One of the most popular dog groomers in Auburn for the last 17 years, Tiki Tails Dog Salon on 11th Street owes it all to their hairless clientele who dote on their furry clientele.

“The community in Auburn, I think, is amazing, and we’re lucky that our customers are dog lovers,” said Michele Sisk. “I think just by nature, people that love dogs are cool people and we just built a great customer base, and word-of-mouth has what has helped us succeed.”

When Sisk and her husband Michael Seitz first opened Tiki Tails in July 2007, they had been living in Auburn for six years and had adopted a dog named Lenny (aka Captain Good Boy), which Sisk says was what set the two of them on the path towards opening their canine business.

“I actually grew up in a cat household. I didn’t get my first dog until Mike and I bought our house here in Auburn, and I had a friend who was real involved in rescue, and she needed somebody to take this black lab and I was just like, ‘Okay, I’ll do it.’ And then, my God, it just opened up a whole new world to me,” said Sisk.

Word-of-mouth and an intentionally designed open grooming space that does not mimic a veterinary clinic have undoubtedly lead to Tiki’s success, along with being the first Auburn pet groomer to offer grooming and self-washing, Sisk says.

At Tiki Tails, they offer full service dog grooming whuch includes bath and brush, bath with a partial haircut, a full haircut, nail trims, gland expression, a “pawdicure” where nails, pads and feet are taken care of, teeth brushing, a de-shed package and flea shampoo. Tiki Tails also offers grooming services for cats, though those are by appointment only and happen outside of the shop’s regular business hours for feline safety and comfort.

With three groomers and a dog washer, appointments where dogs get a bath, haircut, nail trim and ear cleaning can take up to three hours, but the workers at Tiki Tails are experienced, understand canine body language and work hard to ensure that dogs are well taken care of.

“We have just managed to provide a pretty consistently great quality groom,” said Sisk of what sets Tiki Tails a part from other local dog groomers. “I think that Mike and I, being sort of front of the house, we both have decades of customer service experience. So I think that, you know, we’ve got the aces in their places. We’ve got good groomers that are great with the animals. And then we’ve got Mike and I, who are pretty decent with the humans and it’s a great combination.”

For more information on Tiki Tails services and prices, visit tikitailsdogsalon.com, call 253-288-1199 or stop by at 106 11th Street Southeast, Suite A in Auburn.

Michael Seitz and Michele Sisk are the owners of Tiki Tails in Auburn. Bailey Jo Josie/Sound Publishing.

Once bathed and groomed, wind-tolerant dogs get dried down, fur blowing in the breeze. Photo by Bailey Jo Josie/Sound Publishing.

Thanks to Tiki Tails’ open room concept, dogs feel more at ease while they wait for their owners to pick them up. Photo by Bailey Jo Josie/Sound Publishing.