Groomers ask for paperwork before a first appointment because they are taking responsibility for a dog they have never handled, in a room with other dogs, water, dryers, and clippers. What a groomer usually wants falls into four groups: vaccination proof, an intake form, health notes, and handling notes. Exact requirements vary by groomer, so treat this as typical practice and confirm in advance rather than arriving with a folder the salon never asked for while missing the one thing it did.
Proof of Rabies and Current Vaccination Status
The document groomers ask about first is usually evidence that rabies cover is current, or confirmation of vaccination status more generally. A vet-issued record that names the dog, the vaccine, and the dates carries weight because the groomer can see at a glance that cover is current; a collar tag on its own shows far less. Some groomers want to see the record before booking, others at drop-off, and some keep a copy on file so returning visits need no repeat. If your dog's vaccinations have lapsed or you cannot find the record, say so when you book rather than at the door, because the groomer may need to rearrange the appointment rather than turn you away in the doorway.
The Intake Form and Emergency Contact
Many salons have an intake form covering your details, the dog's details, and the groom you are booking, and it is worth filling it in carefully rather than treating it as a signature exercise. The emergency contact on that form matters in a specific way: it should be someone reachable during the appointment itself, who can make a decision or collect the dog if the groomer has to stop. A groom can be halted by illness, a skin problem found under the coat, or a dog too distressed to continue, and the groomer needs a person, not a voicemail. Give a number you or your contact will actually answer that day, and note if the contact may also authorise a vet visit in an emergency.
Health Notes: Conditions, Medicines, Allergies, Skin
Write down known conditions, current medicines, allergies, and skin issues even when they seem unrelated to a bath and trim. A dog on medicine may tire sooner or need a break at a set time. Allergies shape which shampoos the groomer can use, and a known skin issue explains a patch the groomer might otherwise find mid-groom and worry about. Lumps, warts, sore ears, and recent injuries belong on the list too, because the groomer works over every inch of the dog and needs to know what is already there before handling, drying, and clipping around it. None of this replaces a vet; it simply stops the groomer working blind.
Temperament and Handling Notes, Given Honestly
Fears, sensitivities, and bite history are the part owners are tempted to soften, and they are the part the groomer needs straight. A dog that panics at dryers, guards its feet, hates its ears touched, or has snapped during nail trims is not a bad dog; it is a dog the groomer can plan around with a quieter slot, a slower pace, a muzzle agreed in advance, or two people for one task. Surprises are what get people bitten and dogs labelled difficult. Honest notes given before the appointment protect the groomer, the dog, and every future booking, because a groomer who was warned and coped will happily book the dog again.
KinsLe gives that paperwork a permanent home, since its Pet Passport packet travels with your dog's records from a grooming visit to a vet visit without starting again.