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Hannah
Student
Elnora, IN
2
Questions
Updated
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Does it take physical skill to be an animal groomer?
I am hoping to find the right career based on my abilities.
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1 answer
Karin P.
Lecturer, Academic Advisor, Career Coach
1085
Answers
Göttingen, Lower Saxony, Germany
Updated
Karin’s Answer
Hi Hannah,
Animal grooming is a lovely profession if you have a love for animals and connect with them easily. There are groomers for dogs and cats. But there are of course also horse groomers.
Animal grooming is a hands-on job that at times might require quite some physical strength and endurance (depending on size and behavior of the animal), but you also need decent hand-eye coordination when you are e.g. trimming fur and claws and attention to detail so you don't miss any health problems. You also need theoretical knowledge about the animals that you groom, their different fur types and how to properly care for them.
There is no certification required for animal groomers in the US, but you can pursue training in different ways and to different levels. You can learn on the job from an established groomer, you can take short courses from different organizations, but - at least for horse groomers - there are also college level programs in horse care management or equine studies (which cover more than just grooming).
At the low end of professional development you have pet groomers at the local PetsMart or vet or with their own grooming place. At the high end you would have groomers who travel with show horses or pure-bred cats and dogs to shows and competitions or who manage stables.
Here are some links for you:
https://www.theacademyofpetcareers.com/blog/how-to-become-a-dog-groomer/
https://www.theacademyofpetcareers.com/dog-grooming-school/
https://nationaldoggroomers.com/
https://www.ipgicmg.com/
https://horsegrooms.com/how-do-you-get-started-as-a-groom-with-little-to-no-experience/
https://icieducation.com/courses/veterinary-animal-care/equine-horse-care/
Some good YouTube channels:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IiE7EFFNCpE
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ef1ODje8sro
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7XEjQD7-mVo
I hope this helps! All the best to you!
KP
https://careertraining.usi.edu/training-programs/horse-care-management/
https://careertraining.northwest.iu.edu/training-programs/horse-care-management/
https://www.animalbehaviorcollege.com/grooming/local-dog-grooming-school/indiana-dog-grooming-school/
https://www.groomingschoolofindiana.com/
Animal grooming is a lovely profession if you have a love for animals and connect with them easily. There are groomers for dogs and cats. But there are of course also horse groomers.
Animal grooming is a hands-on job that at times might require quite some physical strength and endurance (depending on size and behavior of the animal), but you also need decent hand-eye coordination when you are e.g. trimming fur and claws and attention to detail so you don't miss any health problems. You also need theoretical knowledge about the animals that you groom, their different fur types and how to properly care for them.
There is no certification required for animal groomers in the US, but you can pursue training in different ways and to different levels. You can learn on the job from an established groomer, you can take short courses from different organizations, but - at least for horse groomers - there are also college level programs in horse care management or equine studies (which cover more than just grooming).
At the low end of professional development you have pet groomers at the local PetsMart or vet or with their own grooming place. At the high end you would have groomers who travel with show horses or pure-bred cats and dogs to shows and competitions or who manage stables.
Here are some links for you:
https://www.theacademyofpetcareers.com/blog/how-to-become-a-dog-groomer/
https://www.theacademyofpetcareers.com/dog-grooming-school/
https://nationaldoggroomers.com/
https://www.ipgicmg.com/
https://horsegrooms.com/how-do-you-get-started-as-a-groom-with-little-to-no-experience/
https://icieducation.com/courses/veterinary-animal-care/equine-horse-care/
Some good YouTube channels:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IiE7EFFNCpE
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ef1ODje8sro
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7XEjQD7-mVo
I hope this helps! All the best to you!
KP
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