Dog Groomer Career Profile

The Work

As a dog groomer, you would keep dogs’ coats in good condition and advise owners on their dogs' coat care, grooming and diet. Before starting grooming, you would check for any sore areas or lumps on the dog's skin, and for fleas or parasites. You would then:
shape the dog's coat with electric clippers or a stripping knifeshampoo and dry the dog's coatgive a final trim with scissors.

You would sometimes also clip the dog's claws and clean its teeth and ears.

You would often follow standards for how different breeds should look – for example, poodles are usually clipped to a particular shape. This is particularly important when dogs are being prepared for showing.

Hours
In a dog grooming salon, you would usually work around 35 hours a week, Monday to Saturday (with one day off during the week). If you are self-employed, you would arrange your own working hours. You could work in a shop, in your own home or in dog owners' homes.

Income
Dog groomers can earn from around £12,000 to £18,000 or more a year.
Self-employed dog groomers can charge between £25 and £70, depending on the breed of dog.

Figures are intended as a guideline only.

Skills and Knowledgethe ability to handle dogs firmly but gentlythe ability to calm and control nervous dogspatience and attention to detailgood communication and customer care skillsbusiness skills (if self-employed).

Opportunities
You could find work in grooming salons or in grooming facilities attached to some pet shops, garden centres and kennels.

With experience and qualifications, you could open your own salon or become a mobile groomer, visiting owners' homes. You could also move into training.