What to tip a dog groomer, and when to tip more

Fifteen to twenty percent, same as a hair salon. That is the answer most people are looking for, and if you stop reading here you will be fine. The question comes up often enough, and quietly enough, that it is worth going past the number.

The short version

On a full groom, 15 to 20 percent is the norm and it is what most owners land on. On a small ticket like a walk-in nail trim, percentages get silly; a couple of dollars is a normal, kind thing to do. If your dog is a standing appointment and you would rather not do the math twelve times a year, plenty of people hand over something bigger in December and skip the rest. That works too.

Who the tip actually goes to

It goes to the groomer, not the building. Most groomers are paid on commission, so a tip is a real piece of what they take home rather than a bonus sitting on top of a comfortable salary. Cash on the day goes straight to the person who did the work. Card tips vary by shop: some pass through same-day, some ride along with payroll. Ask at the counter, ours included. Nobody is offended by the question.

When I would tip on the higher end

• The coat took longer than the appointment. De-matting is slow, careful work, and an extra hour of it is an extra hour of one person’s hands and wrists.
• Your dog is a project. Bite risk, thrashing in the tub, a dog who can only be worked in five-minute pieces. That groomer earned it twice.
• Seniors. Old dogs need breaks, support standing, and patience with joints that do not bend the way they used to.
• A puppy’s first visit, which is half grooming and half teaching a small animal that the table is not a threat. How that hour goes shapes the next ten years of appointments.
• You got squeezed in, which usually means somebody gave up their lunch.

When nobody is expecting one

Self-wash. You did the washing. Our staff handle the final cleanup of the station, so a few dollars is a nice gesture, but no one is keeping score. Same for a quick ear cleaning on the way past.

Is it strange to tip the owner?

No, and I get asked constantly. There is no rule that says an owner cannot accept a tip; some owner-groomers do and some wave it off. If you would rather not, leave a review with your groomer’s name in it. That does something a twenty cannot. The person it is about reads it, and so does the next owner trying to decide where to take their dog.

The things that matter more than the tip

If you want to be a groomer’s favorite client, the tip is maybe fourth on the list.

• Tell us the truth at drop-off. If your dog has bitten someone, has a sore hip, hates having their feet handled, or has a mat you have been avoiding, say so. We find out either way. Finding out early means we can plan around it; finding out mid-groom means somebody gets hurt.
• Brush between visits. A coat that has been kept up is a different job from one that has not, and it decides whether your dog gets the cut you wanted or the cut the coat allows. Ten minutes of line brushing a few times a week covers most dogs.
• Show up, and show up on time. A no-show on a two-hour appointment is not a gap in the day. It is two hours that cannot be refilled.
• Rebook before you leave. It is the single easiest way to never end up in the emergency de-matting conversation.

One last thing. If money is tight, do not skip the appointment over the tip. A dog on schedule with no tip is better off than a dog who comes in twice a year matted to the skin because the whole visit started to feel expensive. Say something at the counter and we will figure it out. You can see the full grooming service or book a visit at our Lone Tree salon, which serves families across Highlands Ranch, Parker, Centennial, Littleton, Castle Pines, Castle Rock, and south Aurora.