Shabby Dog Salon owner and groomer Lori Horsley sits with her dog, Havana, at her business. Though she had recently taken over the business from her daughter she has more than three decades of experience in grooming.
Shabby Dog Salon owner and groomer Lori Horsley grooms her dog Havana at her business. Now running her third groomer in her career, she says she’s able to take more time with each dog, allowing for smoother groomings.
An expert of the art of a well-groomed dog is back in action in Woodland as Shabby Dog Salon’s management has switched hands.
The Salon, which has been open for roughly a year, recently came under the ownership of Lori Horsley, a groomer with more than 35 years of experience.
Originally Shabby Dog was ran by Horsley's daughter, Kirby Lewellyn, who started up at the location a little over a year ago. As to how she got to running the spot, Horsley explained that her daughter wanted a career change and as Horsley had already done some grooming occasionally at the location it made sense to take the reins.
Horsley has been heading up the operation for about a month now, having started in early September.
“Once I started doing it, (I realized) I missed it,” Horsley remarked.
Coming back to the business, Horsley says she has the chance to take things a little slower than had been in her past businesses, able to tailor visits to the dogs as well as having the ability to take the time needed for each dog to be comfortable with the process.
“I’m not in a rush to do their dogs,” Horsley said. “Especially the older dogs, they need a break. They can’t go two hours straight getting groomed.”
In some cases, Horsley’s own canine, Havana, a six-year-old standard poodle, has helped to make sure the dogs are calm, putting her paws on the table and providing a calming affect on the unhappy client.
Although oftentimes the dogs getting groomed would like nothing better but to get off the table, Horsley said the nips and squirms are to be expected and she manages to roll with what they throw at her – to her memory there has been only one dog she could not groom.
“Unlike with a human, a dog doesn’t do anything out of spite,” Horsley said, explaining that dog behavior was easier to understand and work with.
Through her years a couple of misconceptions regarding the need and process of grooming have come up. Although her dog Havana had a low-shedding coat that requires heavy grooming, dogs with a double coat like a German shepherd dog or a labrador retriever shouldn’t be too excessively groomed such as through shaving. Double-coated dogs usually shed out effectively and shaving could end up making them hotter than desired.
Another thing she’s noticed are dog owners who want to be present during the whole process. Horsley said that it actually works better if master is away, as attention isn’t diverted and the groomer can get to work.
“Most of the time if the owners are here, the dogs act way worse; they’re antsy and jumping,” Horsley said.
That premium on a calming atmosphere – further reinforced by the organic, “shabby” feeling of the small shop – was one of the ways Horsley does it best, a fact she is confident is the case.
“It’s nice when the dogs are happy and feel comfortable,” Horsley remarked.
