Professional Master Canine Stylist™

$2,000.00

Program Overview – Open Enrollment

Master Your Craft. Elevate Your Status. Claim Your Place at the Top.

You’ve put in the years, behind the table, on your feet, mastering every breed that walks through your door. Your clients trust you. Your skills speak for themselves. But without the highest credential in the industry, your mastery isn’t fully recognized.

The Master Canine Stylist Diploma is your proof.
This program is built for seasoned professionals (5+ years of experience) who are ready to step into the top tier of grooming. It’s where experience meets credentials, and where your name becomes synonymous with authority and excellence.

Aligned with IAPEG certification standards and focused on real-world dogs (no show trims required), this diploma validates your expertise and cements your reputation.

Program Duration

  • Total: 3 months (12 weeks)

  • Weekly: 2–3 hours (flexible—fits your busy schedule)

Learning Objectives

  • Prove Mastery: Meet the rigorous standards for the Master Canine Stylist Diploma.

  • Command Respect: Gain trust and recognition from clients, peers, and employers.

  • Lead with Integrity: Deepen your understanding of best practices and ethical grooming standards.

  • Showcase Excellence: Present your advanced skills with confidence and credibility

Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion, you will:

  • Hold the Title: Receive your Master Canine Stylist Diploma, an elite symbol of expertise.

  • Be Certification-Ready: Enter IAPEG Certification fully prepared and confident.

  • Show Your Work: Graduate with a polished portfolio that demonstrates your advanced techniques.

  • Demonstrate Mastery: Impress clients and employers with precision, artistry, and professionalism.

  • Stand Out & Move Up: Unlock top-tier opportunities and elevate your career to its peak.

This isn’t about starting over; it’s about finishing strong and earning the title you’ve already proven you deserve.

How to Enroll:

  1. Click “Enroll Now”

  2. We’ll help you set up your payment plan

  3. Enroll and get access to the global campus and Scholar Lounge.

Enroll Now

Program Overview – Open Enrollment

Master Your Craft. Elevate Your Status. Claim Your Place at the Top.

You’ve put in the years, behind the table, on your feet, mastering every breed that walks through your door. Your clients trust you. Your skills speak for themselves. But without the highest credential in the industry, your mastery isn’t fully recognized.

The Master Canine Stylist Diploma is your proof.
This program is built for seasoned professionals (5+ years of experience) who are ready to step into the top tier of grooming. It’s where experience meets credentials, and where your name becomes synonymous with authority and excellence.

Aligned with IAPEG certification standards and focused on real-world dogs (no show trims required), this diploma validates your expertise and cements your reputation.

Program Duration

  • Total: 3 months (12 weeks)

  • Weekly: 2–3 hours (flexible—fits your busy schedule)

Learning Objectives

  • Prove Mastery: Meet the rigorous standards for the Master Canine Stylist Diploma.

  • Command Respect: Gain trust and recognition from clients, peers, and employers.

  • Lead with Integrity: Deepen your understanding of best practices and ethical grooming standards.

  • Showcase Excellence: Present your advanced skills with confidence and credibility

Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion, you will:

  • Hold the Title: Receive your Master Canine Stylist Diploma, an elite symbol of expertise.

  • Be Certification-Ready: Enter IAPEG Certification fully prepared and confident.

  • Show Your Work: Graduate with a polished portfolio that demonstrates your advanced techniques.

  • Demonstrate Mastery: Impress clients and employers with precision, artistry, and professionalism.

  • Stand Out & Move Up: Unlock top-tier opportunities and elevate your career to its peak.

This isn’t about starting over; it’s about finishing strong and earning the title you’ve already proven you deserve.

How to Enroll:

  1. Click “Enroll Now”

  2. We’ll help you set up your payment plan

  3. Enroll and get access to the global campus and Scholar Lounge.

Enroll Now

“ I love that I had the opportunity to choose a program that highlights my strengths as a groomer as well as makes sure I’m up to WPGA standards. This is how we create a baseline for grooming and safety! I’m so excited to be a Master Canine Stylist! ”
— Annette Baker - MCS Scholar 2025

How It Works:

🎓 Enroll → 💻 Classroom → 📹 Weekly Assignments → ✂️ Zoom Groom → 📝 Final Test → 🏆 Graduate

Why Earn Your Master Canine Stylist Diploma?

  • Validation – Finally get the recognition your years of work deserve.

  • Prestige – Elevate your reputation as one of the best in the field.

  • Trust – Inspire confidence from every client who walks through your door.

  • Longevity – Secure a credential that keeps you competitive and licensing-ready. Advisors

Featured
Chrissy Neumyer Smith MGBS, MCS, CBCC-KA, CPDT-KA, CPG, FFCP
Chrissy Neumyer Smith MGBS, MCS, CBCC-KA, CPDT-KA, CPG, FFCP

Grooming became a passion quickly in 1986 when I was just starting in the pet industry. I was able to jump into the grooming industry through an apprenticeship in 1992 with Lori Charette at Aintree Kennels in Boxford Massachusetts. Due to not being able to find a suitable grooming position, I stayed on as a veterinarian technician till 1995 gaining many years of veterinarian skills that have been a tremendous help in both dog training and grooming. I had the joy of working with Lynn Travers, a well known Standard Poodle breeder in the New England region, where I learned all styles of poodle grooming for pets and shows.

I was one of the first housecall groomers and opened Happy Critters in 2000. I love grooming small, as I like to call them “my little behavior cases” and thrive when working them through fears, stress and anxiety. In October 2018, I started my podcast Creating Great Grooming Dogs that is hosted weekly on Tuesdays about where grooming and dog training meet. My show allowed me the opportunity to get noticed as an educator and opened doors to speaking for Barkleigh at grooming expos. I love teaching and look at dog training as logic puzzles and grooming is the art. As much as I love teaching, I love learning and geeking out with other dog professionals. The more knowledge I possess, the more I can give back to those I educate. One of my current hobbies is strong passion for Flyball with my current Border Collies Brok and Po. Flyball started for me with Isa in 2005 and over the years have been awarded numerous titles with my other dogs.

Dara Forleo, B.A. in Business
Dara Forleo, B.A. in Business

President and Founder

Dara Forleo is the founder of multiple entrepreneurial businesses.

She started The Whole Pet Grooming Academy, an arts and sciences school specializing in training professional pet stylists. She and her husband, Lee, created Come What May Racing, a Thoroughbred racehorse syndicate operation based in Kentucky and the Mid-Atlantic Region.

Dara has been recognized as Educator of the Year, Emerging Business Leader, and a Pet Age Icon Awards honoree for her experience and long-term contributions to the pet industry. She recently was top in her Executive Education Women's Leadership Program class at Yale University and had a B.A. in Business from Ottawa University. Her insights have been featured in multiple publications, and she often shares her expertise, speaking at conferences nationwide.

Dara has honed her education and experience over the last two decades culminating in her mentor program for business owners nationwide. Having experienced firsthand how being a successful business owner can give life to your dreams as with her Come What May Racing passion, she is uniquely suited to help any entrepreneur do the same.