By JESSICA SIEFF
Niles Daily Star

Some days there is just nothing that compares to taking time out of the day to pamper oneself, getting a good wash of the hair a fresh cut and maybe even a bit of styling or a pedicure.

Nothing compares to being pampered.

Just ask Keeper — who was recently given some tender loving care at the new Niles business Shampoochie, which just opened up on South 11th Street.

Owner Sherri Hartman has been grooming dogs for more than two years and has taken her business from her home to her new location with the hopes of serving even more four legged customers and their owners.

“I’d never dreamed of being — I’d never even heard of being a groomer before,” Hartman said, running her clippers and coifing Keeper’s newly shaven coat.

But the longtime dog owner had been told by the wife of a co-worker about that kind of work and she signed up for classes given by Pet Smart.

“I’ve been doing it ever since,” she said.

Pet Smart gave her a start in grooming and she stuck with the company for some time before striking out on her own.

“I love it,” she said. “I love the dogs.”

She has five of her own and it’s easy to spot Hartman’s comfort level with her canine counterparts, soothing Keeper — a multi-poodle — as she works.

“Just knowing that they feel good when they leave,” is a sense of satisfaction for the groomer, Hartman said. “I love it when they’re excited to come and see me.”

Grooming dogs isn’t just a job for Hartman but has turned out to be a passion. She volunteers her time at the Humane Society, to help those dogs in need.

So, what makes a good groomer?

“How they interact with my dog,” Hartman said is one quality she’d look for if she were choosing her own groomer. “My dog is my family.”

Going into business for herself, Hartman said, gave her a chance to focus less money, something that can come across when working for a chain store and be “more personable … more about the dogs.”

“In your own shop, you can take your time with that dog,” she said.

Since going into business for herself, Hartman said she’s “getting a lot of new clients and I’m hearing a lot of people who want to keep their business in Niles.

“And I think that’s really awesome of Niles residents,” she said.

For her part, Hartman is also drawing business to Niles. Her client list, which is more than 60, she said, spans the Niles and South Bend areas as well as Elkhart and Bremen.

She’s even gone out to pick up one of her clients from two customers ages 85 and 87, an elderly couple who have a hard time getting their dog to a groomer.

The business of grooming dogs, however, has its challenges. Hartman said the biggest of those challenges is dealing with aggressive dogs.

“You don’t want to get bitten,” she said. “Your hands are your livelihood.”

And it’s a livelihood that is pretty important to pet owners. Hartman said if she were not a groomer herself she would have her own dogs taken to one to ensure they were being groomed properly.

It’s not an easy job to groom dogs, Hartman said and she speculates that might be the reason doing so may not be viewed as a luxury, giving a break to some groomers in a tough economy.
Shampoochie offers a full slate of services including bath, brushing, ears, nail clipping, hair cuts and teeth brushing.

“Basically everything,” Hartman said, adding her pricing is competitive with area groomers — competition she’s not worried about.

“I don’t even think of them,” she said. “I’m comfortable what I’m doing. I’m comfortable that my dogs are going to be safe, loved and taken care of.”

Right now, Hartman said she works on appointment only aside from quick services and is open from Tuesday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to when the last dog leaves.

Contact Shampoochie at (269) 357-1485.