Certificate in Dog & Pet Grooming Course Guide

This course will provide an introduction to the scope and nature of dog grooming, including but not limited to the situations in which they are groomed, equipment that is used and the tasks carried out by a groomer.

This course will provide an introduction to external anatomical structures and physiological processes of animals which are relevant to grooming. It will include but not be limited to the different types of skin and layers of skin tissue, the epidermis and dermis, animal claw, nail and spur structure and the different layers and structures of animal hair.

This course will provide an introduction to managing different types of coats and how nutrition can affect the coat and skin. It will include but not be limited to general animal nutrition and water requirements, common skin problems in cats and dogs and how to treat them, a look at various parasites that affect cats and dogs and how to bath and care for cat and dog coats.

This course will provide an introduction to grooming techniques used for different types of dogs. It will include but not be limited to how dogs communicate through their basic behaviours, the steps involved in brushing and bathing care for different coat types, and various clipping and styling techniques.

This course will provide an introduction to a range of techniques used to groom different types of animals other than dogs, including but not limited to how to groom and handle cats and rabbits, how to bathe a cat correctly and a look at rabbit moulting and various transportation methods.

This course will provide an introduction to the tasks involved in grooming animals that are supplementary to grooming the coat, including but not limited to the correct methods for trimming claws and nails of cats and dogs, the importance of animal ear, oral and dental care and how to recognise signs of poor animal health.

This course will provide an overview of techniques used to control animals during grooming and will include but not be limited to the risks of working with animals and how to choose an appropriate grooming location, the importance of understanding animal psychology and behaviour, and non-verbal communication and restraint techniques.

This course will provide an introduction to the process of grooming dogs for a show, including but not limited to what animal showing is and why people show their pets, the best time to start training a puppy for showing and how to prepare a dog for a show.

This course will provide an overview of the protocols for safety of both animals and groomers and will include but not be limited to workplace health and safety and first aid, protective equipment and signage for safety against workplace hazards, safe chemical management and the signs of cat and dog allergies.

This course will explore how to establish and improve a grooming business to be more successful. It will include but not be limited to the planning involved in creating a new grooming business, the importance of cash flow, budget forecasting and a marketing strategy, and the different types of groomers insurance to consider.