If you love dogs, like practical hands-on working, have creative flair and are looking for flexible working opportunities – a career as a dog groomer could be for you!
There are no doubts about it, dog grooming is physically hard work. Often dog groomers work alone, with many having their own business so having the motivation to succeed is vital.
As a dog groomer you will need the knowledge to:
- Carry out basic health checks
- Identify parasites and signs of infection
- Bath, dry and style dogs to breed standard of customer specification
- Advise owners on grooming requirements and coat care between grooms
- Make appointments, process payments and keep records
Some dog groomers work in establish grooming parlours, others work from home or from a mobile set up. Opportunities to partner up with existing businesses such as boarding kennels may exist for those wanting to be self-employed but not having the ability to work from home.
Training
The main industry recognised qualifications for those looking to train as a dog groomer are those accredited by City & Guilds, namely:
The College of Animal Welfare runs these courses on either a day release or block release basis from its Huntingdon centre in Cambridgeshire and its centre near Leeds (West Yorkshire).
Block release training consists of full-time attendance from Monday to Friday for five weeks (level 2) and eight weeks (level 3).
Day release courses require students to attend College for one day per week for six months or a year (level 2 and 3 respectively).
Funding your training
Course fees and available funding will depend on each course provider, however at The College of Animal Welfare we try, where possible, to make learning as accessible as possible. To this end we have monthly payment options and, in addition, learner loan funding for eligible students on the level 3 dog grooming course. Course fees can be found on the relevant dog grooming course pages on our website.
Career prospects
Once you qualify as a dog groomer, many opportunities become available to you. Some of our past students have gained employment as dog grooming stylists in grooming parlours, some have gone on to open up their own dog grooming businesses and some have even returned to work for us in training roles, teaching the next generation of dog groomers!
- Case study – Kim Chase (Petchase Dog Grooming and Walking Services)
- Case study – Tiffany Saywell (Brite Barks)
Further information
If you are thinking about training to become a dog groomer but are not sure how to get started or which route is best for you, please call our Customer Advice Team on 01480 422060 / admin@caw.ac.uk for a chat. We are happy to talk you through your options and try to answer any questions you may have.