Wags & Whiskers

At Wags & Whiskers, we are dedicated to providing top-quality grooming services to our furry friends and their human companions. Our journey began on May 1st, 1991, when our founder, Christine Meyer, opened the doors to her passion project - a dog grooming business. Over the years, we have grown into a renowned establishment, serving both our furry and non-furry friends with the utmost care and love.

Christine, an avid lover of dogs, was already active in the dog world before opening Wags & Whiskers. She was involved in showing purebred Affenpinchers in the conformation ring, grooming and handling the dogs herself. She admired this breed for their small size, plucky attitude, their adorable teddy bear faces, and their unwavering loyalty to their humans.

As her passion for dogs continued to grow, Christine moved into the Portuguese Water Dogs, again breeding and showing these loyal and devoted pets. She became an active and involved member of both the Portuguese Water Dog Club of America and the Nutmeg Portuguese Water Dog Club.

Christine, along with others, collaborated in a landmark study with the University of Utah, known as the Georgie Project. This study aimed to save the genetically threatened Water Dog breed through selective breeding programs. There were only a few hundred of these dogs left in the world when the University of Utah professors, specifically Dr. Gordon Lark, initiated this study. The amazing work began in the 1990s, before DNA testing was commonplace, and studied the genetics, physiology, and diseases of the breed. This led to our modern understanding of many canine diseases, including cardiomyopathy, canine hip dysplasia, Progressive Retinal Atrophy, and Addison's disease.

Initially, Wags & Whiskers accepted both dogs and cats, but it soon became apparent that cats didn't like water, and dogs didn't like cats. So, the decision was made to focus solely on dogs, which has remained our policy to this day.

As our business grew, Christine needed assistants to help her. She trained and mentored these individuals over many years, teaching them not just the mechanics of dog grooming but also the philosophy of providing care for man's best friend. Our employees stay with us for many years, developing a wealth of knowledge and experience that they bring to each grooming session.

At Wags & Whiskers, we understand that each pet is precious to those who bring them to us, and we take this responsibility very seriously. Each dog is handed off to an employee who sees the dog safely to an open holding cubicle or crate, which is always in plain sight of at least two employees. Dogs are always under control, so no fighting can occur, and all new clients are evaluated for vaccinations and behavior.

Today, Wags & Whiskers is equipped with a modern, state-of-the-art hydrotherapy tub that can accommodate the largest mastiff, who can walk up the ramp to enter the tub, and the smallest Yorkie, who can be carefully lifted into the tub. The salon is staffed with five full-time employees with nearly forty years of experience between them. The front room contains high-end, high-tech dog foods, frozen raw foods, leads and collars, dog beds, and toys, as well as many other products. This is meant as a convenience for humans who bring their pets to us for care.

In 2014, we brought about a year of change with the launching of our website and the modernization of the up-front products, with an emphasis on those made in the USA. Our already very complete list of services was supplemented with our new PlaqClnz doggie dental cleaning system.

At Wags & Whiskers, we are dedicated to providing top-quality grooming services to our furry friends and their human companions. We understand the importance of your pet's well-being and strive to ensure that each visit to our salon is a positive and enjoyable experience for both you and your pet.