Bark and Purr is not just another grooming shop, we are a wellness spa that truly cares about every pet looking and feeling their very best. We always put the needs of the pet in front of us first, focusing on them while they are in our care and nothing else.
Bark and Purr Is…
The Vow
While a pet is in my care, my focus is the pet in front of me — loving, gentle, building a relationship built on trust and love.
The Twelve Commitments
1. Whoever greets a pet — front desk, bather, groomer, kennel tech, anyone — will get down to their level, speak softly, and let them come to us. This is everyone's job, every time, not just the first hello.
2. When I see a regular walk through the door, I will say their name before I say anything else — the pet's and the parent's.
3. When a puppy comes in for their first groom, I will make this memory a good one — even if it takes longer. First visits echo for a lifetime.
4. When I see a pet that's unsettled — nervous on my table, pacing the kennel, uncomfortable anywhere in the shop — I stop and find out why: anxious, needs to go out, or just uncomfortable. If CBD is on their card and cleared, front desk is notified and administers it. If they need a walk, whoever noticed takes them. If they went in their kennel, whoever's there cleans it — not the next person. We don't walk past something dirty, and we don't leave the shop anything but clean at closing. Customers notice how this place smells and looks before they notice anything else — we protect that every day, not just at close.
5. When a pet is too anxious for kennel time, we offer the family a way to stay close: expedited one-on-one service (from $20, sized to the pet) — one person with that dog start to finish, no kennel wait, handed back to the parent right there. For our Sunday cat clients we can welcome parents into the room itself, since it's one groomer and a quiet day. If a pet is still too much for us, we call the parent and talk it through honestly — safety and trust come before pushing through.
6. When I finish a service, I will do a five-second check: does this pet look happy, calm, and beautiful — and would their eyes pass the Smile Test?
7. When a client asks how their pet did, I will tell them one specific true thing I noticed about their pet today — and if I saw something worth watching, I will say that too, kindly and plainly.
8. When I see a teammate struggling, I will finish what's in my hands, then ask what they need.
9. When a pet shows me they're done, I will listen. We earn trust one appointment at a time, and we never spend it to finish a groom.
10. When I walk the floor, I will notice how a pet moves, not just how they look — wellness starts with attention, and we are often the first to see what a family can't.
11. When I start a step, I log that I started it. When I finish it, I log that too. The record isn't paperwork after the care — it IS the care, start to finish. This is the rule, and it's what Compass is built to hold us to.
12. When I put on my apron, I remember: this pet came here because their person trusts us. I will deserve that trust today.
Why we have this: these aren't slogans — they're what “Who We Are” above actually looks like in a real moment, dog by dog, client by client. Anyone can say they care about pets. This is what caring looks like when you're the one holding the leash.
The EARN Standard™
Everything we build and everything we do here serves four things, in this order:
E — Employees. You're the foundation. A team that isn't taken care of can't take care of anyone else.
A — Advocates. Our clients and their pets — the people we serve, and the ones who tell their friends about us.
R — Revenue. Growing the business with discipline, not shortcuts.
N — Net. What we actually keep — the profit that makes this a sustainable business, not just a busy one.
Every tool, every process, every decision gets measured against all four. Not just “does this make money” — does it serve the team, the client, the growth, and the bottom line.
Working Here — What's Expected
No cell phones during work hours for social media, personal calls or texting, or watching shows. The client is paying for that time to be spent on their pet, not on a phone. This is Commitment #12, made concrete: “this pet came here because their person trusts us.”
Everything above — the Vow, the Twelve Commitments, EARN — isn't background reading. It's what you're actually held to, starting your first day.
Position Summary
The Lead Bather / Bathing Supervisor is a senior hands-on role that combines expert bathing proficiency with team leadership, training, and quality oversight. This position owns the bathing room — its workflow, its standards, its culture, and its output. You are simultaneously the best bather on the floor and the coach who makes every other bather better. You set the tone for the first and most critical phase of every pet's experience.
Core Responsibilities
Bathing Excellence
Perform full bathing, drying, and hygiene services at the highest standard across all coat types, breeds, and temperaments.
Handle the shop's most challenging baths: highly anxious dogs, severe matting, complex multi-coat breeds, seniors, and medically sensitive pets.
Conduct thorough pre-bath assessments and document all findings in client profiles.
Model Fear-Free technique for the entire bathing team on every shift.
Team Leadership & Training
Train all new Bathers using the official Bather Training Checklist and 30-day program.
Conduct daily briefings and debriefs with the bathing team.
Observe and coach Bathers in real time — technique, Fear-Free handling, speed, and client communication.
Assignment isn't automatic and isn't yours to take by default: dogs go to whoever's ready next, on a timing-based queue — assignments are NOT automatically routed to you for the hardest cases. Factor in each bather's real strengths and limits: if someone's especially good with a certain type of dog, or genuinely can't handle another, weigh that when assigning. Assign on the board and in the app.
Complete formal evaluations for Bathers at Day 15, Day 30, and Day 60.
Escalate performance concerns to the Shop Manager with documentation.
Workflow & Quality Management
Manage the bathing room flow: tub assignments, handoff timing, and bottleneck prevention.
Conduct quality reviews on all baths before handoff to groomers — reject and redo any bath that does not meet standard.
Monitor product supply levels and initiate reorders via management before shortages occur.
Maintain the bathing room to Bark and Purr's cleanliness and sanitation standard at all times.
Safety & Compliance
Enforce all safety protocols: unattended pet prohibition, dryer monitoring, chemical storage, and PPE compliance.
Conduct or assist in monthly safety reviews of the bathing area.
Document and report all pet incidents, near-misses, and health observations to management within the shift.
Qualifications & Requirements
Experience
Minimum 6 months as a Bather at Bark and Purr (or equivalent demonstrated proficiency)
Certifications
Fear-Free certification required; pursuit of NDGAA or similar encouraged
Leadership
Demonstrated ability to mentor and lead peers calmly and effectively
Skills
Expert proficiency across all coat types, breed-specific preparation, and behavioral handling — including reading which bather is the right fit for which dog
Advancement
Promotion requires management approval and demonstrated sustained performance
Non-Negotiables
Zero incidents under supervision; consistent quality output; positive team influence
Key Performance Indicators
Key Performance Indicator
Target / Standard
New Bather checklist completions on time
100% within 30 days
Bathing room quality rejects (groomer returns)
< 2% of total handoffs per month
Team FAS incidents in bathing area
Tracked; year-over-year reduction
Product inventory shortages
Zero unplanned shortages
Bather retention within first 90 days
≥ 80% of trained Bathers retained
Personal bathing quality score (groomer survey)
≥ 4.5 / 5.0 monthly
Career Pathway
Lead Bather → Grooming Apprentice Program → Junior Groomer → Groomer → Stylist, OR Lead Bather → Assistant Manager (operations track)
Accountability Checklist
Use this checklist to lead the bathing room with consistency. Your team mirrors the standard you set — this checklist keeps that standard visible and measurable.
Daily
Morning team briefing delivered
Tub assignments and flow sequenced
All bathers observed at least once
Quality review on every groomer handoff
No substandard bath passed through
All pets accounted for — no unattended
Product levels spot-checked
End-of-day team debrief conducted
Bathing room sanitized to close standard
Incident or near-miss logged (if any)
Bather in training observed and coached
Weekly
Formal observation of each Bather (1 groom)
Inventory count and shortage check
Bather in training: checklist progress reviewed
Written coaching note to any Bather needing it
Quality reject rate calculated and reviewed
Product reorder submitted (if needed)
Cage dryer checks confirmed by team
FAS observations noted and addressed
Product levels spot-checked
Monthly
Monthly safety walkthrough completed
Formal Bather evaluations submitted
Product inventory audit and reorder
FAS incident trend review with Manager
Quality reject rate vs. prior month
KPI report reviewed with Shop Manager
Safety protocol compliance spot-check
Retention check: any Bather at risk?
Team culture check-in (morale read)
Personal advancement goals reviewed
📌 As Lead Bather, your checklist is a leadership instrument. Completing it consistently models the accountability you expect from your team.
Training Agenda
Lead Bather training builds on your existing Bather competency and focuses on leadership skills, training methodology, quality systems, and elevated technical capabilities. Duration is 4 weeks of structured development. Pre-requisite: completed Bather Training Checklist, minimum 6 months tenure. Format: mentored leadership shadowing plus independent practice plus documented evaluations. Assigned mentor: Shop Manager or Senior Groomer. Sign-off authority: Shop Manager / Managing Partner.
Week 1 · Leadership Foundations & Training Methodology
Review and master the Bather Training Checklist from a trainer's perspective.
Study the 30-day Bather Training Agenda — understand each phase's purpose and milestones.
Shadow the current Lead Bather or Manager conducting a new-hire training session.
Learn how to deliver constructive feedback: the praise-redirect-praise model.
Practice delivering a 5-minute skills demo to the Manager (nail trimming, ear cleaning, coat assessment).
Study workflow management: how bathing room sequencing affects groomer productivity.
Week 2 · Advanced Technical Skills
Supervised practice on high-difficulty bath cases: severe matting, double-coat deshedding, anxious seniors.
Advanced dematting technique: safe dematting vs. humane clip-down decision-making.
Brachycephalic breeds: special handling, drying cautions, and stress monitoring.
Learn and practice the three-point physical assessment at the bather level.
Coach two junior Bathers through their daily tasks — documented with mentor observation.
Conduct a quality audit of the bathing room: identify and correct 3 areas needing improvement.
Week 3 · Operational Ownership
Run the bathing room independently for 3 full days — assign tubs, manage flow, conduct quality reviews.
Complete two formal written evaluations of Bathers using the official evaluation form.
Manage a product inventory audit: count, identify shortages, draft a reorder request.
Lead the daily bathing team briefing each morning — document feedback received.
Practice escalation communication: write two mock incident reports for review by the Manager.
Conduct a safety walkthrough of the bathing area using the monthly safety checklist.
Week 4 · Evaluation & Independent Operation
Operate as Lead Bather independently for a full week — Manager available by phone only.
Receive formal leadership evaluation from Shop Manager.
Present 3 improvement ideas for the bathing operation to management.
Complete all competency sign-offs on the Lead Bather Checklist.
Set 60-day and 90-day goals with manager.
Watch & Learn
External professional references until Bark & Purr films its own — techniques shown may differ in small ways from our Tranquil Tail method; your mentor's instruction always wins.
Force Dryer Judgment — Leading Edge. Why it fits: a Lead Bather calls the judgment calls on force-drying difficult and sensitive coats — this walks through reading the dog and the coat before you commit to technique.
Fluff Drying 101 — Julie Wilkins. Why it fits: fluff-drying technique underlies the quality bar you're rejecting or passing at handoff — you need to be able to demonstrate it, not just judge it.
Today’s checklist — tap as you go (resets each day)
Daily Position Checklist
Tap each item as you do it. Your checks save for today and a fresh list starts tomorrow.
Opening
Per Dog
Throughout the Shift
Closing
Training sign-off — signed once by your lead
Competency Checklist — Sign-Off Required
Trainee: Date:
Supervisor: Date:
Accountability Checklist — Every Shift
Opening / Start of Shift
During the Shift
Closing / End of Shift
Weekly
Monthly
As Lead Bather, your checklist is a leadership instrument. Completing it consistently models the accountability you expect from your team.