For the owners of a Dixon business, there’s more to dog grooming than just a bath and a brush — smoothing out a dog’s ruff edges makes for a happier and healthier dog, too
ow do Chris Riffle and Sloan Coss know when they’ve got another satisfied customer?
It’s easy. They just look for a wagging tail. Riffle and Coss are the dedicated dog groomers at The Pup House in Dixon, where they’ve seen firsthand how a pampered pooch can be a happy pooch.
And it makes Riffle and Coss pretty happy, too.
The pair of dog lovers delight when they see pups with more pep, knowing that “man’s best friend” can feel even friendlier after they get a little spoiled at the business they opened this past fall.
Chris Riffle (left) and Sloan Coss opened The Pup House in Dixon this past September, and have been busy bathing and grooming dogs ever since.
At The Pup House, dogs have their day as the center of attention — cleaned, groomed and nails clipped at the business in Dixon’s Dement Town neighborhood.
For Riffle and Coss, there’s more to dog grooming than just fluffing fur and clipping nails. When they talk to their clients, they stress the importance of keeping their dogs on a wellness routine, helping them understand that healthy hygiene is important to a dog’s well-being.
“A lot of people neglect to remember that it’s better to be on a schedule for your dogs,” Riffle said. “When they get on a schedule and stay on that schedule, they’re happy. The best part is that the schedule makes them love it here.”
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CODY CUTTER/CCUTTER@SHAWMEDIA.COM
Chris Riffle and Sloan Coss groom a dog at their Dixon business, The Pup House.
Getting dogs in for scheduled grooming can also help acclimate them to other people, adding more familiar faces to their routine, a social benefit for the dog, Coss says.
“I think it’s real rewarding building a relationship with a dog that you’ve never met before, especially after multiple grooming appointments,” Coss said. “It’s real rewarding when a dog comes here and is excited to be here.” It’s a task that comes naturally for Coss — “I love dogs,” he said.
Riffle and Coss serve dogs that are more than five pounds and operate on an appointment basis. Bathing appointments should be arranged every two months, they suggest, and grooming appointments every four to six weeks, and up to eight weeks for double-coated dogs “just so that they don’t stink, are not nasty, and that their nails can be maintained,” Riffle said.
Coss is originally from Sterling and has family in Dixon. He met Riffle while working at an animal hospital in Denver, Colorado, a few years ago. When he visited his family this past fall, he saw that Dianna’s Doggy Depot was for sale. He with Riffle talked about moving to Dixon and starting a business of their own, and they decided to take the plunge, buying the building from previous owner Dianna Newcomer.
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A groomed puppy is a peppy puppy. “When they get on a [grooming] schedule and stay on that schedule, they’re happy.” — Chris Riffle, The Pup House
The Pup House opened Sept. 13, and not only has Coss enjoyed being closer to his roots, but Riffle has grown to love his new home.
“I miss the city, I really do, but being here makes me so happy,” Riffle said. “I’ll never leave Dixon, it’s my home now. I talked with someone who told me that he’s real glad we were doing so good, and I was like, ‘Me too!’ I’m glad I didn’t move my life across the country for it to not pan out.”
The Pup House operates in a cage-free setting, which helps reduce a dog’s stress, Coss said. They’re also willing to show owners
the tools they use to explain how they work on the dogs; it’s an example of sharing their expertise and helping educate owners about the importance of a well-groomed dog.
“If you’re not ready for the maintenance, or are not willing to educate yourself about it,” Coss said, “that hair’s not going to be well.”
And when all is said and done, and Rover’s got his makeover, the owner will have one happy camper on his hands.
“Getting them from that point to looking beautiful is great,” Riffle said. “They’re just happy to not feel like that anymore.” n Cody Cutter can be reached at 815-632-2532 or ccutter@shawmedia.com.
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The Pup House, 527 Depot Ave. in Dixon, is open for appointments seven days a week. Find it on Facebook or call 815-677-7756 to schedule an appointment or for more information.
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hen pet owners are sick or injured, health insurance can help alleviate the fright of the sight of the medical bills soon to come. But what about their pets? Sometimes the “total due” box on vet bills can be pretty overwhelming too. According to a January article in Forbes, a trip
State Farm insurance agent Shay Brown of Rock Falls offers pet insurance plans through Trupanion. An owner of two dogs, he knows firsthand the importance of a good pet insurance policy. “Pets are like a family member to a lot of people,” he said.
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Some of the most common pet insurance claims are ACL (anterior cruciate ligament) repairs, CCL (canine cruciate ligament) repairs, dogs with allergies, diabetes, kidney disease, diarrhea and vomiting and ingesting foreign materials, Brown said.
“With situations like that, pet insurance takes care of you,” he said. “Pets are like a family member to a lot of people. If something happens with them, and it’s a [high] cost in order to give them the quality of life that they deserve, my option is to either give them that surgery or put them to sleep — and I would really like that option to keep my pets alive.”
The number of plans throughout the nation have grown over the past three years, but are still comparatively small against the total number of pet owners, Brown said. According to the North American Pet Health Insurance Association’s 2022 State of the Industry report, about 4 million pets are insured among about 160.5 million in all; that’s up from 2.2 million plans just 3 years prior.
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Similar to plans for people, various pet insurance plans are available — wellness, accident, illness, comprehensive — with different deductible amounts and benefits. Though it’s a good safety net, it doesn’t catch everything, so it’s best to do your research and ask questions before deciding on a plan. Preexisting conditions, cosmetic procedures such as tail docking or ear cropping, and breeding costs such as pregnancy and injuries due to it are not covered by most plans.
In addition, plans for pets older than five years old will have higher premiums and offer more limited coverage. The younger the pet, the more benefits and the more affordable the plans.
“It comes down to the cost,” Brown said. “As time goes on and they get older not everyone can afford it, with getting insurance when they’re nine years old, for example, compared to getting insurance when they’re young.”
But ultimately, he said, “There are dogs that have injuries, dogs that need surgeries, or whatever the issue is, pet insurance is going to help.” n Cody Cutter can be reached at 815-632-2532 or ccutter@shawmedia.com.
STERLING — Deb Proctor didn’t need a brother or sister growing up. She may have been an only child, but she wasn’t a lonely child. She had a friend who was as close as kin — a surrogate sibling that was loving and loyal: her dog. It was a connection that left a lasting impression on her, and one that helped turn her dream of running a five-star hotel, but not for people For dogs.
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Deb Proctor opened The Barkery on Science Ridge in September 2022 after two decades of planning a facility that goes beyond the typical dog boarding business. “It’s everything we’ve wanted,” Proctor said.
Proctor’s four-legged childhood friend taught her just how strong a bond can develop between people and their dog. Her affection for that connection culminated in The Barkery on Science Ridge, her business a few miles northwest of Sterling that offers daytime and overnight boarding for dogs.
But this just isn’t another boarding business. It’s like a five-star hotel for Fido.
With 14 rooms — “luxury rooms,” as Proctor calls them — with access to fenced-in outdoor green space, heated floors and an air conditioning, air filtration system, and a 50-by55-foot open play area, The Barkery gives dogs an opportunity to have fun and get to know other dogs, with one-on-one guidance from Proctor and her part-time help.
“There’s a love and there’s a respect,” Proctor said. “You learn and understand what their situations are, and why. Instead of being angry, you learn to understand what’s going on from their side. Sometimes that’s hard to do, but that’s what it is.”
The Barkery is a place that doesn’t just keep dogs pent up in pens between drop-off and pickup: They’re engaged in play through a variety of activities; and access to the outside from their rooms gives them a chance to roam free whenever they feel like it. Its staff also helps make pet parents feel at ease leaving their dogs in someone else’s care, by sending them pictures and videos of their dog having fun, and maybe even learning a new trick or two.
Acclimating dogs to their new surroundings is important to its staff; if a dog is staying there for the first time, they’ll get the grand tour of the place well in advance in order to familiarize both dog and owner with the facility. These “Meet and Treat” experiences are a way to allay any fears both in the owners and their pets, which Proctor says is important to a dog’s well-being when they’re away from their home.
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Lehman looks out from “luxury suite” at The Barkery on Science Ridge. “They have their own space and have access to the outside,” Barkery owner Deb Proctor said. “What’s real neat is that those who are regulars know which room is theirs, they’ll go back and go to their door. That’s pretty cool.”
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The business has earned a Fear Free Boarding and Daycare certification, from Fear Free, an organization that provides online education to vet and pet professionals, animal welfare communities, and pet owners, to help mitigate pet fears and anxieties.
“The staff gets to know the dog ahead of time and they get to know how to prepare for them,” Proctor said. “When they come back to stay again, it can be easier for the dog, and it’s easier for the owners because they can see how well-treated the dogs are — they know the space, and they know where their dog is.”
Each dog’s suite is 7.5-by-8 feet and is decorated with dog themes such as Paw Patrol, “Lady and the Tramp” and “101 Dalmatians.” A door leads to a cov-
ered patio where the dogs can be outside even when it’s raining.
Dogs who stay overnight on Saturday are treated to a special meal on Sunday: a plate of scrambled eggs with cheese and bacon flavored Beggin Strips. Special holiday meals for Thanksgiving and Christmas also are offered.
“We try to make it like family and make it feel like home,” Proctor said. “I want for these dogs what I would want for my own dogs.”
Heather Houck is one of The Barkery’s part-time helpers, and has been given the nickname “Kennel Mom” for her commitment to caring for the dogs that stay there.
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Heather Houck of The Barkery on Science Ridge coordinates a Mother’s Day art activity with Destiny, one of The Barkery’s boarders, to create the canine masterpiece above. Different colored paints were applied to a canvas that was then put inside a Ziploc bag covered in peanut butter or other dog treat. When the dog dove in to the treat, the paint was pushed around the canvas, creating a work of “Arf!”
The Barkery on Science Ridge, 25689 W. Science Ridge Road northwest of Sterling, is open for pickups and dropoffs from 8 a.m. to noon and 4 to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday. Find it on Facebook, go to thebarkeryonscienceridge.com or call 815-626-0164 for more information. To learn more about the Fear Free program, visit fearfreepets.com. BARKERY cont’d from page 14
“For me, dogs are my world, and I treat them as if they are my own,” Houck said. “I know how it feels leaving a dog, and that’s why we have the Meet and Treats, and that’s real important. I like coming here and getting the reward of being with the dogs, and knowing that they are going to feel safe.”
The Barkery was about 20 years in the making, from idea to inception, when it finally opened in September 2022. Proctor visited large kennels and doggie day cares for inspiration and ideas. Her plan: To make her business less like just another kennel and more like a hotel for dogs, and to make caring for the canines a step above the rest — “Daycare 2.0,” as she calls it.
In addition to owning The Barkery, Proctor established The Amos Fund in 2011 to help financially struggling pet owners pay for medical expenses, a mission inspired by the passing of her cockapoo, Amos. The Barkery held a fundraiser plant sale May 18 with proceeds going to the fund.
The Barkery recently added a small retail area in its lobby, with dog toys and decor, and that likely won’t be the last change Proctor makes. Her vision for The Barkery continues to evolve. She wants to add a swimming pool for the dogs, a garden, and full-time groomers and trainers down the road — anything to make her boarders feel more at home.
“It’s everything we’ve wanted,” Proctor said. “We’ve been blessed in a lot of ways. We have good, good people coming and they’re very supportive and have had very little issue with anything.” n Cody Cutter can be reached at 815-6322532 or ccutter@shawmedia.com.
