Petsmart Grooming Academy – Learning to Groom

If you have a pet, you probably know about Petsmart. It’s one of those well-known pet superstores with anything that you can imagine for your pets.

A few of them even have a veterinary office and pet adoption facilities. You may not realize that there are a lot of these store locations that also offer pet grooming services. There’s even a Petsmart Grooming Academy where you can learn how to groom pets.

The pet grooming services offered by Petsmart is rather convenient for the pet owner. Appointments are offered seven days a week and are also available during the evening hours.

A large variety of grooming services are offered and even some grooming package deals are available. The grooming salon is operated by professional stylists and the safety standards at these salons are paramount.

They even have their own grooming school so that employees can continue to work while they learn pet grooming basics and techniques.

Grooming Packages

Several grooming packages have been created to keep your pet looking the best that they can. Basic packages consist of:

• Bathing
• Brushing
• Nail trimming
• Ear cleaning
• Anal gland expression, if needed

If you choose the option of “Spa a la Carte”, you can select add-on services. These additional services include teeth brushing, touch up coat trims and spot on flea control.

The full service grooming package involves everything that has been mentioned in the basic package, plus any clipper or scissor work.

The premium grooming package includes all services provided in the full service package, plus extra clipper or scissor work and dematting.

They also have a “Furminator” deal. This involves fifteen minutes of brushing using the “Furminator” grooming tool.

Other services available are flea and tick baths and deodorizing baths. After your pet has been groomed, Petsmart will put a complimentary bow in the hair for the ladies and a bandanna around the neck for the male dogs.

Specialized Grooming Packages

Healthy solutions provided by Petsmart offer various herbal shampoos for dogs that are prone to dry skin. There are brightening baths for dogs that tend to have dull coats. There’s even a bath using shampoos that are fortified with fatty acids plus a silicone rinse to aid with the never ending shedding pet.

If your dog has flaky skin, an exfoliating scrub is available. Hypoallergenic conditioners are available for the sensitive skin pet.

Puppies up to five months old have their own special grooming packages. The basic package includes:

• Bathing
• Brushing
• Drying
• Nail trimming
• Ear cleaning
• Loose hair removal

The premium package includes everything that the basic package has plus extra trimming for face, feet and tail.

Petsmart Grooming Academy

According to Petsmart’s website, the curriculum for their grooming academy was developed by professional groomers and animal behaviorists. It appears that in order to attend Petsmart’s Grooming Academy, you must already be employed by one of their grooming salons as an assistant groomer.

Training includes basic grooming techniques and includes breed specific styling.

A student groomer will have to groom at least 100 dogs before he or she can receive certification from the Petsmart’s Grooming Academy. Prior to attending the academy, you can either purchase a grooming tool package from Petsmart or acquire your grooming tools elsewhere.

If you’re interested in checking out career opportunities, you can find some information at the PetSmart Career Website (PetSmart seems to have removed this page on their website).

Complaints Against Petsmart Grooming Services

When searching the internet for information on complaints made about Petsmart grooming services, you will probably find many unhappy customers.

Now, we have not done a lot of research in this area, but we do realize that it is not unusual for this to happen to large well-known businesses. It is important to note that each Petsmart store is somewhat unique from each other. Yes, all Petsmart stores do have to follow certain guidelines, but ultimately, the quality of the store is determined by the manager of each location.

As a pet lover, you are ultimately responsible for checking out any pet grooming service for the safety and care of your pet.

Talk with customers that use the grooming service at that location or stay with your pet during the grooming process. Ask lots of questions. Watch how the groomers handle other pets when grooming. Remember, your pet trusts you completely and you’re the one that makes the ultimate decision when it comes to grooming.