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Originally Posted by gracielove  I can tell you that there are no regulations on who can be a groomer. Anyone can start a grooming business without any training of any sort. All they need is a business license so they can charge sales tax. There are no inspections required and no grooming license required either. Places like PetCo and PetSmart "train" their own people by their own standards.
You might want to go to the AKC website and look for a conformation or specialty breed club in your area. They usually have contact people who can be helpful in directing you to someone they have found they can trust with their dogs. A person who grooms show dogs usually has ample experience and knowledge of how to groom and handle dogs. It is still up to you to check out the person yourself though. I would not leave my baby alone but would insist on staying until she was done.
When I decided to try the groomer I use now I knew she was quite exclusive and picky about what dogs she groomed. I was almost afraid I would not meet her criteria. As it turned out she has raised and shown Shih Tzu's for years. She only does dogs who come on a regular basis and who are kept clean between groomings. Not the regular bathe and shave folks who come in once or twice a year. Once she got to know Gracie and I she let me bring her when I needed her nails and the length of her coat evened out. Gracie gets a weekly bath and is combed and brushed daily. I now feel confident enough to leave her there for a bath and grooming and they call me as soon as she is done. Usually within an hour and a half.
If you cannot find a peach like I have then learn to groom your baby yourself. There are way too many self proclaimed "groomers" out there that can cause permanent damage to your pet.
My groomer told me she gets people calling her on a regular basis with horror stories about what has been done to their pets. She said that in most states animals are considered property and as such there is little you can do if someone harms them at a grooming 'place.' |
Yup, anybody can be a groomer...self taught or trained, I went to school for it & got a cert. There's no license or special test you need to take like cosmetologists. Next time you're shopping for a groomer, ask what kind of training they got...if they went to school, they will have a framed cert in their shop.