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What to put on a dog grooming report card

A grooming report card is a short record of what you did and what you saw, written for the owner. This page covers what is worth putting on one and what is better left off.

The dog and the date

The name, the breed or type, and the date. Owners often read the card several days later, by which point they may not remember what was said at the door.

What you did

Full groom, bath and tidy, clip off, hand strip, nails. Naming the service is worth doing, because owners frequently do not know the difference between them.

Coat and skin as you found it

Describe what you saw in ordinary words. "Coat in good order, slight dryness behind the ears." This is an observation rather than a diagnosis.

If something worries you, raise it with the owner and point them at a vet, rather than writing it on the card.

Matting

None, a little, moderate, heavy. A tick box is less likely to read as criticism than a sentence, and it builds a record if a coat gets worse across several visits.

How the dog was on the day

Settled, nervous of the dryer, better than last time. This shows the owner you were watching the dog and not only the coat.

What you used

Oatmeal shampoo, light conditioner. Useful if the dog reacts to something later, and useful if the owner wants to buy the same for home.

When to come back

Six to eight weeks. An owner given a specific interval books sooner than one left to work it out.

A note in your own words

One or two sentences about that particular dog. "Brushing behind the front legs twice a week would keep the knots down before the next visit."

What to leave off

• Anything that reads as a diagnosis. A card is not the place for it.
• Criticism of the owner. The matting box records the state of the coat without a lecture.
• Prices. The card is a record of the dog rather than an invoice.