Hi guys

I just started a course at our local college and turns out its not what I really was told it would intail.

I was wondering if anyone could recommend a grooming school in durham/north east where I could go and pay to do a course? I've read some horror stories about bad private schools and that's what put me off but wondered if any one had any good recommendations?

Hi, I replied to your thread about books and my friend said to watch out for what type of course you have been offered. What exactly do you want to do the course for? ie what are you hoping to get at the end of it? I will mail my friend and ask what type of course you should be looking for and what qualifications the instructor should have. I would presume there is a list somewhere? 

I've yet to hear of a college that gives half decent grooming training! :(  I always suggest  going to a grooming school but unfortunately don't know of any to recommend in your part of the country.  Hopefully someone will be able to help.
But you need to know what sort of work you want to do eg clip off everything so that the dogs come in matted twice a year, or groom to the breed standard, insisting that your clients come in every 6-8 weeks so that you are dealing with well groomed/cared for dogs which will also give you a regular income throughout the year.  The service that you offer and the quality of your trim will decide what sort of clients you get. :)

Ideally I want to open my own salon but untill I get the experience I want to be able to get on a course to allow me to start mobile. After speaking to someone about my course it became apparent this weekend that the college I'm going to I won't be able to do anything for about two years as its only part time and spead everything out and its only 3 hours a week. When I added up the costs etc I doscovered it would proberbly be about the same cost going to a private school and doing an intence hands on course plus I will prob get a lot more hands on experience this way and at present can only find one school in the north east which is in darlington but never had any experience of people going there?

Many thanks again mx

Yep that's about right and the training at a grooming school is very different. 
I was contacted a couple of years ago by a girl who had completed her first year C&G at her local college and was dissappointed at what she'd been taught.  I suggested that she went on a taster day at a (southern) grooming school and she say that she'd learned more in that one day than she'd learn in 12 months at the college for her first year C&G!!  That can't be good!  She dumped her C&G course and did 6 further weeks at the school and was confident to start up on her own.  She's never looked back. :)

The course at college I have paid for is 12 weeks in bathing dogs then told I have to pay for another 12 weeks course in basic cutting lines and the sign up to do c&g level 1 and the move on! I attended my first day to find the resourses at college were disgusting and no good for the course!

I don't know any in the North East I am afraid, but if you can take some time out and do an away from home course, the Technogroom in Scotland is first class.  Agnes runs the school and he husband Bobby has a business selling grooming equipment.  A girls who worked for me a few years back went on one of the courses ( she got some kind of grant to pay for it).

Hi guys

Thanks for your help.  Its so hard trying to find a training school lol  Unfortunatley I cant go on a residential course however I would be willing to travel as far as Leeds and up as far as the boarders on a recommendation. x

Thompson1, you've only got to do it once and if you choose the right school, you'll be set up for life! 
With the right training, both for grooming and business, my groom parlour was my only source of income that paid the mortgage, bills, new car every 3 years, holidays, dogs and dog shows and being a single parent for 16 years! :)

Not in the right area, but my C&G course at Biggleswade wasn't too bad - it suffered hugely from being cut from 3 years to 2 at the end of my first year, but it wasn't bad for the basics. You gain most confidence from actually doing the job though, once you have the basics. We didn't learn the rarer breeds, but that's just the problem with not having many of a rare breed to practise on! I've got a Crested puff for a teddy bear cut and some Norfolks in the next few weeks and am slightly nervous, but with pictures, books, knowledge of similar trims on other breeds, and a couple of useful friends who breed the breeds in question, I should be ok.

I know not relevant to the OP, but for anyone in the area looking for a course, there aren't any grooming courses at all at Biggleswade (Shuttleworth College) now. It was about to be closed down when I finished my Level 2 course a couple of years ago.

> You gain most confidence from actually doing the job though, once you have the basics.

Couldn't agree more.

There are two that I know of in the North East.  Both Accredited training centres (though I have no personal experience of either, so can't recommend them per se).

First one is in Keighley, West Yorks called Look North http://www.looknorth.net/courses.html

The other is in Holmfirth, Huddersfield called Pretty Paws grooming:  www.prettypawsgrooming.co.uk

There is a more comprehensive list via the Pet Care Trust, but there does seem to be a lack of accredited centres in the North East looking at the list.
I actually didn't do my course through an accredited centre, however I was extremely lucky and found a wonderful training school / working salon which was invaluable.

There are two that I know of in the North East.  Both Accredited training centres (though I have no personal experience of either, so can't recommend them per se).

First one is in Keighley, West Yorks called Look North http://www.looknorth.net/courses.html

The other is in Holmfirth, Huddersfield called Pretty Paws grooming:  http://www.prettypawsgrooming.co.uk

There is a more comprehensive list via the Pet Care Trust, but there does seem to be a lack of accredited centres in the North East looking at the list.
I actually didn't do my course through an accredited centre, however I was extremely lucky and found a wonderful training school / working salon which was invaluable.

Oopsie, that came out twice, sorry!  (Have edited the 2nd post so that both links work!).

Ah, ok thanks. It was a good 5 years or more ago that I did my course. :-)

>I know not relevant to the OP, but for anyone in the area looking for a course, there aren't any grooming courses at all at Biggleswade (Shuttleworth College) now. It was about to be closed down when I finished my Level 2 course a couple of years ago.

Hi Thompson 1

If you're willing to go as far as Leeds, Keighley is no further from you and Look North is highly recommended--two of its trainers are ofr have been on the Groom England team and are international award winners, both have written extensively about grooming and have written course materials. I did a single day with Zoe Duffy as 1 to 1 to get a better idea of how to prepare my dog and it was fantastic. I'd love to do the C&G course...maybe one day soon :)

for more information go to http://www.looknorth.net/

First one is in Keighley, West Yorks called Look North http://www.looknorth.net/courses.html

oops sorry Tessies Tracey and Thompson 1...I should have read the earlier emails!!! Big blush.

Hi, a friend of mine runs her own grooming business in the North-East. She is holding a seminar in November to try to encourage owners to look after their dogs coat better and explain how to use the correct grooming tools. She is considering training a pupil,you could contact her to discuss some kind of training course. She is a good groomer and shows very successfully. PM me if you would like her details.