Careers at
The Gilded Groomer
We're always interested in meeting exceptional groomers.
There isn't always a position open. There is always a conversation worth having. If you groom for a living — or you're working toward it — and you care about doing it properly, we'd like to know who you are before we need you.
Three ways in.
We're not only looking for finished groomers. Some of the best people in this trade were taught, not hired.
You already know your craft
You can read a coat, you have your own standards, and you'd rather do fewer dogs properly than more dogs quickly. You'll be given the time to work the way you already want to.
You're most of the way there
You bathe, dry, brush out and handle well, and you're building toward full grooms. You'll work alongside people who will show you the parts you haven't learned yet.
You're at the beginning
No professional experience needed. What matters is patience, a steady hand and genuine interest in animals. We train from the ground up, and we're doing it right now.
A salon that teaches.
We groom fewer dogs than we could. Appointments are paced so a coat can be brushed out properly rather than clipped off to save half an hour, and pricing is set by size so nobody is under pressure to rush a difficult coat to make the numbers work.
Everyone here is learning something. Our apprentices are training toward full grooms, and one is currently learning cat work alongside the owner. That's deliberate — the point is to build groomers, not to fill a slot.
In return we expect real standards: gentle handling, honesty with clients about what a coat needs, and a finish you'd put your own name to.
Tell us who you are.
This isn't a formal application and it won't take long. If there's a fit, we'll be in touch to talk properly — now, or when something opens up.
Send us an email and tell us about yourself. There's no form to wrestle with and no account to make — the button below opens your email with the questions already in it, so you can answer what you like and ignore the rest.
Or email courtney@gildedgroomer.com directly, or call (641) 424-4676.
- Your name, where you're based, phone and email.
- Whether you're working at the moment — grooming full time, part time, between salons, outside grooming, in school, or you'd rather not say.
- How much grooming experience you have. None yet is a real answer; we train.
- Roughly how many dogs you groom in a day. An honest number is more useful than an impressive one.
- What you're strongest at — breeds, coat types, or the parts of the job you're known for.
- What you'd like to get better at. There's no wrong answer here. We ask everyone.
- What you're looking for in your next salon.
- Three to five photos of recent work. Finished grooms tell us more than a résumé does.
Sending this doesn't commit either of us to anything. We keep promising introductions on file and get in touch when there's something worth talking about. If you'd rather just email, courtney@gildedgroomer.com reaches us directly.