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A good intake form is the quiet workhorse of a well-run grooming business. It captures the health, behavior, and coat details you need to groom safely, protects you if something goes wrong, and makes every first appointment smoother. A bad one, or no form at all, leads to surprises on the table: an undisclosed bite history, a skin condition you didn't know about, or a dispute over what "a trim" meant. This guide gives you a complete dog grooming intake form template you can copy, plus exactly what to include and how to move it from paper to digital.
Why Every Grooming Shop Needs an Intake Form
An intake form does three jobs at once. It gathers practical grooming information so you produce the result the owner wants. It flags safety and health issues, allergies, medical conditions, behavioral red flags, before they become emergencies. And it documents consent, creating a record that protects your business if a client later disputes a service or a senior dog has a health event during grooming.
Skipping it doesn't save time; it defers risk to the worst possible moment.
What to Include in a Dog Grooming Intake Form
A thorough form balances completeness with brevity, ask everything you truly need, nothing you don't. Group questions into clear sections.
The Template (Copy and Adapt)
Here's a ready-to-use intake form. Adapt the wording to your shop and local requirements.
Owner Information
- Owner full name
- Phone number
- Email address
- Home address
- Emergency contact name and phone
Pet Information
- Pet's name
- Breed (or breed mix)
- Age / date of birth
- Weight
- Sex and spay/neuter status
- Veterinarian name and clinic phone
Health and Medical History
- Does your pet have any allergies? (food, shampoo, environmental)
- Any current medical conditions? (skin, joint, heart, seizures, etc.)
- Is your pet on any medications?
- Are vaccinations (especially rabies) current?
- Any history of reactions to grooming, sedation, or handling?
- For senior pets: any age-related concerns we should know about?
Behavior and Handling
- Has your pet ever bitten or attempted to bite a person?
- How does your pet react to nail trims, dryers, water, or clippers?
- Does your pet have areas they dislike being touched? (ears, paws, tail, hindquarters)
- Any anxiety, reactivity, or special handling needs?
Grooming Preferences
- What service are you booking today? (bath, full groom, de-shed, nails, etc.)
- Desired coat length or style
- Any areas to focus on or avoid?
- Have you had issues with a previous groom you'd like us to know about?
Consent and Agreement
- I confirm the information above is accurate and complete.
- I understand grooming carries inherent risks, especially for senior or health-compromised pets, and authorize the groomer to use reasonable judgment for my pet's safety.
- I authorize the groomer to seek emergency veterinary care if needed, at my expense.
- I grant / do not grant permission to photograph my pet for the salon's portfolio and social media.
- Signature and date
For the liability side specifically, pair this with a dedicated waiver, our dog grooming waiver guidance covers best practices for the consent language.
Paper vs Digital Intake Forms
A paper form works, but it creates filing, re-keying, and storage headaches, and it's useless when a returning client's details have changed. Digital intake forms solve all of that.
With a digital form, clients complete it on their phone before the appointment, the data flows straight into the pet's profile, and you have a timestamped record you can pull up instantly. Teddy includes digital intake forms that attach directly to each pet's CRM profile, so a returning client's history, coat notes, allergies, and behavior flags is right there next to their booking. Competitors like MoeGo and DaySmart offer digital forms too, so if this is a priority, compare how each links forms to the client record. The advantage of an integrated system is that your client management stays organized automatically instead of living in a separate folder.
Tips for Higher Completion Rates
- Send the form automatically when an appointment is confirmed, not at the door.
- Keep it short enough to finish in under three minutes.
- Mark only the truly essential fields as required.
- Pre-fill known details for returning clients so they just confirm changes.
Put the Form to Work
An intake form is only useful if it's actually used, every new client, every time, with updates for returning pets whose health or behavior changes. Build it into your booking flow so it happens automatically, and store it where you'll actually see it during the groom.
If you want intake forms that send themselves and attach to each pet's profile alongside scheduling and unlimited client texting, Teddy was built for grooming shops that want it all in one place. Take a look at tryteddy.com.
Frequently Asked Questions
What should a dog grooming intake form include?
Owner contact and emergency details, pet basics (breed, age, weight, spay/neuter), health and medical history including allergies and vaccinations, behavior and handling notes such as bite history, grooming preferences, and a consent section with a liability acknowledgment and signature.
Is a dog grooming intake form legally required?
It's not usually legally mandated, but it's strongly recommended. The consent and liability sections document that the client acknowledged grooming risks and authorized emergency care, which protects your business in a dispute or if a pet has a health event during grooming.
Should I use a paper or digital grooming intake form?
Digital is better for most shops. Clients complete it on their phone before the visit, the data attaches to the pet's profile automatically, and you get a timestamped record. Platforms like Teddy, MoeGo, and DaySmart include digital intake forms linked to the client record.
How do I get clients to complete the intake form?
Send it automatically when you confirm the appointment, keep it under three minutes, mark only essential fields as required, and pre-fill known details for returning clients. Automating the send through your booking software dramatically improves completion rates.
How often should returning clients update their intake form?
Have returning clients confirm their information at least annually, and update it any time the pet's health, medications, or behavior changes. An integrated system makes this easy by letting clients review and confirm existing details rather than starting over.
