How much to tip a dog groomer (and when to tip more)

Dog grooming is a personal service, a lot like a haircut, and the tipping norm in the US follows the salon. The Emily Post Institute puts hair salon tips at 15 to 20%, and that is the range nearly every groomer and grooming school quotes for dogs too.

Think of 15% as “it went fine” and 20% as “my dog came home looking great and happy.” If you are a regular and your groomer knows your dog’s quirks, 20% is the friendly default.

Not sure what a fair bill even looks like where you live? Our dog grooming cost by state study shows measured prices from real groomers.

Grooming prices are set for an average dog. Some appointments are much harder than average, and the price doesn’t always catch up. These are the situations where 25% or more is fair:

• Matting. Dematting is slow, careful work close to the skin. Even if there was a dematting fee, a tip on top acknowledges the time.
• A nervous, wiggly or bitey dog. If your groomer needed a second person, a muzzle or extra breaks, they earned more.
• A very large or heavy-coated dog. Drying a Newfoundland or a Great Pyrenees is physical work that can take far longer than the price suggests.
• A dog that arrived filthy. Skunk, mud, burrs or an accident in the car.
• A favor. Squeezing you in the same day, staying late, or holding your dog longer because you were stuck in traffic.
• Senior or special-needs dogs. Dogs that can’t stand for long, are blind or deaf, or need gentle handling.

A good test: if you would be embarrassed to bring your dog to that appointment, tip like it.

The old etiquette rule was that you don’t tip the owner of a business, since they set their own prices. That rule has softened, and in dog grooming it rarely fits: many shops are one or two people, and the owner is the one with your dog on the table. Tipping an owner-groomer is never rude, and most will happily accept it. If they decline, take them at their word.

When a bather washes and dries your dog and a separate groomer does the cut, it’s kind to ask that the tip be split, or to hand each person something. Emily Post gives the same advice for salons: ask for the tip to be divided among the people who served you.

Mobile groomers. Tip the same 15 to 20%. Mobile grooming often costs more because it’s one dog at a time with a van to run, but the higher price covers the van, not the groomer’s tip. Our look at mobile dog grooming costs explains where the extra money goes.

Big-box and chain salons. The person grooming your dog at a chain does the same work as an independent groomer, so the same percentage applies. Policies on how tips are collected vary, so if there’s no tip line at checkout, ask the front desk or hand cash directly to the groomer.

Nail trims and walk-in extras. For a quick nail trim or ear clean, a few dollars is a nice gesture. Nobody expects 20% of a small add-on.

Self-serve dog washes. No tip is expected, since you’re doing the work. If an attendant helps you lift a big dog into the tub or towel off, a couple of dollars is a thoughtful thank-you.

If the same person grooms your dog all year, a holiday thank-you is a nice tradition. The Emily Post Institute’s holiday tipping guide suggests up to the cost of one session, or a gift.

Emily Post also notes that if you already tip at every visit, you can skip the year-end tip or give a more modest thank-you. A card with a photo of your freshly groomed dog goes a long way, too. Groomers get a lot of hair and not a lot of thanks.

A tip is the easy part. Ask groomers what makes a client great and you hear the same few things, and every one of them makes your dog’s appointment go better too.

• Brush between visits. A dog that’s brushed at home arrives with fewer tangles, which means less time pulling at the skin and less chance of a shave-down.
• Be honest about behavior. If your dog snaps at nail trims or panics at the dryer, say so at drop-off. Groomers can plan for a dog they know about. Surprises are how people and dogs get hurt.
• Show up on time and pick up on time. Groomers schedule a day of dogs around drying and cage space. A dog left for hours after the call throws off everyone behind it.
• Book on a regular schedule. Coats that are cut every few weeks are faster, kinder and cheaper to groom than coats that are left for months. Our guide to how often to groom your dog gives intervals by coat type.
• Keep vaccines current and bring the record. Many salons require it, and having it ready saves a phone call to your vet.
• Leave a review. For an independent groomer, a specific, honest online review can be worth more than an extra five dollars.

Tipping less for a genuinely bad experience is reasonable. If the cut was clearly not what you asked for, a smaller tip of around 10% is a common signal. But speak up as well. Many groomers will touch up a cut if you call within a few days, and they can’t fix what they don’t hear about.

Before you dock a tip, separate the groomer’s work from the dog’s condition. A short shave on a matted dog is usually the humane choice, not a mistake, and nicks are more likely on a dog that fights the clippers. If something looks wrong on your dog’s skin after a groom, ask the groomer first, then a vet if it doesn’t heal.