kelabela Posted July 27, 2005 Share Posted July 27, 2005 Hi Everyone, i have been pointed in this direction to ask!!!! iv been thinking about it for a long time, and i have decided id really love to learn to be a dog clipper/groomer, can you please help me and point me in the right direction to learning. I know tafe offers some courses but i thought you guys might know some more places. so if anyone has any ideas or suggestions id love to hear...thankyou Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dani Posted July 27, 2005 Share Posted July 27, 2005 I want to be one too!! :rolleyes: And I'll be living in Brisbane soon too. Would love to hear from anyone that does it, how did they get into it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
espinay2 Posted July 27, 2005 Share Posted July 27, 2005 First thing to know is that grooming is not an easy job. It is dirty backbreaking work for the most part and a large percentage of the dogs you will be dealing with will be squirmers, squealers, or biters. A good degree of understanding of dog behaviour is definitely necessary so any learning you can do in this area will be valuable. Yes, grooming has its rewards, and you will have some lovely dogs to groom too, but these will also require a lot of what is often dirty messy work to get them that way. Grooming is not a glamourous job. Now, if you are truly interested in being a groomer, I suggest you start off by seeing if you can get a job as a bather in a grooming salon. The summer period is ideal for this as that is when all the once a year shavedown type jobs all come in and groomers are run off their feet. Bathing is the foundation of grooming and the most important thing for you to learn. More goes in to washing and drying and preparing a dog than you may think. Good preparation can mean the difference between a good and bad groom. By being a bather you will also find out if grooming is truly for you. If you are interested in courses, one of the best out there seems to be offered by groomers friend - www.groomersfriend.com.au . There are other past threads on this forum too which discuss courses for groomers so you may want to do a search. I also suggest you take a look at www.groomers.com and www.petgroomer.com and in particular read the message boards. They provide invaluable info to any groomer either wanna be or experienced. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kelabela Posted July 27, 2005 Author Share Posted July 27, 2005 thanx heaps for that...i do my own dog who is a bichon frise...and he is a squirmer so i have some idea whats ahead for me...but i love dogs, so im willing to learn everything i need to and as with every job im sure it has its ups and downs Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dogsfevr Posted July 27, 2005 Share Posted July 27, 2005 To be honest more downs than ups,have done this jod for 13 yrs & its hardwork & requires continous spending,luckily for us we have all he good equipment for our showdogs Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
greyhoundangel Posted July 27, 2005 Share Posted July 27, 2005 A pet grooming salon may take on trainee's etc...so it may be worthwhile checking into that... I didn't enjoy dog grooming, it was very hard work... Mel Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Staff'n'Toller Posted July 27, 2005 Share Posted July 27, 2005 Which State are you in? Mel. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
becks Posted July 27, 2005 Share Posted July 27, 2005 Would suggest you read the 2 groomers threads that have been on last week, they discuss more of the downside. I have a slipped disc and sciatica from grooming, constant painkillers keep me working. Also be prepared to find hair splinters in every part of your body. You will also need to be able to deal with dogs covered in poo, infestations including maggots from open wounds underneath huge mats and dogs in other neglected states and still be able to talk to the owners in a reasonable way so that the dog will still get taken to a groomer in the future. Then you have to deal when an owner calls in to tell you her dog has died and it was one of your favorites to groom. You see a lot of the bad side to dog ownership, if you want to groom because you like dogs another outlet maybe better. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IrishCharm Posted July 27, 2005 Share Posted July 27, 2005 I started with a tafe course. Cert 3 in Companion animal services at ithica tafe Brisbane. Its a multi course so you have to bite your lip when doing the RSPCA stuff. Then rang groomers. There is a course run by ? at the Gold coast. Its $2000 - $3000 though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kelabela Posted July 27, 2005 Author Share Posted July 27, 2005 Im in Brisbane..... i am getting sent out some information from tAFES its about $1300 for 18 weeks....only prob is i work full time and im paying off a house...so i dont know how i will able to do it unless the courses are at night time...which is not likely..... but im still really interested...it might be something i have to do down the track...i know there are down sides but it still is a very appealing job to me....i work in childcare i can handle kids, i can handle animals, im probly less likely to be bitten working with animals Lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kelabela Posted July 28, 2005 Author Share Posted July 28, 2005 i have another question..... to be a dog groomer legally and have a buisness as a dog groomer, do you have to have qualifications, or can you do if just if you have the skill to do it....im just curious because their are short courses available which are done over a few weekends.... what im trying to say is, if i did short courses, volunteered and practiced grooming until i was good, and then started a business and was a groomer...is that legal or do you have to have proper paper qualifications... please no one get angry Lol im just curious.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
espinay2 Posted July 28, 2005 Share Posted July 28, 2005 It is legal for anyone to set themselves up as a groomer regardless of skill or experience (of course how long many of these remain in the industry is another thing - most customers soon recognise lack of skill) . That said, there is certainly a move among groomers to try and raise the standards of professionalism within the industry. Many in Australia have joined an organisasion called the Pet Industry Joint Advisory Council (PIJAC) which sets out guidelines in relation to things such as conduct and health issues. You may also want to join the email list (which I forgot to mention earlier) Groom-TNT-Australia which is at www.yahoogroups.com . It is a meeting place for Australian groomers - both new and experienced - to exchange information and share ideas with the aim of supporting each other and improving professionalism in the industry. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kelabela Posted July 28, 2005 Author Share Posted July 28, 2005 thankyou very much for that.... i really appreciate any suggestions... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poodlefan Posted July 28, 2005 Share Posted July 28, 2005 Do you have any dog training experience KB? If not, then getting involved will assist you to learn more about dog behaviour. Many dogs a groomer sees can be quite "challenging" to handle. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
espinay2 Posted July 28, 2005 Share Posted July 28, 2005 Many dogs a groomer sees can be quite "challenging" to handle. poodlefan is being very polite We are talking about dogs here who commonly want to rip your face and arms off. Not fun when you are actually trying to get your hands ON them and need to get your head close enough to them to see what you are doing! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poodlefan Posted July 28, 2005 Share Posted July 28, 2005 (edited) I ain't ever grooming dogs other than mine and those of friends. I can live without the angst. Hard hard work, hard on your back, all that hair is irritating to eyes and nose and the pay is ordinary. I commend anyone who does it for a living - it has to be partly a labour of love. Edited July 28, 2005 by poodlefan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kelabela Posted July 28, 2005 Author Share Posted July 28, 2005 I wonder if once i learn a dog shelter or something might let me practices on there dogs....i have my own bichon frise to practise on and i guess some friends dogs... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Staff'n'Toller Posted July 28, 2005 Share Posted July 28, 2005 Kelabela- I did a four day intensive, down here in Vic- not show grooming but just the everyday clips that you would see in a grooming parlour i.e. Maltese, Westie, Cav, Border Collie, Sheltie etc. I only do my neighbours dogs and a couple of very special clients, I couldn't do it all the time...but I do enjoy seeing the finished product, so in that way there is satisfatction. What may be of interest to you is that in my course, there was a chick doing it so that she could clip the dogs at a big shelter down here, to try to improve their looks so that they would be adopted. Not sure if she was a volnteer or a paid person at the shelter, but if you were to offer your services, a shelter may get to like you and offer you some renumeration down the track?! You would be helping out some rescue doggies as well. Mel. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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