Guides
Pet grooming SOP checklist for daily standards
Pet grooming SOP checklist for intake, coat assessment, handling, sanitation and closeout, with checks to record at each appointment and between dogs.
What to take away
- The pet grooming SOP checklist is what the groomer does at the table, not what the binder says.
- Every check leaves a recorda photo, a note, a time, a signature.
- Coat assessment at intake decides the trim, the duration and the price.
- A dog that will not stand safely ends the appointment; the owner is told why.
- Anything that looks like a skin or health problem goes to a veterinarian, not to a blade.
Intake: before the dog goes on the table
The intake check takes five minutes and prevents most disputes. Photograph the dog from both sides, the chest and the feet. Note the coat condition in the owner's words and yours, because "just a trim" and "matted to the skin" are different jobs.
Intake Check Before the Table
- Photograph dog from both sides, chest, feet
- Note coat condition in owner's words and yours
- Ask last groom date, diet, illness
- Record answers and refer skin, ear, lump issues
- Confirm trim choice before clippers start
- Verify state and municipal licensing rules
- At intake, ask when the dog was last groomed, what it eats, and whether it has been unwell. Record the answers. A groomer does not diagnose, treat or sedate; anything that looks like a skin condition, an ear problem or a lump is written down and referred to a veterinarian.
- Before clippers start, confirm the trim the owner wants against the coat in front of you. Breed-standard and pet trim are different conversations, and the owner should choose before the clippers start. Confirm with your state and municipal authority on what your facility may do, since licensing and sanitation rules vary by state and municipality.
Coat assessment and the shave-down decision
- At intake, grade matting by how close it sits to the skin and how much of the body it covers. A coat that is pelted across the torso will not survive dematting without pain, and the humane answer is a shave-down.
Coat Families and Matting
Coat family
- Double
- Undercoat rake, bath, full dry
- Curly or wool
- Comb to skin every 1-2 days
- Wire
- Hand strip or card, regular trimming
- Smooth
- Rubber curry and a bath
Daily need
- Double
- Holds moisture; shave-down often only safe route
- Curly or wool
- Tightens into felt; shave-down usually required
- Wire
- Mats at furnishings and legs first
- Smooth
- Rarely mats; watch hot spots and thin coat
Under matting
- Double
- Curly or wool
- Wire
- Smooth
| Coat family | Daily need | What it does under matting |
|---|---|---|
| Double | Undercoat rake, then bath and full dry | Holds moisture against skin; shave-down often the only safe route |
| Curly or wool | Comb to skin every one to two days | Tightens into felt; shave-down usually required |
| Wire | Hand strip or card, plus regular trimming | Mats at the furnishings and legs first |
| Smooth | Rubber curry and a bath | Rarely mats; watch for hot spots and thin coat |
- At intake, if you will shave down, explain that before pickup. Explain the coat will grow back differently, and that the dog may need a sweater outdoors. Record the decision and the owner's agreement.
Table, handling and stopping rules
- During each groom, take a dog that is stressed, snapping or unable to stand safely off the table. That is the stopping rule, and it applies to every groomer in the room regardless of what the owner paid for.
Stopping Rule on the Table
Dog stressed, snapping, or unable to stand safely?
Stop, lower loop, give break, try again
Repeats -> Stop and call the owner
- During each groom, watch for the signals that come before a bite: whale eye, tucked tail, stiffened legs, lip licking, a sudden freeze. Give the dog a break, lower the loop, and try again. If it repeats, stop and call the owner.
- During each groom, use restraint as a safety tool, not a punishment. No dog is left hanging in a loop, and no dog is left alone on a table.
Drying, blades, sanitation and equipment checks
- During drying, check the dog at the cage dryer's timer intervals; hold a stand dryer at a distance the back of your hand can tolerate. Never leave a dog unattended under either.
- Before each dog, check bladesclean, oiled, cool, and sharp enough not to drag. A hot blade burns skin, so rotate between two and let each cool. Clipper maintenance is a daily job, not a monthly one. Blades are checked before each dog.
Records, closeout and staff
Use a Grooming Appointment Record for each dog: [ ] intake photos; [ ] coat grade; [ ] trim and owner agreement; [ ] vaccination proof or status per salon policy; [ ] any health certificate required by local rules; [ ] products; [ ] time in and out; [ ] owner notices and referrals. Keep records as the Internal Revenue Service describes for small business records, since they also settle disputes about what was agreed.
- Between dogs, remove hair and debris; wash and disinfect the table, tub, kennel and tools according to product-label contact time; then let surfaces dry.
- At opening, check floors and dryer cords.
- At close, repeat cleaning and store tools. The Occupational Safety and Health Act's General Duty Clause addresses recognized workplace hazards.
Who does what is settled before the first dog arrives. A written standard only works if the person holding the clippers knows it is theirs. When you add staff, the hiring guide covers what to check before they touch a dog. There is no single federal pet-groomer license; ask your state licensing agency and city/county health or business licensing office about facility permits and sanitation rules.
Common questions
How often should the checklist be reviewed?
Review it when something goes wrong, not on a calendar. A bite, a complaint or a dog sent home early all point at a step that is missing or unclear.
Does every groomer need to follow the same steps?
The checks are the same; the technique is not. A groomer chooses the blade and the order of work, but the intake photos, the coat grade and the stopping rule are not optional.
What if the owner refuses a shave-down?
Explain the risk of leaving a pelted coat, record the refusal, and offer what you can do safely. If the dog cannot be groomed humanely, the appointment ends there and the owner is referred to a veterinarian.
Where does the standard live?
Where the team can reach it during a groom, not in an office folder. One page per station, current version only, with the date it changed.
