Why is a pet photographer writing about dog grooming? The answer is, for a number of reasons. I often photograph dogs the day after a grooming appointment when they're looking fine. I once had a session reschedule because the client didn't like their dog's haircut and wanted to wait two months for it to grow back and try a different groomer. The dog trainer in me cares about how the process of grooming is carried out, with attention to the comfort and well-being of the dog. I'm often asked by clients if I know of a good groomer so I like to be prepared to reply with first hand knowledge.
I'm lucky that I see so many dogs each week in my training classes that when I see one with a great cut, I always ask "where did you take your dog?". I keep a list of the replies and early on two groomers names came up over and over again; Splash and Dash Groomerie in Coppell and Pawsome Pets in Lewisville. A third recently popped on my radar when I saw some adorable bling on a dog in a recent training class (more on that below); Simply Pawsitive Grooming also in Lewisville, Texas.
As a woman-owned small business in north Texas I am happy to be able to put a spotlight on these three women-owned small businesses who are doing it right and deserve to be applauded. Each offers something unique that sets them apart from the others, ensuring that one will be a great fit for your pup's specific needs.
Splash and Dash Groomerie and Boutique In Coppell
Jaime Meyer opened Splash and Dash Groomerie and Boutique (formerly known as Cutie Pie Pets) in Coppell thirteen years ago. Her husband John joined the business pretty quickly after opening and they've been a fixture in my home town ever since. Jaime's parents were both entrepreneurs and her mother owned a grooming salon where Jaime worked prior to her graduation from college and career in software development. A few years into her corporate career she grew increasingly disillusioned with the world of suits and decided to open her own grooming salon, "I missed the dogs" she said.
Jaime worked in the "back of the house" grooming and John became the face of then Cutie Pie Pets, handling client interactions and scheduling. A year later they welcomed their first child and Jaime was pleasantly surprised that she was able to hire great people to allow the business to continue to grow while she focused on her new family.
"I truly enjoy the staff development and business operation side of things" Jaime told me, "We pride ourselves on our training program and employee retention. Our head groomer has been with us for over four years". Each week they hold a staff meeting to recognize employee achievement and review how they can continue to improve the client experience and their own processes. Jaime keeps a close watch on employee morale because while it's great working with dogs all day long, it can also be stressful. To keep the meetings upbeat, each employee selects their favorite dog of that week and talks about why they chose them.
All staff are trained in-house with a focus on doing what's right for the dog whether it's a special shampoo for a skin condition or shaving a dog to avoid painful and tedious removal of matted fur. "For the health and happiness of your pet" is their motto. Both Jaime and John pride themselves on building relationships not only with the dogs, but also with their human clientele. I've referred training clients to them for years and they remain incredibly busy today so they're clearly doing something right. It was a steady stream of arriving and departing dogs during my visit.
The boutique is colorful and cheerful with lots of shopping opportunities to spoil your pet from custom dog cookies and treats to plush toys, collars, leashes and more. They encourage you to stop by their adorable Selfie Station and take a photo with your newly groomed pup. They offer convenient online scheduling on their website or you can call (972) 745-7387 to book your appointment. Splash and Dash Groomerie and Boutique is located at 150 S Denton Tap Rd #115 in Coppell, TX 75019. You can follow their socials on Facebook and Instagram.
Simply Pawsitive Grooming in Lewisville
A relatively new groomer in the area is Liz Torres of Simply Pawsitive Grooming in south Lewisville, but she's not new to the pet care industry. Liz has worked at a dog daycare, big-box pet supply stores and apprenticed under an experienced groomer for years before opening her salon in August of last year.
Liz offers one-to-one grooming services which means that she only has one dog in the salon at a time. If you have a reactive dog, or one that is fearful of other dogs, this is music to your ears. Your dog (and you!) can have a less stressful visit to the groomers.
When asked what she loves to do, she quickly replied "the fluffy cuts" with a Schnauzer show trim being a close second. She loves grooming doodles and gets many requests for the "Teddy Bear face", a round, circular trim around the dog's face that mimics a teddy bear (also known as an "Asian Fusion" cut).
She also enjoys some of the more creative treatments such as vegetable-based, vegan, dog-safe hair coloring and gem application (this last one was what put her on my radar when a bedazzled pup showed up in one of my training classes). Torres was careful to mention that color treatments and gems "are not for every dog, I only use them if the dog readily accepts the process, I will not push a dog".
Torres is serious about her business and holds Certificates of both Grooming and Pet Hygiene from the Master Groomers Academy as well as Pet Safety in the Salon from the American Kennel Club. In addition to trims, she also offers de-shedding baths and services which are great to help keep those double-coated dogs' fur in good condition and a bit lighter for our hot summer months. She offers a military discount and during COVID has also offered a teacher and first responder discount.
You can conveniently book your appointment with Liz by visiting the Simply Pawsitive Grooming website or by calling (469) 379-6996. The salon located at 713 Hebron Parkway Suite 208 in Lewisville, Texas 75057 in the Super Target plaza. You can follow her socials on Facebook and Instagram.
Pawsome Pets in Lewisville
After hearing so much about Pawsome Pets Dog and Cat Grooming in north Lewisville, it was a pleasure to finally meet the woman behind it all; Terran Benjamin. The first thing I noticed was how bright and airy the salon the was; the large front windows fill it with natural sunlight. The second thing I noticed was how quiet it was. Like super quiet. Like my house with four dogs is louder than the salon on the busy weekday afternoon when I visited.
All the grooming takes place in the front of the salon, in full view of clients. It reminded me of a restaurant whose kitchen is in the dining room area. During my visit they were in the process of grooming four dogs, two more were being dropped off in the lobby while another 3 were being picked up and new clients were inquiring about services with the receptionist, yet you could easily hear the radio softly playin the back of the salon. The vibe is so chill that I even found myself relaxing while chatting with Terran, who never skipped a beat while giving Lucy a fresh, new trim for spring.
Terran has been grooming dogs for twenty four years but finally decided to do it her own way almost three years ago when she opened Pawsome Paws Dog and Cat Grooming in north Lewisville and she's never looked back. The salon's services are so in demand that they're currently booked two-to-three weeks out right now. When asked what she likes most about it, Terran quickly replied "Turning a caterpillar into a butterfly". Fellow groomer Laura added "It's so satisfying to look at the finished product and say to myself, 'I did that'. Cody, another of the groomers on staff, said "I love it when a client is so happy with my work that they post a picture of their pup on social media and tag the salon".
A lifelong animal over, Benjamin initially wanted to be a veterinarian but once she started the journey she quickly realized that it wasn't for her. "When you love animals, everyone says 'become a vet' she remembers, "but there are so many more ways that you can work with animals. I wish more people knew about grooming as a career."
Dogs are not the only ones getting the spa treatment at Pawsome Pets, they also bathe, groom and trim cats with additional services like deshedding and lion cuts. Cats are scheduled first thing in the morning so they can have the salon to themselves, away from any dogs that might make them feel uncomfortable. A particular point of pride in the salon is their use of high quality, organic and holistic shampoos and grooming products not available to the general public. Terran sources the products from specialty vendors not found in big box stores.
Pawsome Pets is a full-service pet grooming service offering all the standards such as baths, cuts, nail trims, anal glands, ear cleaning, deshedding, etc. but also provides some of the more difficult, specialty services like hand stripping / carding and hand scissoring and creative things like fur coloring using vegan, dog safe products.
You can learn more about all services by visiting their website, to schedule your pet's grooming appointment call the salon at (469) 993-1646. The grooming salon is located at 1425 Farm to Market Road, Lewisville, TX 75077. You can follow their socials on Facebook and Instagram.
6 Comments
May 29, 2021, 12:18:45 PM
Linda Perdue - Wow - that's awesome how you spot lighted a few businesses! I hope this is a great relationship between both of you!
May 22, 2021, 9:41:47 AM
Nancy - Sound like you have some great places for grooming
May 21, 2021, 3:23:22 PM
Darlene - All of these fun names for "cuts" and grooming salons! Wish a husky with horrible handling, I do my own grooming lol so i enjoyed reading this post! Thanks for sharing these amazing businesses and what they do! I love your pictures too - they must be thrilled!
May 21, 2021, 1:35:05 PM
Rachel Moore - I didn't know you were a dog trainer, too, Tracy! I'd thought about getting the CPDT certification years ago but not made the jump quite yet. Maybe when the kids are grown, lol.
May 21, 2021, 1:32:37 PM
Rachel Moore - You found some neat groomers! You can always tell when someone takes pride in their business by how neat and professional they keep it. The groomers you mentioned certainly look like that.
May 21, 2021, 12:44:12 PM
Nicole - Well done! This is such a useful blog for anyone in your area looking for a groomer!