For dog groomers

Online booking for dog groomers

Let owners book a groom for the right size of dog, tell you about coat and temperament, and pay a deposit, all from one link. Built for South African grooming salons and mobile groomers, with WhatsApp reminders so dogs actually arrive.

Free plan available. No credit card required.

Your grooming salon

Example menu

Full groom, small dog (90 min) R380
Full groom, large dog (150 min) R650
Bath and brush, medium (60 min) R300
Nail clip (15 min) R80

In one paragraph

How does a dog grooming booking system work in South Africa?

A dog grooming booking system lets pet owners book a groom, bath or nail clip online, choose the option that matches their dog's size and coat, and pay a deposit when they book. South African groomers often juggle bookings across WhatsApp, phone calls and Facebook messages, and a groom booked for the wrong size of dog throws the whole day out. Booklink gives you a shareable booking link where owners self-book into your real availability. Service variants price and time each groom by size, custom booking questions collect the dog's name, breed and coat condition, and rooms stop two dogs being booked onto one table. Deposits run through Yoco, Paystack, PayFast, or iKhokha, and WhatsApp reminders go out before every appointment on Pro. Booklink is free for 30 bookings per month and R79/month on Pro for unlimited bookings, with no commission.

How dog groomers use Booklink

Size-based pricing

Small, medium, large and giant become variants of one groom, each with its own time and price. A Bouvier never gets booked into a Maltese slot.

Pet details at booking

Ask for the dog's name, breed, coat condition and vaccination status with custom booking questions. You know who is coming before the lead comes off.

Staggered drop-offs

Set your slot interval so drop-offs arrive spaced out instead of all at 8am, and add buffer time for cleaning the table and bath between dogs.

Add-ons in one booking

Owners add a nail clip, teeth brushing or de-shed to the groom. Booklink books the combined time with one groomer and one deposit.

Deposits against no-shows

A missed large-breed groom can cost you most of a morning. Require a deposit on long grooms via Yoco, Paystack, PayFast, or iKhokha.

Remember every dog

Private client notes hold clip length, handling tips and anything sensitive, so every groomer on your team treats a regular the same way.

Features that matter for groomers

Whether you groom from a salon, a garage conversion or a mobile trailer, these are the Booklink features that do the heavy lifting.

Service variants

One groom, several sizes, each with its own duration and price. Service variants.

Tables and baths as rooms

A slot is only offered when a groomer and a free table are both available. Rooms and resources.

Deposits and wash packages

Deposits per service, plus prepaid session packages for regulars on a monthly bath. Deposits and payments.

WhatsApp reminders

Owners get a reminder before drop-off with links to reschedule or cancel. WhatsApp reminders.

Setting up a grooming menu that fits the dog

Start with your main services: full groom, bath and brush, puppy introduction, and a quick nail clip. Add size variants to the grooms, with a realistic time for each. A small, short-coated dog and a large doodle are completely different jobs, and the booking page will only offer times where the full groom for that size fits in your day.

Next, add custom booking questions. Most groomers ask for the dog's name and breed, the size, whether the coat is matted, and whether vaccinations are up to date. If matting changes your price, say so in the service description so owners are not surprised at collection. Add-ons such as teeth brushing, a de-shed or an anal gland check can be small services of their own that owners add to the same booking once multi-service bookings are on. If an owner is bringing two dogs, ask them to book each dog separately so each gets the right size and time.

For drop-offs, set your slot interval and working hours so dogs arrive spaced through the morning, and use buffer time for cleaning down between dogs. If you have more groomers than tables, set up each table or the bath as a room. Mobile groomers can add travel time as a buffer and ask for the address at booking.

Share the link on your Facebook page, WhatsApp status and Google Business Profile so owners can book from Maps. If you are just starting to take bookings online, our online booking guide for South African businesses walks through the basics.

Frequently asked questions

How much does Booklink cost for a dog grooming business?

Booklink is free to start with 1 service, 1 team member, and 30 bookings per month. The Pro plan at R79/month gives you unlimited services and bookings, up to 5 team members, deposits via Yoco, Paystack, PayFast, or iKhokha, multi-service bookings, session packages, Google Calendar sync, and WhatsApp reminders. There is no commission on bookings.

Can I price grooms by dog size?

Yes. Use service variants. A Full groom service can carry small, medium, large and giant options, each with its own duration and price. The owner picks the size, only sees times where that length of groom fits, and pays the matching deposit. Variants are included on every plan.

What about coat type? A double-coated dog takes much longer.

Where coat changes the work, add it to the variant name, such as Large, double coat, with its own time and price, or list a separate service for de-shedding and hand stripping. Add a custom booking question for breed and coat condition so you can check the owner picked the right option.

How do owners tell me about their dog?

Add custom booking questions to your grooming services: the dog's name and breed as text, size as a dropdown, and checkboxes for matting or vaccinations being up to date. The answers arrive with every booking. For temperament and handling notes, use private client notes, visible only to you and your team.

Does Booklink work for mobile dog groomers?

Yes. Add buffer time after each booking so there is room to pack up and drive to the next address, and ask for the address with a custom booking question. A minimum notice period stops same-hour bookings you cannot reach in time.

Can I stop two dogs being booked onto one bath or table?

Yes. Set up your grooming tables or bath station as rooms and tie your services to them. Booklink only offers a time when a groomer and a free table are both available, and reserves the table with the booking. Rooms are included on every plan.

Related guides

Ready to fill your grooming table?

Start accepting bookings today. Free plan available, no credit card required.

Get started for free

Last reviewed: . Reviewed by Nico Huysamen, Founder & Director, Tora Technologies. Cape Town, South Africa.