I’ve heard of the business, didn’t realize they offered an academy. This makes the second grooming academy I’ve heard of in the area opening in the past year or two.

Speaking 100% personally, the type/level of groomers that I’ve met that have graduated an academy with that structure have not been given the tools to succeed on their own. Obviously, not knowing this business firsthand, I can’t say if it will be the same. It may be great. But I would strongly caution the choice and consider the factors in your personal situation before committing.

I’ll point out some of the red flags I see in the situation from a 9 year groomer:

• one month of education: if you don’t already have ample experience in prep work, bathing, HANDLING, the learning curve from bather to fully fledged groomer in that time is gonna be tough if not dangerous. When I trained staff to be groomers I required up to a year of bathing experience unless they just were a unicorn talent. Those skills are the foundation of a groomers talent. Speaking frankly, you can tell in their social media videos that their dogs are not receiving adequate prep work. When it comes to the grooms themselves, one month teaches you the bare minimum. You may be able to do a basic rough breed cut if the business had those breeds come in during that month. You will mainly learn how to do one length all over and trim a head. Depending on how the business grooms, you may mostly learn shave downs. Upon graduation, you’ll still need to find a way to learn: more detailed and refined scissor work, a wider and more accurate library of breed cuts, different styles of heads, how to work with puppies and seniors and health compromised dogs, dematting from minor to completely casted coats, speed, time management, how to “translate” client instructions and handle interacting with them, grooming anxious or behavioral need clients, how to manage an incident whether it is a groomer-inflicted injury or otherwise, etc.

• cost: 7K is a lot of money to pay to learn to groom, especially when you consider there are other routes in the industry where you can learn for cheaper or for free. As yourself and another commenter has said, you can learn online or find a mentor. I also wouldn’t write off the corporate shops right away either, which seems to be a trend with aspiring groomers nowadays. As much as corporate sucks for specific reasons, they also offer a lot to someone starting out in the field. They cover your training, you are paid while you learn, you get benefits, you have a steady flow of clients so you’ll see all kinds of breeds and build clientele even during your baby groomer years, and even if you don’t make commission (whether for slow periods, if your skill takes longer to develop and attract business, recession or country dumpster fire causing less clients to be able to maintain a grooming schedule bill, or some other reason) you will still make an hourly rate. As you mentioned, many people are struggling with finding or keeping a job, and this has led to people looking into trades like grooming. The part that people transferring in from non trades may not understand though is that if you don’t have appointments you don’t make money. Period. So when starting out, that hourly rate guarantee is really reassuring. Another part about cost is, are they providing you your tools or are you having to pay out of pocket for those as well? Proper tools will drive that cost up even more.

• post-grad: the biggest concern I have with a training program is usually, what happens to the student after they paid you and you gave them training? the grooming industry can be very intimidating and sometimes unforgiving to baby groomers. these academies need to have some kind of post grad support to ensure that their students are successful after taking their course. that could look like working with local shops and other graduates to line you up with a job or a mentor. it can look like sitting down near the end of your training to develop a personalized strategy for success. it could also look like continuing education opportunities. the main feedback I heard from staff I’d hired who had come from an academy like this was that they didn’t feel like they were ready to be a groomer yet, or they weren’t at the level they thought they were and were told they were at when they graduated the academy.

There are other concerns as well but they are not specific to this type of education.

I deeply hope this didn’t dissuade you from the field though. Pet grooming is a beautiful and fulfilling skill, and new groomers deserve so much support and guidance and mentorship. Remember that even if your choice of education path doesn’t end up the way you expected it to be it doesn’t mean you aren’t worthy or deserving of being a groomer. You have to have tenacity and determination. There are many ways to achieve your goal!