Clint and Ashley Drake and children Hunter and Avery are shown under willow trees near Ashley’s Whispering Willow Dog Grooming business. Clint suggested the business name because of the nearby willow trees.
Ashley Drake says dog grooming involves getting “up close and personal” with her clients.
By Susan Thompson | Lake Panorama Times
Ashley Drake has been grooming dogs for nearly 25 years, most of that time working for others. In mid-September, she opened her own dog-grooming business.
Whispering Willow Dog Grooming is located along Highway 4 between Panora and Yale. Ashley and her husband, Clint Drake, purchased their home on two acres three years ago. This past summer, they turned a portion of an existing garage into a space for the business.
Ashley grew up in Guthrie Center and graduated from high school there. She attended a month-long school in Madison, Wisconsin, where she learned the basics of grooming, dog breeds and the types of cuts commonly used on each breed.
She worked as a groomer at Pet Smart in Des Moines for two years, then Pretty Paws in Guthrie Center for another two years. She took a break after her two children were born and was a stay-at-home mom until they both went to school.
“I love dog grooming,” Drake says. “Once the kids were older, I had my own shop for a little while in Panora and then just outside of town. Next, I took a job at Stylin Paws in Clive. After making that drive for four years, Clint and I decided it was time for me to come back home.”
The couple did most of the renovation work themselves, putting up a wall down the middle of the garage to separate the two spaces. Clint, who is a heavy equipment mechanic, has worked in construction for many years.
“We did everything but the flooring and the foam insulation,” Ashley says. “The work included running electrical and plumbing, adding a septic system, new door and larger windows in the front. I need as much light as I can get when I’m grooming.”
The business includes a large front counter, a separate room for doggie baths, and one grooming table with all the necessary tools nearby. There also are four kennels, in case a dog needs to be dropped off before its appointment or stay a little longer after.
“I prefer to have just one dog at a time, which helps reduce stress and anxiety,” Drake says. “I want to make the grooming process as stress-free as possible.”
To open the dog-grooming business, Drake had to submit an application to the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship for a license.
“They had to come and inspect the building to make sure everything is up to code, and we passed on the first visit,” she says.
Since opening the second week in September, Drake’s days have been full with both new and existing customers.
“I’ve enjoyed getting to meet a lot of new people and their dogs,” she says. “I’ve also had a lot of people follow me here. Quite a few of my clients now drive to Panora from the Des Moines area because they don’t want someone new grooming their dog. They enjoy going into Panora for coffee, to shop, have a meal while I’m working with their dog. I love that my small business is helping support other small businesses in the community.”
Drake offers all the normal dog grooming services, including baths, brushing, cuts, de-shedding, anal glands, trimming nails and cleaning ears.
“All dogs need to be groomed on a regular basis, even those with short hair,” she says. “It helps keep their skin healthy. It’s good for the dog’s health and also keeps them used to the grooming process so they don’t get anxious.”
Regular grooming also allows Drake to pick up on health issues a dog may be facing.
“When I’m blow drying a dog, I can see things on their skin vets might not have noticed,” she says. “I also find things like ear infections that haven’t yet been noticed by the dog’s owner.”
Costs are based on the dog’s weight.
“Most dogs I can groom in an hour to an hour and a half,” Drake says. “I’ve been doing this so long, I’ve developed a regular system that is pretty fast. When I was working in Des Moines, I often groomed 13 dogs a day.”
Now that Drake is running the show, she’s a bit more relaxed.
“I make sure to interact a lot with the dogs during the grooming process,” she says. “They love the extra attention, and it always makes them feel better, more relaxed.”
Drake’s children attend Panorama Community Schools. Son Hunter is 15 and a freshman. Daughter Avery is 11 years old and in sixth grade.
Drake says she is grateful to have her own dog grooming business.
“I’m happy to be able to be home more, and not miss my kids’ school activities because I can’t get back to Panora in time,” she says. “Now I plan my daily schedule to be available for both my family and my customers.”
The entire family loves dogs, and have six of their own. Mak is a Belgian Malinois, and Tango is a German Shepherd. Skade and Brida are miniature schnauzers. Chubbs is a red healer, and Walter is a Bernadoodle wiener dog.
Drake says the best part of her job is seeing the transformation of a dog from one that needs to be groomed to the finished product.
“They actually do like being groomed, once they feel safe,” she says.
Whispering Willow Dog Grooming is open 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday. Drake says she sometimes will groom dogs on a Saturday, if needed. To make an appointment, call or text her at 641-431-1141. The business has a Facebook page, and customers also can send a message there to request an appointment.
Duke, a golden labradoodle owned by Billy and Emily Donovan, is shown with Ashley Drake inside Whispering Willow Dog Grooming. This was the first time for Duke to be groomed by Ashley.
The first stop for Duke is a bath. Ashley Drake says she usually ends up about as wet as the dog she is bathing, plus covered in hair.
Drake says it is important to get a dog’s hair very dry before starting to cut. Duke is wearing a Happy Hoodie, which Drake puts on all dogs to reduce the noise they experience during the drying process.
Duke gives Ashley Drake a kiss while she continues the blow drying process. Drake says dog grooming involves getting “up close and personal” with her clients.
Ashley Drake starts hair trimming on Duke’s back. She uses electric clippers that can be fitted with a variety of caps to change the length of the cut.
Once Ashley Drake was finished with the electric clippers, she brushed Duke, then used hand scissors to finish things off.
Once a dog’s grooming is complete, Ashley Drake gives it either a scarf or bow. She chose an orange scarf for Duke and was rewarded with a kiss.
This “after” photo shows Duke freshly groomed and happy with his new groomer, Ashley Drake.
Ashley Drake stands near the sign of her dog grooming business with her dog, Mak. Mak is one of six dogs the Drake family owns.