According to Lori Lambert, owner of the new Lori’s Pet Paradise in downtown Oxford, hairdressers have it easy.
‘Their client is in the chair, they can talk to them and they don’t have to worry about being bit,? she joked.
That’s not to say Lambert doesn’t enjoy her job. In fact, she loves it.
Lori’s Pet Paradise, formerly The Happy Hound, just opened Oct. 1 at 14 N. Washington Street Suite C and offers full-service and self-service grooming for dogs and cats.
Lambert, of Leonard, has been in the pet grooming business for 17 years and said she got interested in it after her children began school.
She attributes learning how to properly groom dogs to a woman in St. Clair Shores. From then on, she began to groom at various pet grooming shops.
For the last three and a half years Lambert had been a groomer at the North Oaks Animal Hospital in Clarkston.
When she and her husband moved out to Leonard they heard about the vacant pet grooming shop and decided to become business owners themselves.
With a client list of over 1,000 (half were bought from the previous owner of Happy Hound), Lambert has her hands full. She runs the shop by herself while maintaining a clean, tight ship.
The three self-service rooms, which run anywhere from $14-22 a visit, are equipped with a walk-in bathtub and a cart with all the necessary items to groom a pet, like shampoos, nail clippers, blow dryers and even a smock for the owner.
‘They walk out the door and we clean up the mess,? Lambert said.
For some, though, washing a pet can be a bit of a hassle. That’s why Lambert believes more pet owners will end up wanting to go full-service.
‘It’s just too messy,? she said.
For full-service grooming, ranging $30-50 per visit depending on the size of the dog, Lambert first ‘roughs out? the dog’s coat by brushing through hair to get any matting out and shaving the hair if necessary.
The next important step is cleaning the animal’s ears. Hair tends to overgrow in the ears of dogs and cats and Lambert said it can lead to a serious problem with ear mites.
Nails are then clipped and it’s off to the tub’even the cats.
‘Cats can be tricky,? Lambert said.
She said some cats even have to be taken to their veterinarian to get tranquilized before a groomer can try to clean them.
After a nice lather with shampoo and warm water, the dogs are towel-dried and then sat in front of a turbo dryer until fully dry.
For pets with skin problems, like fleas or sensitive skin, Lambert has a full line of different shampoos available to correct these irritations.
And you don’t have to be Paris Hilton’s dog to get pampered at Lori’s Pet Paradise. Lambert even offers a nail polishing for $10.
‘People don’t request it often because it’s hard to do,? she said. ‘Usually it’s the poodles that get it done.?
For the little ones, Lambert recommends owners get their puppy’s first haircut for $28 as soon as possible so the pup gets used to going to the groomer.
‘It gets them used to the process; hearing the trimmers, getting their nails clipped,? she said.
Lori’s Pet Paradise hasn’t officially had its grand opening yet because Lambert’s still in the middle of some construction work, but she still accepts clients.
Ever since she opened last week, she said she’s had numerous people come in and say they’re glad she’s doing business in Oxford.
In the next few years, Lambert said she hopes to have more groomers on staff and, of course, a thriving business.
‘I really like it here,? she said.