# I would like to become a dog groomer



## ohhmyyitsLEA (Jun 19, 2007)

I've been looking into becoming a dog groomer, or at least through college. I might even fall in love with the puppies and continue after college. I'm just completely lost in all these schools. Who is accredited? Who is a scam? What is a reasonable amount to pay? I really love puppies and I would love to make them beautiful. I wanted to be a veterinarian for a long time, but it would break my heart seeing sick and wounded puppies.. not to mention the part where you have to cut them open. =[

I just don't know where to start. Give me some start information, pros, cons, your input, a reasonable amount to pay for a dog grooming school, average pay. Do accredited schools let you begin when you are sixteen. I read on one website they did, but some of those things are scams, ya know?

Anyway, here is a list of the schools I found. If you have some spare time, let me know which one looks the most ligit and is the most reasonable. Thank you so much for your time and advice.

Lea


Florida Institute of Animal Arts
3776 Howell Branch Road
Winter Park, FL 32792
(407) 869-7387
www.myfiaa.com

Merryfield School of Pet Grooming
5040 NE 13th Ave
Ft. Lauderdale, FL 33334
(800) 361-4548
www.merryfieldschool.com

Academy of Animal Arts inc.
13890 Walsingham Road
Largo, FL 33774
(866) 517-9546
www.academyofanimalarts.com

Pet Grooming School
2022 Hollywood Blvd
Hollywood, FL 33020
(954) 922-1762

Florida Academy of Pet Grooming
4570 Chumuckla Hwy
Pace, FL 32571
(850) 994-0063
www.petgroomingschool.net

Central Florida School of Dog Grooming, Inc.
5450 S Hansel Ave
Orlando, FL 32809
(407) 240-5559

Pet’s Playground Grooming School
1296 N Federal Hwy
Pompano Beach, FL 33062
(954) 782-4994
www.petsplayground.com

Pet’s Playground Grooming School
326 State Rd. 7
Margate, FL 33062
(954) 782-4994
www.petsplayground.com

Star Academy for Pet Stylists, Inc
2201 SE Indian St C-6
Stuart, FL 34997
(772) 221-9330
www.apbico.com

Bay Area Pet Academy
4707 West Gandy Blvd
Tampa, FL 33611
(813) 805-0030
www.petgroomingacademy.com

Real World School of Dog Grooming
116 Patricia Ave.
Dunedin, FL 34698
(727) 385-6718


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## binniebee (Sep 27, 2007)

I don't know anything about this, but just wanted to congratulate you on this endeavor! We sure need good groomers, and a good malt groomer can be hard to find! I once had a very good groomer that groomed out of her home and rigged up something in her bathtub for bathing larger dogs. She also had only one or two metal kennels in her kitchen and a grooming stand in the area between her kitchen and living room. And she seemed to make it just fine. I had thought before that she really did not have that much overhead or high dollar investment to groom in the manner she did. 

Good Luck! 

Cyndi


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## ohhmyyitsLEA (Jun 19, 2007)

Thank you! I expected to get scolded or told how hard it is and how I'll never make it. =P 

Someone on here HAS to be a groomer that can help me out.


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## Luna'sMom (Oct 7, 2007)

A site that might be very helpful is GroomerTalk  good luck!


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## binniebee (Sep 27, 2007)

> Thank you! I expected to get scolded or told how hard it is and how I'll never make it. =P
> 
> Someone on here HAS to be a groomer that can help me out.[/B]


You'd think! Probably they will in time. 

Cyndi


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## PreciousPrince (Feb 27, 2006)

> Someone on here HAS to be a groomer that can help me out.[/B]


I believe Skwooshee's (sp?) mom is a groomer, I remember her pics of him in her shop. I don't recall her member name though, maybe someone else will remember. (Leave it to me to remember the dog's name, but not the human's LOL.)


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## vjw (Dec 20, 2006)

I'm excited for you Lea! My sister-in-law just graduated from a grooming school and is in the process of finishing up building a salon. My SIL graduated from Nash Academy and I was impressed with their program. I'm going to post a link to their website at the end of my post which lists Nash's tuition costs so you can get an idea about costs. You might call some of the groomers in your area to see who they recommend for a school. I'm sure they'll be glad to give you some pointers also. 

Nash Academy


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## ohhmyyitsLEA (Jun 19, 2007)

> > index.php?act=findpost&pid=475197
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Haha, funny how that works out. The boyfriend and I go to dog parks, and we never know who owns the pups, but we'll remember the pups names.



> I'm excited for you Lea! My sister-in-law just graduated from a grooming school and is in the process of finishing up building a salon. My SIL graduated from Nash Academy and I was impressed with their program. I'm going to post a link to their website at the end of my post which lists Nash's tuition costs so you can get an idea about costs. You might call some of the groomers in your area to see who they recommend for a school. I'm sure they'll be glad to give you some pointers also.
> 
> Nash Academy[/B]


Eep. Almost $8,000. That's a lot of money to become a dog groomer. Occupation outlook says they only make around $8.00 an hour on average. If I were guaranteed a good pay the rest of my life and that I would like it, but that's a lot of money to drop.

Why is it so expensive for instruction, anyway? $1000 for a course?


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## Ptarana (Jul 12, 2006)

Lea,

Go to Groomer Talk Forum. You can find all the info you need. It`s a great site. I groom my own dogs and have learned so much from this site. They also have a list of good schools. And they can answer all your grooming questions and how to get started. Good Luck. http://www.petgroomerforums.com/chat/index.php


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## ohhmyyitsLEA (Jun 19, 2007)

I signed up and posted my message and all, and the only person to respond sent me to links of websites I've already been to. Hurrumph. Why can't they just give me input? It comes off so snoody sending to another website like I haven't searched already. =[

Anyway, any more input?


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## jadey (Nov 2, 2006)

> A site that might be very helpful is GroomerTalk  good luck![/B]


that website is helpful if you dig around and look for answers... just my opinion.




> Eep. Almost $8,000. That's a lot of money to become a dog groomer. Occupation outlook says they only make around $8.00 an hour on average. If I were guaranteed a good pay the rest of my life and that I would like it, but that's a lot of money to drop.
> 
> Why is it so expensive for instruction, anyway? $1000 for a course?[/B]


im not sure if its 8 dollars an hour, but you should also think about tips, and when you build your own salon you can also do daycare, and sell products like dog food cookies and stuff.

i think its a wonderful profession, good luck. 
Some schools take monthly payments.
I thought you can also get trainned at petsmart/petco or something like that.


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## ohhmyyitsLEA (Jun 19, 2007)

That's true, but I'm not sure if I'm going to want to open up my own salon. I'm not much of a business person.

Petsmart does their own training? That's pretty spiffy. I'll look into that. I just feel so funny asking Tippi's groomer at Petsmart stuff because she's always so busy and I don't want to be nosy.

I was looking into the Bay Area Pet Grooming Academy because it looked the most ligit. It's $5,500 to attend for nine weeks eight hours a day. I would have to do it during the summertime, but they accept students under eighteen with parental consent. They didn't have any payment plans on their page, though. Maybe I will email them.

What is the chance a minor will find a puppy grooming job. Even if I'm just the bath and brush person or something?


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## Tina (Aug 6, 2006)

I can't give you any information on schools in your area. But I had my own little shop for 3 years, loved it. It is difficult to have your own shop because of the overhead. I worked in someone else's shop and loved it. I made $500 a week. That is pretty good for as many dogs as I did. Here in Topeka groomer's average about $15 to $20 an hour. You work on commission you get 65% and the shop gets 35%. (or whatever arrangement you make) And if you meet the amount your supposed to make you get 100%. It depends on where you are and what your prices are. That last class that you said was 8 hours per day for 8 weeks sounds about right. A bather only makes about $8.00 an hour. The hardest is for both you and your client to be on the same page for what type of hair cut they want. Go for it, it is rewarding.
Tina


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## Harley & Dakotas Mum (Jun 11, 2005)

Would you consider doing some part time bathing or something to get your 'foot in the door' so to speak? I don't even know if it's offered, but some training courses (I don't mean grooming courses because I don't know anything about them sorry) but some courses often give you 'credits' if you have practical experience in the given field? If you were to start off part time or even full time bathing, even though there's not a lot of money in it, it will give you a really good idea if it is something you really want to do and advance into grooming? You may even hit the jackpot & find a salon that will give you 'on the job' training if they see your enthusiasm!

Our groomer has her own business (2 salons now), but before that, when she had first finished her study, she worked in a couple of salons that didn't let her pick up a pair of scissors or clippers until she had been there for months!! She told me that although it was incredibly frustrastrating at the time, she now looks back and appreciates what a good experience that was - sometimes just observation can be an incredible learning tool.


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## ohhmyyitsLEA (Jun 19, 2007)

> I can't give you any information on schools in your area. But I had my own little shop for 3 years, loved it. It is difficult to have your own shop because of the overhead. I worked in someone else's shop and loved it. I made $500 a week. That is pretty good for as many dogs as I did. Here in Topeka groomer's average about $15 to $20 an hour. You work on commission you get 65% and the shop gets 35%. (or whatever arrangement you make) And if you meet the amount your supposed to make you get 100%. It depends on where you are and what your prices are. That last class that you said was 8 hours per day for 8 weeks sounds about right. A bather only makes about $8.00 an hour. The hardest is for both you and your client to be on the same page for what type of hair cut they want. Go for it, it is rewarding.
> Tina
> 
> [/B]


Yeah, I really don't think I would want to own a shop. I'm not much of a business person at all, I'm too friendly, not assertive enough, stubborn at times. It just seems like a lot of stress for something I'm not cut out to do. I wonder if down in Tampa it's the same way as far as salary goes. I've noticed a lot of salons around here and I'm afraid it's too competitive to be that expensive. Maybe I haven't looked around hard enough. If this is something I really want to do, I can stop in little salons and ask questions.



> Would you consider doing some part time bathing or something to get your 'foot in the door' so to speak? I don't even know if it's offered, but some training courses (I don't mean grooming courses because I don't know anything about them sorry) but some courses often give you 'credits' if you have practical experience in the given field? If you were to start off part time or even full time bathing, even though there's not a lot of money in it, it will give you a really good idea if it is something you really want to do and advance into grooming? You may even hit the jackpot & find a salon that will give you 'on the job' training if they see your enthusiasm!
> 
> Our groomer has her own business (2 salons now), but before that, when she had first finished her study, she worked in a couple of salons that didn't let her pick up a pair of scissors or clippers until she had been there for months!! She told me that although it was incredibly frustrastrating at the time, she now looks back and appreciates what a good experience that was - sometimes just observation can be an incredible learning tool.[/B]


I wouldn't mind doing little jobs to work my way up at all. That's generally how it works, and I don't expect to be the best at what I want to do right away.

You know, if I paid five to eight thousand dollars to groom puppies and they didn't let me, I would be irked, too! But I understand.


Do I have to get certified for something to bath puppies? I really hope I can find one the job training.


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## kcalbat (Mar 13, 2007)

hiya,

Im Skwooshees momma. 

I actually trained through Petsmart. I did this simply because I was young and really didnt have four grand to spend on a training school. (thats how much our local grooming school charges for two months of training...in the end I wasnt very impressed with them anyhow.) Its a good start. Eventually I want to own my own shop but for now I want experience. 

At Petsmart you they require you to be a bather for at least six month (there are exceptions...I was there for three months b4 I went). This gives you a good idea how it is handling dogs and how difficult it can be managing a stranger's moving target! Take advantage of being a bather. Really learn how to deal work customers and get a really good quality bath. (and NAILS! It took me several month to get even remotely comfortable trimming nails...and believe me ...not all dogs are as used to nail trimming as mine are. Experience matters.)


So it was one month. Mon-Fri just like a school. They provided you with tools(for lefties or right handed ppl) and instead of paying a large sum of money for them they take it out of your paycheck for abou 5 months. Basically they teach you the different pet cuts. 

The real work is after the schooling. You are scheduled under your manager for about two to three months where you have to groom 100 dogs under her/his supervision. You take pictures of the five (and an optional six) basic cuts. (hand scissor for poodles and such, sporting trims like cocker spaniel cuts, bladed body, fuller legs for schnauzers, ect ect.) and make a booklet you will have to send of to be judged. Then you'll ge a call and certification. 

But honestly....the quality of your grooms (at least at Petsmart) is up to you. They give you the oppurtunity to learn and learn well but it is up to you to put the time and effort into it. 

ANothe important note...it is what the customer wants no MATTER WHAT(the only exception to this is when it becomes to dangerous to demat a dogs coat). LISTEN to them. I cannot tell how frustrating it is working with some people who just dont care about how they groom. If the pet parent doesnt want the hair in front of the eyes trimmed...then dont. That seems to be a big problem in grooming...i dunno why! 


ANyhow...if I have more...Ill get back here.

hope that helps in this aspect.


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## ohhmyyitsLEA (Jun 19, 2007)

> hiya,
> 
> Im Skwooshees momma.
> 
> ...


Thank you so much! That was really helpful! I definitely don't have the money for schooling either, so I guess you were in the same boat I am in now. =P I wouldn't mind staying a bather for a while, I just want to work with puppies through college.

From what hours did you go to school Monday-Friday? How much was deducted from your paycheck? If you don't mind, how much did you get paid?

Thanks so much for the information, everyone!

=D


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## kcalbat (Mar 13, 2007)

it was 8-5. 

They took out about 30 dollars a wk.

I get paid half of every dog I groom. prices vary by breed and by location.

its fun!!!


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## TheButtercup (Mar 3, 2005)

there was a girl on another forum i was on who went thru the petsmart training program too. she was a bather for a long time, but did enjoy it as far as learning different breeds, etc. i think she also had huge dogs like newfs or saints, herself, but in the end, got accustomed to the smaller dogs she wasn't sure how to handle. once she started the groom-school, she said it was hard work, but if you want to succeed, it's well worth it. last i heard, she had left petsmart after grooming for them about a year and a half, and is grooming in a vet office making a little better money. 

hope this helps too


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