Why More Dog Owners Are Choosing DIY Pet Care in 2026

For years, growth in the pet industry seemed to follow a relatively simple pattern: people treated pets more like family members, spent more on their care, and increasingly turned to professional services for grooming, boarding, wellness, and other needs.

That trend has not disappeared.

But in 2026, another behavior is becoming increasingly difficult for pet businesses to ignore.

Dog owners are doing more of the everyday work themselves.

According to the American Pet Products Association's 2026 Dog Report, more than half of U.S. dog owners—51%—now groom their dogs at home. Spending on salon grooming, mobile grooming, and boarding also declined in 2025 as owners became more selective about which services they were willing to pay professionals to perform.

At the same time, this is not happening because Americans suddenly care less about their dogs.

Quite the opposite.

Dog ownership reached approximately 71 million U.S. households in 2025, up 4% year over year, while the overall U.S. pet industry generated around $158 billion in expenditure and is projected by APPA to reach $165 billion in 2026.

So the important story is not:

“Pet owners have stopped spending.”

It is:

“Pet owners are becoming more deliberate about what they pay someone else to do—and what they can conveniently do themselves.”

That shift has important implications not only for groomers, but also for pet retailers, self-service dog wash operators, apartment communities, pet-friendly businesses, product brands, and entrepreneurs looking for new opportunities in the pet economy.

Pet Owners Are Becoming Smarter About Where Their Money Goes

One of the clearest themes in APPA's latest research is the rise of the value-conscious dog owner.

Veterinary care represented approximately 29% of dog-owner spending, while food accounted for another 27%. These are difficult categories for owners simply to eliminate. A dog still needs food, preventive care, and medical attention regardless of what happens to the household budget.

That puts greater pressure on the parts of the pet budget that are easier to adjust.

Instead of stopping care altogether, owners may buy products from a lower-cost retailer, combine premium and affordable foods, postpone discretionary purchases, or perform routine tasks themselves.

APPA describes this as a move toward more intentional spending. Dog owners are protecting the things they see as essential while looking for savings in routine purchases and services.

Grooming fits directly into that equation.

A dog may still need regular bathing, brushing, cleaning, and coat maintenance. The need itself does not disappear simply because a household wants to reduce expenses.

What changes is how that need is fulfilled.

Instead of paying for every routine bath, owners may wash the dog themselves and reserve professional grooming appointments for haircuts, difficult coats, nail care, breed-specific grooming, or situations where professional expertise is especially valuable.

This creates an important distinction for the pet industry:

DIY pet care is not necessarily a rejection of professional pet care. It is a redistribution of tasks.

51% Grooming at Home Is More Than a Cost-Saving Statistic

The fact that 51% of dog owners groom at home deserves attention because it points toward something larger than a temporary response to inflation.

Owners increasingly expect to participate directly in their dogs' everyday care.

This can include bathing, brushing, cleaning paws after walks, maintaining coats between grooming appointments, cleaning teeth with appropriate products, and using wipes for quick everyday cleaning.

APPA's data provide additional evidence of this behavior.

Nearly 46% of dog owners now own dental-care products, while ownership of dog wipes more than doubled year over year, increasing 108%. APPA specifically connects these categories with convenience, preventive care, and daily maintenance.

That matters because these are not products designed primarily for an occasional professional appointment.

They are products designed to become part of a routine.

The commercial opportunity therefore shifts from simply selling a service every few weeks toward helping owners manage dozens of smaller care moments throughout the month.

A muddy walk.

A dirty dog after the park.

A quick clean before getting into the car.

A bath between grooming appointments.

Daily dental care.

Cleaning paws after rain.

Removing loose hair before guests arrive.

These situations happen far more frequently than a formal grooming appointment.

And that frequency is precisely what makes DIY pet care commercially interesting.

Convenience May Be Just as Important as Price

It is tempting to explain DIY grooming entirely through economics.

Price certainly matters.

APPA found that spending on salon grooming and mobile grooming declined in 2025 while owners increasingly handled routine grooming themselves.

But cost alone does not explain the entire trend.

Modern consumers have also become accustomed to doing many things on their own schedules.

They use self-checkout in supermarkets, mobile banking instead of visiting branches, self-service kiosks at airports, fitness apps instead of always working with trainers, and online tools to complete tasks that once required an appointment.

Pet care is increasingly entering the same convenience economy.

Traditional grooming usually requires planning.

The owner needs to choose a groomer, find an available appointment, travel to the location, drop off the dog, wait for the service, and collect the pet afterward.

For a full grooming service, that effort can be worthwhile.

For a dog that simply needs a bath after rolling in mud, it may feel excessive.

DIY care gives the owner control over when the task happens.

That difference becomes especially important for owners with irregular schedules, active dogs, large dogs, dogs that frequently get dirty, or pets that need cleaning more often than they require professional grooming.

The demand is therefore not simply for cheaper grooming.

It is for more flexible grooming.

The Bathroom Problem: DIY Does Not Always Mean “Do It at Home”

There is another important distinction that pet businesses should understand.

When industry reports describe growing interest in DIY grooming, it is easy to assume that every owner wants to wash their dog in their own bathtub.

Many do.

But home grooming has obvious practical limitations.

A large dog can be difficult to lift into a bathtub.

Water and hair can spread around the bathroom.

Some homes only have showers.

Apartment bathrooms may be small.

Owners may not have appropriate drying equipment.

A wet dog shaking indoors can turn a simple bath into a cleaning job for the entire room.

This creates a gap between two traditional options:

wash the dog at home

and

pay someone to groom the dog for you.

That gap is where self-service pet care becomes particularly interesting.

Instead of paying for a professional to perform the entire service, owners can use purpose-built facilities and equipment while still doing the washing themselves.

The customer supplies the labor.

The business supplies the environment.

This model is already familiar in other industries. A self-service car wash does not sell the same experience as having a car professionally detailed. A laundromat is not the same as a full-service laundry company.

Both exist because customers sometimes want access to better equipment without paying for full-service labor.

Dog care can follow the same logic.

Self-Service Dog Washing Could Become the Middle Ground

The growth of DIY grooming creates room for a category that sits between home grooming and professional salons:

self-service dog washing.

Instead of using a household bathtub, customers can access a dedicated washing station equipped for dogs.

They still wash the pet themselves, but the physical environment solves many of the inconveniences associated with doing it at home.

From the owner's perspective, the value proposition is not simply “cheaper than a groomer.”

It is closer to:

“I can wash my dog when I need to, without turning my bathroom into a grooming salon.”

That positioning matters.

If self-service dog wash businesses compete only on price, they risk making the service appear to be a low-cost substitute for professional grooming.

A stronger proposition is based on convenience, control, accessibility, cleanliness, and flexibility.

Professional grooming and self-service washing can therefore coexist.

A customer might visit a professional groomer every six or eight weeks while using self-service facilities for routine baths between appointments.

An active dog might require cleaning after outdoor activities much more frequently than it requires professional trimming.

The same household can become a customer of both businesses.

Professional Groomers Are Not Necessarily the Losers

Whenever DIY behavior increases, there is a tendency to assume that professionals will automatically lose business.

That conclusion is too simplistic.

APPA's 2026 Dog Report specifically suggests that owners are using a mixture of at-home solutions for everyday needs and professionals for higher-needs care.

That distinction can actually help professional groomers clarify where their highest value lies.

Routine bathing can consume time, staff capacity, water, cleaning resources, and appointment slots.

More specialized services—coat styling, difficult coat management, breed-specific grooming, de-matting, nail services, and care for dogs that are difficult for owners to manage—rely more heavily on skill and experience.

The future grooming market therefore does not have to be divided into two opposing camps.

It may become a spectrum:

At-home care → self-service care → professional grooming → specialized care

Owners move between those options depending on the dog, the task, their budget, and the amount of expertise required.

Businesses that understand this spectrum may find more opportunities than businesses that insist every customer must choose only one model.

DIY Care Is Creating a New Product Economy

The rise of owner-managed care also changes which pet products can become recurring purchases.

If owners perform more everyday grooming themselves, they need tools and consumables.

Shampoos, conditioners, wipes, brushes, towels, dental products, paw-care products, cleaning products, and other maintenance items become part of the home-care ecosystem.

APPA's finding that dog-wipe ownership increased 108% year over year is particularly revealing.

Wipes solve a small problem.

But they solve it frequently.

That is exactly the kind of product characteristic that can produce strong repeat purchasing behavior.

It also illustrates a broader lesson for pet businesses in 2026:

The biggest opportunities may not always come from expensive products. They can come from products that fit naturally into frequent routines.

For retailers, this means merchandising may increasingly need to reflect situations rather than simply product categories.

Instead of presenting only “dog shampoo,” businesses can think in terms of:

After the dog park.
Between grooming appointments.
After a rainy walk.
Quick paw cleaning.
At-home dental routine.
Travel pet care.

The closer a product is connected to a recognizable daily problem, the easier it becomes for consumers to understand why they need it.

DIY Pet Care Fits a Broader Shift Toward Function-First Spending

Another important finding from APPA's 2026 research is that dog owners are becoming increasingly interested in products that provide clear functional value.

For example, nearly two-thirds of owners purchased chews in 2025. APPA points out that chews can perform several roles at once: they can reward dogs, provide entertainment and engagement, and potentially support dental-care routines depending on the product.

This “multiple benefits from one purchase” mentality reflects the broader economic environment.

Consumers do not necessarily want the cheapest product.

They increasingly want products that justify their place in the household budget.

The same principle can apply to services.

A self-service pet-care facility becomes more attractive when it saves owners from cleaning their bathroom, provides a more appropriate environment for washing larger dogs, allows flexible access, and reduces the need to book a full grooming appointment for a simple bath.

The value is not a single feature.

It is the combination of several practical benefits.

Pet Businesses Should Pay Attention to Where DIY Care Happens

One of the most interesting consequences of the DIY trend is that pet care no longer has to happen exclusively inside a pet store or grooming salon.

It can move closer to the places where owners already live and spend time.

Consider a large apartment complex with hundreds of residents.

Pet owners living there repeatedly walk their dogs, return from rainy streets, visit local parks, and deal with the everyday reality of keeping an animal clean inside a relatively small home.

A dedicated dog-washing facility can therefore become part of the property's pet-friendly infrastructure.

The same logic can apply to campgrounds, RV parks, dog parks, residential communities, pet-friendly hotels, service stations along road-trip routes, and other locations where pet owners regularly encounter a cleaning need.

This creates a different business question.

Instead of asking:

“Where should we open another grooming salon?”

an entrepreneur could ask:

“Where are dog owners regularly experiencing a washing problem?”

Those are not necessarily the same locations.

This is why the DIY pet-care trend has implications far beyond existing grooming businesses.

It creates opportunities in property amenities, unattended services, pet-friendly hospitality, convenience retail, and other businesses that may never have considered themselves part of the grooming industry.

24/7 Access Could Change Pet-Care Expectations

DIY care also reduces the need for every interaction to fit inside normal business hours.

A traditional service usually requires employees to be present.

A self-service model can potentially extend availability for longer periods when the site, equipment, payment system, cleaning process, and local regulations make unattended operation appropriate.

That difference can be particularly useful because the events that make a dog dirty are unpredictable.

Dogs do not wait for a grooming appointment before running through mud.

An owner returning from an evening hike may want to clean the dog immediately.

A traveler arriving at a campground on the weekend may need access outside normal salon hours.

A resident may want to wash a dog after an early morning walk before going to work.

In these situations, availability itself becomes part of the product.

The business is not simply selling water, shampoo, or equipment.

It is selling access at the moment the owner needs it.

This same principle has already reshaped retail, fitness, banking, transportation, and many other service categories.

Pet care is likely to experience more of it.

But DIY Has Limits

The growth of DIY pet care should not encourage businesses to pretend that every aspect of pet care can or should be handled without professional help.

Routine cleaning and basic maintenance are very different from medical treatment or tasks requiring specialized knowledge.

APPA's own description of current behavior reflects this balance: owners increasingly use at-home solutions for day-to-day needs while continuing to turn to professionals for higher-needs care.

That boundary is important for businesses.

A strong DIY pet-care business should make routine care easier without encouraging customers to treat professional expertise as unnecessary.

In fact, education can strengthen the model.

Operators can clearly explain which activities are suitable for self-service and when customers should consult a professional groomer or veterinarian.

The best long-term opportunity is therefore probably not DIY instead of professionals.

It is:

DIY when DIY makes sense. Professional help when professional help matters.

What the DIY Trend Means for Pet Entrepreneurs

For entrepreneurs, the most interesting aspect of this change is that it opens different ways to participate in the pet-service economy.

A traditional grooming salon typically depends heavily on skilled labor. More customers generally require more appointments, more groomer hours, or more staff.

Self-service models change part of that equation because customers perform more of the service themselves.

That does not make the business passive. Equipment still needs cleaning and maintenance. Consumables need replenishment. Customers need support. Locations need supervision, and operators still need to attract enough users to generate sustainable revenue.

But the labor structure is different.

This could make self-service pet care attractive in markets where professional grooming labor is expensive, where consumers want flexible access, or where there are enough dog owners to support routine washing but not necessarily enough demand to justify another fully staffed salon.

Existing pet businesses can also use the trend rather than starting an entirely new company.

A pet store could add a self-service washing area.

A groomer could provide DIY washing outside its professional appointment schedule.

An apartment operator could offer pet washing as a resident amenity.

A campground could add a wash station for travelers with dogs.

A pet retail location could combine self-service washing with shampoos, brushes, treats, wipes, and other relevant products.

The commercial opportunity is therefore broader than a single business format.

The Customer Experience Still Matters

There is one mistake pet businesses should avoid when entering DIY services.

Self-service does not mean customers accept a poor experience.

In fact, once customers are performing the work themselves, the environment becomes even more important.

They notice whether equipment is easy to understand.

They notice whether the area is clean.

They notice whether payment is convenient.

They notice whether the dog has enough space.

They notice whether instructions are clear.

They notice whether the drying process is frustrating.

They notice whether they leave covered in water and dog hair.

Removing labor from part of the service does not remove the need for good service design.

The most successful DIY concepts are likely to be those that make the task feel easier than doing it at home, not merely cheaper than visiting a professional.

That distinction can determine whether a customer tries a self-service wash once or incorporates it into a regular routine.

The Bigger Trend Is “Do It With Me,” Not Simply “Do It Yourself”

Perhaps the phrase “DIY pet care” does not fully describe what is happening.

Many consumers are not saying:

“I want to do everything myself.”

They are saying:

“Give me the tools, products, environment, and flexibility that allow me to handle the simple parts myself.”

That is closer to a Do It With Me model.

Businesses provide infrastructure.

Owners provide some of the labor.

Professionals remain available when expertise is needed.

This model can sit comfortably between fully at-home care and fully serviced pet care.

It also reflects the way many modern consumers approach services in other areas of life: they are comfortable participating in the process if doing so gives them greater control, greater convenience, or better value.

Why 2026 Could Be an Important Year for Self-Service Pet Care

The current data make this trend particularly worth watching.

There were approximately 71 million dog-owning U.S. households in 2025, and APPA reports that ownership continues to expand even as consumers become more budget-conscious.

Meanwhile, the overall U.S. pet industry is projected to grow from $158 billion in 2025 to approximately $165 billion in 2026.

Within that large market, owners are clearly adjusting how everyday care is delivered.

More than half now groom their dogs at home.

Dog-wipe ownership more than doubled year over year.

At-home dental-care products are becoming common.

Spending on several professional pet-service categories has moderated.

And APPA describes consumers as increasingly combining at-home solutions with professional services depending on the level of care required.

Taken together, these trends suggest that the future of dog care will probably not belong exclusively to professional salons or household bathrooms.

There is growing space between them.

That space includes self-service dog washes, better home-care products, automated pet-care facilities, residential pet amenities, convenient neighborhood services, and new business models that make routine pet care easier to access.

For pet businesses, that may be the most important lesson from the rise of DIY care.

The opportunity is not simply to help owners spend less.

It is to help them care for their dogs more conveniently, more frequently, and on their own terms.

And as more dog owners take everyday pet care into their own hands, businesses that provide the right tools and infrastructure may discover an entirely new category of recurring demand.