Nathan Exposed » Doggone It

Doggone It

Okay, I have a secret. In January, I was thinking about changing careers after being a website designer for the past 10 years.

I was given the opportunity to start work as a mobile dog groomer. Do you know what those are? They have a trailer attached to the back of a truck, complete with its own power and water supply, and you can bathe and groom dogs inside. It’s a huge new trend, where you come right to the home of dog owners and do the job. Customers are more than willing to shell out the extra cash and it’s a very lucrative industry.

The starting salary is $70,000 per year and experienced groomers make somewhere in the $90,000 range. They showed me the date books and I did the math, and yes, it’s really true. That’s enough to make anyone stop in their tracks and really think about their current job vs. a job of grooming dogs. Plus they usually just work 3-4 days a week and repeat business is often guaranteed since dogs need groomed regularly.

It might seem far fetched for a website designer to become a dog groomer, but actually isn’t too odd. My job requires me to start with a blank canvas and put together a vision for the final product. Dog grooming requires the same, and they are both detail oriented jobs. The owners of this particular business loved me. They raved on and on about how perfect my personality was because I come off as loving, patient, and calming, which is a must-have when you’re dealing with nervous dogs.

So I was really excited and into this when I went out for my first day of observing. Everything went pretty well. The dogs were so lovable and some of the ones that wouldn’t go up to anybody came straight to me. So clearly I’m a magnet for dogs. There were a few that threw tantrums, but I could deal with them. Watching them get their toenails clipped really freaked me out though. Yikes!

After just one day, I was obsessed. I was paying attention to every dog I saw, and I was ready to jump on board with this new career. But being the practical business man I am, I took a solid month to really think about things, then I scheduled another day to go out and observe.

The clients on this day were very swanky. Million dollar mansions in the richest parts of Nashville. I got to go inside their homes, and I even used the toilet in one of them. Nicest toilet I’ve ever pissed in.

But the types of dogs were very different this time around:

- A deaf dog that screamed and howled the entire time he was being groomed. He wasn’t in pain, he just liked howling.

- A dog with a massive tumor that couldn’t be removed, so it was just shaved around.

- A dog so old, she had to be lifted up and she shook the whole time.

- Dogs that cried and jerked, and one that even got cut because it was so squirmy. That one about sent me away crying. (Don’t worry, it was fine. Just a small scrape, but I hated seeing it bleed.)

So my sentiments quickly changed about this business. I realize that every business has its downsides, but some of these were just too emotional for me. I don’t think I’m strong enough to handle dogs like that without getting upset.

That’s the story of how I almost switched careers. I still think it’s an awesome business to get into if you can handle it, and definitely has financial benefits. But the emotional ups and downs were too much for me. I’m glad I went for that second session of observing!