For Those Who Love Dogs

Dog Groomer

2/11/25

Sara Gildersleeve is a professional dog groomer who has been in the business for nearly 20 years. Early in her life, Sara knew she wanted to work with animals. She began her career as a groomer by working for other business owners, and now she owns her own grooming business with many faithful clients.

Dog grooming can be a challenging business: the job places many demands on you physically, like lifting animals and being on your feet for many hours at a time. But the rewards are well worth the effort–for Sara, it's all about seeing the dogs walk out of her doors in tip-top shape and knowing that her clients are satisfied with her work. For those interested in working with animals, grooming can be a fulfilling career, especially as an alternative for those interested in veterinary medicine. Tune in to learn more about grooming and find out if it's the fit for you!

Topics
00:38 Introduction
01:02 Getting into grooming
01:36 Do you need a license?
02:02 Starting out in the business
02:20 A typical day
04:40 Working with show dogs
07:13 The nitty gritty: how much can you make?
08:50 Are there opportunities for growth?
09:15 Handling challenging clients and situations
12:05 Physical demands
12:31 Rewarding parts of the work

Resources
How to become a pet groomer
National Dog Groomers Association of America

Music credit: Kate Pierson & Monica Nation