Going To The Dogs

CNY Business Journal (1996+), Mar 30, 2007 by Acton, Ryann

SYRACUSE - Parents often demand the best daycare services, kindergarten classes, and nutrition available to help their children grow into well adjusted, intelligent, and healthy adults. And now they are demanding the same things for their dogs - doggie-day care, puppy kindergarten, and all-natural and organic pet food.

Pet owners are more willing than ever to pay top dollar for these products and services, according to area petservices providers and national survey reports.

Pet-industry sales - which includes live animal purchases, veterinary care, over-the-counter medicine, food, and services such as grooming and boarding jumped more than 80 percent from $21 billion in 1996 to $38.5 billion in 2006, according to the American Pet Products Manufacturers Association, Inc. (APPMA). Petindustry sales are expected to climb to $40.8 billion in 2007. The Greenwich, Conn.-based not-for-profit is a trade association with more than 900 members.

Baby boomers, empty nesters, and young professionals are driving the increase, says Bob Vetere, APPMA president. They also have the disposable income to spoil their pets, Vetere says.

These finicky pet owners want the companionship a pet provides but don't want to be tied down by one, Vetere adds. Automated-feeding devices, pet-friendly vacation destinations, daycare facilities, and dog-walking services make it possible for pets to be part of their busy lives, he explains.

Sixty-three percent of all U.S. households - 69.1 million - have at least one pet, APPMA statistics show. Americans own a total of 74 million dogs and more than 90 million cats.

Daycare

Americans spent $2.7 billion on grooming and boarding their pets in 2006, according to the APPMA. This is projected to increase to $2.9 billion in 2007.

DeWitt-based Blue Prints Dog Studio, which offers daycare, grooming, and training services for dogs, is currently undergoing an expansion to accommodate its business growth. It will expand the facility located at 303 Nottingham Road from 3,400 square feet to 6,300 square feet.

The general contractor on the project is Mark Battaglia. McDonald funded the expansion through a $20,000 loan from family.

The facility currently has one playroom to accommodate large or active dogs and a second one for small or docile dogs. But a third, longer room is being constructed to allow active dogs to run and catch Frisbees, says Erin McDonald, owner. Dogs are placed in rooms based on size and personality.

McDonald earned her bachelor's degree from the State University of New York (SUNY) College of Environmental Science and Forestry. She was a zookeeper at the Rosamond Gifford Zoo for nearly six years.

"I remember when 15 or 20 dogs was a lot of dogs. Now we're getting 50 to 60 [dogs per day]," McDonald says.

On average, 55 dogs are enrolled in daycare each day. After the expansion is complete at the end of 2007, the facility will be able to accommodate 80 dogs per day, McDonald says.

Customers typically bring their dog to the facility one or two days a week, she says. Most are regular daycare attendees. Half-day sessions are available for $12 or full-day sessions are available for $25.

A majority of Blue Prints' customers feel guilty leaving their dog home alone while they are gone during the day, McDonald contends.

"These dogs are like their kids," she says.

Customers - who include Syracuse University professors and students and professionals working in downtown Syracuse bring their dogs to day care for socialization, McDonald explains. The socialization and exercise makes the dog behave better when the pet owner returns from a long day at work or school, she adds.

Blue Prints employs nine, including two subcontractors who groom dogs. McDonald declined to disclose annual revenue.

Training

The days of disciplining dogs with a newspaper to correct bad behavior are long gone. Positive reinforcement - which includes ignoring the bad behaviors and rewarding the good ones - is now the preferred way to train dogs, contends Nicole Enright pet-training instructor at the PetSmart store at 3401 Erie Blvd. E. in the town of DeWitt.

Phoenix, Ariz.-based PetSmart (NASDAQ: PETM) oper4tes 908 petspecialty stores in the United States and Canada. The chain offers pet training, adoption, boarding, and grooming services along with more than 12,000 products. PetSmart reported $3.7 billion in sales in 2005, up from $3.3 billion in 2004, according to the chain's 2005 annual report.

PetSmart's annual revenue rose 12.5 percent in 2006, according to PetSmart's Web site (www.petsmart.com).

Dog owners now turn to trainers for help with everything from something as simple as teaching their puppy to sit, to more difficult behavioral issues such as anxiety.

"It's pretty standard now when you get a puppy - you enroll it in a puppy class," Enright says. "When I first started, people really didn't think about dog training. Most people didn't train their dogs."

People now understand the importance of training a dog because behavioral problems are the primary reason they go to animal shelters to be put up for adoption, Enright explains.