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Your Dog

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North Somerset Training Salon

Based at our spacious salon in Congresbury, North Somerset, we teach a variety of courses to get you started, or to continue, your dog grooming education. Our salon is equipped with state of the art facilities and fantastic teaching spaces, our hugely experienced and qualified training staff will make your learning experience the best around.

Career Change?

Looking to change career or just want to learn to groom your own dog? Learn more about the City & Guilds Qualifications and what we can offer.

Courses Available

Level 2 City & Guilds for Dog Grooming Assistants

24 Day Course

Fed up of working for someone else? Don’t want to do shift work or weekends? Looking to achieve a better work/life balance? Want to earn more money?

Designed for those with no experience in dog grooming but who wish to do this as a career, this 24-day accredited qualification includes 2 practical assessment units and an online multiple choice examination.  This course will take you from absolute beginner to being ready to groom dogs for a living.

With our City & Guilds Level 2 qualification, you’ll learn all there is to know about dog grooming.  Both theory and practical elements make up this in-depth training course, which will equip you to start out in the world of dog grooming, either as an employee at a salon or starting your own grooming business.

Learning from Liza Smith, our founder who has been grooming for over 20 years, you’ll receive so much more than the course curriculum dictates. From running your own business and choosing your equipment, to advanced grooming techniques not typically covered under this qualification, Liza ensures that all of our C&G students are ready to hit the ground running when they graduate.

Our course content includes inputs on:

  • Dog handling
  • Coat types and breed types
  • Shampoos and product choices
  • Ectoparasites
  • Health checking and assessment
  • Methods of drying
  • Canine first aid
  • Health and safety consideration
  • Codes of practice
  • Restraining equipment
  • Maintenance of equipment and methods of waste disposal

In addition, you’ll also receive significant practical grooming experience and training, including pet trims, clipping different coat types and shapes, nail clipping, ear cleaning, scissoring and thinning.

Groom Your Own Dog

1 Day Course

Designed for dog owners who want to learn how to keep their own pet’s coat in good style and condition.  This 1-day course is specific to your pet’s breed and will give you some great simple techniques to enable you to groom your own dog to a good standard, including bathing, grooming, trimming and styling.

This is a fantastic one to one experience with Liza where she ensures that you get the optimum value from your day to ensure that you can confidently, with all the tools and techniques, continue to groom your own dog!

The course is held on a Saturday or Sunday between 9:30am and 4pm and we cover the following:

  • Health check
  • Correct bathing and preparation
  • Drying techniques
  • Scissor techniques
  • Nail trimming
  • Feet shape 
  • Body styling
  • Head styling
  • Equipment advice

It is an intensive one to one day but by the end of our training session not only will you know how to groom your dog well from start to finish, but you’ll also have material to take away with you – including photos and videos of you and your dog during the session to ensure that you have everything you need to continue grooming your own dog to a great standard!

Quick Dog Grooming Refresher

5 Day Course

Designed for working dog groomers and grooming assistants who want to upskill and refresh their grooming knowledge, this 5-day course will help improve your style and technique for a number of popular breeds.

In-depth Dog Grooming Refresher

10 Day Course

Designed for those with some background experience in dog grooming, this 10-day course will help improve your practical grooming ability, increase your repertoire of skills and techniques, and provide focus on specific breeds.

Not much she doesn't know

There is not much she doesn't know about her profession and no dog she cannot groom. She has a wealth of experience that she is happy to pass and is still there if I need her a year on.

Anonymous

Nobody else who can come as close

Liza grooms dogs that nobody else dare try. She and her team are miracle workers. If Liza didn't exist, our dog wouldn't exist...it's that simple. There is nobody else who can groom or even come as close to our dog as Liza.
Donna

Incredible teeth cleaning

I recommend booking Skye for ultra sonic teeth cleaning. The after pics showing how much plaque she removed were incredible. No need to go to the vet and have your dog sedated. I’m going make sure I stick to 3 monthly sessions. Thank you Skye
Karen

Happy and relaxed

My two WHWTs went in looking like sheep and came out looking completely transformed! Both dogs were happy and relaxed and not phased by their much overdue trim. A great trim.
Daveena

Such a positive experience

Apart from meeting so many great dogs, the thing I liked most about the course was Liza and the great group of us girls working together towards a new career. There were ups and downs, tears and laughter and overall such a positive experience.
Anonymous

Totally recommend it

Since finishing I have set up a small business on my own. And while it is small, it's growing and I meet lovely dogs and people. I'm much happier than before I completed the course and totally recommend it. 5 🌟
Anonymous

I cannot believe the results

I was mortified when I realised how bad my lurchers teeth had got. I sent a photo to Sky at The Pet Studio and she said she would be able to help using ultrasonic teeth cleaning. I cannot believe the results! I’m so pleased that he didn’t have to go to the vets and have an anaesthetic! And the cost was extremely reasonable. So a massive thank you to the team and a special thank you to Sky. Look forward to seeing you on our next visit!
Vicky

The girls make a BIG fuss of her!

We have taken our bearded collie to The Pet Studio for many years and she is always very well groomed. The girls make a BIG fuss of her as she is now almost 15!
Maggie

Taught me way more than I thought

I have just completed the level 2 dog grooming assistant course and I have had an amazing time. Liza is an amazing teacher and has taught me way more than I thought I could have learned in the past 5 weeks. Definitely worth doing especially if you love animals! Thank you Liza.
Charlotte

Thoroughly enjoyed the experience

I recently had a day of learning to groom my own pooch! Always wanted to do it myself as she cry’s like a baby every time I leave her at local groomers, but I have never had the confidence. I finally took ‘the plunge’ and I thoroughly enjoyed the whole experience and all the useful information that Liza taught us. Liza has such a natural ability and skill with dogs (and people) that she gave us all the confidence we needed.
Sue

Wouldn’t send my girls anywhere else

Skye is fabulous with my two working cockers Maggie and Mavis. They look beautiful after their visits to the Pet Studio. I first started using Pet Studio regularly in 2011 when Lisa was my preferred groomer for our first working cocker Indie. How lovely is it that 13 years later we are still taking our dogs there and Lisa’s daughter is now our regular groomer. Us owners love continuity too. I wouldn’t send my girls anywhere else 😀
Sarah

Always gave clear instructions

Our Poochon, Chloe and us had a nice time doing a 1 day groom your dog course. Liza was really helpful and encouraging and always gave clear instructions. She was really patient to Chloe. We would really highly recommend.
Saan

Huge amount of experience

I completed the City and Guilds 6 week course and it has provided me with all the knowledge I needed to become a dog groomer. Liza has a huge amount of experience and adapts her teaching style to each individual student. She makes sure you have the knowledge, skill and confidence to become a groomer as soon as you finish the course. She is even there to support you once you’ve finished which is very reassuring! Would definitely recommend Liza and her team to anyone wanting to become a dog groomer!
Lauren

A Doggy Goddess!!!

She is the bravest, hardest working groomer/trainer I've ever had the pleasure of meeting and I am so honoured that she agreed to help us and has been grooming our dog over the past year. I really don't know what we wouldve done without her support! A doggy goddess!!!
Donna