Our 600 hour training program can be custom designed to your schedule. You can sign up for as little or as much training as you feel your schedule will allow based on your long-term goals.

We schedule sessions Monday through Saturday in 4-hour blocks. Morning session is from 8:30 to 12:30. Afternoon session is from 1:30 to 5:30. The evening is available on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday from 6:00 to 10:00 PM. You can schedule your hours for as little as 4 hours a day or up to 12 hours a day. Also you can choose to attend from one to five days each week. Minimum hours per week are 12. Maximum available training hours are 48. The 240, 120, and 80 hour programs are extremely structured to guarantee you get the most out of them. These classes run Mon-Friday normally from 8:30 - 5:30. Please consult with the school calendar to confirm actual monthly class start dates.

For the 240 hour Fast Track Program, the 80 hour Bather-Brusher Program and the 120 hour Skill Enrichment Training, the training is very structured. Classes for these training programs are offered only Monday through Friday, eight hours each day for a total of 40 hours per week.

These are different programs based on your personal motivation.
 
Pet Styling Career Track Program
600 clock hours - $5,750.00 tuition
Optional tool kit purchased through Paragon
$680.00 + $40.00 MI tax
$25.00 application fee

 
Fast Track Program
240 clock hours - $3,125.00 tuition
Optional tool kit package purchased through Paragon
$680.00 + $40.00 MI tax
$25.00 application fee

 
Bather / Brusher Assistant Program
80 clock hours - $1,200.00 tuition
Optional tool kit package purchased through Paragon
$469.00 + MI tax
$25.00 application fee
Sorry, no financing is available for this program but we do accept Mastercard, Visa and Discover cards

 
Skill Enrichment Training Program
Previous professional experience required
120 clock hours - $1,700.00 tuition
Sorry, No financing is available for this program but we do accept Mastercard, Visa and Discover cards. Students are required to furnish all their own hand tools for the training program.


Financing and payment options are available with a finance company arranged through the school for your convenience.

That depends greatly on whom you work for, what their pricing structure is and how many dogs you can groom. The average Professional Pet Stylist, working full time as an employee, will normally make $22,000 - $75,000 per year sometimes more. (Based on grooming 6 to 14 dogs per day and your own personal motivation). Most grooming salons pay on a commission basis between 40% to 60%.

At The Paragon School we maintain a job lead file across the country. This file is available to you not only after you complete your training but also through out the life of your career. Currently the majority of our students have jobs BEFORE they graduate.

No, not for the 600, 240 or 80 hour programs. You do need to have a sincere love of animals and a healthy respect for them also. Patience is a virtue that is highly regarded in this business also due to the fact that not all pets are as cooperative as others are.

As more and more people are making career changes, we are seeing a wide range of ages in our student body. Our students range normally form 18 to 55, male and female. Pet styling is somewhat physical; thus a person needs to be in reasonably good physical shape, regardless of their age or sex to really excel in this profession.

It has been only recently that we are beginning to see schools start up in this industry. As we see more and more pet stylists enter into the job market, having a formal education will give you an edge in securing the job you are seeking. With the assistance of our talented instructors and a structured curriculum, it would take you up to three years to acquire the same education on your own and cost at least three times the amount.

We are conveniently located in Jenison, Michigan. We are just minutes from Grand Rapids right off of the Gerald R. Ford Expressway. The Paragon School is housed in a 5000 sq. ft. Contemporary building. The school is fully air-conditioned and includes a reception area, administrative offices, lecture rooms, practical skills hall, separate bathing, drying and holding areas. The school is equipped with modern grooming stations with hydraulic tables for each of the students and state of the art equipment.