Stage Three – Continuing Education

Continuing education is entirely optional, and necessary to distinguish yourself as a truly professional. You can return to some schools for reinforcement training customized to your needs. Anyone can attend seminars and workshops at leading trade shows. The fact is everyone could benefit from continuing education. Fortunately in the last few years a growing number of exemplary how-to grooming books and videos have been released by highly-credentialed pet groomers, even world-class. Buy them! Build a professional library. Why any groomer would think twice is beyond us. We support our industry and acquire every superior quality reference work just as professionals do in other vocations. Overall many groomers have yet to respond, but others are slowly waking up that every professional has reference library they enjoy investing in regularly. What a difference in their work too!
 

We’re so highly conscious of the need for reference materials we focus on them at PetGroomer.com. Be sure to check our recommendations and advertising for publications in the Books & Video section of the PetGroomer.com Classified Ads. You can invest in them now at the start of your career too. Also we discuss them on the GroomerTALK Message Board and Talk Radio.

Stage Four – Certification by a Professional Grooming Association

Certification by a professional grooming association is not the same as having a certificate issued from a pet grooming school, home study or other training program. The word “certified” can be applied legally to anyone receiving a certificate. What they should be telling you is “who” certified them. If they don’t, ask!

It’s the reputation of the certifier that is everything! A discerning groomer hearing you say, “I am certified,” will ask you, “Who certified you?” You deserve the prestige but it is only as good as the name recognition and reputation of the association certifying you.

There are well-known grooming industry associations that will test and certify your skills once you have had adequate education and experience. You are going to have to study their materials and perhaps attend workshops with them as well before you are tested. Each association creates their own standards and supplementary training and testing which is required for their certification.

When you achieve their certification you have every right to be proud. You clearly went above and beyond the norm because the vast majority of pet groomers are not certified by these associations.

It says a lot about you when you set certification as your personal goal and go the extra distance simply because you want to be a better pet groomer, and you have a solid, well-known association to fall back upon as your proof. Good for you!

Once certified you can usually add a title to your name which usually includes the words “master groomer.” Each association uses a unique certification title. Some will also allow you to use their trademark while you are in good standing with them.

If certification interests you it is something you will need to learn more about. We have “certified master groomers” that may your answer questions by posting them on the GroomerTALK Message Board.

The three most popular certifying associations are:

• National Dog Groomers Association of America (NDGAA)

• International Society of Canine Cosmetologists (ISCC)

• International Pet Groomers (IPG)

Refer to the Associations section in the PetGroomer.com Yellow Pages for their contact information.

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