Bringing ‘joy’ to dogs

Submitted photo
Wag'n Tails Pet Salon in Farmington is owned by Danielle and Dwayne Howard of Fayetteville. The salon celebrated its first anniversary in January.
Submitted photo Wag'n Tails Pet Salon in Farmington is owned by Danielle and Dwayne Howard of Fayetteville. The salon celebrated its first anniversary in January.

is the handyman for the business.

Danielle said the staff grooms 20-25 dogs a day, dogs of all sizes and temperaments. She said she's groomed a 2-pound Yorkie to a 150-pound Great Dane.

"We do young dogs, mean dogs and old dogs," Danielle said. "They all need it."

She elaborated that when she has a mean dog, she is very careful.

"I do a lot of talking and figure out what they will let you do," she said. "It takes time, patience and very fast reflexes."

Grooming involves bathing, cutting the nails, cleaning out a dog's ears and around the face, Danielle said. They will brush teeth, if requested, and will brush out and comb out the dog's hair.

She said seeing the "joy" on a dog's face after it is groomed is why she got into the industry.

"They're happy and they thrive. They feel good when they get done. Just like us when we get our hair done and our nails, you feel so much better. Dogs see it too."

Some of their clients come on a regular basis; others may come once in a while.

Her recommendation, she said, is that dogs are groomed at least once a year. But she noted it is a personal preference on whether an owner wants to groom their own dog or have a professional groomer do it.

She said grooming a dog is important because when the hair gets matted, it pulls on the skin and can cause bruises and other issues with the skin.

"Like if we never took a shower, what kind of issues would we have with our own skin?" she said.

Groomers find issues that a pet owner may not find, such as wounds, skin abrasions, fungal infections and even tumors, she said.

"We touch them and feel them and rub them in places that owners typically don't put their hands so we catch a lot of health problems that are starting to develop in the dog," she said. "Hopefully we catch it early enough that it doesn't cause problems for the animal."

Wagn' Tails does not board dogs but in a lot of ways the salon is similar to a doggie daycare, she said. Dogs are given free range. They play, do what they want and will sleep at the feet of the employees.

The staff stays busy every day but she said it is worth it to help dogs and see that they are happy at the end of the day.

photo Submitted photo Farmington Area Chamber of Commerce sponsored a ribbon-cutting ceremony for Wag'n Tails Pet Salon in the fall. The salon is located in the same retail center with Subway, 188 W. Main St.
photo Lynn Kutter/Enterprise-Leader Danielle Howard, owner of Wag'n Tails Pet Salon in Farmington, gives a "lions cut" to Sham, a Pomeranian. The salon grooms 20-25 dogs per day.