Student stories
Groomers who trained with us at Upper Hound, in their own words.
Cassie’s story From Dog Walking to Grooming
Cassie already worked closely with dogs, but wanted a clearer direction. Read how training helped Cassie find confidence through change - and plan one-to-one work focused on anxious dogs.
Read Cassie’s story
Chloe’s story From Horses to Dog Grooming
See how Chloe turned her love of working with animals into a new career in grooming, and how training helped everything click into place.
Read Chloe’s story
Gina’s story From Training to Opening Her Own Salon
Discover how Gina gained confidence through hands-on training and is now preparing to launch her own garden grooming salon.
Read Gina’s story
Ingrid’s story From Dog Walking to Grooming
See how Ingrid balanced training alongside dog walking, overcame the language barrier, and is now preparing to become a mobile groomer.
Read Ingrid’s story
Jemma’s story From Volunteering to Grooming
Discover how Jemma turned her volunteering experience into a qualification, gained confidence through training, and is now ready for salon life.
Read Jemma’s story
Lily’s story From Nursing to Grooming
See how Lily swapped nursing for a hands-on career with dogs, gained confidence through training, and set up her own salon at home.
Read Lily’s story
Lois’s story A New Step After Dog Walking
Discover how Lois turned years in the pet industry into a grooming career, gaining the skills and confidence to start building her own client base.
Read Lois’s story
Jodie’s story From Tesco Manager to Groomer
See how Jodie turned years of retail management into a new career with dogs, gaining the confidence to groom independently and build her own business.
Read Jodie’s story
Mel’s story Redundancy to a New Career
Discover how Mel turned redundancy into a new beginning and is now preparing to launch her own mobile grooming van.
Read Mel’s story
Michelle’s story Starting Again After Broadcasting
See how Michelle swapped 12-hour shifts for grooming, found a routine that worked around nursery life, and discovered she was more capable than she realised.
Read Michelle’s story
Beccy’s story A Fresh Start for Beccy
Read how Beccy built her confidence through training and reached the moment she realised she could complete a full groom on her own.
Read Beccy’s story
Elvene’s story From Aerospace Sales to Grooming
See how Elvene swapped corporate life for dog grooming, discovered a love of scissoring, and is now preparing to launch her own home business.
Read Elvene’s story
Jade’s story A New Chapter for Jade
Discover how Jade found confidence through grooming and is now setting up her own salon space to start her next chapter.
Read Jade’s story
Vicky’s story Finally Following Her Dream
See how Vicky made the leap into grooming, built her confidence through training, and is now preparing to launch from home.
Read Vicky’s story
Louise’s story Leaving Corporate Life Behind
Discover how Louise swapped her desk job for dog grooming, overcame anxiety, and built a home-based business she truly loves.
Read Louise’s story
Melissa’s story A Fresh Start in Grooming
See how Melissa left the corporate world behind and found a new path working with dogs, building her confidence one groom at a time.
Read Melissa’s story
Sammie’s story From Veterinary Nurse to Mobile Groomer
See how Sammie made the leap from veterinary nursing into grooming and launched her own mobile business.
Read Sammie’s story
Anna-Lisa’s story Turning a Long-Held Idea Into Action
After nearly 20 years in the same line of work, Anna-Lisa finally acted on a long-standing idea. Using her regular day off each week to train, she completed her qualification and is now opening her own garden salon.
Read Anna-Lisa’s story
Carina’s story From Retail to Running Her Own Salon
See how Carina turned her love for dogs into a thriving new career and why she says the course gave her everything she needed to start her own salon.
Read Carina’s story
Ready to write your own story?
Every groomer here started where you are. Begin with a half-day taster, or the Level 3 Diploma at our salon in Fleet.
