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Australia's cooperative care standard

One standard. Every dog. No exceptions.

A professional certification network uniting groomers, salons, and trainers, with resources for owners, all built on one non-negotiable standard of care.

CGN Groomers
CGN Salons
CGN Trainers
CGN at Home
Join the waitlist

For professionals and pet owners. No spam. Ever.

Why this exists

Most pet owners have no idea what happens to their dog once that salon door closes. And most groomers believe the way they've always done it is fine, because no one has ever told them otherwise, and the industry has never demanded better.

Dogs are being restrained, flooded, and punished into compliance every single day in salons across Australia. It's legal. It's common. And it needs to stop.

The Collective Grooming Network exists to build a new standard, one where groomers and trainers work together, dogs are treated with patience and science-backed technique, and pet owners can finally know their dog is in safe hands.

This is not about shaming the industry. It's about changing it.

Four streams. One standard.

Whether you're a professional or a pet owner, CGN has a place for you. Every stream connects back to the same commitment: dogs are never forced, flooded, or punished.

CGN Groomers

Individual groomers

You're seeing more anxious and reactive dogs. You want to do better but the industry has never given you a framework. CGN changes that.

  • Certified in cooperative care grooming
  • Listed in the CGN national directory
  • Connected to CGN certified trainers for referrals
  • Protocols, templates, and ongoing education
CGN Salons

Grooming salons

Salon certification means every groomer in your business meets the CGN standard. It's a mark of quality that sets your salon apart and gives clients genuine confidence.

  • Whole-of-business certification
  • CGN Certified Salon listing in the directory
  • Staff training resources and protocols
  • A credential clients can trust and share
CGN Trainers

Dog trainers

Your clients' dogs undo their progress every time they visit a groomer who doesn't share your approach. CGN certifies trainers in grooming-specific behaviour support.

  • Certified in grooming preparation and husbandry training
  • Listed in the CGN national directory
  • Connected to CGN certified groomers for referrals
  • A recognised credential that sets you apart
CGN at Home

Pet owners

The best time to prepare your dog for grooming is before they ever set foot in a salon. CGN at Home gives owners the tools to build a dog who is genuinely comfortable being handled.

  • Step-by-step home preparation guides
  • Cooperative care exercises for everyday owners
  • How to find and work with a CGN certified professional
  • Resources for anxious, reactive, or rescue dogs

Education built for working professionals

Practical, structured learning you can apply from your next appointment. Not theory for theory's sake.

01

The CGN Code of Practice

Every member signs the CGN Code. No punishment, no force, no flooding. This is what makes the certification mean something.

02

Structured learning modules

Written modules covering cooperative care, fear-free handling, rehabilitation of anxious dogs, and groomer-trainer collaboration.

03

Templates and protocols

Ready-to-use tools including client handouts, intake forms, session records, and referral frameworks between groomers and trainers.

04

Professional community

Connect with CGN certified professionals across Australia who hold each other to the same standard of care.

05

Your CGN certificate

A credential that carries weight because the standard behind it is real. Display it, share it, and let clients know what it means.

06

Continuing education

The industry is evolving. CGN members stay current with ongoing modules and peer learning as new research emerges.

CGN National Directory

Pet owners deserve to know who they can trust

The CGN directory will be the only place in Australia where pet owners can search for verified cooperative care professionals, groomers, salons, and trainers, in their area.

Every listing has met the CGN standard. No exceptions.

CGN Certified Professionals
SL
Sarah L.
Richmond, VIC
Groomer
PG
Paws Grooming Co.
Fitzroy, VIC
Salon
MK
Mark K.
Northcote, VIC
Trainer
JP
Jade P.
Brunswick, VIC
Groomer

The Collective Grooming Network was founded by a grooming educator and cooperative care advocate based in Melbourne, Australia. With years of hands-on experience working with dogs, groomers, and trainers, the gap between these professions has been impossible to ignore.

Dogs leaving training sessions calm and confident, only to be flooded and restrained at their next groom. Groomers doing their best with no framework to guide them. Trainers with no grooming-specific credentials to offer clients. Owners with no way to know if their dog is safe. The system is failing dogs, and no one is fixing it.

CGN is the fix.

Chloe