Want To Become A Professional Pet Groomer?

If your want to become a professional pet groomer than read this article further; professional pet groomers that often work from veterinarian’s office or pet grooming business cater to not only dogs but also other pets that need grooming. Experience is more important than a formal training though there are popular choices of schools offering veterinary technology degrees.

Steps to become a professional pet groomer:

The first step is to research about pet groomer career and education.  Some may specialize in certain breeds or groomer styles, while still others could work in general pet grooming businesses or specialized businesses serving competitive pet handlers and show pets. It is also possible to find employment in boarding kennels, animal shelters and animal hospitals. No specific education is needed to be a pet groomer though there are pet groomer classes.

Secondly consider various pet grooming courses in pet grooming schools. The price and length of each course varies according to the specialty and curriculum. Online grooming courses are also available. Safety, first aid, anatomy, biology, breed and coat type recognition, nail clipping, ear cleaning, grooming matted fur and fluff drying are some of the topics that are covered in the courses. You could also take specialty courses like learning to create patterns by cutting fur near the head, ears, tail and main coat to highlight features of specific breeds, like poodles.

The third step is to gain experience to get a pet grooming job. This can be achieved by working as a pet grooming assistant or by shadowing or assisting local pet groomers for free. You could also gain hands-on experience and boost your resume by grooming pets of friends and family for free.

The next step is to keep up-to-date on the latest grooming techniques and tools. There are free learning tools, like tutorials and study guides that are available; you can also purchase informational literature online. You can also participate in grooming workshops hosted by the National Dog Groomers Association of America, Inc. (NDGAA) to fine-tune your skills working with stripping knives, carding blades and thinning shears and focus on refining the balance and symmetry of your grooming work. The National Dog Groomers Association of America, Inc. also sells a breed profiles study kit.

Lastly you can earn certifications like National Certified Groomer and National Certified Master Groomer. To sit for the written examination of National Certified Groomer you have to take the practical grooming tests and complete an NDGAA training workshop. You also have to demonstrate your skills on four categories of breeds: sporting dogs, non-sporting dogs, short-legged terriers and long-legged terriers. You can take an additional written exam to become a National Certified Master Groomer after passing exams on all of those breeds. Both the certifications entitle you for a membership to the NDGAA, providing you with benefits such as networking opportunities and access to grooming seminars.

Are you preparing yourself to be a professional pet groomer?