Welcome to our blog here at 4 the Love of Paws. We’re very excited to have this corner of our website to provide you with valuable information on a wide variety of topics – as many of you know, we’re not just passionate about grooming, but we also care deeply about your dog’s health and wellbeing. Many of our upcoming blog posts will provide you with guidance to ensure your pet is living their best life. We will be sharing ways to make sure you get the most out of grooming appointments, providing advice on pre and post-appointment best practices, and offering you tips to enhance your dog’s overall health.
In this introductory post, our founder and owner, Jeanne Hyde, explains why she founded 4 the Love of Paws; how it differs from other groomers; and her future vision for the business.
An introduction to our business
4 the Love of Paws offers a range of services, including pet grooming, nutritional products, and expert advice and guidance – backed by research – to help pet owners understand how to improve their pet’s quality of life. Our grooming salon is located in Franklin, TN, where our groomers operate and we have natural food, treats and supplements available.
Our mission is to help all pets live long, healthy and fulfilled lives.
Why 4 the Love of Paws was founded
To understand why I founded 4 the Love of Paws, we have to go back to when I was born. I have owned standard Poodles for most of my life, starting with the fact that my father used to breed them, so I have always been around dogs from a very young age. My philosophy has always been that dogs are an integral part of my family, and I know that many people feel the same way as I do.
Because I know that so many people have the same passion for their dogs as me, there were a few things that were important to me when I was thinking about my vision for this salon. Whenever I drop my dogs off somewhere, it’s essential that I feel comfortable and confident with their surroundings. When I would take my dogs to a groomer, I didn’t just want them to be groomed well – but I wanted them to be cared for, too. The telltale sign for me is when my dog is pulling me to get into the door of a grooming salon; when I have to pick them up, while I want them to be happy to see me, I also want them to be happy in the company of the people that have been caring for him.
All of that helps to summarize the approach we take at our salon – I want people to have the same experience that I would want if I was bringing my dogs to a grooming appointment.
How we make dogs feel safe and secure at our grooming salon
It’s so important for us to make sure that every dog that we work with feels safe, secure and comfortable in our environment before we start their groom. It could take five minutes for that to happen, or it could take 45 minutes. It really doesn’t matter to us how long it takes, because making sure that the dog is comfortable results in better grooming outcomes. It’s easier and safer to groom a dog who isn’t dancing on the grooming table because they’re nervous about the clippers or scissors in a groomer’s hand.
I believe the time aspect is one thing that sets our business apart. We care more about our clients than the time clock. We always estimate around four hours for a groom, but sometimes it could take longer depending on the day – and honestly, depending on the dog. We’ve had dogs who have been great with every single groom they’ve had with us, but might be having a bad day, and those grooms can take a little longer.
Our whole setup is designed to be as kennel-free as possible. Of course, if an owner requests for us to kennel their dog, we will honor that request. That’s what we do with a lot of our senior dogs – we still give them visibility of what’s happening in the room, without them needing to be directly involved. We give plenty of breaks at different stages of the grooming process, and we free roam as much as possible.
I know that sometimes our philosophy won’t be everyone’s cup of tea, especially if you are on a tight schedule and need to know exactly how long a groom will take. We totally understand that, and there are other options out there to accommodate that. What we have found for us – and most importantly, for our clients – is that they love coming back to us because of the way we have set up our salon.
How we approach your dog’s overall health and wellbeing
I’ve always been passionate about making sure dogs don’t just look great, but that they also feel great, too. However, what really inspired me to look into the complete makeup of our dog’s health was the fact that I lost three dogs in a row, all under the age of six years old. This sent me into a tailspin of research to find out why this happened to them, and my research led me to adopt a more natural approach to pet health and wellbeing. I love being able to share my findings with others who are looking for a better way. We are proud to offer a variety of natural products, including food, treats and supplements that can benefit a dog’s overall health.
I want to add to this – our groomers are also more than just ‘groomers’. While they are certainly talented at what they do, the fact that our groomers take so much care and attention with the pets that they work with brings other benefits, too. They are so up close and personal, they can spot things that even their owners or veterinarians might miss. When we see dogs on a regular basis, from one appointment to the next, we may notice changes in their body that their owner may not notice. We are able to spot these changes and highlight them to the owner, who may then need to speak with their veterinarian.
My long-term vision for 4 the Love of Paws
My long-term goal for this business is – and always has been – to provide a happy, safe grooming environment for you to bring your dogs.
Not only that, but it is important that our workplace culture allows our team to offer the best grooming service possible. Grooming is a physically demanding job, and it is so important to balance out their schedule. We never want to have a situation where one of our groomers is worn out because we’re putting six giant dogs on their schedule in a single day, so we restrict the number of large dogs that they can groom, and the total number of dogs (of any size) they can groom in a single day.
It’s important for our clients to have a safe, comfortable place to bring their dogs – but it’s equally important to provide a workplace where our groomers are appreciated and respected for their job. That’s how we have retained quality members of our team over several years, and created a balance that truly promotes their craft.