Linda Sturges, ABC Groomer Instruction Program student, had worked in computers for over three decades when she decided it was time for a career change. “I was bored and frustrated with computers,” Linda said, “and I wanted something that I got some sort of emotional reward with that you don’t get with computers.”
One day, as Linda was passing by a Petco grooming salon, she got an immediate feeling that grooming was what she wanted to do. Having been an animal lover all her life, she finally felt that this was her future.
Although she knew she wanted to be a groomer, Linda was not satisfied with the idea of “learning on the job.” She felt that certification should be mandatory for groomers, and that it lends credence to the title “Professional Groomer.” So, she went home and began her search for a certified grooming program.
However, Linda was surprised to find most grooming programs were strictly online. “I couldn’t understand how you could learn about grooming if you were not actually grooming,” Linda explains. Animal Behavior College’s Certified Groomer Instruction Program’s online curriculum with a hands-on portion fit Linda’s query perfectly. “ABC’s program is so thorough, much more thorough than I was expecting,” Linda said. “And the fact that it has the internship is great. Other places only train online and I just don’t see how that works.”
Wanda Dorn, ABC Certified Groomer Instruction Program student, fell in love with grooming as a teenager, when she spent the summer helping a family friend groom poodles. After high school, Wanda put her dream on hold when she got a job at Briggs & Straton, where she eventually became an electrician.
Wands spent her entire working career as an electrician and now that she is retired, finally has the spare time to pursue her first love, professional dog grooming. Even though she has prior grooming experience, Wanda wanted to find a school where she could receive official training and obtain a certification. “I knew that if I could go back to school and get some knowledge and hands-on experience,” Wanda explains, “it would give people confidence in my ability to groom their dogs.”
Wanda’s life is far from slow-paced; she lives on a 300 acre farm and keeps busy raising her three-year-old son. Because of this, she needed a grooming school that would fit her unusual schedule. “We have a campus near where I live that offers a pet grooming program. However, their program runs full-time, 7 days a week for 4 months,” Wanda said. “There was no way I would be able to it and take care of my son at the same time.” Wanda was determined to find a grooming program that included both book-study and hands-on training. She knew from previous experience that she would need both of these components in order to become a successful groomer.
When Wanda saw Animal Behavior College’s (ABC) Certified Groomer Instruction Program online, she knew she had found the perfect program. “Not only was ABC’s program more convenient because I could do it in-home at my own pace,” Wanda explains, “but it was half the price of the other school and included the hands-on portion I knew was vital to my success. Also, the books are great and the grooming tools they give you are top-notch!”
An honor student so far, Wanda is entering stage 5 of ABC’s 11 stage program, and is eagerly looking forward to the hands-on externship. Upon entering stage 10 of the program, Wanda will be paired up with a grooming facility near her home that will provide her with 100 hours of practical hands-on experience, training with a professional groomer. This is a priceless component of the ABC program and is what allows students nationwide a chance to gain real life experience within a program that is convenient; they do not have to find a campus near them in order to enroll in ABC’s Certified Grooming Instruction Program.
Wanda is excited to receive her Grooming Certificate so that she can start her own business. “This career is great because I can choose the hours that I work and how many clients I have, so I can literally work around my son’s schedule,” Wanda says. “I know I am going to be successful because people will feel confident about leaving their dogs in the hands of someone who has taken the time to get certified and gain knowledge prior to becoming a groomer.” ABC’s Certified Groomer Instruction Program is allowing Wanda to finally live out her life-long dream in the career she is truly passionate about, while still being able to take care of her family. For Wanda, this is a long-time dream come true.
Animal Behavior College (ABC) is proud to introduce one of their future Mentor Groomers for the new Certified Grooming Instruction Program, Connie Troncale. Connie is the proud owner of Casa Bella Grooming Salon in Santa Clarita, CA. As a Mentor Groomer, it will be Connie’s job to work one-on-one with ABC grooming students in the hands-on externship portion of ABC’s Certified Grooming Instruction Program.
An avid animal lover, Connie always knew that she wanted to own a business in the pet industry. That opportunity came to fruition when the grooming salon her son, Nick, worked at was up for sale in 2006. Connie seized the opportunity and purchased the salon that she and Nick now run.
In order to boost her reputation and help her clients, Connie became an Animal Behavior College Certified Dog Obedience Trainer in 2007. Connie loved the whole experience she had with ABC. “The hands-on portion was excellent and the text was thorough, especially when it came to terminologies,” she said.
Since the pet industry is so large, Connie understands that she must stand out from her competition. Despite the harsh economy, Connie’s business strategies have helped her stay in business. Some of her secrets include stellar customer service and treating each pet like royalty. However, Connie believes that being a Certified Dog Trainer is the best way to differentiate herself from the pack. “Anyone who wants to do anything with dogs should also take ABC’s Certified Dog Obedience Trainer Program,” Connie said. “Learning to read dogs’ signals is extremely important for a groomer or pet shop owner since they come in contact with pets daily, often in a stressful environment, such as a salon,” she said.
Connie knows from experience that having a certification is essential for groomers and is looking forward to her up and coming apprentices. As a Mentor Groomer, Connie will be working with ABC students once they finish their online study of the ABC grooming curriculum. Once they have successfully passed all of their exams at home, local students will be assigned to Connie’s salon to work side-by-side with and learn from the professional groomers working there.
“Believe it or not, as lucrative as the pet grooming industry is, its hard to find good groomers,” Connie said. “It would be great to train up and coming groomers and then give them a job afterward if they want it. I am always open to hiring new groomers.”
All ABC grooming students are required to work in a grooming facility for a minimum of 100 hours where they will learn to hone all of their grooming skills from how to properly groom a dog/cat to how to successfully run a grooming business.
Although almost anyone can wash a pet, it takes knowledge and experience to be able to groom to breed standards, which Connie says many of her clients want. Animal Behavior College’s curriculum will teach students what they need to know in order to be a successful professional groomer including detailed grooming techniques and breed specifications. The ABC Certified Grooming Instruction Program is available nationwide and in all fifty states.
ABC is proud to introduce their new Certified Grooming Instruction Program Manager, Cece Koplin. Cece comes to ABC with over a decade of grooming experience and is eager to teach ABC students the art of grooming.
Cece first got her start in the pet industry as a teenager when she was hired as a horse groomer. It was at that point that she realized she had a gift for working with animals; she calls it a “gentle touch”.
Throughout most of her life, grooming was just a hobby to Cece. However, after working as a Vice President of Sales and Marketing for a computer company for several years, Cece decided to re-evaluate her career path and chose to dive back into the grooming world.
Cece diligently did her research and, using her natural gift with animals, created “A Dog’s Life Grooming Salon and Spa.” Cece’s salon employed twelve other professional groomers and was equipped with pet suites rather than cages for her clients.
Upon learning about the Program Manager position for ABC’s Certified Grooming Instruction course, Cece was intrigued. She loved that the ABC curriculum includes gentle grooming techniques and that she could be a part of teaching them.
Cece believes that having a certificate truly helps groomers attract customers and gain credibility for their business. “There are no licenses for dog groomers,” Cece explains. “So having a certificate from a college showing that you took the time to learn and research about what you are doing, really tells customers that you have the knowledge and training to handle their dog properly.”
Cece knows that when animals are well-groomed, they look and feel their best. Knowing that she is a part of this process is rewarding and teaching it to others is extremely fulfilling. Cece looks forward to helping you reach your goals of working with animals.
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STATE LICENSURE and APPROVAL Animal Behavior College is a private vocational school approved by the Bureau for Private Postsecondary Education under the California Private Postsecondary Education Act of 2009 and Title 5. California Code of Regulations Division 7.5. Private Postsecondary Education. The Bureau for Private Postsecondary Education approval means that this institution and its operation comply with the standards established under the law for occupational instruction by private postsecondary educational institutions. Institutional approval is subject to continual review and the institution must reapply for approval every three years.
