Am I Suited to a Career in Dog Grooming?
While there are challenges that come with dog grooming, it’s also an exciting, rewarding, and fun career that many people dream of having. If your idea of a perfect day involves spending a lot of time with dogs of all shapes and sizes, you’re probably on the right track to becoming a good dog groomer.
However, there are a few things that make all the difference between being a good dog groomer and being a great one. If you know for a fact that you possess any of the following traits, then you just might be in the perfect spot to begin a career that suits you very well!
You don’t have to be a total extrovert to be successful as a dog groomer. But knowing how to communicate with your clients (both human and canine) will make a big difference in customer satisfaction. Understand what you do as a dog groomer and be prepared to explain it – in detail – to concerned dog-parents.
For example, you know what a “puppy cut” is on a particular breed… but does your client?
Whether you’re starting your own business or working for an existing one, keeping organized will make your days much less stressful. The last thing you want is to get ready for a busy day, only to realize that you’ve booked two clients for the same time slot! To avoid disappointing both your clients and yourself, you should make every effort to be extremely organized.
Dogs know when you’re uneasy, and people do, too. Would you trust your dog with a groomer who didn’t act like she knew what she was doing? It’s completely normal to feel some jitters as you begin a new job (or even as you take on new responsibilities at a job you’ve had for years). But trust yourself and your knowledge!
Like we’ve said, dog grooming can come with pretty specific challenges. How many other careers count “trampled by puppies” as an occupational hazard?
While there are so many rewards to becoming a dog groomer, you’ll also have to grapple with some of the less-great aspects of the job. This includes things like occupational health hazards. If you’re worried about what you’ll face as a dog groomer, look no further!
Even if all your clients insist that their dogs are beautiful, gentle creatures who would never hurt a fly, it’s hard to tell what a dog will actually do when faced with a new and scary situation. You’ll have to go into your career as a dog groomer prepared to deal with anxious, even aggressive dogs. Mor importantly, you’ll need to know how to protect yourself and them.
In almost any client-facing career, you’ll find more than one person behaving much worse than any of dogs you might come across! They might be insisting on heavy discounts. Perhaps they’re ignoring your shop rules, or trying to convince you to fit them in last-minute. Whatever the situation, always be prepared to professionally (and confidently) shut down any bad behavior from clients.
Sure, you can often set your own hours as a dog groomer, but you may find that the most profitable hours don’t fit into a standard Monday to Friday model. Clients are usually busy, and really appreciate being able to take their dog to you after work or on weekends.
Now, about those rewards we were talking about! If you’ve read about all the challenges you’ll face as a dog groomer and you feel better than ever about your career choice, you can start dreaming about all the great things that come with it!
People love to spoil their dogs! Taking them to the groomer is one way they love to do it. The dog grooming field is only continuing to grow. We guarantee that you’ll be able to see your hard work pay off when your career begins to take off.
If you decide to start your own business, you’ll have achieved the dream of millions of people around the world. Being your own boss and setting your own hours gives you a great deal of freedom.
This is probably the main reward! Most people interested in dog grooming as a career get into the field because they love dogs. Thankfully, you will actually spend a great deal of your day getting to hang out with pups of all shapes and sizes!
Whenever you start something new, you’re bound to feel nervous. You might even feel like your new career is going to be too hard for you to handle. But if you’re prepared, and you know exactly what you’re getting into, you’ll be able to handle pretty much whatever the job throws at you!
What are some challenges you’ve faced as a dog groomer? What do you love about your job? Tell us your thoughts in the comments below!
Pros and Cons of Being a Dog Groomer
A dog groomer career has much to offer as a profession but let’s look at both the advantages as well as the disadvantages along with the usual requirements for dog grooming jobs. Then you can be in a better position to make an informed judgement about whether or not this is a career path for you.
How to keep a dog happy and calm during the grooming procedure.
Keeping a dog happy may not be hard for you if you are a natural dog lover. You might also know how to calm them down after having a bad day. However, making them calm and happy while grooming them is different. Especially since they are being groomed by someone they didn’t know. Also, the sound of the scissors or fur dryer might scare them if they are not that familiar yet with being groomed. A scared and troubled dog might bite you if not attended right. That is why having proper training that will teach you how to handle this situation is a must to avoid incidents.