| About Mary's Dog House |
Dogs aren't just my job- dogs are a huge part of my life. Whether at work, or at home, or during my
leisure time, dogs are an integral part of almost everything I do! I am proud to be able to provide
experienced, safe, quality pet grooming services to the pets of the South Hills. I have over 27 years
experience working with pets not only as a groomer, but in training and competition as well. My love of
working with pets began after I acquired my first Basset Hound, Molly, in 1985. She was a very sweet
but incredibly ill-behaved puppy. We began training classes together, and as she "graduated" to the
more advanced levels I began assisting and then teaching training classes. While attending college I
worked part-time as a bather in a pet grooming shop, and subsequently decided that I wanted to make
grooming my career. In 1991, after an intensive apprenticeship, I began working as a professional
groomer, while continuing to both teach training classes and work with my own dogs for competition. I
also began to foster and work with rescue dogs through Droopy Basset Hound Rescue, as well as
other local rescue groups and shelters. Mary's Dog House opened in 2001. While work and family
commitments have curtailed my ability to compete with my dogs, I continue to further my education in
both the grooming and training fields in order to be able to provide the very best services possible to
my clients. As my children grow older, they too are learning and helping with all of my dog endeavors,
and my daughter currently wishes to make pet grooming her career. I am grateful for all of the families
who have entrusted their pets to our Mary's Dog House "family" and am very thankful that my work is
something I love.
leisure time, dogs are an integral part of almost everything I do! I am proud to be able to provide
experienced, safe, quality pet grooming services to the pets of the South Hills. I have over 27 years
experience working with pets not only as a groomer, but in training and competition as well. My love of
working with pets began after I acquired my first Basset Hound, Molly, in 1985. She was a very sweet
but incredibly ill-behaved puppy. We began training classes together, and as she "graduated" to the
more advanced levels I began assisting and then teaching training classes. While attending college I
worked part-time as a bather in a pet grooming shop, and subsequently decided that I wanted to make
grooming my career. In 1991, after an intensive apprenticeship, I began working as a professional
groomer, while continuing to both teach training classes and work with my own dogs for competition. I
also began to foster and work with rescue dogs through Droopy Basset Hound Rescue, as well as
other local rescue groups and shelters. Mary's Dog House opened in 2001. While work and family
commitments have curtailed my ability to compete with my dogs, I continue to further my education in
both the grooming and training fields in order to be able to provide the very best services possible to
my clients. As my children grow older, they too are learning and helping with all of my dog endeavors,
and my daughter currently wishes to make pet grooming her career. I am grateful for all of the families
who have entrusted their pets to our Mary's Dog House "family" and am very thankful that my work is
something I love.
EDUCATION-
Attended Mt. Lebanon High School, Indiana University of Pennsylvania
Training apprenticeship, Tri-Community Dog Training School and Dogs R Us
Grooming apprenticeship, Horses and Hounds, Indiana, PA
CONTINUING EDUCATION-
Grooming- online membership Learn2GroomDogs video instruction
Seminar/trade show attendance- GroomExpo, Intergroom, Atlanta Pet Fair, H.H Backer Pet
Trade Show (Chicago and Baltimore)
Online grooming forum memberships for networking and education
Training Seminars- APDT and NADOI annual conferences, Terry Ryan, Ian Dunbar, Sue
Sternberg, Karen Pryor
Past Professional Member, National Association of Dog Obedience Instructors and
Association of Pet Dog Trainers
EXPERIENCE-
General Pet Knowledge- breed standards and types, pet nutrition, first aid, pet behavior, pet
health, PA Dog Law, safe handling of pets, pet disease and sanitation, parasites/treatment
Grooming- breed standard, custom styles, coat types, skin care, hand scissoring,
hand stripping, product ingredients and selection, equipment selection and maintenance
Behavior- extensive experience with evaluation and modification of behavioral issues, including
but not limited to aggression, fear, and shyness, as well as general behavior modification.
Training and Competition- AKC conformation, AKC obedience, AKC agility, field trials
(Basset Hound), earthdog, Schutzhund (tracking, obedience, protection)
Rescue- fostered and placed over 150 dogs, puppies, and kittens into permanent homes
OTHER-
Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh Pet Friends Program with Molly and Rosie
Numerous nursing home therapy visits
Numerous demonstrations for schools and community groups
Too many hours of training class time to count!
Attended Mt. Lebanon High School, Indiana University of Pennsylvania
Training apprenticeship, Tri-Community Dog Training School and Dogs R Us
Grooming apprenticeship, Horses and Hounds, Indiana, PA
CONTINUING EDUCATION-
Grooming- online membership Learn2GroomDogs video instruction
Seminar/trade show attendance- GroomExpo, Intergroom, Atlanta Pet Fair, H.H Backer Pet
Trade Show (Chicago and Baltimore)
Online grooming forum memberships for networking and education
Training Seminars- APDT and NADOI annual conferences, Terry Ryan, Ian Dunbar, Sue
Sternberg, Karen Pryor
Past Professional Member, National Association of Dog Obedience Instructors and
Association of Pet Dog Trainers
EXPERIENCE-
General Pet Knowledge- breed standards and types, pet nutrition, first aid, pet behavior, pet
health, PA Dog Law, safe handling of pets, pet disease and sanitation, parasites/treatment
Grooming- breed standard, custom styles, coat types, skin care, hand scissoring,
hand stripping, product ingredients and selection, equipment selection and maintenance
Behavior- extensive experience with evaluation and modification of behavioral issues, including
but not limited to aggression, fear, and shyness, as well as general behavior modification.
Training and Competition- AKC conformation, AKC obedience, AKC agility, field trials
(Basset Hound), earthdog, Schutzhund (tracking, obedience, protection)
Rescue- fostered and placed over 150 dogs, puppies, and kittens into permanent homes
OTHER-
Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh Pet Friends Program with Molly and Rosie
Numerous nursing home therapy visits
Numerous demonstrations for schools and community groups
Too many hours of training class time to count!
| At Mary's Dog House our goal is to provide you and your pet with a quality, safe, grooming experience for a fair price. We choose our products and equipment carefully to maximize quality and efficiency while minimizing stress for both pet and groomer. All staff are trained not only in grooming techniques but also safety procedures. We utilize a massaging bathing system to ensure that all pets are completely clean, from top to bottom, and in all the nooks and crannies. The shampoo is delivered through the system and powers through even the thickest of coats to get pets clean from the skin out. |
| Many dogs then get the burrito treatment, designed to help pull moisture out of the coat, and speed drying time. We also use absorbent mats on the drying table and hoodie tubes over the ears both to help with drying and protect pet's sensitive ears from the noise of the dryer. |
| We continue drying with a high velocity forced air dryer. These dryers have variable speeds to adjust for different sizes and coat types of pets. The force dryers are used to get the pets almost completely dry, to remove shedding undercoat, and fluff the coat in preparation for trimming. |
| Pets are then placed into wire holding crates and ambient temperature fans are used to get the last bits of moisture out of the coat. Pets that cannot tolerate the force dryer are also dried in this manner. Temperature and humidity of the drying area are monitored for pet safety and efficient drying. |
| Finally, the pet is brought back out to the main grooming tables where groomers will make sure that everything needed is finished and the trimming is completed. The final step is a bandana or bows and the pet is placed back into a secure holding crate to wait for pickup. |
ABOUT MARY
