Business: Fancy Face Pet Salon & Spa
Address: 2959 Artesian Road, Naperville
Phone/Facebook: 630-548-0949; Fancy Face Pet Salon & Spa on Facebook
Owner: Amber Hagen, 47, of Marseilles
Years in business: Six
What do you do? “We groom dogs. … We take in a lot of high-anxiety dogs, rescues, old dogs. That’s pretty much our specialty,” Hagen said. “We see 70 to 100 dogs each week … We’ve got dogs who are calm. All kinds of dogs. There are biting dogs.”
Do you get bit? “We try not to. I think we’ve all been bit before. Dogs bite because they’re scared. … You’ve got to break that barrier with them.”
How do you break the barrier? “Time and patience. Sometimes, it’s not pushing that dog past their point. You have to know where that point is, when they start getting even more anxious. Just give the dog a break and start petting it instead of actually grooming it.”
They don’t like being groomed? “Some dogs don’t. A lot of them love it. You’ve got others, sometimes it’s the first time they ever heard clippers. Or they had a bad experience.”
Any favorite stories? “We had a dog that came in once a week, Beanie, for three weeks before I could do anything. He’d come in and sit with us an hour or two. You could not even touch him.”
Then what happened? “I was able to put him on the table. I got to brush him. Finally, I was able to groom his back, that was it. The next time, I got to groom a little bit more. He was a maltipoo.”
Are small dogs more nervous? “On average. … Some little dogs act like they’re a St. Bernard. … Dogs are unpredictable. They’re just like us.”
What does an owner say? “Patch likes it here,” Mike Borghesi, 57, of Naperville said. “He’s a very nervous dog but they keep him very calm while they groom him. … He gets a great cut here. Unfortunately, this time (his fur) was matted down so they had to shave him.”
How did you get into this field? “I worked at a vet clinic in Arkansas, grooming, probably 25 years ago,” Hagen said.
What brought you to Naperville? “My fiancé then, now my husband Matt.”
Is this a good location for business? “Excellent location. The traffic. We have a lot of clients in White Eagle and the condos back here. Some clients come here because it’s convenient. Other clients drive quite a way to get here.”
What’s the cost? “Small dogs usually start around $75. And they go all the up to $180 for extra-large dogs. … We also do de-sheds.”
What’s that? “Dogs that shed a lot, we do a de-shed. It’s a shampoo and a conditioner. It helps pull up that undercoat. We do lots of extra brushing so it helps them not shed so much.”
How often should a dog be washed? “At least every six weeks. We recommend grooming every four to six weeks for most dogs. Your doodles, a lot of them, if it’s over eight weeks it usually costs more because by then they’re matted. It takes extra brushing, extra shaving.”
Should dogs have longer fur in the winter? “As long as you brush them, you can keep them as long as you want.”
Do dogs get dandruff? “Oh, yes. Dogs can have all kinds of conditions. Dogs get all kinds of cancers. We check for any new lumps, bumps.”
What’s your favorite breed? “A blue heeler, an Australian cattle dog. That was my baby. Very loyal, protective. They’re smart, very intelligent dogs. Sometimes, too smart for their own good. I had a blue heeler who would push the latch up, let himself out. But he would shut the gate behind him and go visit my kids at school.”
Who’s at home? “A great Pyrenees and a golden retriever.”
What do you like about your job? “When a dog runs in here, happy to see you, it melts your heart.”
When are you busiest? “Everybody wants their dogs looking good for the holidays.”
When are you open? “Eight to four Monday through Friday, every other Saturday.”
How do you find clients? “Social media. The majority of our business is word of mouth.”
Any future plans? “Not yet. If I did, it’d be boarding.”
What’s your advice for someone starting a business? “Good luck. Do your research. What competition do you have? What type of clients do you want? Location is big, especially if you’re starting a business without clients.”
Steve Metsch is a freelance reporter for the Naperville Sun. If you know of a business you’d like to see profiled in Down to Business, contact Steve Metsch at metschmsfl@yahoo.com.
