CLEVELAND — We all want our furry friends to be comfortable, but a trip to the groomer can be anything but a pleasant experience -- especially if your dog deals with separation anxiety.
Stay! Dogcare and Boarding Services in Cleveland works to go the extra mile to make sure your anxious pup feels like family.
For years, my fiancee struggled to find a place she felt comfortable taking our mini golden doodle, Benson. He hated going to the groomer and we hated bringing him to a place that he didn't feel comfortable.
That was until we found Stay! It's both a dog care facility and a groomer. Their full-time groomer, Kendra Reynolds, specializes in caring for dogs with anxiety by taking the extra step to connect with each dog before grooming.
"The more you bond with a dog and create a relationship with them, the more they are going to enjoy the grooming," Reynolds said.
She gives them one-on-one attention instead of being around other dogs.
"He likes to be the center of attention," Reynolds laughed. "This is a great environment for that because it's just us here."
Throughout her career, Reynolds has pursued continuing her education to better dogs and other groomers.
"I am a board member for the Ohio Professional Pet Groomers Association. Our whole goal is to bring continued education to all groomers in the state of Ohio so they can get the maximum out of their career."
Her advice to pet parents with a pup that's had a bad experience at the groomer, be patient.
"If a dog has had a bad experience, it's gonna take him some time to move away from how he felt about that. Just keep an open mind about what the individual dog needs in order to feel his best self about grooming."
Stay! is located at 1265 West 65th Street in Cleveland.
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Editor's note: Video in the player above was originally published in a previous pet story on April 13, 2022.