Business Spotlight -
July 2013
The Dog House
Heart of Pittsfield Spotlights The Dog House
by Holly Zadra
July 1, 2013
Pittsfield –
Owner Danielle Ready
106 Washington Street
Pittsfield, Maine
Every morning, Monday through Friday, Danielle Ready grooms dogs. She starts at 6am and usually doesn’t finish until 6pm. She’s creative and conscientious with each dog, and with upwards of 65 dogs each week, she has her work cut out for her.
“I enjoy working with the dogs and making them look good and feel good. They are little pieces of art when they leave. That’s what I want my customers to feel like.”
And with a four-week waiting period for an appointment, customers must like Ms. Ready’s work.
Ready offers “a one-on-one experience” since there are not a lot of dogs at the Dog House at any given time. “That reduces stress for the dogs,” said Ready who thinks dog grooming is more a natural inclination than anything you can train for.
“I work on the dogs from head to toe. I know if there’s something new or different with any dog, and I can alert the owners of that.”
Though Ready did apprentice, she thinks it’s more important to have “natural skill and the desire to do it.”
“I treat all the dogs like they are my own,” said Ready who lives with her “fur babies” – three Chihuahuas at home and a horse in Detroit where she grew up.
A 2001 graduate of Maine Central Institute, Danielle Ready moved to Pittsfield from Detroit in 2006 when she bought the business from the previous owner, Steve Dipasquale, who moved to Texas. In 2009, she moved the business to its current location on Washington Street.
Ready has clients from all over Central Maine and from as far away as Boston. Though she said she advertises for her “own personal entertainment” and enjoys posting photos to Facebook, her best promotion comes by word of mouth.
As far as owning a small business in Pittsfield goes, Ready said the biggest challenge she faces is demand. “I have a four-week waiting list.” And though she’s busy, she’s not interested in hiring employees because of the red tape involved and because she imagines it wouldn’t save her any time. “I’m very, very particular about the whole grooming process.”
The best part of owning the business? “I love making my own hours and calling the shots. I love the creative aspects, too.”
Ready said she likes to help out the Humane Society. As a business owner, she said she likes to be the one to decide when and with whom she volunteers.
Perhaps best of all, at the Dog House, Ready doesn’t have to do the more dangerous work of grooming cats.
To make an appointment, please call 487-6150 or visit The Dog House on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/thedoghouse.1.