– Dog Grooming Holiday in South Tyrol
Become your dog's groomer yourself
One week in South Tyrol. A skill for life.
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Only a few weeks a year
Go on holiday. Learn something for life.
You spend a special holiday week with your dog and take home a skill the two of you will benefit from for years.
Your dog. Your skills. Your experience.
Up to 16 hours of personal one-to-one training with Petra Schmieder, tailored to your dog and to what you genuinely want to be able to do at home.
Groom & Stay combines a holiday with your dog with a skill the two of you will benefit from for many years. On up to four days you learn with Petra how to care for and trim your own dog in a way that suits the breed. The rest of the day, South Tyrol is yours.
Your week in numbers
- 7nights
- 2people included
- 1your own dog
- 1:1training with experienced instructor Petra Schmieder
- up to 4training days
- up to 16hours of personal guidance
Your dog is your model.
You do not need to learn how to groom every dog. You learn the one that matters to you: your own.
You train on exactly the dog you will be caring for at home, with his coat, his build, his pace and his quirks.
Tailored to
- coat and coat type
- breed and build
- behaviour and daily form
- age and grooming needs
- the look you have in mind
- your previous experience
What stays from this week.
By the end of the week you know not only how to groom your dog yourself, but also why you do what you do. And you take home a skill the two of you will benefit from for many years.
Confidence
You know which tool to use when and how, what kind of care your dog needs and how to reach a good result step by step.
Independence
You no longer depend on free appointments and long waiting times at the groomer. You can groom your dog when it is needed – or simply when you want him to look his best. Whether and when you still visit a groomer is up to you from now on.
Long-term savings
Especially with high-maintenance dogs, regular grooming appointments add up over many years. The more you can take on yourself, the more of these ongoing costs you save.
Calm for sensitive dogs
Your dog stays with a familiar person, at his own pace, with breaks. You learn to read his stress signals and to build up grooming at home gently.
What you can learn.
No standard programme. Your training plan is built around your dog.
Everyday coat care
- brushing and combing
- spotting mats
- preventing mats
- care suited to the coat type
Bathing and drying
- bathing properly
- choosing products
- professional drying
- preparing the coat for cutting
Hygiene and detail
- paw care
- nails
- ears
- eye area
- hygiene trimming
Cutting
- clippers and comb attachments
- holding the scissors
- cutting techniques
- transitions
- head and face
Tools
- tool knowledge
- tool maintenance
- individual equipment advice
Tips from practice
- recognising and avoiding typical mistakes
- techniques that make grooming easier
- tips for a better result at home
We agree on the content together before you arrive and adjust it during the week if you or your dog need something different.
Four hours of learning. The rest of the day for South Tyrol.
The training does not dictate your holiday, it complements it. A typical week looks like this:
Arrival
Simply arrive
We agree arrival and departure personally in advance. You settle in and take a first walk. On the first evening there is nothing to do but arrive.
Getting to know
Petra gets to know your dog
Before we start, we look together at your dog's coat, grooming needs and behaviour. That becomes the plan for your days: your goals, his pace.
Training days
Up to 4 days, max. 4 hours each
Hands-on work on your own dog in the salon. Short sessions, breaks as needed and direct guidance and correction from Petra. Up to 16 hours in total, with a certificate at the end.
Afternoons
South Tyrol is yours
Mountains, vineyards, a walk, Bolzano or Merano, a long lunch. What you make of it is your decision, every single day.
Afterwards
You are not left alone
Even after the training, Petra continues to advise you by phone whenever questions about a technique come up at home.
Included in the package
- 7 nights in the holiday apartment in the Adige Valley for up to 2 people
- your dog, of course included
- one-to-one training with Petra in the grooming salon, for 1 person and their dog
- up to 16 hours in total, on up to 4 days of max. 4 hours
- certificate on completing the training
- 1 dinner at a traditional South Tyrolean restaurant
- training on your own dog
- content tailored to your dog, coat type and experience
- use of equipment and grooming products in the salon
- individual equipment advice
- 1 pair of grooming scissors to get you started at home
- 1 Groom & Stay grooming smock
- advice by phone after the training as well
Good to know
- A second person is included in the accommodation and is very welcome to come along. The training itself is designed for one person.
- You are welcome to bring your own equipment.
- Additional training hours can be booked for an extra charge.
- We agree on your arrival and departure days personally in advance.
Arrive, instead of organising.
The accommodation is part of the package. Nothing to compare, nothing to book and no need to ask whether your dog is welcome.
The holiday apartment lies in the Adige Valley between Bolzano and Merano, with a view over the valley and an ideal base for excursions and walks. Plenty of room to settle in and a private garden for the evenings when you just want to sit outside.
Private living. And still close by.
You stay in your own holiday apartment in Terlano, right next to Petra's house – with your own entrance, your own privacy and your own fenced garden for your dog.
No car needed.
Groom & Stay can be planned without a car of your own. The training takes place at the Happy-Saloon in Bolzano. On training days you can ride to Bolzano with Petra by arrangement. Depending on the airline and the size of your dog, arriving by plane via Bolzano or Verona airport is also possible. On request, we can arrange a pick-up from Verona.
And when the training ends, South Tyrol begins.
Mountains on the doorstep, vineyards in the valley, Italian living on the plate. After the training, the better part of the day begins.
Spring
When the apple trees blossom in the valley and the paths open up again.
Summer
Hikes up to the alpine pastures and a stop at the mountain huts, with your dog by your side.
Autumn
Chestnut and Törggelen season, with South Tyrolean cooking and new wine.
Winter
Walks through the snow in clear air and cosy evenings afterwards.
Bolzano and Merano
Towns made for strolling, with arcades, markets and good addresses.
South Tyrolean cooking
A dinner at a traditional restaurant is already included in the package.
Who guides you
Petra Schmieder
Learn directly from a groomer who has practised this craft for almost two decades.
I have been working as a professional dog groomer and salon owner for almost 20 years, and for many years I have also been passing on this knowledge as an instructor. Today, with the training centre “Pet & Luca”, I run my second grooming school project in Germany.
Throughout all these years in the salon, at training courses, trade fairs and dog events, I have heard the same thing again and again: many dog owners would like to take care of their own dog's grooming themselves. Some have been doing it for a long time, because appointments are hard to get, waiting times can be long or they simply want to be more independent.
That is exactly where the idea for Groom & Stay came from: passing on my knowledge not only to future groomers, but directly to dog owners – focused on the one dog they really want to groom themselves: their own.
- long-standing owner of the “Happy-Saloon” in Bolzano, South Tyrol
- instructor with many years of teaching experience
- daily hands-on experience with a wide range of breeds and coat types
- particular experience with sensitive and demanding dogs
- training in German, Italian and English
I do not show you how I would groom your dog. I show you how you groom him.
One week. One complete package.
Groom & Stay combines personal one-to-one training with a holiday week in South Tyrol – for you and your dog. Accommodation, training and plenty of free time to enjoy South Tyrol together are all part of the package.
€2,850
incl. VAT, for the entire week with a holiday apartment for two people and your dog
- 7 nights in the holiday apartment in the Adige Valley for up to 2 people, dog included
- up to 16 hours of personal one-to-one training in the grooming salon for 1 person and their dog
- certificate on completing the training
- 1 dinner at a traditional South Tyrolean restaurant
- use of equipment and grooming products during the training
- 1 pair of grooming scissors to get you started at home
- 1 Groom & Stay grooming smock
- advice by phone after the training as well
An investment in a skill you can use for many years to come.
Request your weekYou choose the dates. We plan the week.
Tell us when you would like to come to South Tyrol with your dog. Petra will get back to you personally and plan the dates and training content together with you.
Frequently asked
What you may want to know first.
Is Groom & Stay a dog grooming qualification?
Groom & Stay will not make you a professional groomer, but it will make you the groomer of your own dog. You learn exactly the care, techniques and handling your dog needs.
Do I need any previous experience?
You do not need any previous experience. You can start from scratch or bring experience in grooming your dog. We meet you where you are and build on it.
Can I bring my own equipment?
Absolutely. I will show you how to make the best use of the equipment you already have and which of it suits your dog. Only if something is really missing or does not suit your dog will we look at what makes sense to add. Grooming is much more about the right technique than about owning lots of equipment. Without the technique, even the tenth grooming tool will not help. Once the technique is there, you can do excellent work with surprisingly little.
How are training and holiday organised during the week?
We agree on the training days together before you arrive and arrange them in the way that suits you and your dog best. There are no fixed training days. If the weather calls for an excursion, or you would rather enjoy South Tyrol on a particular day, we plan the training around it. At Groom & Stay, weather and mood are welcome to have a say.
Are 16 hours of training enough?
In my experience, 16 hours are well enough to learn how to groom your own dog. There may be exceptions with very difficult dogs. If you would like some extra time, you can book individual training hours for an additional charge.
What if I need less than 16 hours of training?
The 16 hours are the maximum amount of training, not a mandatory programme. If you reach your goal earlier and feel confident, that is wonderful – it simply leaves more time for your holiday in South Tyrol. Groom & Stay is a complete package, so the price stays the same.
Will I never need a groomer again?
The goal of Groom & Stay is that you can groom your dog yourself afterwards. You learn the techniques and handling with me; confidence and routine come with regular practice at home. Of course you can still visit a groomer at any time, but you no longer have to.
Which language is the training in?
The one-to-one training is available in German, Italian or English.
When would you like to come to South Tyrol?
Tell us when you have time and who your dog is. Petra will get back to you personally and discuss everything else with you.