By CLAIRE SANT
BGSU Student Contributor
Oliver and Max, the furry ambassadors of the shop, may not be the ones cutting the checks or giving the trims but they sure excel as spokesdogs for the business. Owner Sydney Craig runs the shop with her two dogs eagerly greeting customers at the door.
When Craig first opened the doors to Olivers & Max dog grooming in March 2022, she aimed to focus on each pet individually to give a ‘paw-sh’ experience.
The recent move and expansion of space have helped immensely. The business was once located in a strip of businesses hidden from the street but is now at 192 S. Main St.
The windows from wall to wall and window benches allow the dogs to bask in the sun after getting pampered. The space benefits Craig and makes work a bit more fun while grooming five to six dogs per day.
“I love the windows. Nobody used to be able to see me groom the dogs,” Craig said. “Now there are kids lined up watching the dogs.”
The larger space gives Craig more room to keep the dogs happy. If owners are unable to pick up their dogs straight away, they can lounge or play with toys until pickup.
“It’s nice having that big, back space now,” said Craig. “I don’t have to put them in a cage, they can just run around.”
Craig’s mother and business partner, Jodie Serrato, said Craig has a knack for grooming. Both said they have always loved dogs. “Probably more than people, let’s be honest,” Serrato said.
“She’s always wanted to be a dog groomer, all through high school,” Serrato said.
Craig said she started by shadowing and training at other nearby dog groomers until she took on her own business. The mom-daughter duo grew up in Bowling Green, making it the perfect place to open their salon.
“A couple months after I graduated, I threw myself all in,” Craig said. “I was practicing on Oliver and Max.”
The two dogs that inspired the business name would get anxious getting groomed elsewhere, but once the salon opened up, the dogs felt more at ease trusting their owners.
Serrato, a full-time teacher in Maumee, helps her daughter in her time off. She also bakes homemade dog treats sold in-store. “I just help her when I’m available,” Serrato said. “This is Sydney’s show.”
One thing Serrato loves is the everyday interaction between her daughter and the dog clients.
“The dogs will walk by Sydney downtown and know her,” Serrato said. That is so fun, because they don’t have a voice, and you can only go off of their body language.”
They’re ironing out the details as they go. Serrato said she only wants to support Sydney in her goals. “Our heart and soul is in this,” Serrato said. “What better way than to do grooming?”
The pair said they would love to hopefully find an additional groomer to help lighten the workload. Craig works hard to give undivided attention to one dog or sibling pair at a time.
“It’s trying to keep her passion of why she started this, but also looking at the business side to take pressure off,” Serrato said. “We’re trying to balance it.”
