Dog groomer
Help dog owners keep their pet's coat healthy and looking good. Advise them about coat care, grooming and diet.
About the job
Salary
Source: National Careers Service
Weekly
£260
Entry level
£385
Experienced
Monthly
£1,125
Entry level
£1,667
Experienced
Yearly
£13,500
Entry level
£20,000
Experienced
6,600
people are currently employed
High growth
600 more jobs in 5 years
These figures refer to this job and similar ones with comparable skills and qualifications. They only apply to Scotland. Source: Oxford Economics
What it's like
You would help dog owners keep their dog’s coat healthy and looking good. You’d advise them about coat care, grooming and diet.
You’d need to be confident with dogs and be able to handle the animals firmly but gently. You’d have to be patient with them so you can calm and control nervous dogs.
With each owner, you would discuss the grooming they would like, whether the dog is used to being groomed and the best way to handle the animal.
It would be important to start by checking for any sore areas or lumps on the dog's skin, and for fleas or parasites.
You would then:
carefully shape the dog's coat with electric clippers or a stripping knife
shampoo and dry the dog's coat
give it a final trim with scissors
Sometimes you would also clip the dog's claws and clean its teeth and ears.
You would often follow standards for how different breeds should look – for example, poodles are usually clipped to a particular shape. This is particularly important when dogs are being prepared for a show.
Hours
Environment
Explore more information about this job
Here are some useful links to learn more about this career:
Like the sound of this career?
Browse courses in Scotland related to 'Dog groomer'
Select qualification level(s)
Other careers that you might like
Animal care worker Animal technician Assistance dog trainer Dog handler Horse groom Zookeeper
Related industries
Many jobs can be done in lots of different industries. We've highlighted the ones we think are most important for this job.
Top skills
Skills are things you're good at. Whether you know what yours are or not, everyone has them!
It's useful to learn which ones are important in a job so you know the areas you need to brush up on. It can also help you work out if you're suited to a career.
Here are some of the skills you'll need to do this job:
- reliable
- attention to detail
- social conscience
- empathising
- creative
- cooperating
- positive attitude
- persevering
Your skills are important
Our unique skillsets are what make us stand out from the crowd. Learn about each skill in depth and discover what employers look for in your applications and interviews.
Getting in
Explore the sections shown for more information about getting into this career.
You might have qualifications which are not shown here but will allow you access to a course. You can compare your qualifications by looking at their SCQF Level. For more information about this, check out the SCQF website.
Always contact the college, university or training provider to check exactly what you'll need.
Colleges and universities will list subjects you'll need for entry to a course. Some useful subjects include:
Skills for Work: Rural Skills
There are no formal entry qualifications for this role however some employers may ask for applicants to have a good general education (SCQF Level 3-5).
Previous experience with animals.
Work-based qualifications such as a Scottish Vocational Qualification in Animal Care (SVQ Level 2/3).
As many dog groomers are self-employed, it could be useful to have qualifications and experience in:
customer services, such as Skills for Work: Retailing (SCQF Level 5)
enterprise such as SQA Enterprise and Employability SQA Awards (SCQF Level 4/5)
Explore over 22,000 courses in Scotland
Find the perfect course to boost your career.
