Free Dog Grooming Intake Form Template

Why Every Grooming Business Needs a Professional Intake Form

A dog grooming intake form is the first document a new client fills out when they bring their pet to your salon. It captures critical information about the pet's health, behavior, grooming history, and the owner's preferences — all before your groomer picks up a single tool.

Without a standardized intake form, groomers rely on verbal conversations that are easy to forget, misinterpret, or lose. A well-designed form protects your business legally, ensures consistent service quality, and demonstrates professionalism from the very first interaction.

What to Include in Your Grooming Intake Form

The template above covers the essential sections that every professional grooming intake form should contain:

• Client contact information — Full name, phone, email, address, and preferred contact method. You need reliable contact details for pickup notifications, appointment reminders, and emergencies.
• Pet details — Name, breed, age, weight, sex, and spay/neuter status. These basics inform pricing (weight-based tiers), coat type expectations, and behavioral patterns common to certain breeds.
• Vaccination records — Rabies, DHPP, Bordetella, and Canine Influenza dates. Many states require proof of current rabies vaccination for grooming facilities, and Bordetella is essential if your salon has multiple dogs present at once.
• Health and behavioral notes — Allergies, medications, past injuries, and behavioral triggers like fear of dryers or paw sensitivity. This section prevents accidents and helps your groomers provide a calm, safe experience.
• Grooming preferences — Cut style, length preferences, and specific services requested. Capturing this in writing eliminates the dreaded "that is not what I asked for" conversation at pickup.
• Consent and liability acknowledgment — A signed statement that the owner understands grooming risks and authorizes your team to proceed. This is your legal safeguard against frivolous complaints.

How to Use This Template

Download the template, add your business name, logo, and contact information at the top, then print copies for your front desk. Hand one to every new client during their first visit. For returning clients, keep the completed form on file and update it annually or whenever the pet's health status changes.

Consider printing on cardstock for durability, or laminating a reference copy. If you have a multi-groomer salon, make sure every groomer reviews the intake form before starting a session — especially the behavioral notes and health flags.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Many grooming businesses make the intake form an afterthought. Here are the most frequent mistakes:

• Skipping vaccination tracking — If a dog bites a groomer and you do not have proof of current rabies vaccination on file, you could be liable. Always collect this information.
• Not asking about behavioral triggers — A dog that panics around dryers or snaps when its paws are handled is a safety risk. You need to know this before the grooming session, not during it.
• Forgetting the signature line — An unsigned form has limited legal value. Always include a consent and liability section with a signature and date.
• Using too-small font or cramped layouts — If clients struggle to read or fill out your form, they will skip fields or provide incomplete information. Use clear labels and generous spacing.

Digital vs. Paper Intake Forms

Paper intake forms work, but they come with real drawbacks: lost forms, illegible handwriting, manual data entry into your system, and no way to search or sort. A digital intake form — one that clients fill out on their phone or a tablet — solves all of these problems at once.

With a digital system, the information flows directly into your CRM. Vaccination expiration dates trigger automatic reminders. Behavioral notes are visible to every groomer on your team. And you never lose a form again.