[cigsstorenick]

I've been really considering getting into grooming. I worked as a bather/preper before getting pregnant and I really enjoyed it and its about time I get some form of a plan for my life and I've been leaning toward grooming for quite a while now. I'm just wondering if anyone has ideas/opinions on where to start. I want to get some sort. of professional training before hand from a school of some sort. (My previous work was considering training me as a groomer just before I got pregnant but I have no desire to go back as they run things horribly And all the good people have left)

I know there are some groomers on here so I was hoping to get some information from anyone who may be able to help.

*sorry about they typing I'm on my phone

[Domovoy]

check online for grooming schools in your area. and then go to sites like Ripoffs.com and see if you find alot of negative about them also find some groomers in your area and chat with them I know some of the groomers here in AZ shared negative and positive info they had about different grooming schools with Me I was considering going so I could groom Marlo myself but then got busy with my daughters school so changed my mind still may go at some point but right now the School keeps me busy

[15Praxanant]

I wouldn't pay for grooming schools as there are a shit ton of them around, and probably alot of them would be glad to train you if you were to volunteer there and not get paid. My ex used to train a few girls that came into her shop to volunteer over the years to get experience but only one of them that I know of actually opened her own shop and became very successful good luck in your endeavor.

[cigsstorenick]

check online for grooming schools in your area. and then go to sites like Ripoffs.com and see if you find alot of negative about them also find some groomers in your area and chat with them I know some of the groomers here in AZ shared negative and positive info they had about different grooming schools with Me I was considering going so I could groom Marlo myself but then got busy with my daughters school so changed my mind still may go at some point but right now the School keeps me busy

Thank you for the site idea. I have come across so many schools listed online but wasnt sure who was legit and who may be a scam which was a huge issue. The internet has its great side and its bad.

I wouldn't pay for grooming schools as there are a shit ton of them around, and probably alot of them would be glad to train you if you were to volunteer there and not get paid. My ex used to train a few girls that came into her shop to volunteer over the years to get experience but only one of them that I know of actually opened her own shop and became very successful good luck in your endeavor.

The groomer I used to work at did that, and I was next in line to be trained (once they needed another groomer) but it takes months and months to get up to full working speed because the person training you also has their own work to get done (at least where I worked thats how it went). Unfortunalty Im limited on time because I have a 2 year old and the cost of daycare around here is pretty expensive and until Im working with decent pay its going to put us in a real tight spot for a while. Most of the schools Ive come across locally are full time for only 8 weeks so we would only need to be tight for a short time.

Thank you both for taking the time to read/reply

[Greapyjeory]

Your best bet is to become a bather for a groomer, if they like you, they'll train you. Also, even stores like Petsmart actually have their own grooming school they'll send you to, but you need to be hired on as a bather, and the manager has to like you and have confidence you'll be a good groomer. I learned from my aunt that was a groomer and had her own salon. Then I worked at a few different grooming salons before I found Petsmart, they were the ONLY salon I found and worked at that actually had benefits for their groomers (like vacation and health/dental/vision insurance) I did also work at another large pet retailer as a groomer, but can honestly say I will never ever consider working there again. Not only did they not have benefits, but they treat their employees like shit.

I wouldn't pay for any grooming school. I've known a few people over the years that had, and they weren't happy about it once they learned just about any groomer or salon has a way of training you if they like you. That said, some grooming schools do offer a Master Groomer class, for groomers that are already experienced, and I've known a few ladies that have taken it and have been happy to get their Master Groomer certification. It looks good to customers. I'd like to do that someday, but first I gotta start grooming again, and to do that I need to get rid of my allergy to dogs. I was a groomer for 6 years, then developed a severe allergy to dogs, so I had to quit

[kHy87gPC]

i have no suggestions for you other than experience from close friends thatre groomers so ill say this, petsmart is your best yet worst bet. like above said, the manager has to like you. one of my good friends mothers worked at petsmart as a groomer, and because she wasnt a gigantic kiss-ass, she couldnt get anywhere in that area so she quit to look for another place to groom. and since she worked at petsmart in the one town that knows alot of those people suck ass, no one would hire her again, and that was the end of her work as a groomer. (sad too because she was the one and only person i knew that could do a nice trim job on a psychotic dog) another one i know, love her job but shes one cranky person after work because of how many fear agg dogs that come in, to try and attack her. all i gottuh say is if you have the patience for it, i hope you can find a good place! i applaud anyone that can do that job without becoming a raging alchy lol

[Brutton]

I groom. I like it and it gives me the freedom I need to run my business when I'm not working there. I'm not certified and more than likely won't get certified, not because I can't but because I don't see the need.

I was taught how to groom by my Grandma who is a Certified Master Groomer/Teacher(she did the evaluations WAY back in the day on others to get their cert.) My mom taught me a little bit who is also a master groomer. I worked at petsMart for awhile as a bather and then went to private shops. I taught a former friend a lot on how to groom and that is what she does now, I believe.

I like grooming but it is HARD on your body and mind. Dealing with fearful, aggressive and just plain psychotic dogs is not an easy feat.

My advice, get started at a regular SMALL shop and learn from someone that has years of experience. The groomer I work with now, used to groom show dogs in Cali. and has more than 40 years of experience.

[verybigf]

I aprenticed for almost a year and then groomed for 2 years. Some days I liked it and some days, when when I would be bleeding and in tears tying to deal with someone's sociopath cocker they bought at petland I would wonder what in god's name I was trying to do for a living. Where i worked the owner was super tough and no dog scared her. She expected the same from me, and we were known as the shop that would take your dog if it had been turned away everywhere else. I think if I had been in a position to say "please keep your $75 and get your gremlin in a Bichon suit away for me" i would have really enjoyed my job. I had a hard time because it was in such a wealthy/snobby area that a lot of people really seemed to care more about how their dog looked than how it felt, and I couldn't stand putting a dog through discomfort just to keep hair on their body that only their heiress owner is attached too. I think it can be a great job or really not, depending on a lot of factors. It can be very hard on your body, and you may have regular nightmares about trying to de-matt a rabbid maltipoo while her owner stands over you yelling at you. But that might just be me.... Good luck

[t78VPkdO]

I apprenticed with 2 good groomers for two years. After that I still did grooming seminars(still do) perfecting stuff. Even if you find a good school, you'll need to apprentice with a good groomer after that. Here in MI it's hard to find good groomers or a good school. The best one around was Paragon grooming school, but it's closed now. That was a school run by Milissa Verplank(sp?), white dog enterprise. Very good.
Where are you located?
I've been grooming for about 16 years now and own my own shop. I love grooming.

[cigsstorenick]

Where are you located?

Im in Southern California.

leilaquinn- Im much more an animal person than people. I an definitely not a people person so I want an animal related job as as I mentioned I did bathing and preping so I do have a general idea of what grooming consists of. I did get a fair share of some pretty nasty dogs. All the other bathers (all guys, I was the only girl who stuck around) would always leave the monster dogs for me to do. Funny thing was of all the dogs trying to go after me I had more trouble with the twisty wires holding the chin link fencing to the door frames ripping my hand open or getting major rope burn from massive untrained dogs trying to drag me around or pinching chunks off my hand on a cage latch (please dont ask, I really have no idea how I managed some of those) than I did from dogs actually trying to hurt me while I was grooming them. Of course I know I only got the tip of the iceberg, so to speak, since I only did prep work and not full on grooming but thats how my luck runs. And Im willing to give it a shot.

I still think I like the idea of going to an actual school for some unpressured hands on. I learn a lot by watching and I dont want to feel pressured to 'work' before I feel comfortable. I had people teaching me for the prep work and there were a lot of loop holes left out. It was learn as you go and I ended up using the wrong clipper blade on a dogs belly (which I also learned was an older thing that they no longer do, shaving the belly area, the girl who taught me told me to do it and never mentioned blade numbers so I used what was on the clippers unknowingly) and I got in trouble for it when no one ever told me there were different sizes and that I needed a certian size for different areas (once I knew that I never made that error again but that really bothered me that I got introuble for something I was never taught.. even thinking about it right now is bothering me all over again because I do NOT like messing up like that and had I known I never would have made that mistake in the first place)

[verybigf]

Just to be clear, I was (somewhat) kidding with the doom and gloom. There was a lot I loved, and there are dogs I still think about and miss years later. Some dogs are so good and sweet and there is something super special about a dog who is thrilled to see you even thogh you quicked a nail once by accident, pulled on there hair etc. pretty much evry time they see you. i used to brush out a golden once a month who had a major tendancy to matt, he licked what ever part of me he could reach through a lot of it and never stopped wagging his tail. Thinking about all the dogs I miss is actually making me tear up, you spend this time with them on a regular basis, and dogs that are so trusting and loving in potentially stessful senarios make you fall so in love with them. Dealing with people and their expectations, demands, nitpicking was definately harder than even the most beligerant dog. Once a girl tried to hit me with her huge prada purse because I clipped her english sheepdog to short because he was so matted. She told me she was debating returning him to his breeder because she didn't want an ugly short haired dog!

[t78VPkdO]

I had some groomer friends in S. Cal. I'll e-mail them to see if they know any good schools...

---------- Post added at 09:31 PM ---------- Previous post was at 08:57 PM ----------

Request Groom and Kennel Expo 2011 Info

There is a grooming expo coming up near you(hopefully) in feb.
If you can...Go...
They should have school info or you will be able to meet groomers closer to you

Do NOT buy into on-line grooming school...big. sad. joke

[cigsstorenick]

I had some groomer friends in S. Cal. I'll e-mail them to see if they know any good schools...

---------- Post added at 09:31 PM ---------- Previous post was at 08:57 PM ----------

Request Groom and Kennel Expo 2011 Info

There is a grooming expo coming up near you(hopefully) in feb.
If you can...Go...
They should have school info or you will be able to meet groomers closer to you

Do NOT buy into on-line grooming school...big. sad. joke

Thank you! That is actually quite close to me so I will definitely be stopping by.

Thanks again to everyone for taking the time to read/reply