Education · 1 of 5

The path

Nobody tests you before you start. Skill and speed are the whole career.

1. 1

   High school

   Grade 12

   A diploma is enough for almost every salon. Volunteer at a shelter or kennel to prove you can handle animals.

2. 2

   Start as a bather

   6 to 12 months

   Washing, drying, brushing, nails and ears. This is the real entry point, whether or not you go to school.

3. 3

   Learn to groom

   2 months to 2 years

   Either a grooming school program of a few months, or an apprenticeship under a working groomer who lets you take simple dogs.

4. 4

   Build speed and a book

   1 to 2 years

   Income depends on finishing more dogs per day and on customers rebooking with you by name.

5. 5

   Certify, rent a chair or buy a van

   Year 3 onward

   Optional, and this is where the money changes. Certification is voluntary, ownership is not cheap.