And it's all down to TAFE NSW Yallah pet grooming teacher Bonnie Harrison.

She explains the educational coup simply: "I just asked."

A special "model dog" category had been established at the show this year exclusively for the students.

"It can be quite intimidating going up against master groomers so this is a stepping stone to show the students the different sides of creative grooming," Ms Harrison said.

"This is a great way for students to hone and benchmark their skills, but it's also a powerful networking event," Ms Harrison said.

It means her Certificate III in Pet Grooming class will have their work critiqued by international judges from Italy, New Zealand and Australia.

Another four graduates from a previous intake at Yallah, and Ms Harrison herself, also will compete at the prestigious show - clipping, coiffing and plucking their canine models across multiple categories on Tuesday, April 2.

A pet groomer with her own salon, Bonnie's Pawesome Grooming near Nowra, Ms Harrison is dedicated to sharing her skills.

"I'm full throttle in trying to get more groomers in the industry because the amount of dogs outweighs the people who are capable of grooming."

And while the industry is not regulated, she's determined to raise the skill base. And her enthusiasm is infectious.

Take 36-year-old Sam Kalinic. Having tasted redundancy twice in just five years, she bid a not-so-sad farewell to her corporate career to become a pet groomer.

"After all those years of working in corporate ... this is actually the happiest I've ever been in terms of job fulfillment.

"I turned down big corporate money to start doing this and it's just the best."

A supportive husband and family have helped the career change but Ms Kalinic paid tribute to her teacher, too.

"Bonnie's been amazing. She's been so supportive and, like, really goes above and beyond for all of us," she said.

"Essentially she's putting our work in places that it normally would not have been seen."

She's not the only super-appreciative student, add Violet Smith-Brown to that list, too.

Having spent time dealing with health issues, the 24-year-old entered the course having completed a Certificate II in animal care.

"I didn't really have any long-term goals or anything," Ms Smith-Brown said.

"Even when I started doing this I still didn't have any kind of aspirations or goals but now I can genuinely see myself doing this the rest of my life as my career."

In previous years, students from the course have received job offers from salon owners while competing at the show.

For 23-year-old Rebecca Bird, from Albion Park, it's all she after: "I'd love to find a job and do it full time."

Enrolments for the July intake for the Certificate III in pet grooming at Yallah are now open.