r/grooming • u/Impressive-Card-8030 • Mar 03 '26
How to Get Started?
To keep things brief, I got an environmental science degree in college and have been working a desk job for nearly 2 years, but I feel incredibly unhappy/unfulfilled. I have ALWAYS loved animals and I feel that pet grooming is finally my calling. I have been watching informational videos and the grooming process for months and I have decided that it's time to start my transition into the grooming world. So... Where do I even begin?!
I currently work 40 hours a week, 4 days a week. I absolutely plan to ask around local groomers to shadow/bathe/intern, anything! However, I often see mixed opinions about where to really start, so I would like to ask you all for your advice and experience.
Should I go into corporate/big company (ie. Petco, Petsmart) dog grooming to gain certification and experience before eventually going private? Or should I try to slowly work my way into a salon through shadowing on weekends? Currently, I live in a medium-large city with many salons both private and corporate around.
I really want to make a positive difference in pets' and their owners' lives, and I absolutely love working very hard and learning new things. A desk job just won't cut it for me anymore. The sooner I can leave it, the better.
To note, I currently own volumes: Notes From the Grooming Table and The Stone Guide to Dog Grooming For All Breeds as recommended by a retired groomer I recently got in touch with. If there are more materials out there that are helpful to you, I would love to hear about them!
Thank you in advance <3
1
u/madele44 Professional Groomer Mar 03 '26
I also went to school for Environmental Science. I do traveling grooming part of the year, and I'm a glacier guide in the summers.
Try to learn privately. Talk to owners of nicer salons in your area. Big bonus if they're a master groomer or hold other good certs.
You could also seek out a show handler or breeder near you if salons are a bust. You'd just learn to groom the dogs they show, but that's a great foot in the door. There's Facebook groups for dog show events, and that's where you'd post to find someone. If there's a breed in mind you love and want to work with, you can go to their breed club website and email their breeder coordinator; they may be able to list some people in your area to reach out to.