Intake Forms for Dog Groomers: Breed-Specific Needs, Behavioral Alerts, and Vaccination Records

By Daniel Akselrod · July 2026

A groomer who puts a double-coated Siberian Husky under a high-velocity dryer without knowing the dog has a seizure disorder, or tries to scissor-trim a rescue with a bite history around its feet, is one bad moment away from a serious injury — to the dog, to themselves, or both. Dog grooming is a profession where the client cannot speak, the owner often does not know what to communicate, and every animal that walks through the door carries a unique combination of breed characteristics, medical conditions, behavioral triggers, and coat maintenance requirements that the groomer needs to know before picking up a tool.

Most grooming shops collect a name, phone number, breed, and “any concerns?” That is a check-in form, not an intake. A real dog grooming intake form captures breed identification and coat classification, vaccination verification, complete behavioral history, medical conditions and medications, skin and allergy status, grooming preferences and style specifications, and emergency contact information for both the owner and the veterinarian. Here is what each section needs and why it matters.

Breed identification and coat type: the foundation of every grooming plan

The breed — or breed mix — determines nearly every grooming decision. Tool selection, blade length, drying method, time estimate, and pricing all flow from breed and coat type. Your intake form needs more than a breed name field. It needs the details that affect the actual grooming process.

• Breed or breed mix — purebred, designer cross (goldendoodle, labradoodle, cockapoo), or unknown mix. For mixed breeds, the coat type matters more than the breed label. A “doodle” can have a flat retriever coat, a curly poodle coat, or a wavy combination — and each requires different blade work, different brushing techniques, and different drying time.
• Coat type — smooth (Labrador, Beagle), double-coated (Husky, German Shepherd, Golden Retriever), wire-haired (Schnauzer, Westie, Wire Fox Terrier), curly (Poodle, Bichon Frise), long and silky (Yorkshire Terrier, Maltese, Shih Tzu), or corded (Komondor, Puli). Each coat type has specific tool requirements. A double coat should never be shaved with a short blade — it damages the undercoat growth pattern and can cause post-clipping alopecia. Your intake should document the coat type so the groomer knows this before the dog is on the table.
• Size and weight — this affects table capacity (a hydraulic table rated for 60 pounds will not safely hold a 110-pound Great Pyrenees), dryer positioning, bathing logistics (tub size), and time allocation. A Chihuahua groom is a 30-minute appointment. A standard Poodle in full clip is two to three hours. Your scheduling depends on accurate size documentation.
• Matting severity — is the coat currently matted? Where are the mats (behind ears, under legs, on belly, throughout the body)? How severe (surface tangles, pelted to the skin)? Severe matting changes the entire appointment. A pelted dog cannot be brushed out — it has to be shaved under the mat, which exposes irritated skin that is prone to clipper burn and post-groom irritation. The owner needs to be informed of this before the groom begins, and that conversation starts at intake.

Vaccination records: the non-negotiable safety requirement

Most professional grooming facilities require proof of current vaccinations before accepting a dog. This is not bureaucracy — it is disease prevention in an environment where multiple animals share space, equipment, and air.

• Rabies — required by law in all 50 states. Your intake should record the vaccination date, expiration date, and the administering veterinarian. A dog without current rabies vaccination should not be accepted. Period. If a groomer is bitten by an unvaccinated dog, the legal and medical consequences are severe — the dog may be quarantined for 10 days or longer, and the groomer may require post-exposure prophylaxis.
• Bordetella (kennel cough) — highly contagious and easily transmitted in grooming environments. Most grooming facilities require bordetella vaccination within the last 6 to 12 months. Your intake should record the vaccination date. An unvaccinated dog that contracts kennel cough in your facility creates a liability issue and potentially exposes every dog groomed that day.
• DHPP (distemper, hepatitis, parvo, parainfluenza) — the core combination vaccine. Most facilities require current DHPP status, particularly for puppies and young dogs who are most vulnerable. Record the date and confirm currency.
• Veterinarian information — name, clinic name, phone number. You need this for vaccination verification, medical questions that arise during grooming, and emergencies. If a dog collapses on your table, you need to reach the vet in minutes, not spend time scrolling through the owner's phone contacts.

Behavioral history: what the groomer needs to know before touching the dog

A dog that bites. A dog that panics with a dryer near its face. A dog that snaps when its feet are handled. A dog that cannot be muzzled because of a short snout and respiratory issues. These are not edge cases — they are everyday realities in grooming shops. Your intake form needs to capture behavioral information that keeps both the groomer and the dog safe.

• Bite history — has the dog ever bitten a person or another animal? Under what circumstances? A dog that bit a child who pulled its tail is a different risk profile than a dog that bit its previous groomer during a nail trim. Both are important. Your intake should capture the context, not just a yes-or-no checkbox.
• Sensitivity areas — face, ears, feet, tail, belly, rear end. Many dogs have specific areas where they become reactive during handling. A dog that is fine during a body clip but panics during sanitary trimming needs to be handled differently than a dog that is calm throughout. Knowing the trigger areas lets the groomer plan the sequence and have a second handler available for the sensitive portions.
• Anxiety and fear triggers — loud noises (dryers, clippers), water, confinement (cage drying), other dogs in the facility, specific movements (reaching over the head, lifting). Anxious dogs take longer, require more patience, and may need breaks during the groom. That affects scheduling and pricing. Your intake should capture anxiety history so the groomer can allocate appropriate time and approach.
• Previous grooming experience — has the dog been professionally groomed before? How recently? Was the dog cooperative or difficult? Has the dog been turned away by a previous groomer? A first-time groom on an adult dog that has never been handled is a fundamentally different appointment than a regular every-six-weeks client. The groomer needs to know this upfront.
• Muzzle tolerance — can the dog be muzzled if necessary? Brachycephalic breeds (Bulldogs, Pugs, Boston Terriers) cannot wear standard basket muzzles safely because of their short snouts and compromised breathing. If a reactive brachycephalic dog needs muzzling, alternative restraint methods must be planned. Your intake should capture both the muzzle need and the breed-related limitations.

Medical conditions, medications, and skin status

The grooming table is often where medical conditions are first discovered — lumps, skin lesions, ear infections, dental disease. But certain pre-existing conditions change how the groom is performed, and the groomer needs to know about them before they start.

• Seizure disorders — stress, noise, and stimulation can trigger seizures in epileptic dogs. A high-velocity dryer on a seizure-prone dog is a specific risk. Your intake should capture seizure history, frequency, and any known triggers so the groomer can adjust the drying method (cage dryer or towel dry instead of high-velocity) and have an emergency plan.
• Hip dysplasia and arthritis — standing for extended periods on a grooming table is painful for dogs with joint disease. These dogs may need breaks, supportive slings, or modified positioning. A groomer who does not know about the hip dysplasia will position the dog in ways that cause pain, which causes the dog to react, which the groomer may interpret as behavioral rather than medical.
• Heart conditions — dogs with congestive heart failure, heart murmurs, or cardiomyopathy are at higher risk during the stress of grooming. Your intake should capture cardiac conditions and note that a calmer, slower grooming approach is required.
• Skin conditions and allergies — hot spots, dermatitis, yeast infections, flea allergy dermatitis, dry skin, oily skin. These determine shampoo selection (medicated, hypoallergenic, oatmeal-based, antimicrobial), water temperature, and post-groom skin treatment. A groomer who uses a standard degreasing shampoo on a dog with dry, flaky skin will make the condition worse. Your intake captures the skin status so the right products are used.
• Current medications — steroids (cause thin, fragile skin that tears easily under clipper blades), blood thinners (increased bleeding risk during nail trims), sedatives (if the owner pre-medicates for grooming, the groomer needs to know what was given and when), and topical treatments (flea/tick products, medicated shampoos prescribed by the vet that the groomer should not wash off).
• Flea and tick treatment status — is the dog current on flea and tick prevention? What product? When was it last applied? A dog with an active flea infestation requires special handling to prevent spreading fleas to other dogs in the facility. Your intake should capture treatment status and note any active infestations.

Grooming preferences, style specifications, and service authorization

The most common source of grooming complaints is not a bad haircut — it is a haircut that does not match what the owner expected. The disconnect happens because the groomer and the owner were not specific enough at intake. “Just a trim” means something different to every owner. Your intake form needs to turn vague preferences into specific, documented instructions.

• Style and cut specifications — breed-standard cut, puppy cut (and if so, what length — a “puppy cut” on a Poodle varies from a half-inch to two inches depending on who you ask), teddy bear face, clean face, topknot, specific body length and leg length. If the client has a reference photo, note that a photo was provided. Written descriptions of desired length (“1 inch on the body, scissor the legs longer, round the face”) prevent the “that is not what I asked for” conversation at pickup.
• Ear cleaning — included or declined? Ear hair plucking (standard for Poodles and many doodle breeds, but some veterinary dermatologists now advise against it for dogs without chronic ear infections)? The owner's preference and the vet's guidance should both be captured.
• Nail services — trim only, trim and file, or grind (Dremel)? How short — just the tips, or as short as possible? Does the dog have dark nails (harder to identify the quick, higher risk of cutting too short)? Has the dog had a nail trim result in bleeding before? Nail trimming is the service most likely to cause a stress response and the most common source of minor injury claims.
• Teeth brushing — included as an add-on service? Does the dog tolerate it? Is there significant tartar buildup that should be referred to the vet for professional cleaning under anesthesia rather than addressed at the grooming table?
• Authorization for additional services — if the groomer discovers a condition during the groom (matting worse than reported, a skin lesion, an ear infection), is the groomer authorized to add services and adjust pricing, or must they call the owner for approval? This should be documented at intake to avoid disputes about charges added without consent.
• Pickup time and late pickup policy — when will the owner return? What is the facility's policy for dogs that are not picked up within a reasonable window after the groom is complete? A dog sitting in a kennel for three hours after grooming is stressful for the dog and ties up cage space. Your intake should set the pickup expectation and note any late-pickup fee.

Emergency contact and release authorization

The final section of your intake form addresses the scenario no groomer wants to encounter but every groomer must be prepared for: a medical emergency on the table. Your intake should capture the owner's primary and secondary phone numbers, an authorized emergency contact who can make decisions if the owner is unreachable, and explicit authorization to seek emergency veterinary care at the owner's expense if the owner cannot be reached. Without this authorization documented, a groomer who rushes a seizing dog to the emergency vet could face a dispute over the $2,000 emergency bill. With it documented, the groomer acted within the scope of the owner's written consent.

A thorough grooming intake takes five to ten minutes at the first visit. Every visit after that is a quick review and update. The groomer who knows the dog's history — the seizure trigger, the sensitive feet, the doodle coat that mats behind the ears every six weeks, the owner who wants a one-inch teddy bear face and hates when the ears are trimmed too short — is the groomer who keeps that client for the dog's lifetime. The groomer who wings it is the groomer who gets a bad review, a bite, or a liability claim.

If you are building intake documentation for a broader pet services operation or operate across multiple service lines, the Trade Services Bundle includes pet grooming alongside 51 other service categories, each with profession-specific intake fields.