Everyone knows that dogs are man’s best friend. They’re unfailingly loyal, they radiate curiosity and joy and they’re never anything less than happy to see you. The benefits of dog ownership are plain to see – so it follows that a career spent in the company of canines can deliver those benefits in even bigger quantities.
Too many people spend years, even decades, in jobs that bring them zero fulfilment – all those hours deliver nothing but a regular mortgage payment. We spend a third of our lives at work (and another third asleep), so spending that time doing something you truly enjoy is completely transformative – and not necessarily as difficult a leap as you might think.
There’s a career path where you can work alongside the creatures you love all day, every day. Where you enjoy the flexibility and variety of no two days being the same, have the freedom to create your own business successes and need no previous experience to take part in a diploma course.
You may never have considered working with dogs – even if you’re the world’s most doting dog owner – but there are any number of reasons why dog grooming is a career path with satisfaction written all over it. As more and more people make the switch to dog grooming, here’s why you should consider doing the same...
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Working with dogs improves your mental health
The friendship dogs provide is unconditional – they’re not interested in our flaws or our differences. While there’s a special bond formed between pooches and their owners, the average dog is likely to form a tangible bond with a groomer over the course of a single session. Dogs love meeting new people, and they’ll let you know about it at every opportunity.
Spending time around dogs is a form of self-care, because it’s known to release hormones in the brain that help alleviate problems like stress, anxiety, depression and loneliness. Working with any animals is understood to be good for mental health, but dogs can really go the extra mile, benefitting your wellbeing in ways that will extend far outside your 9 to 5.
Working in dog grooming offers flexibility and variety
Being a dog groomer doesn’t mean one thing. There are common elements, of course – you’ll offer services like bathing, coat shaping, nail clipping, brushing and hair removal, as well as taking care of a dog’s general health by looking out for swelling, parasites and skin problems.
However, you’ve got the option of working in a number of different ways. You could be in a salon or studio, providing a mobile dog grooming service or working in a clinical setting. In addition, you could find yourself pet sitting or dog walking as part of a grooming business – and you can also choose to specialise in an area such as styling dogs for events like Crufts.
Variety and flexibility are one of the key elements of job satisfaction, and dog grooming delivers both. Not only is the job wide-ranging, but you’ll meet different dogs with different personalities every day!
You could start your own dog grooming business
Canine care is big business in the UK, and more and more enterprising dog groomers are striking out on their own to take a bite out of it. If you’ve always longed to be your own boss, dog grooming offers the opportunity to do just that. Once you’ve got the right dog grooming qualifications you can spend a few years working for a salon – gaining experience, learning new skills and building up a client base – and before long you’ll be ready to get started.
At Groomarts we can offer plenty of career advice to get you started on the road to success.
The right course can kick-start your dog grooming career
From a one-day taster introduction course to skills workshops and improvers’ sessions, our comprehensive range of courses covers everything you need for a career in dog grooming. If you’re serious about making the switch, the great news is that our fully accredited Professional iPET Network Qualifications Level 3 Diploma in Dog Grooming & Salon Management requires no previous experience at all – just a pen, a paper and a good grasp of English!
Equivalent to an NVQ (National Vocational Qualification), this intensive course covers all the practical skills and theoretical knowledge that you’ll need to start your career, including styling and finishing, canine first aid, health checking and the basics of business management. You’ll come away feeling confident and equipped to take your first steps into this hugely rewarding sector.
If you’ve got questions about our dog grooming courses, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with us today.
