The Dawn of The Doodle

At the beginning of my career, I groomed dogs specifically on the North Shore of Chicago. The popular breeds at that time were Standard Poodles, Portuguese Water Dogs, Wheaten Terriers, Cocker Spaniels, and even Bouvier des Flandres. Breed-standard haircuts were expected and required on a day-to-day basis. Amongst the purebreds was also the original Doodle, the Cockapoo. Grooming mixed breeds is exciting because it gives an opportunity for owners and their groomers to get creative. I remember the feeling of excitement I had when Goldendoodles started showing up on my schedule. The Doodle was the ‘new kid in town’ and as someone that thrives in change and creativity, I was hooked.

Honing the Craft

Fast forward 15 years later. My enthusiasm caught up with me, to say the least. I was grooming so many Doodles! My attention to detail and deep connection with animals had me playfully coined as the ‘North Shore Doodler’ within social media groups, and my schedules in Chicago maintained about a 50% Doodle ratio. That’s a lot of Doodles!

One thing that I realized during my career in Chicago is that my colleagues had a tendency to pass their Doodle clients onto me. I also realized that a lot of my clients were previously jumping around to different grooming shops, traveling further and further from home to find a groomer that was skilled, patient, and priced accurately. Understanding this perpetual problem, I took this as an opportunity to learn how to address these issues. Doodle grooming is not only about the knowledge of coat type, but also about a vibe with a smart dog that is bred for companionship. It’s about a chance to be there for a dog that is literally bred to be there for you. It’s about kindness.

So here we are on the dawn of a new Florida horizon. The brick and mortar are set. We have an enterprise brewing here at Certified Doodle where grooming your Doodle is not only an innovative process, but something that we love to do! Mix that with our deep compassion for dogs and humanity, and I know this is the start of something good. The faster our doors open the faster we can make an impact and more than ever, that counts.

Vanessa Rushing-Founder/Groomer