Puppy grooms in Derby: prices and what's included

Five of the twenty-five groomers listed for Derby run a puppy-specific service rather than treating a young dog exactly like an adult, and two of them publish exactly what it costs.

What's on offer, and what it costs

Waggy Tailz Derby, run by owner Jay from Olive Street near Allestree, prices a puppy groom for 3 to 6 month olds at £32, below its £35 to £48 full-groom range for an adult dog. Belpaw Dog Grooming in Belper, run by Kirstine since 2022, publishes a mini puppy groom at £35, close to its £40 full groom for a small adult dog. The Hound Hut - Allestree and The Hound Hut - Mickleover both list puppy introduction sessions among their services, though neither publishes a separate price for it beyond their shared £55 teeth-cleaning fee. sMARTs Dog Grooming Services, the mobile groomer run by Helen Mart from Milford near Belper, lists a puppy grooming package among its mobile services, again with no published price, so ask when you book.

Introduction versus a priced puppy groom

There is a real difference between the two Hound Hut branches' puppy introduction sessions and the priced puppy grooms at Waggy Tailz Derby and Belpaw Dog Grooming. An introduction is generally about getting a young dog comfortable with the noise, handling and table before any real cutting happens, while a priced puppy groom, such as Waggy Tailz's £32 offer for 3 to 6 month olds, is closer to a proper groom scaled to a young dog's shorter coat and lower tolerance for a long session. Ask which kind of visit you are booking, since the two suit different stages of a puppy's first few months.

When to book the first visit

None of the five Derby businesses above publishes a recommended starting age, and the right time depends on your puppy's vaccination status and coat type. Getting a puppy used to being brushed, and to having its paws, ears and mouth handled, at home from the day it arrives makes the first proper salon visit go far more smoothly once vaccinations are complete. If you are not sure when to book, ask directly; both Hound Hut branches and Belpaw Dog Grooming are set up for puppy introductions specifically and will have fielded the question many times.

Choosing between a salon and a mobile puppy groom

• A fixed salon. Waggy Tailz Derby, Belpaw Dog Grooming and both Hound Hut branches all work from a set premises, which suits a puppy that copes fine with a short car journey.
• A mobile visit. sMARTs Dog Grooming Services comes to you in a heated van and deliberately limits how many dogs it sees a day, which may suit a puppy that finds a new environment overwhelming on its first visit. See our Derby mobile dog grooming guide for more on how that works.

Whichever you choose, ask what a puppy visit actually includes before you book, since the businesses above range from a full priced groom to an unpriced introduction session.