Once the clients have completed the grooming ritual of bathing, clipping, cleaning and drying, they are decorated. The decorations don't consist of much: a bow for the ladies and a kerchief for the gentlemen. But, doggone it, they look good.
Not only are they freshly and beautifully coiffed, they feel good, too, according to Josie Robinson, owner and operator of Bath Time Pet Grooming Inc.
"When we get finished with the grooming, the dogs are all over me," Robinson says. "They feel so good because they are clean and their skin is stimulated."
Robinson's busy grooming business is mobile, visiting the homes of her clients, who are scattered around Dundee, Haines City, Lake Alfred, Lake Hamilton and Winter Haven.
"By providing the service in the client's driveway, it is much less stressful for everyone involved. The pet receives one-on-one attention without the stress of being caged, other dogs nearby or multiple people around," says Robinson, a native of New York. "It is less stressful for the pet, the owner and for me, too."
Many other pet owners might prefer taking their pets into a salon. Those business owners work hard to make their clients as comfortable as possible during their visits too.
"I just want to keep them comfortable," says Karen Espenshade, owner and operator of The Pink Poodle in Lake Alfred. "My enjoyment is that we get to love them."
Ann Wolfe-Combee, owner of Little Wolfe's in Winter Haven, agrees and says her goal is to make the animals look and feel beautiful.
"I have always had a passion for animals," Wolfe-Combee says, "and this is a great business for that."
Wolfe-Combee is the youngest in a long line of small business owners in her family, making her the "little" Wolfe - hence the name of the grooming and boarding business. About 23 years ago, Wolfe-Combee says she craved a change from the interior design field she had been in, so she decided to attend dog-grooming school.
All these years later, she says she enjoys the variety each day provides plus the all the benefits of owning her own business.
"We have boarded monkeys, goldfish and birds," she says, "but I choose not to board snakes. I don't like snakes."
She laughs as she tells the story of teaching an African gray parrot to bark like a dog while staying at Little Wolfe's.
Dogs, particularly Labradors, are her favorite animal, and she explains that grooming stimulates their coats.
"Grooming is really good for the animals," Wolfe-Combee says. "Florida is a tough state because it really doesn't get very cold, so it is hard for the coat to know when to shed."
The grooming process begins with a quick check of the skin to make sure it is healthy; a bath; cleaning the dog's ears; trimming the nails; and a haircut, if necessary.
"We comfort them during grooming and talk to them," Johnson says. "They know that when we are done, they get the cookie I have in my pocket."
Johnson says that many times, she has arrived at the owner's home only to have to retrieve the pet from underneath the bed.
"Even if they start out under the bed, by the time it is over, they are jumping for joy," Johnson says. "When the owner sees that their pet is happy, they are happy, too. That's why I do this - for the pets and their owners."
Johnson owns two fully equipped grooming vehicles, complete with generators, water, bath tubs, hydromassagers and fresh towels for each client. She works six days a week and provides services to five to seven dogs a day, which all of the dogs being regulars.
The groomers all remain busy, in spite of the economy and, for the most part, charge depending on the size of the pet, condition of the coat and the temperament of the animal.
"I've had everything happen, pretty much, that could possibly happen when grooming a dog. You name it," Espenshade says with a laugh.
Originally from Pennsylvania, she moved here in 1998 and opened The Pink Poodle five years ago after working at another groomer's shop. In addition to offering grooming services, The Pink Poodle has a boutique, in the outer waiting area, where owners can peruse dog clothes, treats, perfumes, beds, bowls and more.
"The items I have for sale are more the cutesy things instead of the standard pet supplies," Espenshade says. "It is more of a 'spoil-your-dog' boutique."
Eventually, she would like to start a shelter or similar type business for abused and neglected animals.
"I want to save the dog that has been thrown in the street," Espenshade says. "That's why I'm not a show dog groomer. Why put an animal through that? That is just not my cup of tea. I want them to have a nice place to lie down and just be happy."
The Pink Poodle employs four staff members. Epenshade says she is constantly busy with the job she loves so much.
Wolfe-Combee, a Winter Haven native, has been in the same location for more than 15 years. She attended groomer's school in New York City and employs 10 staff members.
"People are always going to have pets and they are always going to take care of them - no matter what the economy,"' Wolfe-Combee says.
Robinson, who has the maximum number of clients she can handle and isn't accepting new ones, says she is content with the two mobile vehicles she owns.
"Having more vehicles and customers would be just too stressful for me," she says. "My husband and I are happy just the way things are now."
John, her husband, works part time with her and operates the other vehicle. With three cats at home to complete their family, Josie Robinson says her clients' dogs are her dogs.
"There is a lot of kissing going on during the grooming process," Robinson laughed. "When they give kisses, we give them back."
Loving animals and working to make them feel and look beautiful is the goal of each groomer.
"We want them to look beautiful," Wolfe-Combee says. "When they are done and decorated, we send them home with their happy owners."
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