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Should I Apply for the job?

Go for it! 0.90909090909091 90.9% [ 20 ]
No 0.090909090909091 9.1% [ 2 ]
Total Votes:[ 22 ]
< 1 2

Friendly Shapeshifter

xXDarkNimeLoverXx
Ara Hamako
i've been a bather at a petsmart for about 2 years, and an actual trained groomer for about 5 months now. i started off as a bather/cashier, then when they were able to, they sent me to a month-long academy to train me to groom.

i can tell you right now, it's one of the most difficult jobs in the store, not just for usual dumb retail reasons, but also because it's hard on your body, and the dogs you work with don't always wanna let you do your job. but, as hard and tiring as it, i personally enjoy it a lot. my favorite part about the job is that i not only make dogs nice and clean and presentable but also keep them healthy, mat-free, and generally in very good condition if their owners bring them enough. plus, there's been a lot more good dogs than dogs that wanna maim me, so there's that.

i say go for it!~


Thanks for your answer. Really helps me out with insight. They do have a position for a bathet. Can you give me a bit of insight on that? Not as hard as styling?


sure! as a bather your job will be to bathe dogs, brush them out, clip and grind their nails, clean their ears, answer phones, make appointments, all stuff like that. really the only difference is that you can't give dogs haircuts unless you choose to go to grooming academy and they choose to send you there. you will get dogs that will not want to cooperate but the good dogs usually outnumber the bad dogs. it's still hard on the body but i think it's very rewarding.

Enthusiastic Lunatic

I have been working at vets and kennels for nearly ten years.
I worked at two vet offices as a kennel manager and oversaw the care of all of the animals boarding or receiving care(food, water, medicine, sanitation).
I have worked at two boarding kennels where owners leave their pets while they're out of town and that involves the aforementioned duties plus enrichment and basic grooming.
I have worked in both an animal physical therapy clinic and an animal nutrition office and have a solid foundation for both vocations.
Lastly I have worked in a horse stable, overseeing all nine horses (and two goats) and the facility.
With the exception of my first job when I was 16 I have always worked in animal care and will probably always do so. I can't even imagine doing anything else.

Anxious Seeker

Honestly, the only jobs I've ever held, except a gas station for a year, a BBQ joint, and a coffee house. All my jobs have been Animal jobs, it's the only one worth doing. Do what you love. Because then it isn't work. I NEVER work when I work with animals.



Stable Experience: I woke up at 4am. To prepare feed, and then feed over 30 horses. At one place, most already were pastured with stalls for bad weather. But at one, I had to walk each horse to a pasture/paddock after meals. Take off halters/put on flay masks. I either put them out early, or took them in. I loved it. I can't WAIT to own my ow barn one day.

Trail Riding Company: I woke up 4am. Fed over 38 work horses/client horses. Worked them in the round pen, had my own lessons on my own horses, Trail rode/exercised the lead horses, then get them saddled/unsaddled for each trail ride, prepare the trailer/clean out the trailer. We'd load up to 11 horses some days, go alll over Texas and ride on game ranches/national parks. I would lead trail rides some days, I also had to pick which horse and person matched up. Because who wants something dead head when you want a good go, or new and wants something like a dog. I did that my whole highschool/young adult life. We unsaddled between rides, let them hang out in pastures/wash them down. Oil them. I'd help the farrier, I'd work the sour pusses, halter break the colts/fillies. And catch the race horses next door if I saw a jockey tumble. I also was the test dummy for new horses and saddle training. Cause I'm a short s**t. I had to learn stick/to drive, I had to learn to drive a tractor, spread manure, till tracks/arenas. Clean stalls. Fix fences.
I loved it EVERY minute.. Every minute of it. Rain makes it WAY harder though, just sayin' Living in a city is killing me, I need horses again!

Vets Office: I was just supposed to be a Receptionist. But, I also was an unlicensed Vet Tech. I held dogs for injections, anesthetized cats, held dogs during euthanasia. Clean kennels/manage the boarding area. Which always had aggressive dogs that daycares/public boarding facilities couldn't handle. Kept the parking area nice, pick up lottsa poops. I measured meds, paid people out. It was stressful only cause I worked for a SHITTY vet. Who cared only for his money, the money he could get, and his AQHA horses that were pedigreed out the a**. :/ He punched a dog, broke a vessel in the eye, and has the audacity to tell the own "oh, he was struggling, got stressed. It's fine" So, pick your vets wisely, some care ONLY for the money they get. I also had to help during surgery, so I got to see some cool tumor removals and spays, I also had to clean the unconscious animal and monitor them while they woke up. It made me cry sometimes. Because the vet would pick patients WAY too old to have MASSIVE surgery. And, they had such hard times at times. It was heartbreaking. You have to be THERE for the people to, be THERE for the dog, so being emotional/hysterical. Won't be good. Stoic, understanding...

Doggy daycare: I LOVED this job. You wake up befor everyone again, 5-6am. Dogs need a set schedule to maintain, so you have to be on time. Be consistent. You can work with up to 110 dogs in one day, if not more. Some for daycare, some for longterm boarding. Longterm boarders need extra attention and engagement, because they get sour and resistant to the play atmosphere. You have puppies who are scared and NEED you to hold them. You have to love EVERYONE, and not show too much love to one dog. Because you play in a yard of 25 temperaments that change. You have to have eyeballs everywhere, and have to listen to tons of barks, and be able to tell if its good, or negative. You have to watch bodies. You also have to be a**l about cleaning. EVERYthing. The walls, the kennels( If your blessed with horse stalls/style kennels it's a LOT easier and the dogs stress less. You have to be ok with vomit, poop, pee, tor up toys, explaining to pet parents why they get kicked out, or what they NEED to do, in order to better there pets mind. You see a LOT of poor diet choices and have to live with yourself when you feed them it. lol. You have to do introductions between dogs. Be able to read body language of dogs, be able to break up a fight without endangering yourself. You also have to be able to control the pack IF a fight breaks out, because herd mentality kicks in. They can get scary if you don't control things, I've watched other yards go chaotic. But, I was able to keep my yard of 25 calm and waiting, but hop in and save other dogs before they would have gotten worse damage. (I always engage my dogs, I always work on MANNERS before I play. I'm a very controlling person I guess. LOL But, I demand ALL my dogs listen.) I also handled the groom room there, dematted pyreneses and Borzois, washed pitbulls. Cut nails, cleaned ears. I did a lot of 'commando' grooming at this job, before I had better knowledge. I just always wanted the animal comfortable, I just cut hair reckless/not caring what it'd grow like. LOL. But some people let there HUGE WHITE HAIRY DOGS NEVER GET BRUSHED. So they had softballs of hair stuck to their skin and groin. It was horrible. And dangerous, it hurt them I don't blame them trying to get me to stop.. I used a LOT of treats though. and apologized alot. Muahahha.

Dog bather/Groomer: I'm doing this now actually. And it's fun. I work with dogs who can be scared, who don't know who I am and why I grab their nails/bathe them. I have to be calm at all times and never get frustrated. I like to be understanding and will take as long as it needs, always end on a good note. But, I respect animals a lot. I also know when a dog can be good, even while anxious. Manners all the time. I have to be consistent. I never use force or act rough, not only for the animal, but for the pet parent. I cut nails, grind nails, do anals(I refuse most dogs/don't need it), I clean ears, brush teeth. They try to make me pluck ears, but they don't use a numbing powder so I refuse this, make the higher up groomers/managers do it. I think that's cruelty. You also witness poor pet care, a lot. OVERGROWN nails a lot, they can't walk. Obese pets, with overgrown nails and ear infections. Dogs with retained teeth, and owners saying they'll just pull it out...NOOOOO. (I told him that could kill his dog, stress wise, just to put him off. But the man spent 80 dollars that day....He BETTER have it removed...) I make appointments, call past clients to give reminders. I'm a groomers b***h, is what I call myself. I don't get to cut hair till I go through training. But, the practice doesn't seem ethical. Just because sometimes, they get so stressed they ca hurt you or themselves, because they DON'T want the brushing or cutting, if they get hurt once, it's hard to retrain the resistance. So many pet parents hit the quick and make the dogs CRAZY when it comes time for us to do it. I try to NEVER hit it. x.x; Then, dogs are money for groomers. To me, my bath dogs are fun. I get to make them comfortable, wag their tail, work on some obedience while they dry. And then, NOT hurt them, assure them it isn't bad. I also get to help owners train the nails back, I get to explain health and skin and all that. But. I dislike the company I work for, they push HORRIBLE foods, that kill our pets. And, sometimes I get asked about this. And I can't say, "Ohhh, Science diet is the WORST CORN POPS EVER." Because, I could get fired. I have to give them what they want.. Which ethically, kills me.


It depends on the job, but you really have to keep your ethics in mind. And your heart, but also keep in mind this is what makes you money. I try to go by the book of my employers, but I will never stress or do treatments that I feel harm him in the future. Or would hinder his training and demeanor. I always tell my pet parents "Everything depends on the dog, and I will never stress him out. We have to end on a good note, every time." Think with your heart, but think with your brain. Some vets are horrible, some boarding facilities are DISGUSTING and hide it well, but when you get there... I'm lucky everywhere BUT the vets, I've ever seen cruelty. They were nice facilities. Safe. But money does rule people, I say this because daycares cause OCD. And, I didn't like that part of some dogs lives. Spent chasing lights in a yard FULL of their own kind, lost because they don't like the place, their breed needed outdoors or more engagement then a yard of 25 dogs. Like I said, you REALLY have to be logical and real with working with animals, because they are paying the bills. So to speak. x.x;

Edit; ALSO. When you have to apply at normal people jobs, you're the girl who has only animal jobs as work history. LOL. It's funny but also annoying. Cause people want you to train their dogs. XDD I went to a pancake house to try and be a waitress during hard times/coffee place to, and their like "We just thought the work history stuck out. What was *animal job* like, what'd you do?! You become a curiosity. lol


Edit2: OH. And forget Holidays. You can work most/if not all depending on your place. LOL.
xXDarkNimeLoverXx
Wow seems harsh. I think I want a job like yours. I know that euthanasia will he a hard thing to adhust to.


It's a little awkward but obviously the people understand that they need to pay. The first time I had to take a payment for one I straight up bawled, I felt horrible, the poor dog wagged his tail and looked up at me when I came in the room and I just couldn't handle it right then. But even the girls who'd been there the longest would shed a tear or two when a whole family came in with their dear old pet. crying

Questionable Prophet

I'm a vet assistant now and I love it.
I started mostly cleaning, and then grooming, and now I'm taking nurse calls, doing blood draws,looking at slides, and there's not a lot of room for financial growth, but I love that I'm learning all these new things and get to feel like I'm actually doing something.

Euthanasia are hard to deal with at times, and I have to say every now and again one will really affect me. If the animal reminds me of my own, if I've spend a decent amount of time with them, or sometimes it's the owner being so sweet and, blah, but everything else makes up for it. And I just got home and spoil my own babies a little more on those days.

Animals can be jerks, but they don't really mean it.

I used to be a cashier at a grocery store. Hated it. I started applying to all animal related jobs from pet stores to doggie daycares to animal hospitals. The only experience I had working with animals was about 100 hours of volunteer work at a shelter.

And I'm not a people person, whatsoever, but working with people at the vet's is a little different. People tend to be more respectful--not always, but usually.
I may have just had my standards lowered from working at a grocery store though. sweatdrop

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Shanna66
i used to work at my city animal shelter, it was really hard work, very physical and lots of heavy lifting and getting bit. i loved it but it was also very hard emotionally because it was a kill shelter

now im at a vet clinic as a kennel tech, mostly the same kind of stuff only less contact with people and now i also do lots of dog and cat bathing. best job ive ever had.

you could give vet assistant a try, you dont need a degree for that. i dont go for it because im no good around people


Thanks, your answer really helps. I'm now one step closer to getting a job I want. So can you tell me more about the shelter?


what would you like to know? i did a little of everything besides office work while i was there. i worked with the cats, feral cats, dogs, mean dogs, and court case animals

the shelter i was at just turned into a no kill shelter so im sure its run differently and they dont take in mean animals anymore, but when i was there is functioned as the city shelter so we had to take whatever was handed to us.

Tipsy Prophet

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Right now I'm working as a vet assistant at a vet clinic. I absolutely love it, it's something I've always dreamed of doing. I've learned so much since starting there in the beginning of last summer, I also did my coop placement there.

Since working there, I'm a receptionist, assisted in surgeries so far they've all been pyo's, declaws and dentals. helped in appointments. So restraining for blood, vaccines, general exams, nail trims, all sorts of other fun tests. I've been apart of euthanasia's, one of which I cried.

I've been covered in endless hair, blood, urine, a**l gland juice, poop. I still have yet to be vomited on. We had one nail trim, where by the end of it all, it looked like I'd been stabbed repeatedly.

I've met some really sweet dogs of all sizes, and some real nasty little ones. I'm losing count on the number of times I've almost been bit, only being bit once ( I didn't do anything to the dog either. xD ) Some really relaxed cats, and others who have gone completely bat s**t on us. I helped with a hamster nail trim, which was definitely different.

I've filled prescriptions, called in lab pick ups, and I'm still learning how to make the order.

Overall I love my job, though I would like to eventually get into a bigger clinic. There are a lot of ups and downs.

We're in our second wave of euthanasia's. So that's kind of starting to take it's toll on me. That's something you will notice if you work in a clinic. They come in waves. Usually a lot in January after Christmas, then it slows then it picks up again, and slows again.

Crazy people. You will see and deal with a lot of them. But you'll also have clients that you absolutely love.

Regardless, I wouldn't change my career if I had to go back and do it all over again.

Cluttered Cutesmasher

I work in a behaviour programme for foster children with challenging behaviour.

I feel like this is probably very similar to animal training jobs.
I'm a dog groomer and I absolutely love it!!! I worked for petco for 5 years and I am now working at a vets office as a groomer. Working with animals can be a lot of fun and totally satisfying, especially in grooming, (most of the time I literally play with the dogs I'm grooming all day!) but you need to have patience and learn how to read animals. If you get upset they can sense that and are less likely to cooperate.

Also you need to understand that working with animals is not for everyone, it takes a certain kind of person, and I garuntee that you will get poo and pee on you, you are likely to get bitten, and if you work in grooming you will have to sometimes deal with not so understanding customers who may be unreasonable with things like pick up times, or what you can and can't do for their dog service wise.

Just like any job there are many pros and cons and you need to weigh them out and decide if you're willing to give it a try.

Dapper Fatcat

I am an aquarium technician at a local fish store. I maintain the aquariums, deal with husbandry, give people advice when they have questions, net them their fish, etc.

I also deal with caring for reptiles and amphibians.

The only issues I really have are dealing with people who don't regard fish as living things nor care about their well being. A lot of people will come in telling me about a 2 gallon with 10 guppies and want to get a goldfish and fighter fish. It's frustrating. The other issue I have is with people who won't listen to me because I'm only in my twenties. I will diagnose their problem, suggest the best solution and get told I don't know anything. Then they'll ask our manager, who is 50, and he'll tell them the exact same info but say I told them wrong stuff.

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