Pet grooming is a loyalty business

The objective is about beauty. But getting there can be harrowing.

“It's loud. It's dirty. And you do get bit,” said Marrie McIntyre, owner of the Pet Studio in Marion. “A lot of clients think it's all fun because you get to snuggle the pets.”

Angela Gustafson - owner of the Dog House, a pet grooming operation on the northeast side of Cedar Rapids - added that pet grooming is a physically taxing line of work.

“You are lifting pets in and out of bath tubs and onto grooming tables constantly and you are on your feet continually,” Gustafson said. “The larger dogs present special issues simply because of their size and the awkwardness of lifting a long, heavy, wiggly, wet creature.

“And it takes a lot of time and skill to get pets looking their best. By the end of the day, we are all ready to be off our feet.”

In a typical day the Dog House, with a staff of 10, will groom 50 pets - all breeds of dogs as well as cats. Each pet has its own likes and dislikes.

“We talk the pet through as much as we can, and having a recurring relationship helps in stressful situations. Typically it is fear that pets exhibit in these situations, and their response is from that emotional state.”

The human component of the pet industry is also critical, Gustafson said.

McIntyre noted she has plenty of battle wounds, having been in business for 21 years. She co-owns the Pet Studio with her identical twin sister Carrie McIntyre. They groom dogs and cats as well as rabbits and guinea pigs, seeing about 18 pets a day, Monday through Friday, year-round.

While twin sisters owning a pet grooming business might be unique in and of itself, she says their approach to grooming is what sets their business apart.

“We work as a team and work on each animal together,” she said. “Two of us can hold the animal, get in and get it done. The dogs prefer it that way.”

Johnine Howe also takes a slightly different approach to pet grooming. Howe has owned and operated Going to the Dogs Mobile Grooming, based in Cedar Rapids, since 2008.

“They are only at the curb for about an hour to be groomed, then back in their home,” Howe explained.

She grooms all breeds up to 30 pounds - from puppies to senior dogs - averaging some 100 pets per month.

“Holidays are my busiest times. Everyone wants Sparky to be clean and smell good when the family and friends arrive,” she said.

The advantage to mobile grooming, Howe said, is convenience.

“Some of my customers are homebound, some of the dogs are in fragile health and many customers don't like loading the dog in the car and going back to pick him up before closing,” she said.

While owners of pet grooming businesses are required to be licensed and inspected by the state each year, individual groomers aren't required to be certified. Some companies, however, make that a business priority.

“All of our groomers are certified in the grooming industry. We utilize the experience of our senior staff to further the training of our younger grooming personnel ...,” Gustafson said.

She added that groomers at the Dog House have extensive experience in bathing and grooming cats, who are often more temperamental.

While the animals may occasionally bite, the tough economy hasn't taken a bite out of profits.

“People are very willing to spend money on their pets, recession or not,” McIntyre said. “People will pay to have their dogs looking healthy and clean.”

“We have certainly seen fewer folks coming through the doors as often as they used to. Sometimes the time between grooms is extended,” Gustafson added.

The Dog House, in fact, is currently experience expansion, having recently opened a second location - focusing on grooming, boarding and day care - in southwest Cedar Rapids called the Dog House West. Plus, they are relocating their original grooming location to a new site on the northeast side of the city.