Education · 1 of 4

The path

No licence, no degree. Hands on dogs is the whole education.

1. 1

   High school

   Grades 11 and 12

   Volunteer at a shelter or work part time at a kennel or pet store. Employers want to see you are comfortable with scared, wriggling animals.

2. 2

   Bather or grooming assistant

   3 to 12 months

   Washing, drying, nail trims, cleaning kennels. Most salons train from here. Alberta's career site notes many salons teach staff on the job or in short private lessons.

3. 3

   Grooming school, optional

   Weeks to months

   Private schools run programs from a few weeks to a few months. Useful if no salon will train you, or to learn breed cuts faster.

4. 4

   Full groomer

   1 to 2 years in

   Breed-standard clips, handling difficult dogs, cats, and your own regular clients.

5. 5

   Own the salon or the van

   Later

   Many groomers go mobile or open a shop once they have a client list that follows them.