About Pet Groomers
Pet grooming is a trade that generally attracts animal lovers and specializes in maintenance of animal appearance. It provides fairly stable employment with opportunities to broaden responsibilities as experience grows.
Facts
Grooming facilities are found at pet-supply stores, kennels, veterinary clinics, or less frequently, animal shelters. Although employers generally desire groomers with prior experience, many are willing to train beginners on the job with an informal six- to 10-week apprenticeship under the supervision of an experienced groomer. Alternatively, an inexperienced groomer may elect to enroll in one of 52 state-licensed grooming schools located throughout the United States. These programs vary in length from two to 18 weeks. Initially, groomers will train with the lighter duties, such as bathing or drying the pet, and then work up to assuming all the responsibilities of the grooming process.
Work
The typical animal grooming itself entails several steps. First, there is an initial hair brushing to disentangle and inspect the animal's coat.That is followed by a haircut involving electric clippers, combs or grooming shears. The nails are then trimmed, ears are cleaned and inspected, followed by a bath and a blow dry. Finally, the animal has a final clipping and styling.
Environment
One of the added benefits of pet grooming is the close inspection provided by the groomer. Medical problems requiring veterinary care are often first noticed by a groomer and brought to the attention of the pet owner. Other responsibilities of trained groomers include discussing the pet's grooming needs, making appointments, collecting information about the pet's temperament, cleaning and sanitizing all grooming equipment, as well as maintaining a safe environment for the animals and groomers to prevent the spread of disease.
Considerations
Although many types of domesticated animals require some level of grooming, dogs, and occasionally cats, are typically the most frequent clientele. Many experienced groomers wishing to tackle the job of being the boss will open a salon or make house calls in a specially designed mobile unit. House-call services are an attractive feature for pet owners seeking a more convenient and less taxing experience for pets that may find being in the unfamiliar surroundings of a clinic traumatic.
Salary
Beginning wages for groomers in the apprentice stage are roughly $7.50 an hour. With more experience, groomers can make on average $9.50 to $11 an hour. Although earnings are relatively low, the opportunity to work with animals, generally good working conditions, and steady employment provide a great deal of satisfaction for the groomer suited to the task. Tips can also make up a large part of a groomer's total compensation.
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