The cheapest place to catch a difficult dog is the intake form.
Most groomers discover a dog's history mid-groom, with clippers in hand and a bite already happening, the worst possible moment to learn anything. The information was there to be found at the form and on the phone. They just never asked, so every hard dog arrives as a fresh surprise.
Maria's old intake asked "Any behavior issues?" and everyone wrote no. She rebuilt it with specific questions and the answers changed overnight. Flagged dogs now get a call and a plan, and she rarely gets a nasty surprise, because the hard ones show up flagged, planned, and priced. (Illustrative example.)
Who this is for
Groomers who are tired of being ambushed by a dog's history mid-groom and want to catch difficult dogs before they're ever on the table.
By the end, you'll walk out knowing
You'll walk away with a finished plan
What you'll work through
5 short, plain-language lessons — most under five minutes. Read them or watch the slides, at your pace.
- 1
- 2The pre-appointment phone call5 min
- 3Deciding whether to take the booking5 min
- 4Tracking patterns over time5 min
- 5Your screening system5 min
The toolsyou'll use
Spreadsheets you copy and fill in as you go — yours to keep, unlocked when you enroll.
Your instructor
Julia had the bad day early — the dog that went sideways — and learned the hard way that stopping is a skill. She teaches safety and risk from the inside: reading a dog, handling the difficult ones, and knowing the exact moment to put the clipper down.
Not happy with the course for any reason? Email us within 14 days of purchase for a full refund.
Reading, handling, and protecting yourself around the dogs that make grooming risky — before, during, and after a difficult appointment. Finish all 9 courses to earn the GC-DG credential — the full certification is $369.
See the full certification →