Tonda Genther

Founder of the PetKlips Paragon Alumni Pack

Paragon graduate Tonda Genther exemplifies Paragon’s  “Education is Everything.” The student-turned-teacher-turned Salon Owner of PetKlips now employs THREE Paragon alumni!

“I have a thriving business and have amazing groomers that all came from Paragon. They come to me with such a great foundation. I help them grow and flourish and continue learning,” she said.

Tonda always knew that she wanted to pursue a career in grooming because she’s worked with and shown dogs all of her life. Her labor of love started in 2003 when she studied pet grooming with Paragon’s On-Campus program. Upon graduation, she joined Lorri’s ProTeam and taught for a year and a half. Later, she worked for other salons, gathering knowledge on how things were run, and taught night school at Paragon. In 2006, she knew it was time for the next step.

Tonda opened PetKlips and put all her skills in motion to create a thriving salon, staffed by the best.

“I choose Paragon graduates because of the solid education they receive,” Tonda said. At Paragon, students gain handling skills, know the importance of connecting with the dogs, and are exposed to ALL aspects of grooming.

Tonda advises aspiring groomers to observe how a groomers day goes and see what it’s like.

“Research behavior, training, breeds – All dogs are different and handle the grooming process different. It’s very critical to make sure it’s something you’re capable and able to deal with if you don’t have experience working with dogs,” she said.

Paragon has a solid education – Paragon students have handling skills, know how to make connections with dogs, and the program touches base on all areas of grooming. Paragon is the best place to go, they give you a great start and you can make a living straight out of there. It is impossible for Paragon and anybody else to teach everything, but Paragon has an amazing foundation. We all learn more and more – there’s always an opportunity for education.

- Tonda Genther, PetKlips