Dog Groomer
Part-Time, Full-Time, or Contract Available
The Barking Birch Pet Lodge is a home away from home for pets. Housed just off Highway 23 outside Rockville, MN, we provide lodging, grooming, and daycare services for our four-legged guests. We are looking for friendly, caring dog groomers to keep our guests looking their best. Our salon is open Monday through Saturday.
Ideal additions to our pack are comfortable working with dogs of all sizes, breeds, and temperaments. We are looking for experienced groomers to perform all grooming and bathing-related duties to ensure our guests are neat and clean.
To the right candidate, we are willing to offer flexible compensation options, including commission, tips, contract positions, and full or part-time positions. And don’t worry about drumming up business. We have a large clientele base–you will be busy!
Responsibilites
At Barking Birch, we treat all our dogs (and their humans) as individuals. We get to know them by name, temperament–and style. Groomers must be comfortable working with animals of all breeds and sizes.
A new pack member understands that while some of our guests look forward to spa day, others don’t enjoy the entire grooming process. This means groomers remain alert and focused while primping and preening our guests.
Responsibilities include:
- Bathing & clipping dogs to meet client expectations
- Drying the coat
- Dematting/detangling as needed
- Nail trims and grinds
- Ear cleaning
- Gland expression (external only)
- Brushing teeth
- Identifying health issues such as ear infections, skin conditions, tooth decay, etc. and informing owners of these observations
- Ensuring all dogs are safe and secure during the grooming process
- Routinely cleaning work areas
Skills Required
Applicants must have prior grooming experience working with large and small dog breeds. They should be prepared to groom 5 to 7 animals per day.
Other qualifications include:
- Trimming and hand scissor skills
- Patience with animals and good handling skills
- Current on grooming industry standards to ensure health and wellbeing of animals
- A working knowledge of breed-specific cuts
- Ability to be physically active
- Ability to work effectively on a team and independently
- Extremely reliable & punctual
- Have a strong work ethic
- Detail-oriented
- Available to work some holidays and weekends
Work Environment
Grooming dogs is very active job. It involves standing, bending, stooping, lifting and cleaning. Our professional salon is equipped with hydraulic tables, but our groomers should be able to lift up to 50 pounds.
We have a full working salon, including any grooming equipment our guests may need, from shears to hydrolic tables and drying equipment. If you would rather use your own equipment, you may bring it along. Our contract employees are responsible for their own grooming insurance coverage.
Keeping grooming areas clean and sanitary requires the use of commercial cleaning agents. Sensitivity to these chemicals and/or animal biohazards may require the use of gloves and/or face masks.
Team Requirements
The members of our pack understand that when working with animals, they must value integrity, responsibility, and patience. Understanding the needs of our animals and their behavior is not always predictable or easy.
Although we make every attempt to accommodate our guests, grooming is not a fun experience for all dogs. Our groomers should be patient and attentive during every groom. We believe in function over fashion, where the comfort of the dog outweighs breed standard requests.