Thinking of becoming a groomer..help!!
 

Hi everyone it has been a long time since I have been on YT when ever I get a chance I log in a read a few posts but really don't have much time for anything else.. I have been working a lot of hours at a job I hate and have no future in and it started me thinking what makes me happy? The only thing I could honestly say makes me truly happy was spending time with my yorkies and so I thought what can I do that would give me more time with them and the answer was clear.. dog groomer!! So what I want to know is are there any groomers on YT that could offer any information such as do I need experience, how long are the classes, could I make a decent living,are the classes expensive, basically the pros and cons I want to do as much research as possible because it would be a career change for me and as much as I would love to do this its a bit scary to start a new career...any info would help thanks in advance

That is an awesome thing to do, however, not trying to rain on your parade, and I hope you don't take this the wrong way, but dealing with your own pets vs. other peoples pets is a very delicate thing, and sometimes VERY frustrating and stressful! I started out working as a dog walker at a local animal hospital, then moved on to doing kennel work, and then became a bathing assistant, and then a grooming assistant, I LOVED, LOVED, LOVED It, but it is very stressful, and VERY detailed in how you cut, trim, shave, bathe, and all that for certain breeds of animals. I loved bathing and prepping the dogs for the groomer I worked with, but it is a very time consuming job. You also have to consider, mean animals, making sure they are up to date with vaccines, and even more so, if things should happen, if you have the proper medical care around you!

I would have loved to become a groomer, but after being a vet tech for 6 plus years, I was like, I cant do this anymore! Ha! I love my pets, and everything, and wouldnt not want to have animals around, but working with them, isnt the thing for me anymore!

Good luck in what adventure you choose!

Thank You for being so honest it's exactly what I needed to hear... I don't want to go into something without hearing all the cons and be blind sided I had always been interested in working with animals but like most people life got in the way lol I got pregnant young and worked one dead end job after another and now that my kids are all grown up the old feelings come back but of course now I'm older and like I said earlier it's a bit scary so again thanks for your input...

Hi. I've been considering this recently too. I worked as a vet tech for 10 years kind of off and on (had a baby in between there lol) and it is WAY different working with other people's animals than your own. I'm not going back to that now only because with having a young child the job just isn't flexable enough (last minute emergencies etc.)The most recent vet office I worked for did basic grooming for their clients, and once in a while if the kennel staff was busy one of us techs would have to do a brush/bath. Of course also as a tech we had to do a lot of clipping for surgeries and we'd get the ocassional matted dog or cat that had to be sedated to shave, so I have some experience.

I liked doing the grooming (unless i was really in a hurry to have to get back to assisting the Dr.) but you just have to remember that it will not be all nice tiny dogs like your own:) You're going to encounter some that will not be happy with you and you may have to muzzel them, you're going to have some very large breeds and some really hairy shedding ones (Great Perenese are a PAIN lol). I'm used to this so I know I'm up to that challenge, just something for you to consider:).

My only personal concern for myself with moving forward is that groomers (in my area anyway) tend to be a-dime-a-dozen and I'm not sure how lucrative it will be, so I have to research that. My other consideration (and hopefully a pro groomer here will mention it) is if I were to eventually open my own shop, how expensive and hard to deal with is insurance on the business?

My plan for now, and I'd suggest it to you also:) is to find a job as a grooming assistant and learn as much about the business aspect of it as well as the actual grooming.
Hope it goes well for you:D and I hope I wasn't too negative here, but you want to know the good bad and the ugly when it comes to working with animals right? LOL We'd have soooo many people come apply at the vet clinic when we needed a kennel attendant and bather that "wanted to work with animals" that unfortunatly were un-pleasantly surprized to find how chalenging and yes, stressful it can be.
If you think you're up to it then good luck!!:D

@Alicetheyorkie I didn't know there was such a thing as groomer assistant would I need experience to do that? I wonder if I could do that part- time just to get a feel for it, it's very hard to find a job in Florida as it is... I know there is alot to consider that's why I reached out to the YT family I knew you guys wouldn't let me down... Thanks

Grooming is very satisfying.....however, dealing with the public can be tiresome at times.

Yes, groomer's are a dime a dozen. However, the successful groomer offer's specialised services....think outside the box....make services unique....specialise in small breeds....become proficient in breed specific hair/cuts/grooming, etc.....in otherwords...a Bishon's show cut...a poodle's show cut....types of grooming products....

If you think this might be for you, why don't you see if you can get a job as an assistant at Petsmart or for some private groomer? Just part time on the weekends maybe and then you can sort of get your feet wet and you'll have a better idea if it's for you and you'll get some practical experience too which should help if you decide to continue.

This is something I had thought about also. I feel like I'm pretty good at grooming Copper....hmmm....

But...the more I thought about it and the fact that I would have to deal with dogs that are less than cooperative with teeth on one end and who knows what on the other....welll I did some rethinking of my 1st thought...
So...no thanks.

Some people however, really love it. Just like any job, it has its good and bad parts...:D

Groomer's assistants are appenticeships.....in other words starting from the bottom up....great way to start...

It would be someone who just brushs, bathes and maybe does some "secretary" type work. I just applied yesterday for an opening for one at my local Petco and they don't require experience. Petco also offers some kind of "schooling" so you can learn to become a regular groomer (do the actual cutting, clipping etc.) that's free for their grooming assistants (I'd imagine after working there for a while) but I haven't looked into that yet to see how good it would be. You can probably find something like that part-time:) Check your local pet stores such as Petco, Pet-Smart that have a grooming service or maybe local vet offices (some do grooming, some don't). You could also probably call around to the different grooming shops in your area to even see if anyone would be willing to take you on as an apprentace part-time to help with their bathing and brushing and clean-up. It's prob. not going to pay much, but as a little PT job (that's all I'm needing right now) it'll give you some experience at least with the handling and bathing of other breeds of dogs:) Hope you can find something:D

Yes, that's what I was thinking in my consideration of looking into grooming. There are groomers all over the place in my area, but a majority of them unfortunatly aren't very good (I've seen some hack-jobs). I know it would take time to build up a good reputation, but that would definatly be the key to success, as with any small business:)

The only time I needed a groomer for my Akita was because she was throwing her coat while it was still really cold out and she was very itchy from it and needed a good bath, I did have a really hard time finding one that would take a large breed, so i guess there's always a nitch to be filled:D I agree with you also about the dealing with the public, working for a vet, the owners were a whole lot harder to deal with than the animals LOL.

I was planning on going to petco to talk to the groomers and pick their brain I little... Every bit of info helps...

I was a vet tech during my summers at college. Graduated with a BS in Biology. Went back to teching. Worked as a chemist at a major pharmacology company. Went to work as a surgical vet tech. Got burn out from all the stress and decided to go to grooming school. I'm SO much happier now and don't have any where near as much stress as I had in the past. I enjoy going to work and don't count the seconds until its time for me to leave. I groom all breeds, big to small, puppy to senior, sweet to aggressive, submissive to stubborn ass (lol), etc... Plus I now have a mentor that is teaching me the "zen of hand plucking" terrier coats, which i am loving.

I'll be honest with you, if you are in any way intimidated by dogs or afraid of being bit, then this is not for you. The dogs will walk all over your if you let them. When i was at school there were two people that decided to go to grooming school because they loved dogs and wanted to have fun with puppies all day. :rolleyes: they didn't last a week. The dogs totally took advantage of them because they did not know how to handle dogs properly.

Also, I wouldn't choose petco or petsmart as one of my first choices for training. Check your area for grooming schools. There are quite a few out there now. There is also a great grooming forum with lots of knowledgeable people who can give you advise too. There is a grooming convention this weekend in NJ so the forum may not be as busy as usual.

I will say that being a vet tech has definitely helped my "people skills" when dealing with those PITA clients.

LMBO - That is definatly true;)... Good to hear from from someone on this thread too who has done vet tech work and now grooming and that there's a difference in the "stress level". I think alot of tech burn out is from the vets, not the animals lol.

I loved grooming dogs..never had a dog complain, all we thrilled to see and visit me...but some owners needed mental health intervention IMO...but I never blamed the dog for having a difficult master.

The best time of my grooming career was the last 3 yrs...I cut the "difficult" people loose and only groomed the ones I loved...you can not do that in a shop..I did private grooming and made the rules..

What I do not like about a shop or working as a vet groomer...you have a boss, you have to make them money and that means volume and that means you groom the dogs owned by NUTS!!!!!
I think I would be a mobile groomer if I was starting out today....
Best wishes...

I had checked in to this years ago. There is actually a grooming "academy" here near me. It seems a little expensive but you get actual experience in their working "salon" along with classroom learning.

Here is their link: Welcome to the Florida Academy of Pet Grooming $7900 for the Master All Breed Total (600 hours). They also have a 300 hour program for $5500. Even a Bather/Brusher is $2100 to complete the 80 clock hour course. There is also an extensive list of supplies each student is responsible for purchasing.

I don't know if this is typical of cost or facility. I would probably check around to several and see what they offer as well as getting a personal feel for philosophy and practice.

Maybe because the Academy is located right here, we seem to have an abundance of groomers in this area (especially for being a small town). So competition is tough. But as a customer that has checked out most of them, I can tell you a little creativity & doing the extra to make your business stand out as unique (as Mary suggested in her post) will make a huge difference in repeat business. I made sure not to return if the besiness was not clean & tidy, if the employees were not extra pleasant, and if they did not do a good job. My first concern is always about how my dogs are treated. I want people to make over them like they are the most special dogs in the world. :) I think they are & they deserve it (just like the next dog and the one after that!) Each one deserves to be treated as a special pet. I actually left one place without using their service because it was not clean. The place smelled like old, wt, dirty animals. That is easily prevented with extra concentration on cleanliness & some added scents in the air! I left another because I heard them tell an owner they would board their dog WHILE it was being treated for heart worm. No thank you! Even though my dogs are protected, I do not want to challenge the effectiveness of the meds by putting them in harm's way! So -- special attention to health needs and medical precautions! The others that I chose not to return to were a matter of unskilled grooming. I had one whack job that I could not even post on YT -- it was HORRIBLE! I could not have done that poorly myself! Usually though, it is just a matter of being inexperienced & leaving those hard edges unblended that don't look extra professional.

The place I do return to time after time, is amazing! They greet each dog like they are old or new friends! Mine obviously like them! The place is always immaculately clean and smells nice. It is attached to a boarding inn but all is still fresh & aesthetic. The only thing I do not find perfect, is the way you have to leave them for several hours. They are all taken in, then she calls in the bather/brushers. As they are done, she works on them one by one for cuts. I would rather not be away from them that long as they are kept in cages there, which mine are not at all used to.

So -- how can you set yourself apart? Are there many mobile groomers in your area? That is the popular service right now. It also enables you to maintain low overhead!

Another thing that could set a groomer apart here would be to offer boutique items. The one I go to has a very few items but I would like to see more clothing, toys & beds.

I often thought sponsoring pet "beauty contests" could generate some business too. Not actual dog shows as in breed standard ... but just showing off how pretty they are! Fun, fun and could be held as a fund raiser for a local shelter too.

If I was going to open a business, I would try to work more on an appointment basis where the dogs could be in and out in a couple of hours. Maybe even offer a small coffee shop for the moms to wait while their babies were pampered. :)

You could offer little coupons that wold be punched each time your dog is groomed and then they could qualify for a free grooming after so many "punhes." You could have a pet photographer come in a couple tims a month & post pictures of dogs freshly groomed all around your shop.

You can see where this is going though -- anything to set you head and shoulders above the competition! You want to get that repeat business!

Thank you everyone for all the info there is so much to think about I am going to check out petco first and try to get some kind of part- time with them so I can really decide before I plunk a bunch of money and realize it's not for me...

I also want to do grooming but only on my dogs or for the rescues. The school in Houston is expensive, it's been a couple of years since I checked into it. My groomer does it out of her house and she sets the rules. She doesn't groom big dogs which is great as Maggie doesn't like big dogs. She can spend as much time with them as she wants as she is the boss. That's what I want to do.

It worked for me...and I was a self taught groomer...never spent a dollar to learn..just watched other groomers and breeders...

Look into it... Try it out. If it makes you happy go for it. I bet groomers in business for themselves make pretty good money. I don't know that for a fact, but it seems like they would. What's better than making money doing something you love.

When I was a teenager (like 16) I worked in a dog groomer place for a couple days and couldn't handle it.. lol. When they told me I had to squeeze the butt clean, that was it for me.. hehe. But like I said, I was young, so of coarse that weirded me out. lol :D

Sorry, just now seeing this again...I loved being a grooming assistant! You get to do all the prep work before the groomer does her/his magic! You may wanna try doing that first, and see what happens!? This way, you wont get the turmoil, if the owner isnt happy with the cut! :)

@Debbie2010- find the best groomer in your area. This probably will not be at a chain store, but it is possible. They will participate in AKC conformation or grooming contest events. They will guide you.