We all want the very best for our four-legged friends. We buy the best food, provide the best homes and give them the best care possible. But how many people actually ensure that they are getting the best grooming for their best friends?
The following 3 questions should be asked of every groomer:
1. Are you a qualified groomer?
Before you trust your furry friend to a groomer, it is important to ensure that the groomer is qualified. Qualifications ensure that the groomer has the skills, training and abilities to groom, clip and style your dog or cat. Without a qualification there is no way to ensure that the 'professional' groomer is able to groom your dog safely and to the standards you expect. A qualified groomer would have at least one of the following qualifications:
Certificate 3 Dog Grooming (ACM30617)
Certificate 4 Pet Styling (ACM40617)
2. Where did the groomer obtain their qualifications?
Just as a qualification is important, so is where a groomer has studied to become a qualified professional.
'A student is only as good as the teacher they have'
A trusted groomer would have attended a recognised training academy or school that operates under the Australian Government regulations. These regulations are to make certain that a training and education facility is teaching to the high standards. Unfortunately there are many in the pet industry that claim to teach grooming but do not work under the strict guidelines. To identify a recognised training facility, the school should display the RTO symbol and its number. This means that they are an RTO or an industry partner of the RTO.
3. Can the groomer show some examples of their grooming work?
Many groomers are proud of their grooms and the styles that they produce. Many will have a portfolio to display their work for customers to view. This allows clients to see the groomers skills, capabilities and talent. In addition many groomers compete in grooming competitions and will showcase their results. Grooming competitions are a great way for groomers to test their skills and be critiqued by their peers.
We expect our hairdresser to be trained and qualified, we expect our electricians to be trained and qualified, we should expect our Dog Groomers to also be trained and qualified.