Professional Master Canine Stylist™

$2,000.00

Program Overview – Open Enrollment

You’ve already earned the skill. Now claim the title.

You’ve spent years grooming real dogs for real clients. You know your breeds, you know your job and your clients trust you. But in a field full of quick certificates and seminars, your mastery deserves official recognition.

The Master Canine Stylist Diploma is how you prove it.

This program is for experienced professionals, typically 5+ years behind the table, who are ready to be formally recognized for what they’ve already mastered.
No show dogs. No travel. No judgment. Just grooming at the highest standard like you do every day on your everyday pet.

This is not grooming school 2.0. This is your GED in pet grooming, test out of grooming school!

Aligned with IAPEG certification and Department of Education–approved through The WPGA, this diploma validates your expertise, earns you formal credentials, and elevates your reputation as one of the industry’s best.

Program Duration

  • Total: 3 months (12 weeks)

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

What You’ll Gain

  • Prove Mastery — Earn the most advanced credential for everyday career groomers.

  • Command Respect — Show clients and employers you’ve met professional, standardized criteria.

  • Lead with Integrity — Demonstrate best practices and ethical, MODERN grooming standards.

  • Showcase Excellence — Graduate with a professional portfolio and final assessment.

  • Be Certification-Ready — Step confidently into IAPEG certification.

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

You’ve already earned the skill. Now claim the title.

You’ve spent years grooming real dogs for real clients. You know your breeds, you know your job and your clients trust you. But in a field full of quick certificates and seminars, your mastery deserves official recognition.

The Master Canine Stylist Diploma is how you prove it.

This program is for experienced professionals, typically 5+ years behind the table, who are ready to be formally recognized for what they’ve already mastered.
No show dogs. No travel. No judgment. Just grooming at the highest standard like you do every day on your everyday pet.

This is not grooming school 2.0. This is your GED in pet grooming, test out of grooming school!

Aligned with IAPEG certification and Department of Education–approved through The WPGA, this diploma validates your expertise, earns you formal credentials, and elevates your reputation as one of the industry’s best.

Program Duration

  • Total: 3 months (12 weeks)

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

What You’ll Gain

  • Prove Mastery — Earn the most advanced credential for everyday career groomers.

  • Command Respect — Show clients and employers you’ve met professional, standardized criteria.

  • Lead with Integrity — Demonstrate best practices and ethical, MODERN grooming standards.

  • Showcase Excellence — Graduate with a professional portfolio and final assessment.

  • Be Certification-Ready — Step confidently into IAPEG certification.

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
View Syllabus here

How It Works:

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

Why It Matters

  • Validation — Recognition for your years of professional work.

  • Prestige — A credential that sets you apart from informal training.

  • Trust — Confidence from clients, colleagues, and employers.

  • Longevity — A title that stays with you and supports future licensing.

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.