Lara Leahy
06 November 2024, 8:02 PM
Jack Ruhle and Brigita Dallosova have a beautiful blue heeler called Rain to go with their new portable dog grooming business, Blue Wheeler!
Their office is called Scrappy Doo, and it comes complete with a stable door, and the ears lift up as windows.
Jack takes on the dogs, and Brigita handles the organisation and books. Jack explains, “We pretty much pamper dogs. We wash them if need be, and groom them where they need it, and we do a little bit of styling for long haired fluff balls. They love it.”
Getting your dog groomed properly, especially dogs with long hair, is vital for the health of your dog. Jack explains, “Brushing helps with so many different things, it'll help the oils on the skin in the coat.
“It'll help everything, gets rid of grass seeds or farmers' friends. It helps stop hair from matting. The mat can go to the skin.
“It can be really painful and difficult to get out. Mats are a bad thing for dogs; they don't like them. Some dogs will get them in their toes, in the lady bits, in their ears. They grumpy because they're in pain all the time.”
Jack has had dogs around him since he was 6. His first dog was a staffy, and he definitely has a soft spot for them. His love of dogs transferred to working with them in later life.
“I've been washing and pampering pups for a while, but I got tired of working for other people. So, my wife and I decided to give it a go ourselves. It's much more work than I thought, but it's so much more enjoyable as well.”
Jack comes across as a very relaxed person, and you can see why dogs mesh with him. He doesn’t mind giving his furry clientele the time they need to get used to him and the little blue dog office has good treats which helps build rapport.
“Either the dogs are real sweeties, or they are really nervous," Jack explained, "At the beginning, not all but quite a few of the little ones bark at me when they see me. Who is this person?
“And then at the end, they don't want me to go away. When I come back, the dogs are like, ‘Oh, it's Jack,’ and they come running.”
Jack has been asked to take care of other animals like rabbits, cats and even a goat! But he knows dogs, and they are the creatures he cares for.
Most dogs don’t take to being brushed all that quickly. But Jack has a tip for owners to help with the grooming process, “Getting them used to being touched in sensitive areas - I'd recommend holding their feet a little bit because most dogs don't like their feet being touched.
“It’s tough trying to handle their feet with scissors and things when they're trying to pull away. So holding our feet for a few seconds, once a day, is awesome.”
Jack recommends that if you are considering getting grooming for your dog, just call him and discuss your situation. “It’s free to meet the dog and look at what is needed to be done for a quote. If you leave matting or things irritating their skin too long, it can become a medical issue.”
You can get hold of Jack in any of the following ways: