It takes a certain skill to be a quality dog groomer. Some may even say it is an art form. When asked what makes dog grooming an art form, Jessica Spyker, one of The Dog Shop’s owners, said there are many similarities between creating art and grooming dogs. Jessica studied art until she was about 20 years old. She explained when creating art, you take a subject, visualize your end product, investigate all the different aspects, choose the best tools to use, and work with the tools and subject to achieve the desired end result. You do the same thing when grooming dogs. Using the dog as your subject and your hands and grooming apparatuses as the tools, you visualize the outcome of the dog’s grooming experience, taking into account many factors such as the dog’s hair, their history (in case they have experienced trauma related to dog grooming that may be triggered during grooming), their mood, etc. then you determine how you will achieve the end goal given all of the variables. In the end, you will have a well-groomed dog.

Danielle Cruz, co-owner of the Dog Shop, added that there is an emotional piece included in creating artthat is also reflected in dog grooming. She pointed out that you must embody calmness during the process in order for the dog to feel calm. “If we get stressed, the dog does, too,” she said. In art, your emotions are reflected in your work; based on Danielle’s comments, the same goes for dog grooming.

The Dog Shop encompasses this emotional aspect of dog grooming in ways no other local shop does. The employees go through the grooming process with each dog as opposed to doing the grooming process to the dogs. This creates an emotional bond between dog and groomer, which ends in a better grooming experience for everyone. Further, dogs can freely roam around the Dog Shop while other dogs are being groomed. Free roaming allows the dogs to feel at ease and enjoy being at the shop.

Overall, the Dog Shop provides a truly artistic grooming experience. From making emotional bonds with each dog that enters their shop, to letting the dogs freely roam around, the Dog Shop believes in high quality grooming and a worthy experience that leaves your dog wanting to come back.