The MobileDog Academy trains the next generation of groomers on the Lewis family standard — breed cuts, safety, handling, customer care, and the mobile operations playbook. Graduate certified, walk into a van, start earning.
Every hour is hands-on. No theory dumps. No filler. Real dogs, real tools, real conditions — from day one.
Pet First Aid & CPR (mandatory). Dog behavior, safe handling, restraint techniques, tool fundamentals, sanitation protocols, and AKC Safety Certified procedures. The stuff that prevents injuries — to dogs and groomers.
Proper bathing technique, coat assessment, dematting, deshedding, blow-drying, nail care, ear cleaning, and anal gland expression. Skin conditions — rashes, hot spots, allergies — and how to handle them.
Poodle, terrier, schnauzer. The foundational breed cuts clients pay premium for. Scissor work, clipper work, pattern lines. Taught by OPAWZ Master Groomer Chrissy Wilt.
Doodle cuts, Asian Fusion styling, breed-specific patterns, and creative grooming. The trendy cuts driving demand. Plus double-coated breeds, hand-stripping, and the breed-standard library. Customer EQ module: consultation scripts, decline-unsafe-requests, upsell conversations, complaint de-escalation.
In-van operations, water and power management, route optimization, climate control, client communication, upselling products, and the daily workflow that makes a mobile groomer efficient. Plus Mobile Survival Skills: escape prevention, equipment-failure protocols, parking/permit chaos, weather contingencies, personal safety. Insurance & Liability: incident documentation, waiver enforcement, AKC S.A.F.E. pathway. Social Media Content: before/after training.
Live grooms evaluated by Chrissy & Nikki. Breed-standard cut. Full service. Client interaction. Pass the certification, walk into a van, start your career. Graduates get priority placement.
Already a groomer? Don't need six weeks. The Academy meets you where you are — but everyone hits the same 85% cert standard.
Zero to certified groomer
For experienced groomers
Master groomers only
Hours measure time. Grooms measure competence. Every tier has a floor — and nobody certs without proving it on real dogs.
OPAWZ Master Groomer (2022). Fourth-generation Lewis family groomer. Specialty: breed-standard cuts, Asian Fusion, creative styling. Fifteen years behind the clippers.
AKC Safety Certified. Fourth-generation Lewis family groomer. Specialty: safety protocols, handling difficult dogs, coat health, skin conditions. Ten years in the van.
A family tradition that goes back to 1977 — four generations of hands-on grooming. They teach the craft the way it was taught to them.
Most groomers learn by trial and error — watching videos, making mistakes on real dogs, hoping nobody gets hurt. The Academy replaces guesswork with a proven system.
Four generations. AKC show circuit. President of the VA Grooming Association. The Lewis family wrote the book on grooming in Northern Virginia. Now they're teaching it.
Graduate certified and MobileDog puts you in a van with pre-built client routes. No franchise debt. No building a book from scratch. Start earning week one.