The Learning Institute

Dog Groomer Diploma Level 3

Become a dog groomer - and spend the day doing what you love.

If you've always been an animal lover, then becoming a dog groomer might be the next step for you to take.

In this course, you'll discover everything you need to be a professional dog groomer. You'll learn how to groom different breeds, how to find customers, and how to set up a salon (whether at home, in a van, or in a shop).

Is there a demand for dog groomers?
No matter what area you live in, people need their pets bathed, clipped and styled. Some owners are afraid to clip nails, while others don't have time to give their pets a bath.

The dog groomer is there to do a job that can be done by only a select few. And you can become one of them.

Is there much competition?
When you drive around your local area you'll see a few people who are already in the dog grooming business. But have you ever called and tried to get a pet into one of these busy places?

It's often impossible without making an appointment weeks in advance! There are simply not enough dog groomers to go around.

Plus, many dog owners simply aren't aware of the need to have their dog groomed - or the benefits it brings.

We'll be showing you how to reach out to dog owners, and telling you about special marketing techniques that will drive people to your salon.

You've several options for success
Home-based business: Dog grooming is very flexible. For example, you can start with a home-based business, working from your garage or spare room. That means lower costs - so it's a great way to start.

It's also good for your clients because many of them might come from your own neighbourhood. You're able to provide a much calmer atmosphere at home for their pets than you could in a commercial building.

But we also tell you about how to get permission from your local authority, so you stay on the right side of the law.

Mobile grooming: Alternatively, you can set up a mobile grooming business in a van. This is an excellent way to meet the needs of customers, at low cost. There are many senior citizens who can't get out of their homes, and whose pets desperately need grooming.

You can drive to their home, set up in the driveway and in just an hour have their pet looking its best. That way you provide a very convenient service. In addition, the dog is happier because he didn't have to go to a strange place and be placed in a cage all day waiting to be picked up.

Your own store: But if you've always dreamed of a store front at the local shopping centre, you can do that as well. In this course, you'll learn everything you need to know about opening your doors for business, fixing appointments and creating a safe environment.

Read the Diary of a Dog Groomer
Follow the highs and lows of a groomer's life, as our mobile groomer reports each week on her adventures in the field. You'll get insights into her day, and learn from her successes and failures. The Diary is available exclusively to our learners.

What it's like to be a dog groomer?
Being a dog groomer is hard work, but unlike many jobs, you have a lot of flexibility and you'll have a sense of pride each day when you go home.

Dog grooming is a real skill and you have to learn a variety of tricks and secrets, all of which you'll find in our course.

Despite all of the hard and physical work, there are great moments as well. It's kind of fun getting wet when the dog can't resist the urge to shake himself in the bath. And nothing is nicer than a happy dog giving you a sloppy kiss while you've finished grooming him.

You also get hands-on training, in a salon.(Optional - select below)
You also receive a one-day hands-on training programme in a grooming salon near your home.

During your training day, you'll receive at least the following one-one one interaction:

•You'll bathe at least one dog

•You'll dry at least one dog

•You'll brush, comb and de-matt at least one dog

•You'll assist with the clipping of at least one dog

•You'll review and participate in the salon’s activities, including checking-in of customers, management and control of dogs waiting to be groomed

You may get much more than that, but this is our minimum standard. It’ll be an exciting day! You’ll get real experience of grooming, and one-to-one instruction from a top professional. And you'll learn the trade secrets of what it's like to run a salon.

Bear in mind that much so-called 'training' by other organisations consists of up to ten 'students' standing around watching what goes on for hours at a time. That's not what we call training.

Our training is different: we ensure that you participate fully, in a hands-on way.

Please note: we're committed to placing you in a salon within 50 miles of your home, and on a date convenient to you. If we’re unable to achieve this (for example if you live too far from one of our centres, and you don’t want to take up our offer of a different salon), we'll refund £100 from the cost of the course.

You’ll also be able to get a refund on the rest of the course fee as long as you request it within 60 days of starting the course.

 
Every day is different - and there's never a dull moment.
As your own boss, you don't have to go clock in with a boss each day. Even if you choose to work in a business with other groomers, you're often free to come and go as you please because you're still in control of your own schedule. Other dog groomers know the type of flexibility that you're looking for in this type of job, and they respect that.

You also have the ability to set your own pay. You set your own prices and rates for each type of pet or how much they weigh.

You can take on as many pets as you want in a day, depending on how much money you want to make.

The dog grooming business is your business, so the more you choose to work the more you earn. You can work as many or as few hours as you wish, it's up to you. You can work 9-5 if you want, and you'll never have to worry about it being boring.

Either way, you're in control of your schedule and your salary, and there's nothing better than that.

And you definitely don't have to worry about meeting a boss's expectations, because you're in control of your destiny.

Why choose this dog grooming course?
Our pet grooming course is designed to take you through the process of dog grooming step-by-step.

We'll teach you all you need to know about setting up shop, creating a safe environment for you and the pets, and how to manage your business to make money.

It's structured to give you the right information that you will need and provides you with comprehensive documentation.

You'll have a professional dog groomer as your personal tutor. And so it's like sitting beside an expert all through the course.

There are seven assignments in the pet grooming course for you to complete. You will also obtain a complete guide on pet grooming that you just can't find anywhere. Plus, you have unlimited access to your tutor, as well as the other resources we offer.

You'll also get assignments that will be confidentially marked by your tutor. They ensure that you're on the right track to succeed.

And on completing the course you get a handsome Diploma for your walls, plus the right to use the letters Dip DG (L.Inst).

Free mentoring when you complete the course
Once you complete the course, we’ll give you three months’ free business mentoring.

You’ll have a personal mentor who'll help you set up your own business (if that's your choice).

For three months after getting your Diploma you'll get one-to-one advice and support from an active practitioner.

So if you're unsure on how to launch your own business, this mentoring programme will put you on the road to success.

And because it's all part of the Institute's course, it won't cost you a penny.

New! You get a free copy of Business Blueprints (value £27).
 
This 47 page book contains complete step-by-step checklists for starting a successful business.

Accredited by NCFE at Level 3
Our course is fully accredited by the national awarding body NCFE, and on completing it you get a national award equivalent to Level 3 of the National Learning Framework.
NCFE is recognised as an awarding body by the qualification regulators for England, Wales and Northern Ireland. The regulators are Ofqual in England, DCELLS in Wales and CCEA in Northern Ireland.

To read more about NCFE please go to www.ncfe.org.uk

NCFE under the name of 'Home Study Courses Limited'.

You’ll get to watch professionals at work
Our home-study course videos put you beside groomers as they wash, dry, clip and scissor different dogs.

You’ll learn how grooming works, as though you were in the salon itself.

Money-saving
But the cost of our Diploma course is around a quarter of what you’d pay in a salon. You can pay £2,500 for a course in a parlour, and many people come away dissatisfied. Yet our course costs less than £500.

You’ll learn how to get practical experience
Beyond the home study, you’ll also want practical experience, getting to grips with the dogs.

And so our course teaches you how to get that experience – and how to convert your practical work into paying clients!

By doing the course, you’ll be working on dogs and slowly building up your own practice.

And that’s not something you could do if you were learning in a grooming parlour, even at four times the cost of our course.

Free starter kit (value £50)
With your course, you'll get a free starter kit. it comprises:

Dog grooming kit -
free with the course
 
- 10-piece Mains operated clipper kit, giving professional grooming results.
- 4 clipper guides for different length cuts.
- Dog comb
- Cleaning brush
- Clipper oil
- Instructional DVD
- Steel nail clippers
- Soft pin slicker, to remove dead hairs from undercoat and top coat.
- No-rinse shampoo. A specially formulated foaming cleaner that gives the dog a bright, lustrous appearance. It needs no water, so it saves you requiring a dog bath.