Your loved one needs a haircut. On top of all that, incredible B.O., bad breath and ragged nails threaten to ruin every magic moment. The good thing is, there is someone close by who can provide the bath and makeover that will restore your object of affection to huggable status.
Everywhere you look, furry four-legged friends are prancing from the boutiques, salons and grooming services that are populating urban and suburban corridors. Lansing alone claims a dozen or more independent dog groomers, with a rival pack in the immediate suburbs. Veterinarians and pet retailers are also opening the kennel doors to attend to the personal needs of companion animals.
"There's no doubt it's a growing industry," says Amber Slater, head instructor and Internationally Certified Master Groomer with the
Michigan School of Canine Cosmetology in Lansing. "We have about 2,700 customers who come to us regularly." Slater pauses when she hears a bark. Smiling, she acknowledges that pet owners are customers, too.
Barking up the right tree
Contemporary culture breeds a love of pets, with more households than ever affording their dog or cat family member status. Recent statistics by the American Veterinary Medical Association reveal that six out of 10 pet owners consider their pets as family members. And with nearly 70 million pet dogs in the U.S., that's a lot of brothers, sisters, sons and daughters needing extra care and attention. "Most of our clients are family members," says Sandy Cook, owner of the Michigan Canine School of Cosmetology. "They're not living out in the barn anymore. They're in the house and in bed with you."
Cook entered the dog grooming profession after a stretch working retail. She wanted a change, the economy was sour, so in the late 1980s, she enrolled at the newly established Canine Cosmetology school on the city's South side. In 1996, Cook bought the then 10-year-old school from the founder and continued the tradition of training animal lovers in the art of professional grooming.
Cook employs three instructors who provide up to 600 hours of professional instruction to about 30 students a year. Many students, Cook says, are people looking to re-career after a layoff or dead-end job. Others are simply animal lovers with an entrepreneurial spirit. Slater was one of those students back in the late 90s. "I couldn't get enough of animals growing up," says Slater, a native of Delta Township. "I was always bringing home some critter for us to take care of."
Slater took pre-vet and vet-tech courses at Lansing Community College, then decided her calling was to help pets look and feel their best. She attended the Canine Cosmetology school, earned her master grooming credentials from International Professional Groomers, Inc., and worked her way up to teaching.
Slater provides instruction on handling and caring for dogs of all sizes, temperaments and breeds. She also teaches Pet CPR and is certified through the American Red Cross. Grooming, she says, is much more than a shave and a haircut and involves knowing standard cuts for up to 300 recognized breeds. "It's also a lot more physical than people think," says Slater, adding that services can involve ear cleaning, nail clipping and deshedding. "That's especially true when you have an 85-pound labradoodle in the tub."
Slater says that attending to "pet parents" is part of the territory. Many clients, she says, ask for modifications or particular cuts, and sometimes bring in pictures of preferred trims or styles. Some clients also like the added flair of non-toxic, semi-permanent hair dyes on tufts, tails and feet.
"Our students are taught to help educate our clients," says Slater, as she points out that groomers advise on teeth cleaning, skin ailments, pest problems or common pet peculiarities. "As long as the services are safe and in the dog's best interests, we try to oblige."
Customer Kathy Kepitis is one of the school's 2,700 customers. She appreciates the extra TLC her pet receives through the $35 and up services. According to the American Pet Products Association, Kepitis is among a growing group of consumers who pumped $4.16 billion into the economy through pet grooming and boarding services in 2012. "It's like taking your kid to the barbershop," she says of her one-year-old Yorkshire terrier. "She looks so cute when she's done and loves to prance around at home to show off."
Part of the pack
Kepitis and Trixie represent the many dog-owner duos that visit a groomer the recommended once every six weeks. And like a trip to the hair salon, an excursion to a dog groomer can take anywhere from 90 minutes to four hours.
Professional groomer Kelly Jimmerson typically spends more than an hour or two on each customer who pads through the door. While it's hard work standing on your feet to trim, swab, bathe and cut, she's rewarded by the happy grins on both the dogs and customers when she finishes up with ribbons or bandanas. "There's a huge art to this," says Jimmerson, owner of
Kelly's Pet Boutique in East Lansing. "You're making each and every dog very pretty."
Jimmerson explains that she and her staff do more than simply shave down dogs. Wielding special scissors, she expertly trims the leg hairs and tufts of a border collie, then stands back to inspect her handiwork. "We put a lot of TLC into what we do," she says. "This dog, for instance, has a breed specific cut. We also consider what looks cute on dogs, too."
Jimmerson's shop sees an average of 17 to 20 dogs per day for appointments that run $48 on up. That's a full house, considering her bulldog Zeus and black lab Higgie are her shop's mascots.
Three sleeping pets also surround groomer Danny Stewart as he talks about the dyes, nail polish, aloe vera and medicated baths that are favorites for many breeds. After an apprenticeship in Los Angeles, Stewart relocated to Michigan and continued his 16-year grooming odyssey in Greater Lansing.
Like Jimmerson, Stewart knows cuts and grooming standards for recognized breeds and how to handle dogs and their personalities. "Animals can read you," Stewart says as he strokes and shaves one of his many poodle mixes of the day. "Once they know we're not going to hurt them they're fine. We have dogs come here that jump right up on the table or into the tub."
When he's done pampering his client, Stewart gently leads the dog to a waiting area. He pulls out his cell phone and shows you pictures of his pack: Emma the shih tzu, Eloise the golden retriever, and Elton the pug. All are neatly cut and trimmed, posing for pictures against a photographer's backdrop
"Having a dog is a way to love someone and not have as big of a commitment," says Stewart. "How much better can you have it? It's unconditional love."
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Ann Kammerer is a freelance writer living in the Greater Lansing Area.
Photos ©
Dave Trumpie
Dave Trumpie is the managing photographer for Capital Gains. He is a freelance photographer and owner of
Trumpie Photography.