The Soggy Doggy University Place

“I didn’t originally know what kind of business I wanted to own,” says David. “But I liked this idea. It’s hard to establish a small business and this hit lots of items on my list: being around animals, helping people have better relationships with their pets, being an environmentally-friendly family business. And it’s a feel-good business; people are having a good time with their animals and you get to share it with them. It’s really good news all the time, and almost like an old-time barber shop. Everyone is sharing stories, whether it’s with me or our staff members.”

They opened their first shop in Des Moines in 2002. Both David and Heather continued to work other jobs full time while Carl worked the shop during the day. “My dad likes visiting with people, and everyone loves him!” David and Heather took turns working the shop in the evening. Fran is the baker. “When I was a kid, my mom cooked at an Elks Club and although she wasn’t a trained chef, she catered several weddings for friends. She always put on a huge Easter celebration each year, 60-80 people for a Polish feast. She loved cooking. Before we opened, we talked about doing something unique. Having home-baked dog treats was part of it. She makes bone-shaped biscuits, carob brownies, and blueberry muffins.”

They wrote a business plan with numbers showing how many dogs they’d need to have in before breaking even. “I think that got us the lease. The real estate agent realized we were serious and wouldn’t just come and go. Three years later, in August of 2005, we signed a lease for our second store, in Kent, and opened in November 2005. University Place was our third store, opening in 2008-2009. Due to the economy issues then, it was a great time to negotiate a lease, but a hard time to get a loan, but we did it. In 2014 we moved our Des Moines store to a new location in Normandy Park. It was a newer complex with a slightly larger space, and we liked the landlord. It’s only a mile or so away from the Des Moines store, so we didn’t lose customers. In July of 2016, we purchased our fourth store, this one in Federal Way. This is the only time we’ve purchased an existing store. The owner was a former customer of ours. Over the years, we’ve changed layouts and improved things, but this store is laid out very much like our original store, so it’s like a walk down memory lane to go in!”

Carl no longer works in the stores, but he’s the one who fixes anything that goes wrong equipment-wise. Fran has an entire baking set-up, including a sheeter which saves a lot of time rolling dough, but she covets a Hobart mixer and a multi-shape cutter. Heather and David’s 13-year-old daughter Bryden helps at the stores off and on and is also starting to help her grandma bake. Their son Hudson, 11, hasn’t jumped in yet.” They currently have four dogs at home.

When they opened, they mostly offered self-service dog washing, treats, and one line of holistic dog food, Solid Gold. They provided grooming for awhile, but it was difficult to keep good groomers. “We’re very particular about our groomers so we can ensure a good customer experience. It would take 2-3 months for us to find a replacement. By then, customers would have gone elsewhere and we’d have to start building that part of the business again. So we began offering self-grooming to see how it would work. We were the first in the area and may still be the only self-serve grooming available. We have quality tools and all employees are trained on hair cuts and how to hold clippers and get through knots. We teach employees to understand that people and animals can be anxious, so while they don’t stay with each customer as they groom their dog, they do check back in and are available to answer questions. After the first time, customers are comfortable and like doing it themselves.”

As they’ve grown, they’ve expanded their food line, added grooming at the Federal Way store, and brush-and-bath at Normandy Park. Kent and University Place are self-service only. They’re always adding new products like shed-less treatments, secret sauce odor eliminators, fungal and antibacterial collar washing.

“Overall, we are experienced in ways to help keep pets clean. When dogs are clean, there are a lot of benefits. Foremost, when dogs are clean, people want to spend more time with them. They’re happy to hug them and let them play in the park, knowing they can stop on the way home and get them cleaned up easily. And the cleaner a dog is here, the cleaner your home is. We don’t charge for extra towels, and we want people to use our shampoos, conditioners, cologne. Using our services and products allows people to get their dogs way cleaner than they would at home. We have sprayers and Zoom Grooms, rubber brushes that not only clean but also massage. A wide variety of brushes means that you can get the right brush for your dog’s coat. Some are good for undercoats, we have shedding blades and slicker brushes. We want to get the right tools into peoples’ hands. And blow dryers are some of the best brushes in the world! Using a blow dryer is not really about drying. It’s about getting rid of the loose hair at our location so people aren’t dealing with it at home. Some dogs don’t like to have parts of their bodies brushed, so the dryer is great for them. And dryers have variable speeds so you can start low and build up if your dog is nervous. We did lots of research before opening. Blow drying is one of the most important parts of the bath. Believe me, dryers send hair everywhere in the shop, but we’re designed to handle it. Leave the mess at our place! If your dog is clean, there’s less dander, less shedding. Your house is cleaner, and you’ll have a better relationship with your dog.” Another reason for keeping your dog clean is that in some counties, there’s a bloom issue with factories putting chemicals in the air which then drop to the ground. Your dog walks on it and then brings it into the house and licks their paws.

“Some dogs have what we call ‘Grinch feet.’ They have long hair through their toes which can make them slip more easily and get more dirt, sap, or gum stuck on their feet. If it lumps up, they’ll chew at it, which isn’t good. One of our big services is nail trimming. If we do it, we like the owner to be there to hold the dog; we don’t take dogs into the back away from the owners. It’s best for the dog; they’re much calmer.” They also handle one dog at a time which is also less stressful for dogs. “Once a dog starts barking, it stresses other dogs. Smells are different. So if we take one at a time and give them more attention, it’s much easier on everyone.” Customers can book self-service and full-service appointments online or take their chance with first-come-first-serve. With 7-8 tubs at each store, most people get it right away. David buys the tubs and then builds the bases. “We have our own shell now; University Place has our own tubs with back splashes. Tubs have ramps that pull out and down; 99% of all dogs will walk right into the tubs. Most people are surprised how well their dogs do. Once they’re in the tub, they don’t pay much attention to other dogs. And we have a lead that connects to the dog and tub, so they stay put during the bath. Both Normandy Park and Federal Way have a hydraulic tub which will lower to 8” off the floor to 41” off the ground. These are 2-3 times more expensive than normal tubs, but if a dog is large or older, it’s wonderful to the dog get in easily and be at the right height for bathing. These tubs are only four our staff to use, not the general public. I’m not 100% sure, but we may have the only hydraulic tubs in the state,” says David.

“We have a strict emphasis on cleanliness at the stores,” he explains. “We don’t mind the shop smelling like a wet dog when there’s a wet dog there, but not afterward. We’re always wiping down walls and floors. Tubs are cleaned and disinfected after every bath.”

The Soggy Doggy offers quality treats and good toys. “A lot of thought goes into the making of dog toys and which ones we sell. They offer different benefits; some are mentally stimulating, others get dogs moving. They can be interactive and good for tugging. We’ve gone to national seminars as well as met with local distributors, and we read a lot about it.”

Delivery service of toys, food, and other products is still in infancy stages. “I see opportunity for growth here. Right now we’ll deliver to Federal Way, north Tacoma, Browns Point and Dash Point. The market is changing, and people use online services frequently. We can often beat the prices and deliver things faster, sometimes the same day, than larger companies. And you’re supporting a local business. We leave less of a footprint because the product isn’t coming from Chicago, and we don’t have to box things up like the big box stores. People can request auto delivery of food if they’d like. We’d love to expand delivery service to all four stores and have an official Soggy Doggy truck.”

Besides helping people have a better relationship with their dog, they’re also helping non-profit organizations. They offer Santa Paws photos at the holidays. There is no charge, but they ask for donations. The non-profits change annually. In 2018, donations went to the Orca Conservancy. In 2017, it was the Zookeeper Association with an emphasis on wolves. They’ve also featured Pasados Safe Haven for dogs. David helped open, run, and fund raise for the Grandview Off-Leash Dog Park in Sea-Tac for 11 years.

“Caring for animals is our number one priority. Ultimately, we’re about providing a positive experience at the stores, keeping pets and owners together while there.”

March 2019