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Licensed and Bonded through the Idaho Department of Education | ![]() |
| 210 Triangle Dr. #D Ponderay, ID 83852 |
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309 State Ave. Oldtown, ID 83822 |
Looking for a career with a future in our uncertain times?
The US Government Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts that employment in the animal care industry will grow by 21% in the next decade and "there will be excellent job opportunities for most positions." Click on the logo below to go to their site for the complete report.
The Pooch Parlor Pet Groomer Academy consists of two separate grooming shops. One is in Oldtown, Idaho, right on the Washington state border. This shop has 1500 sq. feet, with 5 grooming stations, 3 tubs, 2 drying rooms and a large retail area. The second shop is in Ponderay, ID, has 4 grooming stations, 4 tubs, and 2 drying rooms. The shops are about 30 miles apart. The volume of dogs varies with the season. Each shop takes in 6–30 dogs a day. Summers are extremely busy. Fall and winter are steady. Hours are 9 - 3 Mon - Sat.
Lori Dunham learning to groom my schnauzer, Annee Lu Chambers. Lori took the level II course and is now a full-time employee for Pooch Parlor. Ponderay location.
Level I – Basic Pet Grooming Course
This course consists of 260 hours of one-on-one training. This course is perfect for someone that has basic knowledge of dog care, and is familiar with the behaviors in general of cats and dogs. This course is geared to help someone learn the basics of pet grooming for the purpose of becoming an employee in the pet grooming business (not be self-employed). This course focuses on bathing, anal gland expression, nail clipping, ear hair extraction, and basic kennel and lamb cuts. The equipment supplied with this course is:
Course Cost: $3,000.00
- 1 Andis professional 2 speed clipper
- 1 Andis #10 A-5 blade
- 1 Andis #15 A-5 blade
- 1 Andis #40 A-5 blade
- 1 Andis #7F A-5 blade
- 1 Andis #5F A-5 blade
- 1 Andis #4F A-5 blade
- 3 blade attachments
- 1 pair of tweezers
- 1 bottle of ear powder
- 1 slicker brush
- 1 pair of curved scissors
- 1 pair of straight scissors
- 1 smock
- 1 bottle of styptic powder
- 1 nail clipper
- 1 Wall-Plaque Diploma upon completion
Course II – Advanced Pet Groomer Course
This course consists of 400 hours of one-on-one training. Three to seven months to complete. This course is geared to those individuals that have no prior knowledge of dog grooming and who wish to graduate as an all breed dog and cat groomer with the skills to work for someone else or to operate their own grooming facility. They are taught the basics of brushing and bathing, handling the dogs, and their owners. They are taught the advanced technical skills used to groom bichons, poodles, Bouvier’s and schnauzers. This course is also offered to future groomers that are from another state and are not able to stay for school for the entire number of hours required. These students have the option to ‘test out’ of each breed groom. Students testing out early are required to pass the all tests with a score of 85 or higher out of 100. The equipment that comes with this course:
Course Cost: $4,400.00
- 1 Andis two speed clipper 1 large nail clipper
- 1 Andis #40 A-5 blade 1 bottle of styptic powder
- 1 Andis #30 A-5 blade 1 bottle of clipper oil
- 1 Andis #15 A-5 blade 1 bottle of blade disinfectant
- 1 Andis #10 A-5 blade 1 bottle of ear powder
- 1 Andis #7F A-5 blade 1 tweezers
- 1 Andis #5F A-5 blade 1 dematting rake
- 1 Andis #4F A-5 blade 1 undercoat rake
- 1 Andis #3F A-5 blade
- 1 Andis #3/4 A-5 blade
- 1 set of blade attachments
- 1 short straight scissors
- 1 medium curved scissors
- 1 smock
- 1 large slicker
- 1 small slicker
- 1 greyhound comb
- 1 Diploma upon completion
Course III – Advanced Professional Groomer Training - 2 Part Course
This course is a 2 part course that combines the Basic and the Advanced Courses. This course is geared towards the future business owner that needs a strong base knowledge in bathing/ brushing/and technical grooming skills. This course teaches dental care and teeth scaling, common medical issues seen in the grooming room, customer service and phone skills, scheduling time, and the importance of kennel and shop sanitation. Basic bookwork and money management are addressed. The emphasis of this course is geared toward personal business ownership. It consists of 710 hours of hands on training and bookwork. Students that wish to open their own business are encouraged to bring their future shop measurements, and dimensions, budgets and business courses taken. They also should bring the average prices for grooming small (mini poodles), medium (cockers), large (collies) and extra-large dogs (New Foundlands) for the area where they will be opening. This course takes 6 -12 months to complete. The equipment that comes with this course:
Course Cost: $7,400.00
- 1 Andis two speed clipper 1 large nail clipper
- 1 Andis #40 A-5 blade 1 bottle of styptic powder
- 1 Andis #30 A-5 blade 1 bottle of clipper oil
- 1 Andis #15 A-5 blade 1 bottle of blade disinfectant
- 1 Andis #10 A-5 blade 1 bottle of ear powder
- 1 Andis #7F A-5 blade 1 tweezers
- 1 Andis #5F A-5 blade 1 dematting rake
- 1 Andis #4F A-5 blade 1 undercoat rake
- 1 Andis #3F A-5 blade
- 1 Andis #3/4 A-5 blade
- 1 set of blade attachments
- 1 short straight scissors
- 1 medium curved scissors
- 1 long curved scissors
- 1 smock
- 1 large slicker
- 1 small slicker
- 1 greyhound comb
- 1 Furminator
- 1 large dematting rake
- 1 small dematting rake
- 1 Diploma upon completion
- All - breed groomer Certification Papers upon completion
Course IV - Groomer Confidence Training
This course is geared towards groomers that may need more hands-on-time before they
graduate to feel confident utilizing the skills needed to work independently
from Pooch Parlor. This course can become a requirement for those students needing more skill before receiving their certification. This course can also be taken by any student that has received their certification, but wants more time.
Cost: $500/month
Training
Days/Availability:
Student
training days are Mon, Wed, Thurs, and Friday. Students come from 8:30 - 3:30 for training, and choose the days that work best for them for training. Students train at their own pace. Only
2 new students a month are taken at this time and reservations are required if
you have a specific start and graduation date that you would like. The majority of students start their training at the beginning of the new month.
Groomers that are currently working, or have been informally trained and that are not
certified, that wish to be certified, can test through the required breeds to
get their certification certificate. Testing
days and brushup required (no more than 5 days in school) are arranged between
student and teacher. Certification
only requires that the student own or purchase his or her own equipment for the
testing. Cost $1,000.00
Deposits
for courses:
The
basic course requires a minimum of $1,000.00 down no later that 2 weeks before
the 1st day of class. The
advanced course requires a deposit of $2,000.00 to be paid no later than 2 weeks
before the 1st day of class. The Advanced Professional Course
requires a deposit of $3500.00 to be paid no later than 2 weeks before the 1st
day of class. Course 4 is paid at the beginning of the month.
The remaining payments are due weekly until the class is paid in full.
The balance of the course must be paid in full by the time the student
has completed half of the course. Courses and deposits can be paid with visa,
mastercard, American Express, check, or money order. Visa, and Amex will be
charged a 2% processing fee.
Refunds:
The
deposits are not refundable as they are used to buy the equipment for the
course. In the event that the
student discontinues the course before 20 hours of training have been completed,
the equipment is theirs to keep or sell. In
the event that the student discontinues the course 20%-50% into the course and
does not have the course paid for, the equipment becomes the property of the
Pooch Parlor. (Drop-out students will receive no credit for the hours spent
during their first training should they decide to retake the course at a later
date.) Refunds of the balance of monies paid will be prorated up to 50%
completion of the course. After 50%
completion, no refunds will be given.
Non-Compete
Agreement: By signing this document, trainees are legally bound and agree to the
terms of the non-compete clause for the Pooch Parlor.
No trainee can open an independent grooming facility within 20 miles of
either Pooch Parlor location. Working
for an establishment that has a grooming facility in place at the time of the
signing of this document is acceptable course of employment.
Physical
limitations:
Dog
and cat groomer can be physically challenging on your back and feet.
It is worth considering what your physical limitations may be before,
during, and after your career as a pet groomer.
Please notify your trainer of any physical considerations necessary to
complete your course, including asthma, epilepsy or arthritis, or skin issues.
Clearview
girls:
Any student that is introduced to the Pooch Parlor via the ‘Clearview’ Program in Montana is required to be enrolled in the Clearview Program for the duration of their training, and/or volunteering at Pooch Parlor. Any exceptions to this must be authorized by the Clearview Director.
Diplomas and certifications of completed courses: All students that graduate will be certified groomers through the State of Idaho and can use their diploma as a qualified all-breed groomer anywhere in the
world .
Cleaning: All students are required to help with cleaning the shop during and after the work day.
POOCH PARLOR PET GROOMER TRAINING CONTRACT
208-355-2699
or 208-437-0503
Student
name_______________________________________
Student
Address______________________________________
___________________________________________________
Student
Phone_______________________________________
Student
Start Date____________________________________
Expected
Graduation Date______________________________
Course
Enrolled in____________________________________
Deposit
Made_____________________ Date______________
Expected
Payment Dates (if arrangements are needed)
Student
Signature_____________________________________
Date_____________________________
Physical
limitations or conditions we need to know
about:__________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________.
By
signing this contract, you agree to all the terms and conditions of
Pooch Parlor Pet Groomer Training Academy.
Parent
Signature_______________________________________
If
student under 18 years of age.
Teacher Signature_____________________________________
Date:____________________
Boarding for Trainees

Many students training at the Pooch Parlor Pet Groomer Academy come from out of state to learn the trade of pet grooming. I offer student boarding at my home in Priest River to accommodate those students who need housing and/or need extra time and help mapping out there future in pet grooming. One shop is 7 miles away, and the other is 30 miles away.
Students typically drive with me to school. Many students can only stay for 6 weeks to train or for those students training to open their own shop, much of the planning and shop design is during after hours at my home. Currently, there are is a 2 bedroom apartment available above our garage. We rent each bedroom for $600-$1200 monthly. Prices depend on week and weekend stays and food.
Each bedroom is furnished with a queen bed, dresser or built in dresser, desk, TV, cable and phone line with hi-speed internet. Linens are included. The apartment has a full kitchen that includes coffee maker, a washer/dryer, flat screen TV and DVD player, separate balcony and separate parking area. The apartment has 1 large bathroom. The house has a separate guest bathroom and bedroom.
Students that board at my home are welcome to share the kitchen, the living room and the laundry room. My husband Mike, a contractor, and I live with our standard poodle (6) Monty, our Rottweiler mix (7.5), Marli, and our new mini schnauzer Greta 4months. Our pets are housebroken, and used in the grooming room daily for students to practice on. I often do take home clients dogs for boarding.
The cost of student boarding is $50/night. This includes a furnished room, bathroom, laundry facility, food, TV, cable, phone with internet, transportation to and from The Pooch Parlor locations. Please call for availability.




















