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I want to be a dog groomer, tell me all the details!?

I want to know income ranges I want to know what you think is the best way to get into it start private? Train with petco/petsmart?(I don't see many customers there) get a vehicle and do traveling grooming? ADvertise online? Do it with dog walking? buy your own equipment? What legal rights do you need? Where can you train cheap/free? How fast can you get started? Best places to advertise? How to maximize your income? People say dog groomer is not a good profession will not make a whole lot of money. I don't want to believe this, I want to be a dog groomer. And I will MAKE IT good. Any advice? ANY appreciated. I will choose a best answer!!!! letters to heather: Wow. High charges for just grooming. I hear anal discharges are important.. but certainly hard to learn. Your response makes me more happy about going into business loveshersealy: I love watching dog shows! Being a handler would be very exciting. I just adore dogs so that might help in making the career worthwhile bluebonnetgranny: Thanks for telling me what working in a shop would be like. It seems though that the KIND of grooming/dog handling you choose really affects price. anyone know legal needs for having your own business? What if you're in an apartment? Go to their house?

Public Comments

1. The best thing i can tell you is that my mother groomed dogs from home for about 26 years. She had many of the same customers for years -- how did she learn? Through books... she had a schnauzer and poodle, and also offered to do friends' dogs as she learned. I would imagine that home owner's insurance would take care of any mishaps that might occur... but you could check with an insurance agent; however ,my mother never had a problem. Mom made about $60 to groom and bathe a toy poodle... her rates went up from there. She did not do anal glands nor give flea dips. She just did the basic grooming, bathing. And, as i recall, once she was established she groomed 5-10 dogs a week. People will refer you to their friends, so word of mouth is a good advertisement. Mom also put her business cards on the vet's bulletin board where she worked. You might be able to find a dog grooming school by doing a Yahoo search for Dog Grooming School + Your City + Your state good luck!
2. Groomers honestly do not make much money, but if it is your own desire and dream to be a groomer, then so be it. Groomers have fluctuating wages depending on the dogs they groom. I know I paid about $30 for my Dalmatian to be groomed but over $50 for my Sealyham to be groomed. A more profitable range would to become a groomer/handler. You are not only paid to handle the dogs (the wages are higher depending on your skill level) but you are also paid for the grooming. Even with the increased wage, handler/groomers do not make much money, either. Similarly, it depends on your skill and the interest/demand in good handlers.
3. Groomers do not make a lot of money. The whole time I groomed, 15 years, I made less than the poverty level a year. You usually don't get a lot of money working with animals unless you go to school for 8 to 12 years. I learned at a grooming shop who hired me as a brusher & bather. I started there & worked my way up for 6 months before I was allowed to do a dog all the way through. When paying a groomer the first half of the charge for a dog goes to the shop you are working in. The second half of the charge is divided into 3 parts. One part for the person who roughs in the dog. The second is for the person who brushed & bathed & dried & brushed the dog & the third part is for the person who finishes the job. So say a dog is $50 to groom. $25 goes to the shop, the other $25 is divided into 3 amounts of $8.33 each. If you did the dog all by yourself you would get $25 dollars for your work. Otherwise it is like piece work. You have to love the job to live on such low wages. I loved the job, literally LOVED the work.