conducted in Great Britain, an increase of 12% from January to March 2023 (Quarter 4). Equally, from January to March 2024 (Quarter 4), 561,000 car practical tests were conducted in Great Britain, an increase of 25% from January to March 2023 (Quarter 4). The delays in booking tests and the ongoing backlog are causing major frustrations for both drivers and instructors. Learners are having to take more lessons to make up for the additional waiting time and instructors are unable to take on more drivers due to the backlog. According to a survey from car insurance provider Marmalade , 77% of learners have cited that the extra cost of more lessons has been their biggest frustration. DVSA says that learners will need an average of 45 lessons to pass a test , working out around £1,710 per student. However, with wait times for tests now at an all-time high at an average of 21 weeks across the country , driving instructors and their students are in a crisis. Learners across the country are facing a postcode lottery when it comes to waiting for a driving test slot, and most centres are seeing over double the wait times of pre-pandemic levels, which saw an average of only 6 weeks. Leeds and Belfast revealed as the best cities for learner drivers in the UK Taking into account the average cost of driving lessons in each city, the average wait times and driving test search demand, ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø has created a list of the best cities to be a learner driver in 2024. It’s revealed that Leeds and Belfast are officially the best cities to be a learner driver. With driving lessons averaging at £33 per hour in Leeds, this city makes an affordable choice for most learner drivers at 13% less than the national average. While driving test wait times are still relatively high at 20 weeks, this is one week less than the national average, and search demand in the city is slightly less than the national average, seeing 1,700 searches each month. Belfast averages £39 for driving lessons, which is 3% more than average, however drivers benefit from short test wait times at only 10 weeks. Belfast also has a smaller search demand of 1,400 searches each month for “driving lessons Belfast”. London is ranked as the worst place for learner drivers. The average driving lesson costs are second highest in the country at £41 per hour, 8% over the national average. London has the second highest wait times at 23 weeks, which is mirrored in its monthly search demand, which is the highest in the UK with over 2,800 searches for “driving lessons London” each month.
27 Aug, 2024
New research by driving experts at ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø has revealed the UK’s top 10 speed camera hotspots and which regions are catching drivers out this summer. Looking at police records from every county across the UK between the periods of July 2023 and August 2023, the experts at ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø have revealed that Surrey takes the top spot for the most speeding violations in the UK with 22,811 between July and August 2023. In 2023, 203,801 people were found guilty of a speed limit offence - this is a decrease of 8% when compared to the previous year, but an increase of 85% since 2011. Across the UK, there are now around 7000 cameras on the road networks, catching drivers out across the country - from speeding violations to using a phone whilst driving, or parking illegally. Below, the driving experts at ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø have identified the top ten speed camera capitals in Britain: Top 10 UK regions with the highest number of speeding offences The UK’s number one speeding hotspot in the UK is Surrey with 22,811 speeding violations between July-August 2023 . Within Surrey, the speed camera hotspot that has been catching the most drivers on the road is the M25/M3 Junction. The location coming in second for the most speeding violations is West Mercia. West Mercia saw 21,266 speeding violations in the period of July-August 2023, with the M5 J8 SB speed camera catching the most speeding violations. The location coming in third highest for speeding violations is Nottinghamshire, with 16,400 violations being caught. The M1 North Bound between Junction 26 and 27, Notts has been identified as the location that catches the most speeding violations in Nottinghamshire between July-August 2023.
01 Jul, 2024
Wimbledon kicks off on July 1st and is expecting around 54.3 million people to be watching the matches this year. With that many eyes on the revered courts, it is understandable why Brits will be attempting to replicate their own Wimbledon-worthy lawn at home this summer. In the run-up to the biggest tennis event of the year, search demand for “how to make your lawn green” has increased by 85% over the last 14 days. With this in mind, gardening experts at ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø have spoken to gardener and landscaper Simon Akeroyd to find out how to achieve a Wimbledon-worthy lawn at home this season. The most popular lawns in the world Wimbledon is a quintessentially British event known for its lush green courts that have been meticulously groomed for 15 months before the championships. The Wimbledon Centre Court is one of the most famous lawns in the world thanks to its nine tonnes of grass seeds being planted every year with precision, and daily maintenance that helps create the Perennial Ryegrass courts we see today. The most popular lawn in the world when looking at search demand is The Old Trafford Cricket Ground, with a monthly search demand of 8,000. Kensington Palace Gardens comes in second for the most popular lawn in the world, with a monthly search demand of 3,300. Taking third place is the Wimbledon Centre Court, which sees a monthly search demand in the UK of 2,200.
Share by: