Becoming a groomer...

I looked into it myself. I can take a 6 month course, all testing is done by mail. For the cost of your books, and all supplies needed, it's pretty well priced. You start at the basics, first learning about dog general care, then nail and teeth care, then hair, and the anal glands. While your taking the course if you could find a groomer to work with it helps, then once you get your certificate you can go and work for yourself or a vet office. It doesn't take long at all to get your certificate. But it's not as easy as it may seem. You have to know how every dog is to be trimmed, and cats as well. I have someone here that is willing to train me, the only problem with that is without my certificate I could never work with a vet or on my own. But I think it would help, because in my case doing the course at home, you don't get hands on training.

I always tell people that the term "dog groomer" doesn't encompass nearly enough:
You have to be a mechanic - knowing how your clippers, dryers, etc work, and how to maintain them.  You have to be a chemist - mixing shampoos, understanding product ingredients.  You have to be a bookkeeper, a receptionist, therapist (I have clients that tell me their entire life stories and problems!), an animal behaviorist, a business person, an artist, a juggler, a janitor, and other things I am sure I am missing.  You have to have a HUGE amount of patience - not just with dogs, but with people!!

I would encourage anyone NOT to skimp on schooling.  I settled for a school because of distance, and regretted it when I was on my own.  I consider myself partially self-taught because of it!   Any schooling you are considering, make sure it's in-depth and thorough.  It's a lot of stuff to learn - the styles and methods of clips is just the beginning!  The other stuff some with time and practice.   Confidence is what I struggled with most.  I've been grooming over two years now, and I still have  issues at time where I doubt myself. 
There are some great messages boards athttp://www.petgroomer.com  andhttp://www.groomers.net     if anyone wants more info.  [sm=happy.gif]

There are so many different ways to learn. I would think that a mail course wouldn't do it. I started off at Petsmart and watched the other girls come back from their MONTH of grooming school. They had NO CLUE what they were doing. I quit. Now, I'm apprenticing with an experienced groomer and learning so much. I've heard a lot of negative about the only school that's close by, and as much as I'd LOVE to go to the New York grooming school.... it's not feasible. This seems to be the best way for me. It's going to take a while, but I'll know what I'm doing (for PET grooming... show grooming is a completely different thing) when I'm done.

Like Jennie said there are tons of ways to learn dog grooming. I personal went to a JVS (Joint Vocational School) where we were given hands on experience of grooming. It's something I enjoyed and I'm still doing. Will I do it for life? I don't know
 
I just don't think getting info in the mail and trying to learn with a groomer at the same time will work. You may just prove me wrong.
 
Grooming is a wonderful job that you get to spend time with dogs and get to snuggle with some when time is slow, but it does have some down falls.
 
Down falls of grooming are being bit, scratch, pee on, poop on, anal glands, wacked job dog owners, vomit, blood, and etc.
 
My defen. of a wacked job do owner
"what do you mean my baby won't be done in half hour or an hour? You say it will take 2 to 3 hours for it to be done?? Yes I know he will bite you, has a few matts, and I want him to look just like that fluffy little poodle picture. It will cost that much?? What ever for?"

Well, I work for one of those "corporate" grooming shops, and I admit, I could do better. But, it does pay the bills. (as a bather. as a groomer I would make a lot more money!)
 
Anyway, I've been a bather for about 2 years now. I've slowly worked my way up the "ladder" of what you will. (it's technically unofficial so hopefully no corporate people are lurking!) I can (as of right now) do sanitaries, under the eyes and around the feet of all dogs. I can also do a "shape/tidy" on dogs that have the undercoat (ie. shelties/goldens/chows, border collies, etc). I can do shave-downs (which is very common down in TX when it gets hot!). Basically I can do everything but patterns (that's the spaniel/terrier patterns that's short on the back and have a skirt flowing down- like cockers and schnauzers) and poodles. They will have to send me to grooming school for that, but I am holding off on that until after I graduate college. (as grooming school is time consuming) I would go to a good grooming school, but at this time I don't have the money (as tuition alone around my area for grooming school- not including supplies- is between $1,000-$3,000)
 
Now, grooming is like an art form, and everybody does things differently. For example, how to do a shih tzu head is a bit of a controversy in our grooming salon. Some groomers scissor around the entire head, and some shave down the head with the same size blade as the body, and then shave down the sides of the cheeks and under the chin. I personally do the firsts part and scissor around the head like you would the topknot of a poodle. Daisy was clipped using the shave the face way, and I think the groomer didn't do a very good job. If anybody wants to see what daisy looked like with my boss clipping her, please let me know and I'll dig around my desktop.
 
Honestly, (regardless of the people working there who are less than perfect) I love going to work everyday. Yes there are the bites and the scratches and being peed on and "anal glanded" but at the same time you get lots of doggie kisses and show a puppy that clippers aren't something to be afraid of.  when you shave a matted dog for a shelter so that they can be "more adoptable" that's the best feeling in the world! I've only been sent to the hospital once, and that was partially my fault, as I wasn't paying attention to the subtle signals that this husky was giving me. And it was a warning bite too. [sm=eek.gif]
 
I wouldn't trade it for any other job in the world. If I had a choice to sit behind a desk and make $100,000 a year, but be bored to death, or be a groomer and get less than half that, i'd be a groomer any day!
 
 

when you shave a matted dog for a shelter so that they can be "more adoptable" that's the best feeling in the world!

Not today, it wasn't. I want her. I need her. She's such a special dog, and barely adoptable, even well groomed. I may be getting another dog. It broke my heart to leave her.

Hope you don't mind me popping into this thread since I'm not a professional groomer, but I just wanted to say that I can only imagine the amount of training and honing of skills it would take to be a professional groomer.  I've been grooming one of my dogs myself for about 4 years now and it took me at least a couple of years before I felt not only confident, but satisfied with the end result.  And that's working with just one breed and with a dog that is an absolute angel on the grooming table.  And I'm completely worn out when I finally get him finished...and I have the luxury of spreading it out throughout the day, or even over a couple different days if I want to.  My other dog is not at all an angel about being groomed and I take him to a pro.  I can't even begin to tell you how tired and frustrated I would get when I used to groom him myself.   I'm a big fan of and have a lot of respect for good groomers.  And I make sure that I tip really good too!  lol 

I agree, I get exhausted just trying to brush her.  I'm so thankful to have found our groomer, it was very difficult finding someone who would even let a chow in the door. 
 

We haven't had a groomer at the clinic for a few months now.  We have all been pitching in and doing baths and hygiene cuts.
I have the utmost respect for a good groomer.  It is a tough job

[size=1]
Being a groomer....
Many of the benefits we gain from this profession are personal gains rather than monetary. We do this because we love animals and have a creative flair.
During the best of times, we get to sculpt with hair and create beauty from a scruffy mess. We can have fun decorating dogs with little bows. We gain relationships with the pets and their owners and become part of their extended family.
We educate and guide pet owners, help to train the pets, and monitor their overall health.
During the worst of times, we have to deal with cleaning up poop and pee, empty anal glands, clean up barf, clean poop off of butts, clean crates, mop floors, vacuum up hair, clean up more poop, juggle appointments. Placate clients, do bookwork, etc etc etc. We have to witness such neglect that would make many people cry and we do our best to make those animals as comfortable as possible then have to hear those neglectful owners accuse us of terrible horrors because we did not make their neglected pet look like a show-dog.
To become a groomer, you need to know each breed of dog, basic anatomy, the standard clip that applies to each breed, plus the countless number of variations for pet styles. We need some knowledge of nutrition, dermatology, behavioral modification, diplomacy, communications, products including knowledge of pesticide use, multitasking, marketing and business savvy; also needed is knowledge about all of the equipment available for use...how to use, maintain and repair that equipment so a little basic electronics is also a handy skill, and animal rescue work also falls into our paths from time to time.
To be a groomer, you must have patience, artistic talent, patience, compassion, patience, good people skills, a working knowledge of animal communication, and did I mention patience?
No groomer goes into this career to make millions (although we are finally making headway to making this profession a profitable one)...we do it out of love and dedication to animals and that wonderful sense of satisfaction over a job well done. Yeah, I guess we must be nuts! [/size]

How can one find out if a school is reputable or not?  I was looking into the Wisconsin School of Professional Pet Grooming, Inc (their tuition is $5,200 for a solid 16 week course) but I don't know if they're even a good school!  Is there a way to find out?

I'm a groomer, I went to school for about a year, I had 600 hours of hands learning, I ended up spending like 6,000 to go there, which was a waste, b/c I pretty much could have learned it myself by working in shop as a bather for awhile, Pet grooming is pretty easy, once you get the hang of it.

Back in 1990 I thought "how hard could it be to be a dog groomer? After all I showed Shelties and I had a PWD that I groomed.)
So I bought a grooming shop.
I worked 5 days a week for 1 year. I could do most of what came through the door.
After 3 years, working 5 days a week, I could safely groom everything that came through the door.
After 14 years of grooming I can safely and acurately groom any breed or mixed breed dog (I don't do cats-I have no talent for it).
And I am still learning.
I was once told 'You don't get into grooming-grooming gets into you!'
It's true.