Meet The Doggie Divas Of Shampooch
Dena Kuehne is known around the neighborhood as something of a dog whisperer.
“They come in and they’re a little nervous and biting,” says Kuehne, 33, of her furry clients. “We try to hold them and cuddle them, so that by the next time they come in, they are excited to see us. Getting groomed is a treat.”
On November 1, the mother of two opened the pet grooming business Shampooch of Dahill at 1603 Dahill Road, right near the F train, specializing in anxious animals.
Kuehne’s daughters, Nicole, 13, and Isabella, 11, along with their very pink poodle, 5-year-old Skittlez (with a Z!), can often be spotted helping out at the Gravesend shop, which offers beauty treatments like pedicures, hand scissoring, haircuts, and show cuts.
But most eye catching, perhaps, are Shampooch’s snazzy doggie dyes. Pups leave the store sporting pink and purple fros, florescent pigtails, and panda bear coats, which, when using a semi permanent dye, can last up to several months.
Holidays are especially busy for Shampooch, with many clients requesting holiday-themed dye jobs for their pets, such as red and green for Christmas, and red, white, and blue for Independence Day.
Kuehne, who grew up in Gravesend, got her start 17 years ago when a pet grooming shop opened around the corner from where she lived.
“I loved dogs when I was a kid,” says Kuehne. “I always knew I would have a career working with animals, so I asked for a job.”
Five years later she bought the store.
Kuehne ran the shop, which she renamed Shampooch, on 65th and Bay Parkway for 11 years until the economic recession hit and she decided to downsize and focus on raising her daughters. For the next five years, Kuehne continued grooming pets out of the basement of the Animal Clinic of Bensonhurst (2249 65th St), just a block from her old location.
Despite the turbulent economy, Kuehne managed to retain a loyal customer base, many of whom have been bringing their pets in from their very first grooming. Others turned to Kuehne because their pets freak out easily with other groomers.
“I don’t know if it’s just my energy, but really we try to create a comfortable environment for them,” says Kuehne.
With her savings, Kuehne finally invested in a new storefront on Dahill Road. Her carpenter father, Jimmy Alveira, and her husband Shawn, a union plumber, helped her install plumbing and build frames to hold the tubs.
“When we first rented the store it was literally just four walls,” says Kuehne. “Everything you see there now, we made. Each day they both would go straight to Shampooch after work and build my store.”
Aside from poodles, Shampooch gets plenty of Yorkies, Shih Tzus, and even cats padding through its doors.
Is your pooch a princess? Check out Shampooch on Facebook and Instagram, or drop by the store to learn about their beauty packages.