Top 5 Pet Grooming Courses You Didn’t Know You Needed

Do you have an artistic style? Do you love animals? If so, then pet grooming may be more than just a career choice; it could be your calling. The field is evolving. It now requires more than basic knowledge and more than a few tutorials. A successful groomer today needs both technical skill and a deep understanding of how to handle stress, fur, clippers, clients, and, sometimes, chaos.

At APEX Academy, grooming is taught as an adaptive skill. It’s layered, experiential, and designed for long-term mastery. With thoughtfully structured grooming courses and mentorship from industry professionals, you’re not just learning how to groom. You’re also preparing for a career built on precision, safety, creativity, and care.

So, where should you begin? These five essential courses offer more than just a certificate; they give you tools, confidence, and a real path forward.

1. The All-Inclusive Dog Grooming Program

Before you even reach for scissors, there is a theory. Before you guide a blade across a coat, there is a method. This 16-week program blends 75 hours of classroom learning with 485 hours of hands-on grooming lab experience. That’s real practice, real dogs, and real-time feedback from instructors.

What sets this course apart isn’t simply its scope; it’s the pace of the learning. Students progress from basic skills like bathing and brushing to more complex ones, including advanced clipping, precise scissoring, proper tool care, and effective client communication. Breed standards are also covered, and grooming safety protocols are embedded into every step.

This is a program that includes the business of pet care, too. Students explore advertising strategies, learn how to manage costs, and begin thinking about how to build trust with future clients. For many, it’s the first real step toward opening their own salons, or excelling in someone else’s.

Without any exaggeration, this course is your full career launchpad.

2. Feline Groomer Program

Many groomers hesitate to take on cats. The handling is trickier, the temperament is different, and the risk is real. This is exactly why this 10-day, 80-hour course exists: to teach cat grooming as its own discipline, with its own unique approach.

The program, built around National Cat Groomers Institute standards, includes 10 hours of theory and hands-on instruction in a feline-specific lab. You won’t just be watching grooming demonstrations; you’ll be performing them on live cats, under supervision.

This isn’t just about technique. Students are trained to spot early signs of stress, to work around temperament, and to protect themselves while keeping cats safe and cleaned. Safety and compassion are emphasized just as much as the grooming outcome. You’ll also learn how to talk with hesitant cat owners, how to book repeat clients, and how to plan your own feline mobile grooming route, if that’s your path.

After this program, you’ll feel ready, capable, and excited to take on your first cat clients!

3. Canine Assistant Groomer Program

Some grooming journeys start with passion; others begin with curiosity. This 80-hour, entry-level course is ideal for either.

In as little as 11 days, students move through a blend of classroom instruction and hands-on training. They practice bathing, drying, brushing, nail trimming, de-shedding, and ear cleaning repeatedly, and under guidance from the field’s best.

There’s no rush to become a stylist here. Instead, the program focuses on competence and comfort. Students learn the unglamorous (but essential) parts of pet grooming that form the basis for everything else. They leave knowing what to expect on a grooming floor, how to handle dogs safely, and how to speak with pet owners who need reassurance.

This course is straightforward, structured, and genuinely rewarding. Every student walks away with tangible skills and a clear next step.

4. Canine Stylist Program

There’s grooming, and then there’s styling. The latter requires precision, rhythm, and the eye of an artist. If you’re ready to level up, this 13-week program delivers.

With 55 hours of theory and over 400 hours of hands-on styling experience, students go deep into shaping, finishing, and creating visual appeal. Poodles, Yorkies, Pomeranians, show dogs, spa dogs; this program introduces students to it all.

Scissoring technique is sharpened. Pattern-setting becomes second nature. Groomers are encouraged to develop their own aesthetic not by copying, but rather by understanding how texture, growth patterns, and breed expectations intersect.

Do clients want bows, bandanas, or ribbons? You’ll learn how to add those, too! This is where you’ll learn indispensable pet cuts and techniques for creating eye-catching finishing touches that’ll leave clients delighted.

5. Canine/Feline All-Inclusive Grooming Course

Maybe you want to groom both cats and dogs. Perhaps you want to open your own salon sooner. Or, you possibly don’t want to enrol in three different programs when you can take one that covers everything. This 19-week course offers it all.

Students receive 85 hours of theory and 555 hours of hands-on training. From foundational canine handling to advanced scissoring, from feline brushing techniques to business strategy, everything is integrated into a single, immersive experience.

Some leave this program with plans to freelance. Others are hired immediately into established grooming shops. A few go mobile, and many use it as a stepping stone towards future certifications or specialties.

The draw is that it is thorough, flexible, and high-impact. One course; multiple outcomes.

Why Investing in Pet Grooming Classes Pays Off

There’s a reason grooming courses like these are gaining popularity. The industry is changing. Clients expect more, and dogs and cats need better care. Therefore, professional groomers need to do more than simply “get the job done”.

That’s why our programs at APEX Academy exist. We’re not here to rush you through or overwhelm you. We’ll train you properly, completely, and with the depth of knowledge you’ll continue to use for years.

You’ll learn how to adjust your approach depending on breed, coat, mood, health, and age status. You’ll know how to handle sticky situations and the business side of client work. Your grooming career will never feel static because it won’t be.

This work will ask for your focus. It will test your adaptability and will require patience. However, it will also reward you deeply with growth, independence, and moments of pride that are hard to describe.

Your Next Steps

At APEX Academy, you’re not handed a certificate and sent on your way. You’re trained, challenged, and supported until skill becomes instinct, and instinct becomes expertise. Whether you see yourself behind the grooming table, running your own salon, or becoming the go-to stylist in your community, this is where it all begins.

Spots at our academy fill up fast. Email us at info@apexacademy.ca or call us at (639) 307-6303 to claim yours today. Grooming isn’t just a job; it’s a lifestyle rooted in care, creativity, and connection with each animal you meet.