Local women pamper pooches every day at Danville’s dog grooming business – The Advocate-Messenger

The job of a dog groomer can sometimes be compared to that of a beautician, but sometimes it can be a little more difficult. Both professions use combs, brushes, clippers, scissors, shampoo, and hair dryers. But dog groomers have the added challenge of getting an animal in and out of a kennel, cuddling it in a bath, trying to stay dry when the dog shakes the water, and lifting it onto a table. grooming.

Then there are the thrills, wagging of the tail, licking in the face, and sometimes the chills and barks that dog groomers face on a daily basis.

Renay Hundley of Danville and Adine Bouchard of Harrodsburg have worked together in their business, Uppity Puppy, for almost five years.

The two women agreed that their favorite part of grooming dogs is to “make them look good,” Renay said.

“You give them style. Sometimes you can be creative and artistic, ”Adine said.

But it’s also very important to understand the dog owner’s preference, they said.

For example, a client of Renay prefers her dog to have “clean paws”, meaning that the fur around the paws should be trimmed very short, although this is not the typical style of this breed. of dog. But Renay said she understands the request: it helps keep the dog from tracking so much dirt and grass.

As Adine carefully used scissors to cut the long fur around a small dog’s eyes and muzzle, she said, “You can’t tell them to turn their heads one way or the other. They have their own mind.

And they have to be careful with every dog. “You work with sharp instruments,” Adine said.

Each dog has its own unique personality, the two groomers said. Recently, while Adine was trimming a shy, shy little dog, she said that the dog’s sister was the opposite – when she is groomed, the sister wants to greet everyone in the room.

Both women said they work on many rescue dogs, not just purebreds. “You never know what they went through,” Renay said. Dogs therefore need to be consistent and learn to trust the groomer, she added.

Over the years, women have worked on many dogs whose names match them perfectly – Casper looks like a ghost; Wookie looks like a Wookie from Star Wars.

In an average day, groomers look after four to six dogs each, depending on the size and length of the dog’s coat. Usually the dog is there for two to three hours, they said. There is the “prep work”, where knots and tangled tangles have to be removed; then a bath, drying time, trimming, cleaning the ears and nail trimming are all part of the routine.

At the end of the long day, Adine and Renay generally say they are exhausted. “We’re pretty much up all day until we leave,” Renay said.

Robin Hart Pictures Porter doesn’t seem happy about bath time at Uppity Puppy.

Photos by Robin Hart Adine Bouchard Moss Porter.

Photos by Robin Hart Adine Bouchard sweeps the hair off her workstation before bringing in another dog for grooming.

Photos by Robin Hart Between grooming a dog and waiting for another to dry before trimming, Adine Bouchard checks the phone messages.

Photos by Robin Hart Adine Bouchard holds Wookie’s ears high as she cuts neatly around her face.

Robin Hart Pictures Renay Hundly says she loves to “style” dogs.

Pictures of Robin Hart Adine Bouchard, co-owner of Uppity Puppy in Danvlle, brushes Wookie before giving him a haircut.