Gone are the days when people had pets for two reasons which were security or that they love pets. But now they are even style statements. Adorned in designer clothes and shoes, sprayed with expensive perfume, and with their hair trimmed and styled, these four-legged creatures are living a much-coveted dream. People from all walks of life now own exotic breeds and are just as enthusiastic about taking their pets through that heavenly experience.

No wonder the business of pet grooming is grooming like anything. We have now pet grooming salons which are very popular in the US and are catching up in the rest of the world. The salons offer a wide range of services including shampooing, blowing, hair cutting and styling, nail mining, ear cleaning, massaging id perfuming etc.

In India, pet grooming is still fairly new concept with hand full pet grooming salons in New Delhi, Mumbai and Bangalore specializing primarily in dog grooming. There is much more to pet-grooming. Apart from setting up pet grooming parlors, there are many off shoots in this segment that can be explored. Setting up pet grooming training schools is one such opportunity. Such a school could have the possibility of attracting not only potential professional pet groomers, but also other pet lovers and owners who want to know how they can keep their pets healthy and well groomed. Another opportunity lies in starting lodging services for pets, as people look for a clean, safe and loving environment for their pets, when they go out on vacations etc. Running a door-to-door pet grooming service could also be a good option, although many pet groomers claim that grooming a pet in their own familiar territory can be quite challenging.

According to the Research and Consultancy Enterprise (RACE), the consulting arm of the Institute of Management Technology (IMT) in Ghaziabad, there are about 2.2 million domestic dogs in Indian households, with the population increasing by around 26% a year. According to DARE estimates, the total market size of the pet grooming industry in 2007 was Rs 132 crore. This is expected to grow to Rs299croreby2010.

A formal training or certification is not as important as having passion for pets. All you need to be is a genuine animal lover with lots of patience and dedication. Certification helps you learn the correct method but you have to be an artist to visualize and create an anatomically correct dog, close to the standards as possible.
 
You need more of a heart, than a business mind to be in this profession and it really does not matter what your qualifications are. Though there are institutes like the one in Bangkok to get formal training. Besides following the traditional method of advertising, one should keep in close contact with local vets and pet shop owners, as they play a significant role in referring their customers to pet grooming salons.

Getting equipment for pet grooming can be a hurdle. Although there are various brands dealing in pet products, pet-grooming equipment is not as readily available. There is a plethora of equipment, products, and accessories that are required to set up a pet-grooming parlor. These range from cages, clippers, dryers, tables, tubs, blades, brushes, combs, scissors, dental, ear and nail care products, sprays, shampoos, conditioners, detangles, bandanas, bows, collars etc.