How Dog Groomers Can Avoid Burnout

by Working Smarter, Not Harder

Dog grooming is one of those jobs people assume is “just cuddling dogs all day.”  When I decided to retrain just before Covid hit, I thought it would be fun to work with dogs as my career. Having been a horse owner for a few decades, I used to love clipping my horse every autumn. How different it actually is to be clipping out numerous dogs a day… It’s exhausting! 

It’s also incredibly physical and demanding. Being a dog groomer is a skill that demands focus, patience, and resilience, day after day. This is where the problem can lie: day after day. I only planned to groom ten dogs a week, working three days a week. How soon my dog grooming business became full time, with sometimes double that amount of dogs to groom. This was not the plan, but booking in dogs on a schedule is something that happens very quietly over time.  

Dog Grooming Burnout doesn’t usually arrive suddenly. Again, it creeps in disguised as tiredness, frustration, impatience and feeling totally overwhelmed. I have felt periods of this over the last few years and I knew I had to reduce the workload and take control. 

Avoiding burnout isn’t about working longer hours or pushing through the exhaustion. It is also not being “proud” of being booked out for months ahead with no breaks. It’s about working smarter, not harder. 

Burnout is not a personal failure 

If you’re exhausted, it doesn’t mean you’re not cut out for grooming. More often, it means your business is asking more from you than one human body can give. When systems, pricing, scheduling, or boundaries are off, burnout follows, even if you love the dogs and their owners.  

Stop overbooking and start protecting your energy 

Cramming in “just one more dog” is one of the fastest routes to exhaustion. Fewer, well spaced grooms allow you to work calmly, safely, and to a higher standard. Rushing doesn’t just drain you; the dogs feel it too. They feed off your energy and if you are frustrated and tired, they in turn will start to feel edgy and their non compliance will show on the table. 

Price for sustainability, not survival 

Your prices need to support your body and your future, not just cover today’s bills. Grooming is skilled, physical labour, and undercharging often leads to longer days, sore bodies, and resentment. Why do we worry about putting our prices up? Believe me, I wince when telling a client their groom has gone up by £5. But do you think Tesco’s wince when they put a fiver on a bottle of olive oil? It’s whether you choose to pay it. And that is exactly what your client needs to decide. I can categorically say that perhaps one client out of the hundred I see may raise an eyebrow on the price rise, but they pay it. Everybody else shows understanding. 

With rising prices in all avenues of running a professional dog grooming business, you need to earn a decent living. The clue is in the word “professional” which is what you are and you need to be paid accordingly. 

Give every groom the time it deserves 

Build realistic groom times and stick to them. When you’re constantly running behind, stress compounds quickly. Clear timings protect your mental focus, your hands, and your confidence.  Review your booking system carefully. When you take time off, the weeks before and after can become overly busy, so it’s important to manage spacing in advance. Set the appointments yourself instead of allowing clients to choose what suits them best. For dogs on a regular grooming schedule, extending the groom by an extra week will not negatively impact the coat.

Choose the right clients for you 

Not every dog is the right fit, and that’s okay. Saying no to unsafe, highly stressed, or unsuitable dogs isn’t being difficult; it’s being professional. A business built around dogs that you can groom well and safely is far more sustainable. I decided a few years ago that I would not groom large dogs or those that weigh over 25kg. Battling with a dog that will not get in the bath, scratching me from my arms to my ankles, is not my idea of fun in my fifth decade of life. I will leave that to the younger generation of groomers or larger salons that have a team of staff to deal with very difficult cases. 

Create routines to reduce mental load 

Decision fatigue is real. Consistent routines for prep, bathing, drying, and finishing save energy and brain space. The fewer decisions you make each day, the calmer feeling you will bring to the table. I excelled at faffing, and my grooming would sometimes be unstructured. Maintaining a good routine when grooming dogs will lead to a calmer mind. 

Organise the boring stuff 

Admin, cleaning, laundry, ordering, and social media don’t need to happen every day. Again, keep a routine when it comes to these tasks and you will stop your job from bleeding into every corner of your life.  

Schedule rest as a non-negotiable 

Breaks aren’t a luxury. Hydration, food, and short pauses between dogs help prevent physical strain and emotional overload. At the start of the New Year, block out time off and do not book dogs in where your diary says off. I’ve done it with clients who have watched me book in dogs where the day states OFF just to accommodate them. And they say nothing but that actually speaks volumes!  

Remember why “working smarter” matters 

A calmer, well-supported groomer creates calmer dogs, better grooms, and a business that feels good to run. Burnout helps no one. Not you, not the dogs, and not your clients. 

You don’t need to do more to be successful. You need to do what works, in a way that lets you keep going. Working smarter isn’t about slowing down either. It’s about building a grooming business that supports you for the long term, both mentally and physically.  I have slowly started to regain control of the business, which I created had turned into a bit of a monster. Over time, you will naturally lose dogs that pass away or clients relocate. I have tried hard to not replace them and to let the business scale down to a manageable level.

What client wants to see a stressed out, sweaty, messy wreck when they bring their dog for a groom?  And I know I have sported that look over the years… 

by Samantha Hobden

In the spring of 2026, Samantha is launching a dog grooming mentor service. Please email: socialstable@gmail.com for more details about how she can help you build the best dog grooming business for you, your bank account and for your brain!