Pet Groomer Job Description, Skills, and Salary
Get to know about the duties, responsibilities, qualifications, and skills requirements of a pet groomer. Feel free to use our pet groomer job description template to produce your own. We also provide you with information about the salary you can earn as a pet groomer.
Who is a Pet Groomer?
A pet groomer is someone who makes a living by taking care of pets. Pet grooming is critical for pet health maintenance, as regular cleaning reduces the likelihood of parasites on their skin. Pet groomers offer bathing, nail clipping, and hair removal services.
Pet groomers may find employment in pet stores, shelters, veterinary clinics, or grooming salons. Additionally, they can work in pet owners’ homes. Certain pet groomers even specialize in showing animal preparation for events.
A pet groomer grooms domestic animals such as cats and dogs. Groomers perform a variety of tasks necessary for pet care, some of which require more skill and technical knowledge than others. Groomers can work in pet stores, veterinarian offices, mobile grooming facilities, or independently.
Numerous pet groomers are certified by a professional grooming school. Others work as assistants to more experienced pet groomers to gain hands-on experience. Those with professional credentials may have an easier time finding their first job.
A pet groomer can perform a variety of tasks on dogs and cats. Shaving dogs, cutting dogs’ coats into appropriate styles, brushing dogs and cats, and cutting animals’ nails are all common tasks. Additionally, some groomers perform less pleasant tasks, such as emptying dogs’ anal glands when they come in for grooming.
Certain dogs and cats are resistant to grooming. Cats and dogs may both scratch in response to fear or defensive behavior. An experienced pet groomer must develop skills in both restraining dogs and cats and in establishing a comforting rapport with the animals.
Typically, dogs or cats are placed on a grooming table to allow the pet groomer to work. This table contains restraints that assist in restraining the animal, protecting both the pet and the groomer. The groomer must understand how to properly position the animal on the table and secure it in the restraints.
Once the pet is properly secured, the pet groomer must perform the requested service(s). This can be a fairly straightforward procedure, such as nail trimming. Even when trimming nails, a groomer must exercise caution to avoid cutting the “quick” or sensitive part of the dog’s nails, which contain nerve endings and can bleed.
Certain groomers offer clients specialized services. These services may include coloring a dog or applying nail polish to a dog’s nails. Additionally, professional groomers shape dogs into breed-specific haircuts.
Groomers may specialize in grooming family pets or in preparing show animals for events. Pet and dog groomer responsibilities are essentially the same whether you work for yourself or a kennel, pet shop, veterinary office, or pet supply retailer.
Individuals performing pet and dog grooming duties must possess certain personal characteristics. They must enjoy working with animals and are at ease in their presence. They must also demonstrate empathy and patience toward their four-legged clients. They must, however, interact with pet owners, and thus exhibit the same characteristics when interacting with humans. Physical stamina is required of pet groomers. Not only may they be required to lift large animals onto the worktable, but some grooming sessions can last up to two hours.
Along with bathing and styling a pet’s fur, groomers visually inspect the animal for external signs of parasites, disease, or injury and notify owners of their findings. To prevent the spread of disease among their clients, pet groomers are responsible for sanitizing all clippers, combs, brushes, and other tools used on pets. Additionally, they must maintain a safe and sanitary work environment to minimize risks to human and animal visitors.
According to the American Kennel Club, a pet groomer’s responsibilities extend beyond aesthetics. Grooming regularly helps maintain healthy skin and nails. Grooming’s handling enables early detection of potentially serious lumps and skin irritations.
Veterinary assistants, technologists, and technicians, as well as laboratory animal caretakers, are all similar careers in the field of animal care that pet groomers can go for. A high school diploma or equivalent is required for vet assistants and laboratory animal caretakers, while an associate’s degree is required for vet technologists and technicians. These individuals may work with sick or injured animals in animal hospitals, laboratories, or clinics.
Pet Groomer Job Description
Below are the pet groomer job description examples you can use to develop your resume or write a pet groomer job description for your employee. Employers can also use it to sieve out job seekers when choosing candidates for interviews.
The duties and responsibilities of a pet groomer include the following:
- Detangling and dematting hair as needed.
- Grooming, conditioning, and drying of pets
- Nail trimming, teeth brushing, and ear cleaning are all tasks that can be performed on pets.
- Grooming and styling pets following the pet owner’s instructions or industry standards.
- Accepting special requests from pet owners.
- Detecting and communicating health problems in pets, such as ear infections, skin conditions, or tooth decay.
- Assuring the safety of all pets throughout the grooming process.
- Cleaning work areas regularly.
- Making appropriate product recommendations to pet owners.
- Washing, and conditioning pet hair to keep it clean and fresh.
- Shaving, trimming, and styling pet hair to the owner’s specifications
- Keeping your pet’s overall hygiene up to date by clipping nails, brushing teeth, and cleaning ears.
- Maintaining a clean workstation by sanitizing and sweeping before each new client’s arrival and after each workday.
- Assisting owners with at-home pet care tips and best practices.
Qualifications
While a passion for and understanding animals is necessary for success as a pet groomer, a formal college education is not required. Grooming skills can be acquired on the job or through apprenticeship programs. Apprenticeships typically last about two months and require you to work alongside experienced pet groomers. Pet grooming training is also available at several state-licensed grooming schools throughout the United States; these programs typically last between two and four months.
Another option is to enroll in a community or technical college’s pet grooming or animal care program. Upon completion, these programs frequently result in diplomas or certificates. You’ll learn about nutrition for cats and dogs, small animal welfare, and clinical pet grooming techniques. Certain programs may take up to a year to complete.
Additionally, if you’re interested in obtaining voluntary certification, the National Dog Groomers Association of America offers the National Certified Master Groomer credential (www.nationaldoggroomers.com). To earn the certification, you must pass a written examination and a practical examination demonstrating your pet grooming skills. You will be evaluated on a variety of topics, including general health, anatomy, and breed identification. You must earn an average score of at least 85 percent overall.
Essential Skills
- Passion
This is the bedrock upon which every successful entrepreneur is built. You must possess it to gain the full experience of working as a pet groomer. It will motivate you to get out of bed in the morning, even if you’ve only slept a few hours due to being up late taking inventory. Passion sustains you on bad days and enhances the significance of good ones.
- Organization
As a small business owner, you must juggle your personal life, clients, employees, and finances, among other things. Being organized enables you to concentrate on the task at hand while still having time for fun. Create and adhere to a system that will keep you and your staff organized.
- Motivation
Drive, self-motivation – whatever you want to call it, it’s a requirement for a successful pet groomer. The critical point to remember is that it is not a finite resource. Increase it by accomplishing simple daily tasks such as completing your to-do lists. By completing smaller tasks throughout the day, you begin to build momentum for larger tasks and challenges.
- Independence
Informing family and friends about your intention to open a grooming salon is a significant step in your entrepreneurial journey. Regardless of whether the advice they inevitably give is positive or negative, you should have a clear vision for your business and how to get there. Maintain an open mind while remaining true to your vision and self.
- Confidence
Confidence will assist you in “tying everything together.” Confidence entails more than self-assurance. Confidence comes from knowing that you are prepared, that you have done everything possible, and that you are prepared to face any challenge that may arise.
- Selfishness
You probably weren’t expecting selfishness to be included on this list, but as a small business owner, you must be selfish with your time and resources. There are only so many hours in the day, and you must be selective with how you spend them. You should not be afraid to say no. Your time is valuable; value it accordingly.
- Delegation
You cannot be everywhere at the same time. The ability to delegate tasks and manage your team effectively enables you to maximize the most valuable resource of all: time. Bear in mind to let go. Because your team members may not complete tasks in the same manner as you if you want something done a certain way, coach (do not command!) them on how to complete it.
- Self-Promotion
Communicating with others about yourself can be one of the most challenging aspects of growing your business. We are taught from an early age that excessive self-promotion is impolite. Rather than viewing self-promotion as a sales pitch, consider it as a means of sharing your passion with those around you. Grooming is a significant part of your life; embrace it!
- Resilience
A pet groomer’s life can be a roller coaster ride. On some days, you may feel as though you’ve made the worst decision of your life, but it’s critical to remember that bad days pass and that tomorrow holds the potential for greatness.
How to Become a Pet Groomer
There are several paths to becoming a pet groomer, but the most common is to enroll in a grooming school or classes offered by a local trade school or to work as an apprentice with an experienced groomer. In some instances, you may be required to perform both tasks. The pet groomer’s primary responsibility is to wash and trim the fur of dogs and, occasionally, cats, as well as to trim nails, clean the eyes, nose, and ears, and express canine anal glands.
Numerous trade schools offer programs that can assist you in pursuing a career as a pet groomer. These are typically taught by former or current groomers, and many schools have their on-campus pet salons. Often, you’ll begin the course by reading about various pet breeds and the type of care they require. After this portion of the class is completed, you will likely be allowed to put your skills to use by providing free or low-cost services to the school. This will provide you with hands-on experience in the field.
Groomers frequently complete an apprenticeship or internship with a licensed groomer, either through a school or independently. Apprenticeships provide an opportunity to work alongside more experienced workers in a real business with paying customers, though many apprentices are paid little or nothing during their internship period. This is not always the case, as some apprentices are hired on a full-time basis as employees. Often, this path to becoming a pet groomer requires you to begin as a pet washer or kennel attendant and work your way up in rank as you acquire new skills.
Most areas require certification before you can work as a pet groomer. To do so, you must pass an exam demonstrating that you possess the necessary skills to properly care for your clients’ pets. You may be required to complete a written portion of the test in addition to a section in which you will be given a dog to groom in a specific manner.
While any animal with hair or nails may require grooming, dogs are the most frequently brought into pet styling salons. To be successful in this career, you must be comfortable working with large animals and be able to deal with dogs that bark, bite, or attempt to escape during grooming. These behaviors should be addressed before the dog is groomed, but any fearful animal may exhibit aggression or act out.
Additionally, while dogs are the most frequently groomed animal, a large demand exists for cat groomers. Cats are inherently more difficult to groom than dogs, as they typically despise water, being restrained, and having their nails trimmed. Cats do not require regular bathing because they keep themselves clean naturally through constant licking. Many cat owners continue to prefer to have their pets groomed professionally. While more difficult than traditional grooming jobs, if you are trained and willing to groom cats and kittens, you may be able to command a higher rate and claim the majority of business in certain areas.
Where to Work as a Pet Groomer
There are numerous places available for pet groomers to offer their services, including the following:
- Grooming parlor
A pet groomer can establish their own business by opening a grooming parlor and providing direct customer service. To start your own business, you must be certified and have funds available to cover startup costs.
- Pet stores and salons
Numerous pet stores and specialty salons employ pet groomers.
- Mobile Grooming salons
A pet groomer can open a mobile grooming salon and offer services in the comfort of their client’s homes. They can provide a complete set-up in a van or trailer, with all necessary amenities and supplies.
Pet Groomer Salary Scale
In the United States, the national average salary for a Pet Groomer is $35,861 per year.