There are some wonderful careers that involve being close to animals, from working as a Zoo keeper to helping out in boarding kennels. If you love dogs then you might want to consider a job that means you work with them as a dog groomer. There are accredited courses which have been developed by the Pet Industry Federation and the British Dog Groomers’ Association so that people can learn how to become a dog groomer and then go on to work in the pet care industry.
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Accredited Courses Affiliated with City & Guilds
There are a few dog grooming courses which are run alongside City & Guilds and since November 2009, the qualifications a person who successfully completes the course would stand them in good stead when seeking full time employment in what is an extremely rewarding career in the pet care industry.
There are three accepted routes you may choose to go down to become a professional dog groomer. The first being a fee-paying course, which you would be able to enrol into at a private Accredited Grooming Training Centre. The second choice you have is to enrol into a course through a Further Education College and lastly, the third route is to learn all the necessary skills of the job by working alongside an experienced, qualified dog groomer.
How to Find Accredited Grooming Training Centres
By going on the Internet, you are able to find accredited grooming training centres. You may find you are eligible for a City & Guilds bursary, although these are only really offered in small numbers to people who are looking to study for a City & Guilds qualification of some sort, but who aren't able to afford to do so without financial help.
Check Out the British Dog Groomers’ Association
One of the best places to start looking is on the British Dog Groomers’ Association website. This particular qualification is needed if you want to work as a commercial dog groomer. The exam itself consists of practical hands-on elements as well as written questions.
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Different Exams to Consider
One exam called the Licentiateship in Dog Grooming (LCGI) is a qualification that existing dog groomers with a minimum of five years’ vocational experience can take to further their careers in the pet industry. Although this particular qualification has been designed to target people who are just starting out in the industry, it is also a great qualification for people to have when they want to further any City & Guilds grooming qualifications.
There are different levels of qualifications available, all of which are accredited. Depending on how far you want to go, you do have a choice to start out with before deciding to get more qualifications under your belt, and these are listed below:
- Level 2 Certificate for Dog Grooming Assistants
- Level 3 Certificate
- Level 3 Diploma
- Higher Diploma in Dog Grooming
- LCGI Dog Grooming
Having any of these qualifications will help when seeking permanent employment in the pet care industry. However, it is important to do any training at an accredited Dog Grooming Training Centre.
Conclusion
Working with animals in the pet care industry is a wonderfully rewarding career. More and more people are taking their dogs to salons to get them professionally groomed these days, which means more dog groomers are needed. As long as you do all the necessary research on how to become a dog groomer and then enrol into a suitable course, you are on your way to a great career working with animals.
Related articles
History of Dog Grooming(thegroominglife.com)
‘Extreme dog styling’ sees poodles coiffed as Bart Simpson, a Japanese geisha and Batman at the creative pet grooming world championships(dailymail.co.uk)
