Dog Grooming Training Schools

Dog groomers provide an important service to dog owners who want to ensure that their dogs' coats are well maintained. This helps to keep the animals' skin clean, free of pest infestations, and prevents the formation of painfully matted hair that presents breeding grounds for bacteria and fleas. In this manner, dog groomers continue on the services provided by a veterinarian, who also looks after the health of a dog but does so only once a year. Dog grooming training schools prepare future groomers for this position, with the help of classroom theory and hands-on practice.

Concern
- Dog grooming requires some training, which primarily ensures that dog groomers know how to handle dogs of varying temperaments. Specialty grooming styles, such as the ones for show dogs or breed-specific cuts, are also part of the training. However, there is no licensing or certification process in place, so dog grooming schools may have vastly different curricula.
Considerations
- Members of the industry banded together and formed the Pet Groomer community (a link is posted in the Resources section), which consists of member-suggested and evaluated products, and dog grooming training schools. The organization urges prospective groomers to attend a school not just because of its location, but because the school features curriculum choices the future groomer finds interesting.
Features of Good Dog Grooming Training Schools
- In addition to offering the kinds of classes you are interested in, dog grooming training schools you are considering should be accredited vocational schools. Generally speaking, if the school is not an accredited venue, it usually doesn't participate in the federal student loan program.
  The student-to-instructor ratio should be relatively low. This allows for personal attention during hands-on training that can't be accomplished if classes are too big.
  Many vocational schools offer job placement assistance for graduates. Dog grooming training schools that are well established in the community also have contacts with various potential employers for those who successfully complete their education. Ensure that the school you pay for the training also offers post-graduation assistance.
  Ask about the availability of hands-on training for each student. Usually, dog owners will bring their pets for grooming to the school--in return for a much-reduced rate--and students receive valuable hands-on training. The best dog grooming schools have a sufficiently large clientele to allow each student to work alone on an animal rather than having two or three students share and observe the grooming of one dog.
Online Versus Classroom Training
- Like many other fields of study, some dog grooming training schools are becoming virtual, and students are learning their skills online, at home, and without ever setting foot inside a classroom. The Nash Academy (see the link below in Resources) is one example of an online dog grooming training school that teaches students about brushing, clippering, hand stripping and a variety of other skills.
  The curriculum pales, however, when compared to the hands-on, extensive curriculum of the Connecticut School of Dog Grooming (a link is in the Resources section). A comparison shows that the latter is extremely detail-oriented and offers plentiful hands-on experience at a variety of venues.
Warning
- Dog grooming training schools can't prepare you for dealing with potentially dangerous dogs. Future groomers may wish to invest a bit of extra money and attend an animal behavior course that will help them recognize stressed animals and differentiate them from those that might harm them.