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In our fourth installment on popular dog breeds, we’re showcasing a small wonder with big eyes, big heart and a fierce underbite: the Shih Tzu! Good Dog currently has over 240 in our clientele, and they’re the 3rd most registered toy breed in the AKC. Originally from China, Shih Tzu’s are an ancient breed that were beloved among Chinese emperors — their name actually translates to “little lion.” Centuries later, the breed is still incredibly popular thanks to its personality and good looks. (If you need proof of the good looks, just take a look our daycare regular Scout Cloud, below).






Most of our Shih Tzu’s visit us for grooming services and are given a shorter more manageable cut, but if you’re an avid watcher of Westminster, you can see them in their traditional “show cut” with fancy top knot. The breed has a double coat that is prone to matting, so our groomers recommend regular haircuts — ideally every 6 to 8 weeks to keep them happy and mat-free. Scooter, our 5-year-old Shih Tzu below, comes in about every 8 weeks for his new ‘do (check out his before-and-after pics). Frequent brushing is also ideal … if your pup isn’t fond of this idea or you simply don’t have the time for it, our groomers offer a convenient brushing service that keeps many of our clients in great shape. Overall, grooming may be a bit high-maintenance for Shih Tzu’s, but the big benefit is they shed little to no hair.









Shih Tzu’s are known for their friendly, lively personalities, and they most certainly live up to their “lap dog” reputation — nothing is more precious to a Shih Tzu than human attention! Those that attend our daycare are often found in the laps of daycare staff; they love constant petting and pampering. Shih Tzu’s don’t need much exercise and can get most of what they need by running around the house and playing.



Without proper training and socialization, these little guys can get what we call “small dog syndrome.” Our trainer Adam suggests being very patient and starting socialization early. Shih Tzu’s can become very attached to their owners, so they should be exposed to as many people and dogs as possible. Also, since the breed is so small and crave human attention, owners must be very careful about body language during training.






If you’re looking for a pup that will melt your heart, think about the spunky, sparkly eyed Shih Tzu. Petfinder currently has about 36 available for adoption, many from the Indianapolis-based New Beginnings Shih Tzu Rescue. Some even think our very own Tiki has some Shih Tzu in him. With his big eyes, crazy under bite, and constant craving for human attention, we wouldn’t be surprised if he has a little in his DNA.





Ever wonder what happens during your dog’s grooming appointment? Or what kind of talent it takes to create that spiffy pooch ’do? Every year we like to do an annual “Groomer Roundup” so you can learn a little bit more about our groomers, an amazing trio of artists who work their tails off every day. In addition to doing some pretty physical work – like bathing a 200-pound Great Dane or brushing a big furry Newfoundland – they are each very artistic in their own way and have a big heart for dogs. Read on to find out more about Veronique, Marie and Delbert.



Veronique Brown (we call her V)

V graduated from the Animal Arts Academy in December 2011 and has been grooming full-time with Good Dog ever since. If you ask what her favorite breed is, she’ll smile and tell you every breed is her favorite. However, if you push her just a bit more, you’ll find out she’s the owner of an adorable pom named Simba, and an equally adorable and sassy dach-pom named Nala, so she has a soft spot in her heart for dachs and poms. If V could give one tip to dog owners, it would be to brush often — and start brushing early. The younger the dog is when you start brushing/grooming, the more they’ll love it and enjoy it. In addition, it stimulates their coat oils, makes them look prettier, prevents them from matting, and makes their grooming experience super easy. And finally, if you want to know a fun fact about V: she was born and raised in Belgium and is flying back there to visit her family at the end of March!



Marie Ryker

Marie, also a graduate of the Animal Arts Academy, has been grooming for six years and is a proud mom of a very cute 3-year-old, Sophia, who gets lots of attention when she visits Good Dog. An owner of 3 pups, Marie is an equal opportunity dog lover who has no favorites and is happy grooming pretty much any breed. She loves all animals and has actually worked with them most of her life, including assisting at veterinary hospitals. While grooming can sometimes be very challenging, Marie enjoys the difficult moments because it makes her feel as if she’s truly helping the dog. She believes that by making the dogs look better, it helps them feel better, and there is nothing else in the world she’d rather be doing. If she had one tip for dog owners, it would be brush, brush, brush! She recommends grooms or brushes every 4 to 6 weeks if possible, especially for long-haired doggies. A fun fact about Marie: She gets super excited about going to grooming seminars – it’s one of her favorite things to do. She loves learning about cool new products, new techniques, and creative new ideas.



Delbert Duncan

Delbert has been in the dog business for more than 25 years, and he even owned his own salon for 16. While Delbert doesn’t have a favorite breed, he has spent years showing and training Rottweilers, Australian Shepards and Miniature Schnauzers, and he has even trained several groomers who have gone on to become stars in the dog world. Making dogs feel better is really important to Delbert, which is just one reason why he’s great at his job. He recommends dog owners talk to their groomer as much as possible. He welcomes questions from his clients and can always give advice on the best way to brush and bathe your pets, and even how to dry them, to make the grooming experience easy and fun for owners. Fun fact: Delbert does a lot of volunteer work on the side, and he even donated some of his time to help with the Super Bowl. In addition, he loves gardening and can’t wait for this spring to roll around.

Our final devoted pup is Mr. Murphy!



Murphy is one big lovable Lab! He started coming to Good Dog just 10 days after we opened! His owners loved the proximity of Good Dog being only blocks from their home. Murphy has stuck with us for so long because they love the convenience of all our services we have to offer. Murphy takes full advantage of our daycare and grooming, plus he loves to spend the night here! Now if only we had a Vet on staff they would be set!





When Murphy is not hanging out with his pals in Daycare he is enjoying going on walks and eating! That’s right Murphy loves his food, like most labs it’s one of his favorite activities! That is right next to swimming, which he is lucky to have friends with a lake house where he spends plenty of time during the summer.




Murphy also has quite the collection of balls that he has claimed are his after neighbors brought them over and he popped them. He has several basketballs and footballs, but his favorite is a NBA basketball that he insists you throw when in the yard.





Whenever Murphy comes in he always runs right up to the front desk to see who is working and say HI, after that though he is straight to the daycare door! Murphy loves to come in for daycare once every couple of weeks. He also is a regular in our grooming room where he loves his Shed-X treatment. All that brushing really makes him feel good, plus he loves to help out the groomers and give a good shake to get rid of that extra hair! Every once and awhile Murphy’s owners will take a vacation and that means it’s Suite time! He loves to stand up on the door of his suite and watch the staff as they walk other dogs or feed them. He knows it will soon be his turn and he will get to go spend his whole day playing with a new batch of dogs!




The big man will be celebrating his 9th birthday next Friday on the 24th! You would never guess it though considering he still has the energy of a pup. His owners got him in April of 2003 from a small breeder in Shelbyville, IN. Murphy is one of those dogs who just instantly can put a smile on your face. He is so lovable, fun and everything a lab should be! Make sure to stop by and say Hi to Murphy when you are in. We promise his smile will make your day!

Portia and Ginger Barr



Meet Portia and Ginger Barr, the second installment of our series on Good Dog’s longest-standing customers!



Every once and a while you hear stories of dogs overcoming all obstacles, and this is another one of those stories! At just 10 weeks old, Portia and Ginger were found under the White River Bridge by cyclists. Severely malnourished, the dogs actually had gravel in their little tummies from trying to eat rocks. Luckily, mom and dad Barr heard about the two pups through a mass email, so they went to visit the little black lab now known as Portia. Once they saw the duo together, they couldn’t resist!






These two lovely ladies started visiting Good Dog in 2005. Portia and Ginger are both Lab mixes, and even though they don’t look similar, they are definitely litter mates! While the girls like to pretend they are 5, they’ll celebrate their 10th birthdays in May. Ginger is the outgoing sister who wants all the attention, so when Portia gets some lovin’, Ginger is sure to squeeze her way into the mix to garner some attention.



Portia and Ginger both adore coming to daycare. As soon as they get the chance, they stick their noses through the gate and wag their tails in unison. If you ask the Good Dog staff to describe them, it only takes one word: sweethearts!! They live up to their title by always being polite, patient and calm. Whenever it’s time to take pictures or put on leashes, they both behave exceptionally well. The girls also love getting treated to a groom every few weeks. Ginger likes baths more than her sister, but they both behave like princesses for the grooming team — Portia just does not want to get her pretty little toes wet! According to mom and dad, they come to Good Dog because of the cleanliness of the facility and, most importantly, because they feel comfortable leaving their dogs in our hands — something they still appreciate to this day!






Back at home, Portia usually mans the top of the stairs, where she can see the street from her window. When she’s not on guard, she runs around stealing socks and checks to see whether Ginger has conned someone into a treat. Ginger is a big fan of food, and she’ll search for any morsel she can find. She’s also a big fan of chasing outdoor critters and alerting everyone whenever a dog walks by her house. Both girls love to howl and are avid hikers … They hit the trails pretty often and have been on every path in Eagle Creek!






We’re so happy that Portia and Ginger are in such a loving home with two great parents — they deserve every minute of the happy and comfortable life they’re living. Everyone at Good Dog is absolutely head over heals for this pair. No matter what they visit for — a hotel stay, grooming appointment, or daycare (their favorite) — they’re always the sweetest! Thanks for sticking with us girls!



Coming next month Good Dog will celebrate it’s 7th birthday! We first opened our doors on March 12th of 2005. Since then there have been many changes, new decor, new staff, and plenty of new dogs.  In fact we currently have around 10,000 clients in our system! We wanted to give a special shout out to three ( out of many) families who have been with us since the beginning!


Gracie and Gus Turner



The Turners started bringing Gracie here when she was just a puppy in 2005. Gracie is a little Goldendoodle who came from a breeder in Lexington Ky and was born the same day the Turners actually lost their Retriever Charlotte. Gracie ran the house (and daycare at Good Dog) until her brother Gus came along in 2009. Gus was rescued from Lexington Ky as well where his mother was overbred and not properly feeding Gus. You would never guess he had a rough past though since he is such a loving sweet boy!






You probably have seen plenty of pictures of them around on our Facebook page and our website. Both of them love getting their pictures taken and it often seems when they do something cute that they are just waiting for us to see them with the camera. They come in for daycare Monday through Friday and right when they get in they got to their favorite spots. Gracie loves to perch herself on top of the crate, occasionally allowing other dogs to come snuggle with her, Gus loves to lay in the corner where he can oversee all the dogs in the small area and the big area. Every Thursday the pups get a spa day, Gracie is always ready and willing for her bath walking right in to the grooming room and hopping up on the table sitting patiently. While Gus on the other hand runs past the grooming room hoping no one will notice him if he just shrinks down low. After some sweet talk though from Veronique his groomer he can’t resist and jumps right up on the table to give her some kisses.






The Turners love having a standing grooming appointment here since having two doodles can be a lot of work! They also love that the dogs can come and get their energy out when they are at work and when they come home they can all rest and enjoy the night.






Back at home these pups have a pretty exciting life! Gracie keeps watch on the house, while Gus bounds around showing everyone his athletic side. They love visiting the lake house at Lake Wawasee where Gus insists on getting his fair share of rides on the wave runner. Gus and Gracie are also very fond of car rides, especially if it means coming to play with their friends at daycare!






Now between the two of them they have been here over 1,400 times in the last 7 years! Given that information it’s easy to understand why the staff here considers them a part of our family! When they walk in the door they get the “Cheers” style greeting of Gus and Gracie!! We love snuggling up to Gus and laughing over Gracie’s stubborn ways. You will always hold a big spot in Good Dog’s heart!

 

Hi! My name is Laina Labita — you might also know me as runner-up for “Best Bark” in Good Dog’s yearbook poll. I’m a beautiful blue- and brown-eyed husky with a gorgeous howling voice (so gorgeous that the Good Dog staff swears I’d be a Hollywood starlet if I were a person). I prefer being a dog though … and I’m a pretty darn good one, if you ask my daycare friends.

 

I’ve been hitting the daycare scene since 2009, and let me tell you something: I absolutely love it! When I hear that glorious “rattle” of my leash at noon each day, I do a little dance for my parents because I know it’s play time. And my excitement continues in the car ride to Good Dog … mom says my tail wags a mile a minute, and I’ll let out the occasional howl when I’m especially pumped.

 

Like all huskies I have a stubborn side, which is probably why I only enter daycare through “Door One” at Good Dog — that’s my routine and I’m stickin’ to it! But overall I’m just a sweet and loving little girl. Once I make my grand entrance, the big dogs know their “social butterfly” has arrived and it’s time to party.  I do a lot of talking and strutting, and I’m friends with just about everyone — our daycare gang has such a grand old time together.

 

And if you think my confidence and sass stops at daycare, think again. Like the rest of my breed, I don’t bark much … but when I do, you better pay attention. I am super fierce about defending my home and I let everyone know it!

 

According to moms and pops, my sass is only rivaled by my cuteness. They fell in love with me the second we met (and vice versa, of course).  As a 3-month-old baby husky, mom says I was just a tiny little ball of fluff with a spunky personality and beautiful  eyes. I mean look at my baby picture below … honestly, how could they resist??

 

Well, now you know a few tidbits about little old me. If you want to learn more, just swing by Good Dog and take a peek at me in daycare. I’m the big pretty husky that only enters and exits through Door One!

 

 

 

We’re all about family here at Good Dog, so when one of our nearest and dearest makes a big career move, we like to celebrate it and spread the news. This year, one of our veteran front-desk staffers graduated from Carmel’s Animal Arts Academy and became the newest addition to our grooming team.

Veronique Brown — known around here as “V” — joined Good Dog in November 2009 and has worked the front desk since January 2010. V is fantastic with animals, but last year she decided to combine her love of dogs with her artistic side and enrolled in the academy, Indiana’s only state-accredited school for grooming. After lots of studying and training, she passed her courses with flying colors and started grooming part-time at Good Dog.

 

V quickly took to the trade and is now a full-timer. Considering the fantastic display of canines we see every day, she has already sharpened her skills on some intricate and unusual breeds, including Barrett the giant schnauzer (above). Her happiest moments are when a dog owner is pleased with her work, but she also loves seeing dogs in the bathtub – there’s something about a wet soapy pup that makes her smile.

 

The job did throw her a few surprises at first … one being the level of physical activity involved in each groom, another being the massive amount of trust required from the dogs (something V holds very dear). It’s not surprising when you consider the tools and noises involved in even the simplest haircut, so her goal is to build long-term relationships with her clients – that way, each time they visit, they become more and more comfortable with the process.

 

At home, V is the proud momma of Simba the pom and Nala the dach-pom mix, and wife to Kevin. Dogs have always been a permanent fixture in her life – one of her very first memories was being “kissed” by her family’s giant German Shepherd in her home country of Belgium. Like everyone else at Good Dog, she can’t imagine her life without dogs. She’s incredibly thankful she found the perfect career, and equally thankful for her trainers at the academy: certified master groomer Barb Ellery, her son Kevin Stewart and his wife, Kristie.

 

We’re so very proud of V’s newfound talent and feel lucky to have her as part of our family. You can take a look at some of her work below. And if you ever have any questions about grooming, feel free to call talk to any of our groomers the next time you’re in for a visit. Or you can call us at 317.255.2525 and we’ll do our best to chat with you about the fine art of dog grooming!

 

 

 


Since no one knows my real birthday, I have a Gotcha Day instead. It was the first day I arrived at Good Dog – Oct. 6, 2011, and I’ll never forget it for the rest of my life.

My road to happiness was anything but smooth. Homeless, scared and running the streets, I was hit by a speeding car that left me behind. With broken bones and a paralyzed backside, I cried for help – loud enough for a jogger to hear. A dog lover, she scooped me up, drove me to a vet and begged for help. After multiple surgeries, painful therapy and 30 days in the hospital, the vet thought I’d never walk again. No one claimed me, my rescuer already owned three pups, and no one seemed to know where I’d end up. But all of it was worth it because it brought me here.

Good Dog initially offered to rehabilitate me – the second best idea in the history of ideas. My instincts told me to greet every creature that walked through the door, but pain held me back. My back legs couldn’t muster the strength to move for weeks, but I still tried. With lots of help from my humans (and some amazing dogs), I gradually recovered. My walk is a bit crooked (and my run even more so), but I’m happy. After all those months, Good Dog decided I’d make the perfect house dog — the first best idea in the history of ideas.

This new life is nothing like my past. The days are filled with human love, doggie friendships and perks like you wouldn’t believe – like the biscuit jar that’s always full and fluffy hotel beds that are perfect for napping. Each day is an adventure I’m not afraid to tackle. I fearlessly play with the big dogs in daycare and volunteer my time in canine training class. Every Tuesday, the boss requests my stampe of approval at the manager’s meeting, where important business is conducted as I sleep on laps and beg for food.

All in all, my new home is the stuff of dreams. I love meeting and becoming friends with all of you, not to mention your pups and your little ones. Without a doubt, I’m the luckiest dog on earth.




It’s not often you get to meet an actual 9/11 hero, but we at Good Dog recently had the honor of grooming one. Kaiser Zintsmaster, a 13-year-old German Shepard, just visited Good Dog for his first professional groom before heading to New York to be honored for his work as a 9/11 rescue dog. He’ll be honored December 7th by the Animal Medical Center as part of their “Top Dog” event. Good Dog groomer Veronique gave Kaiser the special treatment, so he could look and feel his best during the ceremonies.



Kaiser is a trained search and rescue dog, and he was among the first dogs deployed after the attacks. When he arrived in NYC on September 12 with owners Tony and Annette, he immediately began searching through the dangerous wreckage. In fact, half of Kaiser’s carpel pad was sliced completely off during a search, but it was quickly stitched up and he only missed a day before returning to the job. Dad Tony worked with Kaiser throughout the tragedy and has been Kaiser’s owner and trainer since birth.



Groomer Veronique said Kaiser was incredibly well behaved for his first professional groom, and mom Annette says that is pretty typical for Kaiser’s disposition. While he’s a work-horse trained to do the most serious of jobs, he can also be a big love-bug. While Kaiser is now retired, Annette says he was always serious about his work — he would even push past younger brother Jago, also a trained search and rescue dog, during training sessions. However, when it’s time to rest, Kaiser is just a family man who loves spending time with Annette, Tony and Jago.



Good Dog would like to thank Tony, Annette and Kaiser not only for their service on 9/11, but for giving us the chance to meet each of you and groom Kaiser and Jago. Your family is welcome at Good Dog anytime!