Every aspect of Oh My Dog! Boutique, a grooming, boarding, daycare, training, and retail shop for small breeds, is grounded in love.
“This business was founded based on a passion and a love of dogs,” says owner Jackie Griffin. “These dogs are a part of our family, and all of them are cared for and loved like my own dogs.”
One example of this is that all the food and treats she sells have to be made in the U.S.A. and be human-grade quality. She also prefers them to be organic.
“I’m a really big proponent of a healthy lifestyle, and that all trickles down to the dogs,” she says.
When it comes to toys and other merchandise, they have to be high quality, as well. Griffin also tries to buy from local distributors whenever possible.
Years ago, when taking her own dogs for grooming, Griffin never liked when they were taken behind closed doors. So, when designing the grooming area at Oh My Dog!, she wanted everything to be visible. This way the owners and other clients could see exactly what they were doing.
For boarding and daycare, there are 16 individual rooms in its doggie hotel, with plenty of space for beds and food and water bowls.
“It’s not a cage, and there are windows. It’s so important for dogs to understand the concept of time—it helps reduce anxiety. Plus, they have a scheduled routine; every day is the same.”
In the Heart Lounge, which is attached to the hotel, dogs love to gather and play with other dogs and hang out with the human staff, who give them lots of love and attention.
“It has couches, a television, and little beds where we can sit with the dogs. It’s supposed to resemble a home environment.”
Each week, the dogs also learn simple words and commands in a loving, positive manner.
“We send a report card home every day to let owners know how their dogs did. Michael, the other trainer, and I are CCPDT certified, which is the highest certification you can get in training.”
Who: Jackie Griffin
Title: Owner of Oh My Dog! Boutique and certified dog trainer
Where: 7137 E. Stetson Drive, Scottsdale, AZ 85251; OhMyDogBoutique.com
Advice: Training should come from a place of love, science, and research and focus on positive reinforcement.
