Dog grooming dream!

[ItsTheCoo]

I feel like I'm slightly delusional here! So I currently work in childcare but have always wanted to work with animals. I'm looking into doing a dog grooming course with the hope of this being a future career. I don't even have a dog due to working full time 🙈

Has anyone successfully changed career in their 40's without everyone thinking they're going mad?

My sister in law has done this, she's really happy. Go for it! 🐕

I'd say go for it. I worked in childcare then moved to working in a college 6 years ago. I want out of education now. I'm 41, retraining and have a job interview next week 🙂 Life is far too short and we spend most of it working. Better off doing something you enjoy 😉

I did a dog grooming course many years ago, my parents owned a boarding kennels and cattery so it was a way for me to make money around school and university with a captive audience.

It was a good way of making a bit of extra cash but I never did it as a living so don't know how feasible it is for a good income, some things to consider.

• if you plan to set up your own business then there's a fair bit of initial outlay, you'll need a metal table with restraint arm and a variety of restraints, a bath with shower attachment, a grooming dryer (wall mounted with wide hose and powerful), decent set of scissors, decent clippers, range of shampoos for different coats, Insurance, premises, business rates, cleaning supplies. That's the bare minimum, there's extras you might want to offer, things like ribbons and perfumes.
• some dogs bite. It will happen, you just kind of have to accept that, mostly it will be small nips, or scratches with flailing claws, but a proper bite is always a possibility.
• some dogs are filthy, some jobs involved in grooming are revolting, there are breeds that generate vast amounts of stinky ear wax that you have to clean out, breeds that get cheesy goo in the folds of their skin, breeds that need anal glands emptying, breeds that Matt and knot so can take hours to brush, breeds that have hairy butts that end up matted with poo...... you work in childcare so I guess bodily fluids aren't a new thing, but it's a consideration.
• there are owners who are negligent, who think as long as they bring their matted, filthy dog in once a year and never ever clean or brush it themselves they are good owners, you will need to deal with them.
• back when I did the course it was an NVQ, so required a placement where the theory could be put into practice and assessed by a qualified person, I would advocate working alongside an established groomer for a while even if you plan to set up your own business. The course will cover set topics and content but you'll learn so much more from people who've done it for years, the tricks and tips for identifying when a dogs behaviours are worrying, the little ways to get a nervous dog to relax, or a boisterous one to calm down....
• if you don't know a lot about the various breeds then it's worth getting a book or something in advance. Every breed has a different type of coat and a different 'look', West Highland white Terriers have course thick hair and traditionally its hand stripped by pulling it out rather than clipped, Schnauzers have a curl and a structured groom with very straight legs and a squared off jaw, Bichon Frise you have to create a very rounded face.........