By the Templateez Team · Licensed Attorney · June 2026

Pet Grooming Intake Forms: What Every Groomer Needs to Capture at Check-In

A golden retriever walks into your salon and the owner says "just a trim." Twenty minutes later you discover the dog has a seizure disorder triggered by loud noise, a hot spot hidden under a matted ear, and no current rabies vaccination on file. The groom is already underway. You are now managing a medical situation, a liability gap, and a coat problem that should have been handled before the dog ever touched your table.

Most grooming shops collect a name, a phone number, and maybe the breed. That is not intake — that is a booking confirmation. A real pet grooming intake form captures the health history, behavioral profile, coat condition, and service preferences that determine whether a groom goes smoothly or turns into an incident report. Here is what that form should include — and why each field matters.

Pet information: the basics that drive everything else

Every grooming decision — blade length, shampoo choice, drying method, time estimate, pricing tier — flows from the animal's physical profile. Your intake needs to capture the fundamentals before you open a drawer:

• Pet name — this is how your staff will address and calm the animal. It sounds simple, but a groomer who uses the dog's name during handling gets a measurably better response than one who does not.
• Breed or breed mix — this is not trivia. Breed determines coat type, which determines blade selection, drying technique, and product choice. A standard poodle's curly single coat requires fundamentally different handling than a husky's dense double coat. Mixed breeds need a best-guess assessment, and your groomer should note the dominant coat characteristics at the first visit.
• Age — puppies under six months and seniors over ten present different challenges. Puppies need shorter sessions, more patience, and gentler introduction to tools. Senior dogs may have arthritis that makes standing painful, thin skin that nicks more easily, or cognitive decline that causes unpredictable reactions.
• Sex (intact or spayed/neutered) — intact males can be more reactive around other dogs in a busy salon. Females in heat should be flagged for scheduling purposes.
• Weight — this determines your pricing tier in most grooming operations. A 12-pound Shih Tzu and an 85-pound Bernese Mountain Dog are completely different jobs in terms of time, product volume, and physical demand on your staff. Weight also matters for any sedation decisions if you work with a veterinary grooming model.
• Color and markings — useful for identification, especially in multi-dog households or if the pet slips a collar.
• Microchip number — a safety field. If an animal escapes the salon — it happens — having the microchip number on file accelerates recovery.

Owner information: contact, communication, and referral

The pet cannot tell you what it needs. Every decision runs through the owner, and your ability to reach that owner quickly — especially during an emergency — depends on having complete contact details:

• Owner name and address — standard contact information. Address matters for mobile grooming operations and for matching records if the owner changes phone numbers.
• Phone (primary and secondary) — you need to be able to reach the owner during the appointment. If you find a lump during the bath, if the dog has a panic reaction, if you discover matting that requires a shave-down instead of the requested cut — all of these require owner authorization before you proceed.
• Email address — for appointment confirmations, follow-up care instructions, and rebooking reminders.
• Preferred communication method — some clients want text reminders. Others prefer phone calls. Some will not answer calls from unknown numbers but respond instantly to texts. Capturing this at intake eliminates the no-show that happens because your reminder went to a channel the client ignores.
• Secondary contact — consider keeping a note of someone other than the owner who is authorized to make decisions about the pet if the owner is unreachable. You may want to track this on a supplemental contact sheet or in your scheduling system, as it matters more than most groomers realize until the first time they cannot reach an owner during a medical event.
• Referral source — how did they find you? Vet referral, online search, social media, word of mouth? This is a business intelligence field, not a courtesy question. Knowing where your clients come from tells you where to spend your marketing budget.

Health and medical history: the fields that protect everyone

This is where grooming intake diverges sharply from other service trades. You are handling a living animal with a medical history that directly affects what you can safely do. A groomer who does not know about a skin condition, a medication, or a seizure disorder is working blind — and that is how injuries happen.

• Veterinarian name and phone number — if something goes wrong during a groom, your first call after the owner is the vet. Having this on file before the appointment is non-negotiable.
• Vaccination status — rabies, DHLPP (distemper, hepatitis, leptospirosis, parainfluenza, parvovirus), and Bordetella (kennel cough). Many states require proof of current rabies vaccination before a grooming facility can accept an animal. Bordetella is standard in any facility where multiple dogs share airspace. Your intake form should require proof — not just a checkbox that says "yes, vaccinated." Request the vaccination certificate or vet records and note expiration dates.
• Flea and tick prevention — is the pet on a current flea and tick preventive? What product? When was it last applied? A dog that arrives with active fleas is a contamination risk for every other animal in your salon that day. Your intake should establish your flea policy — most shops require current prevention and charge an additional flea bath fee if live fleas are found at check-in.
• Skin conditions — hot spots, allergies, contact dermatitis, fungal infections, dry or flaky skin. These determine your shampoo selection, water temperature, and areas to avoid or treat with extra care. A hot spot hidden under matted fur that gets nicked by a blade becomes a veterinary emergency and a liability claim.
• Ear infections — chronic ear infections are common in breeds with floppy ears (cocker spaniels, basset hounds, retrievers). An ear that is actively infected should not be plucked or aggressively cleaned. Your groomer needs to know before they start.
• Eye conditions — cataracts, dry eye, or recent eye surgery affect how you clean the face area and what products you use near the eyes.
• Lumps, bumps, or warts — these need to be documented and mapped at intake. If a groomer nicks a wart or cyst with a blade, it bleeds significantly and may require veterinary care. Knowing where they are before the groom starts is the difference between a careful avoidance and an accident.
• Recent surgeries or injuries — a dog recovering from a spay, a knee surgery, or a laceration repair has areas that cannot be clipped, stretched, or positioned on a grooming table the way a healthy dog can. Capture the surgery type, date, and any handling restrictions from the vet.
• Current medications — both topical and oral. Topical medications on the skin affect which products your groomer can use and which areas to avoid during the bath. Oral medications like blood thinners increase the severity of any nick. Steroids can make the skin thin and fragile.
• Seizure history — this is a critical safety field. Dogs with seizure disorders can be triggered by the noise of clippers, the vibration of a high-velocity dryer, or the stress of restraint. If a dog has a seizure on your table, your staff needs to know the protocol before it happens — not figure it out in the moment.
• Age-related concerns — senior dogs with arthritis cannot stand for extended periods. Dogs with hip dysplasia need support when positioned on a table. Mobility issues affect how you lift, restrain, and move the animal. These are not notes to skim — they determine your entire handling approach.

This health section overlaps significantly with what veterinary practices capture, but the purpose is different. A vet collects medical history to diagnose and treat. A groomer collects it to avoid causing harm during a cosmetic procedure. Both need the information — neither can assume the other has shared it.

Temperament and behavior: what your groomer needs to know before handling

A grooming session involves extended physical contact with a restrained animal in an unfamiliar environment surrounded by loud tools and strange smells. Even well-socialized dogs can react unpredictably. Your intake form needs to surface behavioral patterns before the animal is on the table:

• Behavior around strangers — friendly, nervous, fearful, protective, or aggressive. A dog that resource-guards its owner may behave very differently once the owner leaves the salon.
• Behavior around other dogs — this determines whether the dog can be in an open drying area or needs to be crated separately. Dog-reactive animals in a busy salon are a safety risk for staff and other clients' pets.
• Areas sensitive to touch — paws, ears, tail, face, belly, hindquarters. Nearly every dog has at least one area where it resists handling. Knowing this at intake means your groomer can adjust their approach — doing the sensitive areas first when the dog has the most patience, or saving them for last and moving quickly.
• Bite history — has the dog ever bitten a person or another animal? Under what circumstances? This is a liability and safety field. A dog with a bite history may require a muzzle during grooming, and your staff has a right to know before they begin.
• Reaction to specific tools — clippers, high-velocity dryers, nail grinders, scissors near the face. Some dogs are fine with a bath but panic at the sound of clippers. Others tolerate everything except the dryer. Knowing the specific triggers lets your groomer plan the session to minimize stress.
• Previous grooming experience — has the dog been groomed before? Was there a negative experience? A dog that was injured or traumatized at a previous groomer will arrive with learned fear. That is not the same as a dog that has never been groomed — it is harder. Your approach needs to account for that history.
• Anxiety level — low, moderate, high. Some dogs need more breaks during the session. Some need calming techniques. Severely anxious dogs may need veterinary sedation for grooming, which means you should be referring the owner to a vet-assisted grooming option rather than attempting a full groom.
• Handling approach preference — does the owner want you to push through mild resistance to complete the groom, or stop and call if the dog becomes significantly stressed? This is a conversation that should happen at intake, not mid-groom when the owner is already gone.

Temperament documentation shares common ground with what dog training operations need to capture. The behavioral questions are similar — reactivity, bite history, trigger responses — but groomers are assessing handling tolerance specifically, while trainers are building a modification plan.

Grooming preferences: style, services, and add-ons

"Just a trim" means something different to every owner. Your intake form is where you translate a vague request into a specific set of services your groomer can execute without guessing:

• Haircut style — breed-standard cut, puppy cut (uniform length all over), shave-down, teddy bear cut, lion cut, or custom. If the owner wants a custom style, ask for a reference photo. "I want him to look like the dog I saw on Instagram" is not a grooming instruction — a reference photo is. Your intake form should have a space for photo attachment or a note that a photo was provided.
• Blade or scissor length preference — for clients who know what they want, capture the specific guard length. For clients who do not, your groomer should note what was used at the first appointment so you can replicate it.
• Nail trimming — clipper or dremel (rotary grinder)? Some dogs tolerate one but not the other. Some owners have strong preferences. Dremel takes longer but produces smoother results. Capture the preference and note if the dog has dark nails (harder to see the quick, higher nick risk).
• Ear cleaning and plucking — some breeds require ear hair removal to prevent infections (poodles, schnauzers, bichons). Other owners specifically do not want ear plucking — there is an ongoing debate in the grooming community about whether plucking helps or harms. Your intake should capture the owner's preference and any vet guidance.
• Teeth brushing — an add-on service at most salons. Does the owner want it? Is the dog tolerant of it?
• Anal gland expression — some owners want the groomer to express anal glands externally. Others prefer this be done by the vet (who can do internal expression). Capture the preference explicitly — this is not a service to assume or skip without asking.
• Add-on services — de-shedding treatment, flea bath, conditioning treatment, blueberry facial, pawdicure, bandana or bow. These are revenue opportunities that should be presented at intake, not upsold at pickup when the groom is already done.

Coat assessment: what the groomer sees at check-in

This section is completed by your groomer at the check-in exam, not by the owner at home. It documents the actual condition of the coat at arrival and sets expectations for what the groom will achieve:

• Coat type — smooth, wire, curly, double-coated, long and flowing, or combination. Coat type determines blade choice, drying method, and time estimate. A double-coated breed (husky, German shepherd, Samoyed) requires a completely different de-shedding protocol than a single-coated breed.
• Matting level — none, mild (easily brushed out), moderate (requires dematting work), severe (humanely requires shave-down). This assessment needs to be documented and communicated to the owner before the groom begins, because a severely matted coat cannot be brushed out without causing the animal significant pain. If a shave-down is required, the owner needs to consent to that change in service — and your intake form with a matting disclosure clause is what protects you when the owner complains that their dog "looks bald."
• Last grooming date — a dog that was groomed six weeks ago and a dog that has not been groomed in eight months are two entirely different jobs. This field helps your groomer set expectations for time, condition, and likely matting.
• Home brushing frequency — owners who brush regularly between appointments maintain better coat condition. Owners who never brush are going to present with more tangles and matting. Knowing this helps you educate the client on maintenance and set realistic expectations for the groom outcome.
• Problem areas — behind the ears, between the paw pads, the belly, the armpits, the tail base. These are the areas that mat first and need the most attention. Documenting them at the first visit creates a baseline your groomer can reference at every future appointment.

Scheduling and service terms

Grooming is a recurring service, and your intake form is where you establish the cadence, the pricing transparency, and the policies that make the relationship work long-term:

• Recommended frequency — every 4, 6, or 8 weeks depending on breed, coat type, and owner preference. Your groomer should note the recommended interval at intake so the client understands why you are suggesting they come back in four weeks, not "whenever the dog looks shaggy."
• Preferred day and time — does the client prefer mornings or afternoons? Are there days that do not work? Early-morning drop-offs work well for clients who commute. Saturday appointments are in highest demand and fill first.
• Package or a la carte — do you offer prepaid grooming packages at a discount? If so, present them at intake. A client who commits to a six-visit package at a 10% discount is worth more than a client who rebooks one visit at a time and eventually drifts to another salon.
• Deposit policy — if you require a deposit for first-time clients or for breeds that require extended appointment blocks, capture the deposit amount and terms.
• Late arrival and no-show policy — grooming appointments are time-blocked. A client who arrives 30 minutes late has consumed half the appointment window. Your intake should state your policy — grace period, shortened service, rescheduling, or no-show fee — so there are no surprises.

Consent, waivers, and liability

This is the section that protects your business. Grooming involves sharp tools, electrical equipment, water, chemicals, and a living animal that can move unpredictably. Things go wrong even in the best-run salons, and your intake form needs to establish the risk framework before the first appointment:

Grooming waiver. Your standard waiver should acknowledge the inherent risks of grooming — minor nicks from clippers (especially around skin folds, warts, or sensitive areas), clipper burn from friction on sensitive skin, stress reactions, and the possibility of pre-existing conditions being revealed during the groom. This is not about avoiding responsibility. It is about establishing that the client understands grooming involves contact with sharp tools on a moving animal, and that minor incidents can occur despite reasonable care.

Matting disclosure. This deserves its own signature line. When a severely matted coat requires a shave-down, the skin underneath is often irritated, bruised, or harboring hot spots that were invisible until the mat was removed. The matting disclosure should state that shave-downs may reveal pre-existing skin conditions, that the dog's appearance will change significantly, and that the groomer will proceed with a shave-down only with the owner's explicit consent.

Senior pet waiver. Older animals carry higher risk during grooming. Arthritis makes positioning painful. Thin skin tears more easily. Heart conditions can be exacerbated by the stress of restraint and noise. A senior-specific waiver acknowledges these elevated risks and documents that the owner has disclosed all known age-related health conditions.

Photo consent. Many grooming salons use before-and-after photos for social media marketing. Your intake form should include a clear opt-in or opt-out for photo use. Some clients are happy to have their dog featured. Others are not. Do not assume consent.

Building a grooming practice that starts with documentation

A thorough intake process does more than collect data — it tells the pet owner that you take their animal's safety seriously. When a client fills out a form that asks about seizure history, medication interactions, and matting disclosure, they understand that this salon has groomed enough animals to know what questions matter. That professionalism builds the kind of trust that turns a one-time groom into a recurring four-week appointment for the next decade of the dog's life.

If you are building documentation across a multi-service pet care operation, the Trade Services Bundle includes pet grooming alongside 51 other service categories, each with trade-specific intake fields.

Related reading

• Veterinary Intake Forms: What Every Vet Practice Needs to Capture
• Dog Training Intake Forms: Behavior, History, and Training Goals