Maybe you already clip your own dogs and the neighbours have started noticing. This pathway teaches coat work, safe handling and health, then the trade around it. Made for the day you stop doing it for friends.
Skin and coat care, breed differences, and the technique each one needs. That is what separates a groom from a haircut.
Handling during grooming, grooming safety, and spotting the signs of poor health. Dogs do not sit still because you ask nicely.
Business structures, a written plan, and the books in Xero. Plus one-to-one mentoring with a business coach.
Dogs need grooming whatever the economy is doing, and owners pay for someone who does it kindly. The work is easy to picture: a booked morning, four dogs through, each one going home calm and tidy. Some people take a salon chair, others run a van.
The grooming itself, on a booked list of clients.
Learning the floor in a working salon.
The van round, going to the dog instead.
Your own clients, your own prices and hours.
Booking, records and keeping owners in the loop.
The front of house side of a pet business.
Helping run the day, the diary and the team.
Roles where these skills are useful, not promised outcomes. Every role is different, and some need more study or experience. Veterinary and animal welfare roles sit behind separate accredited study this pathway does not carry.
What this pathway adds beyond a grooming course.
Rachel H has over 20 years in the animal industry. She has run her own grooming business and worked in vet clinics.
Grooming is a hands-on craft. The pathway includes a library of grooming videos to watch and copy.
Target market, business plan, pricing and the bookkeeping. The money side of grooming is covered in full.
Certificate of Achievement · The Career Academy
From the college, once all three parts are done.
Earned on completion for your development record.
Something you can share on your SEEK profile.
Enquire and an advisor sends the guide and the full module list.
Start any day. Weekly payments, or pay upfront in one go.
Dog care first, then grooming, with the videos alongside.
Build the plan with your mentor, then open for bookings.
No. It opens at introduction to dog care and builds from there. No experience with clippers or salons is assumed.
From $29 a week on a flexible plan, or pay upfront. Enquire to confirm the current pricing and what suits your budget.
About 300 hours of content, with 18 months of access. It is self paced, so a busy stretch costs you nothing.
The theory, the safety and the breed knowledge all come through the course, with video tutorials showing the techniques. The hands-on hours you build yourself, and your mentor helps you plan that.
One to one with a business coach: your target market, the plan, the tools and equipment you need, and how to attract clients.
None, and no practical assessment requirements either. Tutors support you through the material instead.
It is accredited by ICOES and holds Official Accreditation with the CPD Standards Office, which is accreditation for professional development. It is not NZQA accredited, so it is not a national qualification. Those are different things. Grooming clients judge you on the dog that walks back out.
There is a 10-Day Money-Back Guarantee from the day you enrol.
This pathway is delivered by The Career Academy, an online college in Christchurch.
The college has run for over 15 years and helps more than 25,000 students a year. Pet and animal care tutor Rachel H brings over 20 years in the animal industry, including her own grooming and training business and work in veterinary clinics. Support runs unlimited by phone and email in business hours.
Picture the Saturday your diary is full, the last dog goes home gleaming, and the owner books the next one before they reach the door.