Yes. It is recommended all students purchase our Tool Kit prior to or on the first day of class. If yo have your own tools, you may present to the Instructor for approval in order to waive the required purchase of the tool kit.

Grooming tools can average around $400 to $800 depending upon the brand and quality of the equipment.

With the proper training, you should be able to make between $600 to $1000 / week depending upon your ability and the type of pay arrangement you have with your employer, Hourly or Commission. It could also depend upon how many dogs you groom per day, and if you receive tips. There are a few variables involved, but overall if you have good skills, are a team player, have good customer service, and can groom approximately 8 dogs per day, you can make a very good salary as a dog groomer.

There is no state license needed to become a dog groomer. However, some counties will require some type of certification saying you cave completed training to be a professional dog groomer. Nassau and Suffolk county do require groomers to be certified, and LIGA offers the type of certification needed to work as a groomer.

There are 3 ways to become a dog groomer.

On-Line course
Online courses are a waist of your money and time. There is no way to get the skills needed to groom dogs by watching a video. There is always someone willing to take your money and give you a certificate to allow you to call yourself a dog groomer. But if you want to go to an interview with confidence, and be able to make a great salary, you need to learn by attending an independent grooming school.

Get a job in a grooming shop and learn on the job.
This is a good start. Getting a job in a grooming shop as a bather or front desk person will give you exposure to the field of dog grooming. The problem is, very few places have the time to teach you to groom. Most places will keep you in the position they hire you in and not advance you to the groomer position.

Go to an independent grooming school such as Long Island Grooming Academy
When you attend a grooming school, you get individual attention and instruction. There are dozens of dogs to learn on and every breed that you will need to know when you go for that first grooming job. Your employer will hire you with confidence because they see you invested in your career and have the skills necessary to start as a groomer.

A clipper, several blades for the clipper, several attachment combs for the blades, combs, brushes, nail clipper, nail file, several quality scissors.

There is an extremely high demand for dog groomers. Graduates of Long Island Grooming Academy find employment quickly once they are trained properly.

Yes. We have 10 facilities on Long Island that we are affiliated with. We will help you find employment after completing the LIGA grooming course.

Although it is not necessary, it is the natural progression in the industry to start as a bather and then become a groomer. Becoming a bather mostly benefits those that have no experience in the grooming industry by exposing them to the many different breeds, and seeing firsthand how a grooming shop operates, We do offer a bather certificate for those who would like to first become a bather. There are valuable skills learned on the job as a bather. The bather position will allow you start making money right away in the field of dog grooming and you can learn if the job is really something you’re interested in, before making the commitment to be a groomer. But if your certain that grooming is your future, you do not need to be a bather first. You can enroll in the full course to become a groomer without any prior grooming or bathing experience.