How A Grooming Consultant Builds A Safer, Smarter Grooming Program

Send us a text

Why Do Pet Daycares & Franchises Need A Grooming Consultant Before Expanding?

Thinking about adding grooming to your pet business but worried about cost, chaos, or culture drift? We unpack why grooming is not an add-on and how a consulting-first approach protects profit, safety, and sanity. With Shannon and Tanya from Hound Therapy, we trace the full journey from idea to execution: what owners miss, how to staff, what to buy, and how to keep the power dynamic healthy so one role never holds the whole operation hostage.

We get specific about cross-training and why your front desk should understand coat prep times, service menus, and realistic scheduling. You’ll hear how bathers, groomers, and reception support each other, sell add-ons ethically, and create consistent outcomes that clients love. We talk risk management inside the grooming room—intake assessments, drying policies, sanitation, drainage, ventilation—and why a written grooming handbook is non-negotiable. The result is a safer, calmer space that pets tolerate and teams can run without burnout.

Money matters get an honest look. We break down the pitfalls of a flat 50 percent commission off the top and explore compensation structures that align with throughput, rebook rates, safety, and client satisfaction. Then we walk through equipment essentials—tubs, high-velocity dryers, tables, clippers, blades, and coat-specific products—and how the right gear pays for itself in durability and finish quality. Even within a franchise, your grooming program can become the premium differentiator when you lead with training, protocols, and humanity over vanity.

If you’re ready to build grooming the professional way—clear pricing, clear roles, and clear safety—hit play, take notes, and send this to a fellow operator. Subscribe, leave a review to tell us what you want next, and share this with a pet pro who needs a blueprint.

To learn more about Hound Therapy visit:
https://www.HoundTherapy.com
Hound Therapy
3509 E Park Blvd.
Plano, TX
469-367-0009

Episode Transcript

SPEAKER_03 (00:03):
Welcome to Tale Talk Grooming Chronicles with House
Therapy, the podcast where wetalk all things pet grooming,
daycare, academy, and more.
Hosted by Shannon and Tanya ofHouse Therapy, serving pet
owners across North Texas.
We're here to share expert tips,hilarious pet stories, and the
inside scoop on keeping yourfurry friends happy and healthy.

(00:26):
Our motto, humanity over vanity.
And don't worry, we don't fight.
Let's get started.

SPEAKER_00 (00:33):
Who let the dogs go?
Who let the dogs go?
Thinking of adding grooming toyour pet business?
Here's why bringing in aconsultant first could save you
time, money, and a whole lot ofstress.
Welcome back, everyone.
I'm Sophia Yvette, co-host andproducer, back in studio with
Shannon and Tanya, professionalgroomers at Hound Therapy.

(00:56):
Hi, how have you both been?
We're good.
Holiday shuffle for us in thepet industry.
Yes, crazy times.
Well, let's go ahead and talkstrategy.
Why should pet daycares andfranchises bring in a grooming
consultant before expanding?

SPEAKER_02 (01:15):
Well, I uh let's start with we're not grooming is
not an add-on.
It is just it can't beconsidered that.
Grimming is it's anotherservice.
And if you don't look at it,that it's gonna be a problem.
It's an art, it's a science, andit's a profession that requires
uh knowledge of behavior,anatomy, um, coat care, so many
things.

(01:35):
Yeah.
It's not just giving a dog abath.
No.
And many daycare ownersunderestimate um the complexity
that it's not just a bath and ablow dry.
Um, it's risk management, right?
It's client regulate clientexcuse me, client regulations
and precision work.
Uh that's a really hard thing tofind uh if you don't have uh a

(01:58):
really good foundation of thatparticular type of an industry.
It's not you have that same riskmanagement when you're taking in
those dogs to your your petclients um uh for their health
and wellness while they staywith you.
But once they go into thegrooming room, it's kind of like
it's an ad, it's not an add-onservice.
It has to be under that sameumbrella.

SPEAKER_01 (02:19):
Um bridging the gap is a huge Yeah, between like, or
even if it's a new person buyinginto a franchise or something of
the sorts, if and you don't knowanything about the pet industry,
that's where a groomingconsultant or something can help
you tremendously with groomingprotocols.
Yes, and how to hire, how tostaff that grooming uh, you

(02:42):
know, addition or um salon ingeneral.

SPEAKER_02 (02:46):
Well, and getting a professional groomer, which is
uh, you know, was something thatwe've talked about where we are.
It's yeah, it's we we want toget out of that trade service
and go step into thatprofessionalism.
So finding a professionalgroomer is hard to find.
Um it increasing your safetyprotocols, knowing what they
are, what they should be, havingsomebody come in before you have

(03:08):
problems, uh, backage of yourdrainings, uh, you know, in your
bathtub, uh smelly environmentbecause a floor was left wet,
not having the proper equipment,so you're not able to prep a
coat properly, um, and turningout work just that you wouldn't
put your name on.
Um, because technically thatwork leaving that shop, it's

(03:29):
it's got your name on it.
Um, a well-run grooming programbecomes premium factor and it
sets you, it makes youdifferent.
It helps design that signatureextra.
You don't want to be, eventhough you're in uh a franchise
group, you want something, youneed something that is going to
set you apart and make you alittle bit different than

(03:52):
literally everybody else thathas the same branding as you.
So we feel that that helps that,yeah, uh, giving you that extra
bit of knowledge and making thatinto a service and and bringing
them in as a team member versusand having everybody else in
that team being on that sameteam as Griffin.
We're it's you gotta worktogether and it's it's a

(04:12):
delicate line.

SPEAKER_00 (04:14):
Well, it sounds like very, very complicated and uh a
lot that definitely goes intoit.
Now, what role does stafftraining play in a successful
grooming expansion?

SPEAKER_01 (04:27):
Oh, staff training's everything.
Um, I mean, that's that's yourbread and your butter.
That's who's, you know, groomingrunning your grooming
department.
Um, that's from your receptionall the way down to your bathers
to your groomers.

SPEAKER_02 (04:40):
Everybody has to be on the same team.
Um, your groomers should be ableto sell your product, your um
bathers should be able to sellyour product, your your
receptionist should be able tobathe dogs, your um groomers
should be able to be areceptionist.
Um you should be able tointerchange anybody because you
can't book something that youhaven't done.

(05:03):
So I'm not saying that they needto be a everybody on your team
needs to be a dog groomer.
Um, but if you're gonna addgrooming, you do need everybody
to understand exactly um theamount of work and time that it
takes and how to book and setyour coworker up for success.
And your coworker, um knowingthat they're there uh to support

(05:25):
your business, should know yourbusiness and want to sell and
promote your products.
So if they're not using them andbeing able to be in there on
their slow times when they don'thave grooming, um, how to build
that bond with those people, howto retain um a good client
relationship with a regulated,an unregulated, with a

(05:46):
regulation franchise, where youhave tons and tons of rules with
an add-on of a very unregulatedindustry, it's it's extremely
difficult.
So without a consultant comingin uh and saying, hey, look, you
don't have to take, it's it'sexactly that.
It is consulting.
It is uh a professional groomercoming in and saying, look, um,

(06:07):
these are the things that aregoing to help you grow.
This is how many dogs you needto do.
Let's look at it uhrealistically.
Uh in your mind, you know,you're thinking, oh, I'm gonna
charge XYZ for grooming and I'mgonna make XYZ dollars because
I'm paying, you know, thispercentage.
Well, a lot of groomingprofessionals will come in and

(06:28):
they want, let me say, a lot ofpeople coming in from the
grooming trade want a 50%commission.
And 50% of my business means weare partners.
Um, that means you get 50% of mybills.
And I'm more than happy to giveyou 50% of what we make.
But that is our gross, right?
That is not, it's after bills.
Yes.
These groomers want a 50% offthe top before anybody has made

(06:50):
any money.
And to be able to understand howto get a proper tip, um, if it's
running through a credit cardprocessor, um, how to how to
take those groomers down a notchand teach them professionalism
and how to work with others isdifficult.
Um, how to speak that languageas an owner for, hey, look, this
is your job.
It's it's it's a profession.

(07:10):
You're working here, you'recoming into a professionalized
area.
It's difficult.

SPEAKER_01 (07:14):
Um It also kind of helps refrain from the groomer
that kind of owns the businessowner because the business owner
doesn't know.
Right.
Then it kind of puts yourgroomer on a pedestal and they
think that the groomingdepartment is theirs, in which
case.

SPEAKER_02 (07:29):
And they want, and they can hold you hostage over.
Yes.
Um, so because grooming can makeit can be very, very profitable.
Um, but you want to make itprofitable for everybody across
the board.
Um, everybody needs to see again, or you're gonna have a lot
of pitting against each other.
Um, the goal isn't just to addgrooming, uh, it's the and the
integrity that the grooming,it's doing it professionally.

(07:50):
Yeah.
Um, education is structure.
Um, it's consulting, it's it'sit's it's a win-win model for
the pets, for the staff, and andeverybody that that that's
there.
It's it's it's really islooking, it's kind of like a
business plan, right?
Yeah.
You can't just add something onthe tail end of it and hope it
works.
You've you've got to look at allof the pros and cons.

(08:10):
And the only way to do that uhis to ask somebody that's in
that profession if you're not.
And there's not a lot of us.
So um consulting with somebodywho's got a good feedback, good
rec a good reputation, um, whohas got solid professionalism
behind them that knows some kindof business business as well on
top of the trade uh and has thestyle and art, it's a hard thing

(08:33):
to find.
So if you can find that person,um, the consulting is it's it
really is the best way to go.

SPEAKER_01 (08:38):
Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 (08:38):
It will save you a lot of money and time in the
end.

SPEAKER_01 (08:41):
And avoids trial and error.

SPEAKER_02 (08:42):
And a lot of heartache.
We have grooming, we havegrooming products that we use,
tools, um, dryers.
There's a a lot of equipmentthat groomers have to bring to
your job.
So if you will provide that, ifyou have a good foundation and
knowledge of what it is it'sgonna take to add, quote, add on
this profession, you need totake that plunge into providing

(09:05):
top dryers, uh, an appropriatetub, an appropriate draining,
uh, good protocols.
What do we do?
What do we not do?
Do we do nail trims?
How much do we charge?
What's extra?
What's added on?
Safety procedures.
Um, there's you have to have aspecialized grooming handbook
for everybody so that we knowwhat's going on.
Um, you need to provide the theclippers, the blades, and you

(09:27):
need to provide that in a waythat people aren't going to
steal from you as well.
So um the it's there is just somuch that can make you stand out
and and be a separate part andreally, really shine with adding
this awesome professional tradeinto your already um
well-rounded franchise.

(09:48):
It really does help to know thethings that you have to have
cost-wise, effective up front,and what it's gonna cost you on
the back end if you don't havethose.
Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 (09:58):
Wow.
Thank you both for breaking downthis so clearly.
Your insight is a game changerfor pet businesses everywhere.
We'll catch you next time.

SPEAKER_02 (10:10):
Thank you.

SPEAKER_03 (10:14):
That's a wrap for this episode of Tale Talk with
Hound Therapy.
Ready to book your pet's nextgroom daycare stay or grooming
academy tour?
Call us at 469-367-0009.
That's 469-367-0009 to schedulean appointment or visit us
online at www.houndtherapy.com,serving North Texas with expert

(10:40):
pet care.
Until next time, keep thosetails wagged.