# Thinking about taking a grooming job at petco - thoughts?



## SydTheSpaniel (Feb 12, 2011)

So I recently quit my job at a doggie daycare due to poor management and safety, among many other reasons, but I really want to stay in the animal community. I found a job opening at petco for a groomer's assistant and am considering taking it. I don't have a huge amount of experience, but I do have experience in bathing, nail trims and I've done a lot of observing with the groomer at my last job, she showed me a lot of tips and even gave me a grooming guide book for professionals. 

Any thoughts on Petco itself, and working there? What's average pay for groomers and what's the job like? This is mostly targeted towards groomers of the forum!

thanks!


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## Graco22 (Jul 16, 2007)

Its a great place to start, if you want to eventually end up grooming. I have never worked there, but heard plenty of horror stories..In the grooming industry, the box stores are known for putting out less than good quality grooms, and treating the groomers like slaves..but, its a foot in the door, and can be a good place to get started. When you leave there, you can always find someone to "finish" you, as their grooming "academies" are only as good as the person teaching you.


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## Pit_Bull_Lady (Feb 4, 2009)

I agree with Graco...Grooming salons at large chain stores like Petsmart or Petco are known for lower quality work, in general.
I've been grooming for 23 years, and I learned to groom at a small private salon, where I started out as a bather.
However, I did work at Petsmart for a VERY brief time, and it was not a pleasant experience, to say the least.
I don't know about Petco, but Petsmart groomers only get ONE MONTH training before they are allowed to groom customers' dogs.
In my opinion, that's not nearly enough time, so no wonder a lot of Petsmart trained groomers tend to put out inferior quality clips.
If you want to learn to groom, I would recommend either going to an accredited grooming academy, or getting a job as a bather/brusher at a small, private salon, and tell them you would like to eventually learn to do haircuts....You will get better quality instruction that way, I think.


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## lil_fuzzy (Aug 16, 2010)

have they offered you the job? If so, I guess they think you have what it takes.

Nothing wrong with a pet store groomer (depends on the pet store of course), we use our local pet store groomer, which has always worked fine.


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## XelaTheChi (Nov 3, 2010)

SOME of the major stores are good, some are HORRENDOUS. I would go and talk to the people there, see how knowledgeable they are. I've known people who worked at amazing stores, some who worked at stores with lots of injuries and pretty bad grooming jobs.


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