A day in the life of a Jim’s Dog Wash franchisee can mean washing a 40-kilogram American Bulldog, de-shedding a Border Collie, and finishing with a full groom in one mobile trailer. For Anton from Jim’s Dog Wash Mentone, this day shows the usual mix of dogs, customers, travel, messages, grooming decisions, and physical work. Here is what the day looks like step by step.
Watch the video above, or keep reading to see what a full working day actually looks like.
How Does A Jim’s Dog Wash Mentone Day Start?
Anton starts the day with Coco, a new American Bulldog client.
The job includes a bath, ear clean and nail clipping. Before he starts, Anton checks the dog’s temperament. With large dogs, he wants to know if they are reactive, aggressive, or difficult to handle.
Coco is high energy, vocal and heavy. Anton says she is “a nice 40 kilogram little puppy.” He takes time to pat her, let her settle and build trust before the wash.
That is a big part of mobile dog grooming. The dog meets a new person, enters a trailer and gets touched, washed and dried. Anton does not rush that process.
He prepares the HydroBath and warms the water to 30 degrees. He explains that the pressurised HydroBath pushes water and shampoo through the coat and down to the skin. That saves time and gives a deeper clean than simply wetting the surface.
Coco is dirty and shedding. The booking is only for a bath, not a de-shed, but Anton gives her a light brush because loose hair is coming off.
He also goes live on TikTok under TonyTheMobileGroomer. His trailer has phone mounts set up at different angles, so he can attach his phone quickly and keep working.
Anton says his TikTok lives have had around 11,000 to 13,000 views or engagement. He talks to viewers while he washes, answers questions and explains what he is doing.
The morning job also shows the physical side of the work. Coco is vocal, heavy and not easy to move. Anton says he is 100 kilos himself, which helps with large dogs, but he still has to use strength, safe lifting and judgement.
After the bath, he dries Coco until she is about 98% dry. He avoids blasting the blower near her face because she might jump and injure herself or him.
Then he trims her nails. Anton says nail clipping used to make him nervous before training. Now he watches the quick, uses care, and stops when he is not 100% confident.
Before taking Coco back, he cleans her ears, adds his Petway Coconut Spray, and checks her skin. He notices irritation and says he will tell the owner. That is part of his service routine.
What Happens During The Busiest Part Of The Day?
The next job is Dusty, a Border Collie. The owner originally considered a clip, but Anton and the owner decide on a de-shed instead.
That decision matters because Border Collies are double-coated. Anton explains that clipping may not achieve the result the customer wants. Dusty also has a recent surgery on his back left leg, so Anton avoids too much manoeuvring.
Before the bath, Anton brushes Dusty heavily. He wants to remove as much loose coat as possible before washing and blow drying. He estimates he may brush for around 40 minutes.
He says a full de-shed service can take around an hour and a half, depending on the coat. Most owners will brush for 10 minutes and stop because their arm hurts. One TikTok viewer says they brushed their Border Collie for two hours and still had hair coming out.
This part of the day is slower and more technical. Anton checks matting behind the ear, protects Dusty’s sore leg, and uses a belly strap for support.
He also messages the next appointment because he is running behind.
That is a normal part of the day. Grooming does not always run to the minute because dogs move, react, shed, mat, scratch, resist, sit down, or need extra care.
Anton says communication is key. He sends text messages for booking updates, appointment confirmation, delays, and anything else the customer needs to know.
He also goes live on TikTok again. By this point, the day has included a bath, a de-shed and a later full groom. Anton calls it “a day of a bit of everything.”
Social media also brings in work. Dusty came from Anton’s own social media, not a Jim’s lead. Anton posts in Mentone, Cheltenham and Bayside community pages and has become a rising contributor in those groups.
He still values Jim’s leads, but he does not want to rely on them 100%. He also uses Google reviews, local referrals, TikTok and community visibility to build trust close to home.
How Does Anton Wrap Up Each Dog Grooming Job?
The afternoon brings a full groom. This dog needs a clip, bath, nail clipping and scissoring around the face.
The dog is older, deaf and partly blind, so Anton slows down. He checks the coat, feels for lumps, and looks for anything out of the ordinary before running clippers over the body.
He finds a growth and thick gunk near the eyes. Anton does not diagnose the issue, but he plans to tell the owner it may be worth checking. He says if something looks out of the ordinary, he raises it.
The full groom also shows how customer service fits into the day. Anton says he learned customer focus from e-commerce. His view is simple: talk to the customer, listen properly, and be honest.
One customer booked a $125 groom and accidentally added a $20 nail clipping option, making it a $145 job. Anton removed the $20 because nail clipping was already included in that groom.
That small moment matters. It builds trust.
After each job, Anton returns the dog and gives the owner a short walkthrough. He explains what he did, asks if they are happy with the service, and asks if they are happy with how the dog looks.
If the customer is happy, he asks for a Google review using a review card. Reviews help him build local trust and reduce the need to travel 30 minutes across other areas.
He also thinks about which customers to rebook. His ideal customer is friendly, pays the quoted price, and wants their dog groomed on a regular schedule.
Anton wants the right kind of repeat work. He says some dogs need grooming every six or eight weeks. For de-shedding, some owners book monthly if they want to reduce shedding around the house, while many book every two months.
The wrap-up also includes one of the hardest realities of service work. In e-commerce, Anton’s website could keep selling even if he did not feel like working. In mobile grooming, “if you do not show up, you do not get paid.”
That means routine matters.
How Many Dogs, Hours And Jobs Fit Into The Day?
- Featured jobs in this day: 3 dogs.
- First job: bath, ear clean and nail clipping for Coco, a 40-kilogram American Bulldog.
- Second job: de-shed for Dusty, a Border Collie.
- Third job: full groom with clip, bath, nail clipping and face scissoring.
- Water temperature: 30 degrees.
- TikTok live engagement mentioned: around 11,000 to 13,000.
- TikTok growth mentioned: zero followers to around 350 in a couple of weeks.
- Large dog example: 61-kilo Great Dane.
- Repeat booking example: every four weeks until the end of the year.
- Typical comfortable workload for Anton: usually four dogs.
- Busy workload mentioned: four to five dogs.
- Other groomers’ workload mentioned: seven dogs a day.
- Dusty brushing estimate: around 40 minutes.
- De-shed service estimate: around an hour and a half.
- Difficult matted dog estimate: three and a half to four hours if done in one session.
- Customer price example: $125 groom.
- Nail clipping add-on example: $20.
- Total before correction: $145.
- Additional nail clipping charge mentioned elsewhere: $15.
- Local pricing position: around 15, 20% more expensive than local salons.
- Lead conversion mentioned: around 80 or so, 85%.
- Future earning example mentioned: over a hundred K working five days a week.
- Higher revenue example mentioned: six dogs a day, five days a week could get up to 150 K.
- Jim’s Group call centre: 131 546.
What Does Anton Enjoy And What Makes The Work Hard?
Anton’s answer comes through in how he talks about the work. He likes the dogs, the structure and the customer relationships.
“I’ve had dogs my entire life,” he says. “I can’t actually imagine life without dogs.”
He also likes that Jim’s Dog Wash gives him support. Before joining, he compared going independent with joining Jim’s. He had already run a business and understood how expensive marketing can become.
In his other business, he says Google Ads cost $1,000 a day. With Jim’s, he sees lead fees as marketing and says he converts around 80 or so, 85% of the leads that come through.
The hard parts are clear too.
Large dogs take strength. A 40 kilogram dog can be hard to hold for nails. A 61 kilo Great Dane is a workout. A matted, anxious dog can turn a two-hour booking into a three and a half to four hour problem.
The trailer also took adjustment. Anton had never driven with a trailer before joining Jim’s Group. He once had to do a 25-point turn and spent 35 minutes getting out of a customer’s backyard.
The biggest lifestyle point is balance. Anton has a two-year-old and a four-year-old. He usually limits himself to four dogs because he wants a sustainable pace.
“For me, priority is work-life balance,” he says.
This work suits someone who likes dogs, can handle physical work, communicates well, keeps a schedule, and follows up properly. It does not suit someone who wants passive income or wants to avoid customer service.
FAQ About Running A Jim’s Dog Wash Franchise Day To Day
Anton’s featured day included 3 dogs: a bath, a de-shed, and a full groom. He says four dogs is usually his comfortable limit, while four to five dogs can feel very go, go, go.
Yes, it can be physical. Anton handled a 40-kilogram American Bulldog, talked about a 61-kilo Great Dane and said large dogs require manual handling, safe lifting and strength.
Yes. Anton mentioned a 61-kilo Great Dane that now books every four weeks until the end of the year. He also rebooks suitable customers every six or eight weeks when the dog needs regular grooming.
Yes. Anton uses TikTok, Facebook community pages and Google reviews to generate local work. Dusty came from Anton’s own social media, not a Jim’s lead.
Anton says service work means he has to show up to get paid. His e-commerce business could keep selling through the website, but dog grooming depends on the day’s appointments.
Could A Jim’s Dog Wash Franchise Fit Your Lifestyle?
A Jim’s Dog Wash day is hands-on, local, and personal. It includes dogs, customers, driving, grooming, washing, drying, lifting, messaging, reviews, and rebooking.
Anton’s day shows the real pace. It is not just washing dogs. It is managing trust, time, safety, communication, and repeat customers.
For customers, Jim’s Dog Wash offers mobile dog grooming with one-on-one care at your home.
For future franchisees, Anton’s day shows the kind of work, discipline and customer service involved before you decide whether this lifestyle fits you.
Want to see if a Jim’s franchise fits your lifestyle?