Today, professional pet grooming is such a popular and rapidly growing industry.  It is not only a rewarding experience but also a steady source of income since pet grooming is always in demand— not just in the U.S., but around the world. Any animal lover has the potential to become a certified pet groomer with enough hard work and determination. If you are considering becoming a certified pet groomer, there are a few key things that you should keep in mind about your career path and the responsibilities that come with it.

You Assist in Monitoring Pet Health

While groomers are best known for their cosmetic services like trimming nails, giving baths and cleaning ears, it is also their responsibility to look for any unusual changes in the pet’s health. In fact, most of the time, it is the groomers who find potential health threats— anything from budding skin conditions to full-blown ear infections. In the event that you spot something suspicious, it is part of your job as a certified pet groomer to inform the owner so that they can bring their pet to their veterinarian for a thorough checkup.

You Build Great Relationships

One important qualification that every certified pet groomer should have is being both an animal person and a people person. The best groomers enjoy working with the owners as much as with their pets; after all, you will certainly have a lot of interaction with both. Building and maintaining good client relationships is a key factor in the progression of a certified pet groomer career and success. In fact, good groomer-client relationships can lead to valuable referrals and connections for future career advancement opportunities. Additionally, the pet owners you work with may end up becoming your good friends outside of the salon. Many people build friendships with their hair stylist or nail technician, so why not their groomer? You can always bond over your mutual love of animals!

You Are Always in Control

As a certified pet groomer, you will be working with all sorts of animals; even ones that don’t behave as well as they could. Every groomer deals with poorly trained dogs and badly behaved cats from time to time. When it happens to you, just remember that animals have an innate sense of what others are feeling. If they sense that their groomer is nervous, they will also be nervous, and likely act out. This is why it’s imperative to stay calm; doing so will allow you to keep control of both the pet and the situation.   

You Learn More on the Job

Just like for any other job, you always learn more in the field than you do as a student in training. Certified pet groomers are constantly expanding their skill sets through experience and practice, but you can also learn more about the grooming industry by doing things outside of your salon. Attending trade shows, visiting training clinics, keeping track of the latest trends and learning new techniques from other groomers are all surefire ways to stay informed about the pet grooming industry.

You Always Have Room to Grow

Pet grooming is an industry that offers a lot of opportunities for self-employment. Any certified pet groomer with the drive to own their own business can easily open their own salon with enough advertising, access to basic grooming equipment and a reasonable budget. Even groomers with tight budgets can still own and operate their own businesses. In fact, one modern and especially popular method of delivering pet grooming services is by actually delivering them in a specially outfitted van— imagine owning a pet salon on wheels! This is why building a network and forming relationships with the right people is so important, even in pet grooming. You never know where your connections and referrals might take you.

How You Can Become a Certified Pet Groomer

If you are considering a career as a certified pet groomer and would like to know where to begin, you are welcome to learn more about the opportunities we offer at Merryfield Academy. We invite you to review our catalog for information regarding admissions or call us at 954-771-4030 if you have any questions.