KATIE ZOELLER, OWNER of Top-Dog Grooming, 115 E. 4th St., La Center, brushes a 7-month-old Schnauzer pup named Finley. Zoeller’s customers call her a ‘dog whisperer’ and say she has the ability to work with many dogs that can’t go to other groomers.
When Katie Zoeller, owner of La Center’s Top-Dog Grooming, was a little girl, she didn’t have any real pets to care for, so she put her loving energy into her stuffed animals.
“I’d give my stuffed animals haircuts and beg my parents to get a dog, Zoeller, 28, recalls.
When she was still in high school, Zoeller transferred her stuff animal grooming abilities to a real job at a Vancouver pet grooming shop. She bathed the dogs and helped get them ready for their grooming session. At 18, she found her own pet, a giant Rottweiler that started as an 8-week-old ball of fluff and turned into a 160-pound dog.
Today, Zoeller lives with her husband, Mike, the couple’s two children, 8-year-old Samantha and 6-year-old Michael, and the family’s adopted dog – a small chihuahua-dachshund mix named Delilah – in Washougal and spends her days grooming pets from all over Clark County at her business, Top-Dog Grooming, at 115 E. 4th St., in La Center.
Customers say Zoeller has a rare quality that calms dogs and works wonders on pups that are hard to handle.
“She’s like a dog whisperer!” says customer Edye Ross, of La Center. “I know some people who can’t take their dogs to any other groomer.”
Zoeller says she’s had customers tell her she has a special way with dogs, but she is modest when it comes to her dog-whispering ways.
“I don’t know what it is,” Zoeller says. “I know that I’ve been able to work with dogs that are not allowed to go to other groomers. I just try to be calm and use treats and help them not be so nervous.”
Zoeller, who purchased the Top-Dog Grooming business almost two years ago, after former owner Vicki Barnhart passed away, also understands dog behavior and has taken classes on canine body language.
Many dogs that come to have their nails clipped or their hair washed are nervous and can be aggressive. Zoeller tries to be as gentle and patient as possible – and she watches for signs of aggression – but that still doesn’t stop a dog from biting.
“I’m usually pretty quick, but last week a dog grabbed onto my hand and shook,” Zoeller says, pointing to the soft part of her hand between the thumb and pointer finger. “That hurt!”
Still, most of her canine clients have learned to trust Zoeller and know that coming to the groomer is a safe place where they might get a few treats or maybe a little massage. It’s not a place to fear anymore.
Zoeller loves all types of dogs, but is especially fond of the “bully” breeds like pit bulls, American Staffordshire terriers, boxers, Boston terriers and bulldogs – dogs that other groomers sometimes don’t like to work with.
The La Center “dog whisperer” offers a full range of grooming services, from walk-in nail clipping to a spa day of hair washing, nail painting and even temporary hair dye “tattoos” that wash off. She tries to educate her human clients about issues like natural flea control and how to calm a dog that doesn’t like to have his nails clipped (hold him on your lap at night and rub his feet, Zoeller says).
“I love the dogs,” Zoeller says. “I work with dogs that can’t go anywhere else, and blind dogs, senior dogs … all types of dogs. No two are alike.”
To make an appointment for your dog at Top-Dog Grooming, call Zoeller at (360) 263-3434 or stop in at the shop, 115 E. 4th St., La Center. The grooming business is open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Saturday. All dog breeds are welcome.
