HydroDog franchise
2023 filing · January 17, 2023Growing
HydroDog at a glance
A mobile pet grooming business working from grooming vehicles. At the end of 2022 there were 9 HydroDog locations in the US, all franchised.
The business
- Franchisor
- Legacy Franchisors, LLC
- The company that sells the franchises
- Franchising since
- 2014
- 9 years of selling franchises
- Franchisor based in
- Falmouth, Maine
What you pay
- Cost to open
- $45K–$139K
- A single-vehicle business
- Franchise fee
- $40,000
- For one vehicle market area; added areas cost less each
- Royalty
- 7%
- The greater of 7% of gross sales or $1,000 a month per vehicle market area, paid monthly
- Brand fund
- None now
- Not charged at present ($0); up to 2% of gross sales a month
- Renewal fee
- See terms
- $5,000 per Vehicle Market Area
- Agreement length
- 10 years
- Territory
- None
- No exclusive territory
- Franchisor financing
- None offered
Where it is
- US locations, 2022
- 9
- Franchised and company-owned
- Franchised
- 9
- Company-owned
- 0
- Change in 3 years
- +7
- Franchised locations, 2020–2022
- States
- 6
- Most in Missouri, Maryland and Massachusetts
From Legacy Franchisors, LLC’s 2023 filing; SBA status from the SBA Franchise Directory, October 28, 2026.
Where it ranks
HydroDog among all franchises with the same figure.
| Figure | HydroDog | Among all franchises |
|---|---|---|
| Cost to open, midpointHalfway between the low and high estimate | $91,801 | Costs less than 89% of franchises |
| Franchise feePaid once, when you sign | $40,000 | Lower than 46% of franchises |
| RoyaltyShare of sales paid to the franchisor | 7% | Higher than 70% of brands with a set rate |
| US locationsFranchised and company-owned | 9 | Fewer than 63% of franchises |
How much a HydroDog franchise costs
Opening a single-vehicle business costs an estimated $44,946 to $138,656. That covers the franchise fee and everything else needed to open, through the first months of working capital. It is one of the franchises under $50K.
The biggest costs are additional funds - 3 months ($0 to $50,000) and franchise fee ($40,000). Here is every line of the estimate as filed:
| What it pays for | Range | Low | High |
|---|---|---|---|
| Franchise Fee | $40,000 | ||
| HydroDog® Vehicle | $1,000 | $2,500 | |
| HydroDog® Vehicle Delivery | $0 | $5,000 | |
| Grand Opening Marketing | $3,000 | ||
| Initial Tool Package | $0 | $2,500 | |
| Scheduling Software | $99 | $175 | |
| Technology Fee | $297 | ||
| Construction, Improvements for home office | $0 | $1,000 | |
| Professional Fees (lawyer, accountant, etc.) | $0 | $3,500 | |
| Computer System | $0 | $1,500 | |
| Office Equipment | $0 | $2,500 | |
| Utility Deposits | $0 | $750 | |
| Insurance (monthly premium) | $250 | $750 | |
| State and local business licenses, permits, filing fees, etc. | $300 | $700 | |
| Grooming School costs | $0 | $20,000 | |
| Additional Training Fees and Training Expense | $0 | $5,000 | |
| Additional Funds - 3 months | $0 | $50,000 | |
| Total | $44,946 | $138,656 | |
Source: Legacy Franchisors, LLC, 2023 filing, page 13
HydroDog franchise fee
The franchise fee is $40,000, for one vehicle market area; added areas cost less each. You pay it when you sign the franchise agreement.
Source: Legacy Franchisors, LLC, 2023 filing, page 10
Royalty and ongoing fees
| Royalty | The greater of 7% of gross sales or $1,000 a month per vehicle market area, paid monthly. |
|---|---|
| Brand or marketing fund | Not charged at present ($0); up to 2% of gross sales a month. |
| Technology Fee | Our actual expenses, currently $99-$159 per month |
| Transfer Fee | $10,000 per Vehicle Market Area plus any related broker fees |
| Renewal Fee | $5,000 per Vehicle Market Area |
The typical franchise royalty is 6% of sales, plus 2% for marketing. See franchise fees and royalties to compare.
Source: Legacy Franchisors, LLC, 2023 filing, page 11
Other fees as filed, from pages 11–12. The filing lists every fee, including late fees and audit costs.
Sales and earnings
No figures HydroDog does not share sales or profit figures for its locations. Talking to current and former franchise owners is the usual way to learn what a location earns.
Source: Legacy Franchisors, LLC, 2023 filing, page 34
SBA loans to HydroDog franchisees
Lenders approved 3 SBA 7(a) loans for HydroDog franchisees in 2019, $300K in all. Of the 2 that have ended, 1 was paid in full and 1 was charged off. The other one hasn’t ended yet.
A charged-off loan is one written off as uncollectible. See SBA franchise loans for how 7(a) and 504 loans work.
Source: SBA 7(a) and 504 loan data, as of September 30, 2026
Growth and closures
Share of franchised locations, 2022 / 2020–2022. Typical means the median: half of brands are above it, half below.
| Measure | HydroDog | Typical dog grooming brand | Typical franchise |
|---|---|---|---|
| GrowthNet change in franchised locations | 0% / +350% | 0% / +88% | +1.2% / +10% |
| ClosuresTerminated, not renewed or stopped operating | 0% / 0% | 3.7% / 12% | 3.9% / 16% |
| Bought backLocations the franchisor took back | 0% / 0% | 0% / 0% | 0% / 0% |
Typical dog grooming brand is the median of the 10 brands in dog grooming franchises with three years of counts.
How HydroDog compares
Of the 28 dog grooming franchises on this site, HydroDog is the cheapest to open and the 14th largest by number of locations.
| Figure | HydroDog | Typical dog grooming brand | Typical franchise |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cost to open, low end | $45K | $198K | $222K |
| Cost to open, high end | $139K | $471K | $477K |
| Franchise fee | $40K | $45K | $40K |
| Royalty | 7% | 6.1% | 6% |
| US locations | 9 | 9 | 21 |
| Shares earnings figures | No | 22 of 28 | 2,147 of 3,352 |
Typical is the median across the 28 brands in dog grooming franchises; typical franchise, across every brand here.
Locations opened and closed
| Year | Franchised | Company-owned | Opened | Closed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 9 (+7) | 0 | +7 | 0 |
| 2021 | 9 (0) | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2022 | 9 (0) | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Closed or left counts terminations, non-renewals, locations bought back by the franchisor and locations that stopped operating.
See which brands grew most in the fastest-growing franchises rankings.
More in the guides: franchise failure rates.
Source: Legacy Franchisors, LLC, 2023 filing, page 35
Where HydroDog locations are
At the end of 2022, HydroDog had franchised locations in 6 states. The most are in Missouri, Maryland and Massachusetts.
- Missouri4
- Maryland1
- Massachusetts1
- North Carolina1
- North Dakota1
- Washington1
| State | Franchised |
|---|---|
| Missouri | 4 |
| Maryland | 1 |
| Massachusetts | 1 |
| North Carolina | 1 |
| North Dakota | 1 |
| Washington | 1 |
Source: Legacy Franchisors, LLC, 2023 filing, page 35
Who owns HydroDog?
HydroDog franchises are sold by Legacy Franchisors, LLC.
From Legacy Franchisors, LLC’s 2023 filing.
Lawsuits and bankruptcy
| Lawsuits and regulatory actions | None. The filing says no litigation has to be disclosed. |
|---|---|
| Bankruptcy | None. The filing says no bankruptcy has to be disclosed. |
Franchisors must disclose lawsuits and bankruptcies involving the company, its parents and affiliates, and its executives. Many cases are routine disputes with franchisees over fees or contracts; read the descriptions in the filing and ask current owners about anything that worries you.
Source: Legacy Franchisors, LLC, 2023 filing, litigation on page 10, bankruptcy on page 10
HydroDog filings
The figures on this page come from Legacy Franchisors, LLC’s 2023 filing, issued January 17, 2023, on record with the NASAA Electronic Filing Depository.
| Filing | Issued | Registry | On this page |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 filing | January 17, 2023 | NASAA depository | Costs, fees and locations, 2020–2022 |
Each link opens the filing as a PDF. See the newest filings across all brands.
Other dog grooming franchises
All dog grooming franchises
HydroDog is also on these lists: pet franchises, mobile franchises.