Dog grooming
- Thread starter SagMaria
- Start date
MxAxC-_ATTACK
Well-known member
I've done it a little bit , mainly when our main groomer was out.
perhaps I can help you
perhaps I can help you
SagMaria
Well-known member
Well I was actually wanting to get into grooming and eventually open up my own dog grooming business. I was just wondering how good the prospects are for this. I love animals but I really have to be able to afford to pay my rent
Any thing you can tell me would be great
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Originally Posted by MxAxC-_ATTACK
I've done it a little bit , mainly when our main groomer was out. perhaps I can help you |
MxAxC-_ATTACK
Well-known member
I know Petco and Petsmart offer training for beginners.
Groomers don't make a whole lot though. My boss owned her own grooming business at one point but she wasn't making very good money ,
My best friend used to be a groomer and she loves animals, and one thing I have experienced first hand is that people who take their dogs to be groomed are VERY particular about the way their dogs are groomed, my friend ended up quitting because of women who would talk down to her because their dogs ass wasn't "trimmed" correctly around the butthole.
She now makes pretty good money at the humane society as an Adoption counselor.
Are you in Vancouver ,Canada? or Vancouver Washington?
Groomers don't make a whole lot though. My boss owned her own grooming business at one point but she wasn't making very good money ,
My best friend used to be a groomer and she loves animals, and one thing I have experienced first hand is that people who take their dogs to be groomed are VERY particular about the way their dogs are groomed, my friend ended up quitting because of women who would talk down to her because their dogs ass wasn't "trimmed" correctly around the butthole.
She now makes pretty good money at the humane society as an Adoption counselor.
Are you in Vancouver ,Canada? or Vancouver Washington?
SparklingWaves
Well-known member
I am not a groomer, but I have to groom my Persians and one of my dogs. It saves me a lot of money to do it myself.
captodometer
Well-known member
I'm a veterinarian; groomers don't make a whole lot of money. Overhead is high for renting your retail space, and I think insurance costs are fairly high also. The work is fairly hazardous; you and your employees stand a good chance of being bitten or throwing out your back struggling with an animal.
aquarius11
Well-known member
Hey there! I'm a groomer! I worked as a groomer at Petsmart...I started off doing bathing/brushing, became good at it, and was sent to Petsmart's grooming academy...I absolutely loved it! I now groom out of my house for just neighbors and friends, just to make a few extra $'s. The reasons I quit grooming at Petsmart: a poodle bit me so hard in my thumb that its tooth broke off and I had to get it removed at the ER, not fun...I witnessed a groomer (whom was in the same academy class as me) get half her face bit by a Chow...OMG the horror! I was also getting REALLY bad leg cramps at night which kept me from getting good sleep (prob from standing on concrete all day), plus my lower back was always in pain...the pay for me wasn't all that bad...at Petsmart we got 50% commission off of every dog we groomed...so let's say a Schnauzer typical-breed standard cut would cost the customer $45, I would get $22.50 of that, plus tips...if I groomed 7-8 dogs per day, that adds up to be pretty good pay. And the tips were great. Yes, you have the very picky customers who want their dogs to look a certain way, but I usually just did what the customer wanted even if I thought the dog looked hideous, just as long as they are happy, it's all good...plus they tip better. ;-) Hope that helps you out a bit...if you have any further questions, feel free to ask!
SagMaria
Well-known member
Thanks for that ... well I keep on hearing different stories... I've heard that grooming can be a really fun job for people who love dogs... AND I've also heard that groomers here who have their own business make make $100,000 plus a year ... and I am in Vancouver, CANADA ... maybe it differs here...?...
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| Originally Posted by MxAxC-_ATTACK
I know Petco and Petsmart offer training for beginners. Groomers don't make a whole lot though. My boss owned her own grooming business at one point but she wasn't making very good money , My best friend used to be a groomer and she loves animals, and one thing I have experienced first hand is that people who take their dogs to be groomed are VERY particular about the way their dogs are groomed, my friend ended up quitting because of women who would talk down to her because their dogs ass wasn't "trimmed" correctly around the butthole. She now makes pretty good money at the humane society as an Adoption counselor. Are you in Vancouver ,Canada? or Vancouver Washington? |
SagMaria
Well-known member
Are you basing it on someone you know's business because again I know that it can be a very lucrative career here...
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| Originally Posted by captodometer
I'm a veterinarian; groomers don't make a whole lot of money. Overhead is high for renting your retail space, and I think insurance costs are fairly high also. The work is fairly hazardous; you and your employees stand a good chance of being bitten or throwing out your back struggling with an animal. |
SagMaria
Well-known member
Wow all that information is great .... and god why would people bring in their dogs' if they knew that they weren't good with other people? I know that groomers here can refuse a dog if they are not good with being handled....
Quote:
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| Originally Posted by aquarius11
Hey there! I'm a groomer! I worked as a groomer at Petsmart...I started off doing bathing/brushing, became good at it, and was sent to Petsmart's grooming academy...I absolutely loved it! I now groom out of my house for just neighbors and friends, just to make a few extra $'s. The reasons I quit grooming at Petsmart: a poodle bit me so hard in my thumb that its tooth broke off and I had to get it removed at the ER, not fun...I witnessed a groomer (whom was in the same academy class as me) get half her face bit by a Chow...OMG the horror! I was also getting REALLY bad leg cramps at night which kept me from getting good sleep (prob from standing on concrete all day), plus my lower back was always in pain...the pay for me wasn't all that bad...at Petsmart we got 50% commission off of every dog we groomed...so let's say a Schnauzer typical-breed standard cut would cost the customer $45, I would get $22.50 of that, plus tips...if I groomed 7-8 dogs per day, that adds up to be pretty good pay. And the tips were great. Yes, you have the very picky customers who want their dogs to look a certain way, but I usually just did what the customer wanted even if I thought the dog looked hideous, just as long as they are happy, it's all good...plus they tip better. ;-) Hope that helps you out a bit...if you have any further questions, feel free to ask! |
MxAxC-_ATTACK
Well-known member
Quote:
A LOT of people don't know that their dogs aren't good with other people PLUS Grooming is a WHOLE differnt world than just "hanging out at the house" A LOT of dogs are scared shitless of being groomed, the sound of the buzzers, dryers etc, it can and usually does cause a dog to bite. Its their only defense mechanism.
| Originally Posted by SagMaria
Wow all that information is great .... and god why would people bring in their dogs' if they knew that they weren't good with other people? I know that groomers here can refuse a dog if they are not good with being handled.... |
A LOT of people don't know that their dogs aren't good with other people PLUS Grooming is a WHOLE differnt world than just "hanging out at the house" A LOT of dogs are scared shitless of being groomed, the sound of the buzzers, dryers etc, it can and usually does cause a dog to bite. Its their only defense mechanism.
MxAxC-_ATTACK
Well-known member
are you currently in a job that is around dogs? Do you have experience handling dogs and cats?
MxAxC-_ATTACK
Well-known member
thats definitely a start, Is there a local animal shelter you could volunteer at in your free time? you could get the feel of many other animals and how they act, and what to expect. You could even help out in the grooming department if they have one.
and Grooming cats is a bitch! :cringes:: deadly. haha
and Grooming cats is a bitch! :cringes:: deadly. haha
captodometer
Well-known member
The groomers that I have encountered just didn't make that much money. They weren't starving, but they weren't making 100K either. This experience covers 5 different states on both coasts and the midwest of the US. It certainly is possible for pet grooming to be a lucrative career, but I wouldn't count on making 6 figures, especially in the beginning. People making this kind of income will have been working for years and built up a large, loyal client base.
I would think that the grooming charges range from $10-150. $10 will get your pet's nails trimmed; $150 is probably more like a bath and blowdry/brushout on something like an Afghan hound or a really elaborate poodle clip. Everything else is probably in the $50-100 range: bath and dry, or bath, dry, and short clip.
PetSmart is not a really good example of the grooming industry. Their groomers are located in the same building that also houses a veterinary hospital and a supersize pet supply warehouse, and this is always located in a busy, high traffic shopping center. The pet supplies and vet subsidize the groomers: it's basically one stop shopping for people who like that sort of thing. It's a numbers game at PetSmart: maybe slightly lower prices in return for the increased volume. You can't expect the same volume of clients if you don't have a similar location. And if you do have a similar location, you are paying big bucks for it that will drastically eat into your profits.
I do second the suggestion that you go volunteer at the humane society or a local vet clinic. Handling your animals and handling someone else's day in day out are completely different: after a couple of months you may very well decide that it's not for you. And you may have prevented yourself from wasting tuition for grooming school. If you still like the idea after a couple of months of volunteering, by all means go ahead
I would think that the grooming charges range from $10-150. $10 will get your pet's nails trimmed; $150 is probably more like a bath and blowdry/brushout on something like an Afghan hound or a really elaborate poodle clip. Everything else is probably in the $50-100 range: bath and dry, or bath, dry, and short clip.
PetSmart is not a really good example of the grooming industry. Their groomers are located in the same building that also houses a veterinary hospital and a supersize pet supply warehouse, and this is always located in a busy, high traffic shopping center. The pet supplies and vet subsidize the groomers: it's basically one stop shopping for people who like that sort of thing. It's a numbers game at PetSmart: maybe slightly lower prices in return for the increased volume. You can't expect the same volume of clients if you don't have a similar location. And if you do have a similar location, you are paying big bucks for it that will drastically eat into your profits.
I do second the suggestion that you go volunteer at the humane society or a local vet clinic. Handling your animals and handling someone else's day in day out are completely different: after a couple of months you may very well decide that it's not for you. And you may have prevented yourself from wasting tuition for grooming school. If you still like the idea after a couple of months of volunteering, by all means go ahead
SagMaria
Well-known member
Good advice, thx!!
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| Originally Posted by captodometer
The groomers that I have encountered just didn't make that much money. They weren't starving, but they weren't making 100K either. This experience covers 5 different states on both coasts and the midwest of the US. It certainly is possible for pet grooming to be a lucrative career, but I wouldn't count on making 6 figures, especially in the beginning. People making this kind of income will have been working for years and built up a large, loyal client base. I would think that the grooming charges range from $10-150. $10 will get your pet's nails trimmed; $150 is probably more like a bath and blowdry/brushout on something like an Afghan hound or a really elaborate poodle clip. Everything else is probably in the $50-100 range: bath and dry, or bath, dry, and short clip. PetSmart is not a really good example of the grooming industry. Their groomers are located in the same building that also houses a veterinary hospital and a supersize pet supply warehouse, and this is always located in a busy, high traffic shopping center. The pet supplies and vet subsidize the groomers: it's basically one stop shopping for people who like that sort of thing. It's a numbers game at PetSmart: maybe slightly lower prices in return for the increased volume. You can't expect the same volume of clients if you don't have a similar location. And if you do have a similar location, you are paying big bucks for it that will drastically eat into your profits. I do second the suggestion that you go volunteer at the humane society or a local vet clinic. Handling your animals and handling someone else's day in day out are completely different: after a couple of months you may very well decide that it's not for you. And you may have prevented yourself from wasting tuition for grooming school. If you still like the idea after a couple of months of volunteering, by all means go ahead
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