“We treat your pets like GOLD!”
Yup, you’re right, it IS quiet here. We don’t have 50 barking and whining dogs here. There’s only your dog(s) and my wife. No crazy commotion to upset and disturb your dog. It’s calm and quiet. It’s what works best for your dog. Think about it. It’s a strange place they visit and they only see it every six to eight weeks. It’s NOT home. Dogs are a creature of habit. They get into routines, and some get upset or disturbed when that routine is not as expected. Why would your dog like to go somewhere when they are constantly exposed to loud noises, other dogs barking, people running back and forth, etc. Some dogs actually get physically sick from that. We’ve seen it.
SO, our shop is small enough for your dog to feel comfortable and big enough for us to work in. We don’t cage animals when they’re not being worked on. They are free to walk around, explore, sleep under the desk if they want, get a drink of fresh water and get petted. Many of our repeat clients say that their dogs actually LIKE coming here. They get so they know when it’s time to come visit Lana (my wife) and they can’t wait to come inside to get groomed. Some of them have become an extension of our family. They want to be here when they get here.
Some things you probably don’t know is that the State of Michigan doesn’t require ANY training or licensing to open a pet grooming shop. Your barber or hairdresser has to be licensed and schooled, but not your pet groomer. So, there are no standards of care for your animal. We have set our own standards that we adhere to. That includes vaccinations for every dog that comes through our door. Dogs can carry diseases that people can contract, including Rabies and Leptospirosis, both of which can be fatal. We don’t want those illnesses and we don’t want them transmitted to your dog when they get here. Nearly 40% of the people who call as first-time customers don’t get past the door, because they don’t/won’t get their dogs vaccinated. We’ve required that since 2004. It’s nothing new here.
As far as training goes, Lana went to Paragon School of Pet Grooming when it was a REAL school in Jenison MI. It was a year-long course. The instructors were people who worked the professional dog show circuits. She was trained how to properly groom and handle your dog. You can’t learn that without hands-on, in person experience.
We’re a registered business with the State of Michigan and Ottawa County and carry proper insurances as such.