One satisfying career path that allows one to deal with animals while still earning a living is pet grooming or styling. But before you start, you should learn about all the pros and cons.
To be a pet groomer, you don't just have to give pets cool haircuts and clean them up well. You need to know how to keep your four-legged clients safe and calm.
Once you've finished the training and have the skills and knowledge to become a skilled pet groomer, it can be a very satisfying job.
Still, knowing the pros and cons of a job is the best way to make sure it's the right career path for you. Here are some of the best and worst things about being a pet groomer:
The pros of being a pet groomer are:
Every day, you get to help people with pets. You are also taking care of them by encouraging good habits and looking out for their well-being. That has to be fun and worthwhile, right?
Cost and ease of getting training: You can take different classes to learn how to style pets and groom animals. Also, getting your qualifications and starting your job is much cheaper and faster than getting a college degree.
Flexibility: One of the best things about becoming a professional pet groomer is that you can set your own hours and change the job to suit your needs. Most of the time, the hours are open. Also, if you start your own pet care business, you can choose (to a certain extent!) what days and hours you work. There's also the chance to start a pet cleaning business. This lets you move, keeps your costs low, and can help you find new customers outside of your immediate area.
Demand: As the number of pet owners goes up, so does the demand for professional pet groomers. People treat their pets more like family members than ever before, and they spend more and more of their money on them.
Diversity—Like a stylist, a pet groomer can learn new skills, offer more services, and improve their skills in different areas. This makes the job interesting and new. In addition, each dog or cat possesses a distinct personality, so every client with fur presents new challenges and delights.
Pet groomer: CONS
Every job has both advantages and disadvantages. Here are some of the biggest reasons why you might not want to be a skilled pet groomer.
Active work: To be a dog groomer, you need to be in good shape. Anyone who has problems with their feet, legs, or back might find it too hard to spend most of the day standing, pulling, and bending. Most of the work is done on your feet, but that doesn't mean you won't get breaks and time to sit down.
Managing bad behavior—There's a saying, "Never work with kids or animals." Animals can be unpredictable, especially when they're feeling stressed or nervous. A skilled groomer needs to be able to read animals' body language and know how to handle them when they are acting up.
Bites and injuries—When working with animals, scratches and bites are two of the most usual ways to get hurt. You need to know how to give first aid to both people and animals. Also, make sure you have the right insurance to cover you in case you get hurt and to protect yourself if an animal you are caring for gets hurt.
Even though you can set your own hours when you work for yourself, you'll need to work more and more hours as your business grows and your client base grows. Yes, this is good because it means you'll make more money, but it can be hard to find time for clients. To meet your clients' wants, you may have to work long hours and even on the weekends.
For the love of people—Grooming dogs is a people-oriented job. So, being a pet groomer might not be the best job for you if you don't like people very much, even if you like their pets. Of course, this isn't a con if you love talking to people and meeting new ones. Instead, it's a huge plus.
There are some good things about becoming a dog groomer. But you should always think about both the pros and cons before deciding if it's the right job path for you.
We hope this has given you more information to help you decide if you want to join a pet grooming shop near you or start your own pet grooming business.