A: A certified groomer is a groomer who has a certificate of completion. This could be a state approved course, an apprenticeship or an online course. There are actual certified groomer titles these usually have a ® in association with the title. A certified title like NCMG® is registered and can only be used with the approval of the issuing groomer association. A groomer with certification of this type has undergone testing to prove they can groom in the guidelines that asociation has set forth. Certification is not a guarantee of quality and it is recommended that pet owners ask for recommendations from friends, vets and even strangers if they see a dog they like the groom on! 

A: There is no difference between groomer and pet stylist, they are interchangeable titles. Some prefer the title stylist but when I first started in the industry the only title in common use was groomer. Then some people felt stylist sounded more posh and it became more commonly used. But every time I hear the title stylist I envision little white dogs in curlers sitting under hood dryers! It is really just personal preference on the part of the pet professional. There are also some certification titles which include the Pet Stylist designation in the title.

A: Currently there is no licensing for groomers. In some states there are certain requirements to get a pesticide license before being able to use pesticides like Flea & Tick shapoos, however NY State is not one of them. There is very little regulation of the grooming industry and anyone can open a shop with just a business license(hence they will state they are licensed) if the law requires it. If a person is required to have a business license and a member of the publc asks them if they are licensed they will state they are. It is up to the public to ask the right questions to find out the training a groomer has had. Many will also advertise they are certified but it is not the same as licensing (see the answer to What is a certified groomer). ABC Grooming Center an advocate of regulation in the grooming industry as it protects both the groomers and the public they serve.