The Grooming Academy Certificate Program

Albuquerque Grooming Academy is designed to educate the prospective Certified Pet Care Professional in the Art of Grooming for entrance level employment.

Curriculum

School introduction, safety, and canine CPR
16 clock hours
This introductory class includes shop rules, Canine CPR video, and safety issues.

Grooming Basics
120 clock hours
This is the second but most important area of grooming. It includes the technical skills which are the basis of professional grooming. The subjects taught are: nail trimming, pad scooping, sanitary cuts, ear cleaning and plucking. The student will also be educated about pests and how to handle them in the grooming shop.

Grooming Bathing and Brushing
120 clock hours
This part of the education teaches how to properly brush, demat and care for a pet's coat. Students will learn to properly bathe and dry a pet and how to brush a pet’s teeth. At this stage students will be introduced to rough cuts needed before bathing.

Grooming Finishing
294 clock hours
This stage includes the true grooming phase in which you will give hair cuts with clipper and scissors finishing. The student will be tested on grooming of:

1. Cocker spaniel
2. Schnauzer
3. Poodle
4. Shih Tzu or Lhasa Apso

Other breeds will be taught but will not have a practical test.

Shop Promotion
10 Clock hours
This will help students wanting to open their own business.

Written Tests*
There will be a written test on

1. Basics
2. Bathing & Brushing
3. CPR
4. Dog basic anatomy
5. mixing ratios
6. final

*Periodically other tests need to be added.

Graduation and Certification

Requirements for graduation are the completion of a minimum of 560 clock hours, the ability to groom four pets in eight hours and tuition paid in full.

At the present time pet groomers in the US are not required to be licensed by any state. There is ongoing discourse in the industry about instituting licensing requirements.

Each student of Albuquerque Grooming Academy will be given a Transcript and a Certificate with an embossed seal from the school at graduation. The Transcript will include the number of hours completed, the areas studied, test grades, and the animals the student has groomed while attending classes. This will be of value when Licensing becomes a requirement.