If you're considering a career in animals, dog grooming schools provide some interesting options.
About Dog Grooming Schools
Dog grooming schools are designed to teach you how to bathe and trim a dog to perfection. As a groomer, you'll become part of a pet's overall wellness regimen, making sure ears are well cleaned to prevent infections, and matted coats get brushed and trimmed to restore circulation to the skin and stop providing a home for fleas and ticks. Every action you take has the potential to improve a dog's daily life.
Types of Dog Grooming Schools
There are several types of dog grooming schools, and each have their pros and cons. Learning a little more can help you decide which is right for you.
Online
Online grooming schools are one way to learn your profession. They provide a way to work the lessons into your timetable, rather than bodily having to attend a class. This can be more convenient if you wish to keep your current job while you prepare for your new career.
Generally, online dog grooming schools offer two types of certification:
- A twelve week certification course
- A twenty-four week diploma program
The two options are distinguished by how in-depth the instructions are, and the materials received. The certification course will likely get your foot in the door at a grooming shop, but the diploma program is worth the extra effort if you hope to own your own shop someday.
The cons of online dog grooming schools? Getting your own hands-on experience. Where will you get the dogs needed to practice on? Yes, you can start with your own, but after that, you will need to drum up your own "guinea pigs" from friends, family and neighbors. Not the easiest way to do it.
Conventional
Dog grooming schools in your state or town can provide much better training for your new career. As a student, you will have plenty of dogs on which to perfect your craft because the school books grooming appointments for just that purpose. You will also likely learn faster because you will be getting instant feedback from your instructor, helping you improve your technique with live demonstrations from the professionals.
The cons? While the dog grooming schools are charging customers for those grooming appointments, you are paying for the privilege of washing all those dirty dogs. The school makes out like a bandit, and you are generally slave labor. However, you will learn much more quickly, and in the end, it's probably worth the experience.
Apprenticing With a Dog Grooming Shop
This is by far the best way to learn the art of grooming dogs, if you can find a groomer willing to take you under his/her wing. This way you will get one-on-one instruction and probably wind up getting hired into the shop immediately if you make a good impression.
Opportunities for Career Growth
Grooming is great, but if you really want to increase your income, owning your own shop is definitely the way to go. Instead of hustling to groom five or six dogs each day, you could be overseeing a staff of groomers who are making money for you. Now entrepreneurship isn't for everyone, so if you're not comfortable with giving directions and handling the bookkeeping and promotions, then perhaps you'll be more comfortable remaining just a groomer.
Other Interesting Facts
- Average cost of conventional grooming schools is $3,000.00 to $6,000.00
- Average cost of online schools $600.00
- Average cost of having a dog groomed is $35-40
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