Does your dog start shaking when it’s time for a nail trim, haircut or bath? Do you have a dog with complex grooming needs? Or maybe you are shy and can’t stand the idea of cleaning your dog’s ears and bottom, afraid of what you might find.
Fear not, dog parents. You and your fur babies have another option.
New to Evanston but not into dog grooming
Rogue Dog Grooming2603 Prairie Ave., it might just be what you need.
Briana Hauck opened Rogue Dog Grooming in September 2023 right after Labor Day. He has been grooming dogs for half his youth. (She’s 32.) Until now, she worked for other companies, but after a few years, she realized she wanted to be her own boss. He finally took the plunge last year.
He designed his storefront space to be warm, comfortable and relaxing. The decor is an eclectic mix of mid-century finds – many found in Secret Treasures Antiques & Collectibles605 Dempster St.
A whimsical, dog-centric wallpaper covers the front desk. The colors of the paint on the walls – a flamingo peach and apple green – come off this wallpaper to charming effect.
Except for the plumbing and electrical, Hauck and his father did all the interior work, including scraping the floor of the old paint and sanding it afterward.
The storefront has been vacant since Happy Husky Bakery closed five years ago.
“I don’t want to see another paintbrush for at least five years,” he said.
A calm space
“I just worked really hard to make it a very comfortable space for me as well as my dogs,” Hauck said. “The first thing people say when they walk in is always like, ‘It’s so quiet and beautiful and clean.’ And yes, I need that as a person, especially with animals. It’s kind of overstimulating. You know, there’s always hair falling out on the dog. It’s a very -overstimulating environment.”
She is obsessed with taking care of her canine clients. The store is spacious and spotless.
Hauck’s business plan focuses on maintaining the “cleanliness, health and happiness” of each dog with lots of individual attention. For that reason, with the exception of nail trims, all services are by appointment only so only one dog is in the store at any time. He does not sell any retail shampoo or cream for dogs; the store is fully dedicated to the service of caring for dogs.
He described a typical scene based on how the pet grooming industry works, with multiple dogs and groomers.
“You know where you work in a place that’s also retail and there’s people coming in, there’s people coming out, there’s dogs checking in and checking out, and there’s somebody looking at the tap in the mirror, ” he said, adding that it’s sensory overload for the dogs and for the groomers.
Luxury options for your dog
For a full grooming appointment, he expects a pet parent to drop in and pick up their dog instead of waiting inside the store. In fact, there are no seats in the foyer part of the store.
When the RoundTable visited, there was a newly delivered box with a small sofa inside, waiting to be assembled. The sofa is for puppies.
In an email, Hauck wrote, “Appointments can last anywhere from 1-3 hours and an owner being there can distract the dog and complicate the process. Dogs are energy readers and Grooming is a delicate process so the dog and I have to be on the same page without intruding.Dogs are like kids dropped off at daycare, they may be a little hesitant or nervous at first but they usually are everyone is living fast.”
Hauck says most pet parents don’t want to stay for grooming appointments, “There’s hair flying everywhere,” she says.
While haircuts are the most common service, package services provide a deluxe treatment for your dog. You can choose from Bath Only, Bath + Tidy, or Bath + Haircut. Prices vary based on size and breed.
The website says, “All baths include shampoo and conditioner tailored to your dog’s specific needs, a facial, teeth brushing, ear cleaning, and nail trimming/filing.”
Blueberry facial
Facials for dogs? Yes. Blueberry facial.
But don’t worry: Your dog isn’t wrapped in a towel with cucumber slices over his eyes. Hauck explains what’s involved.
“Blueberry facials give the appearance of lighter fur on the face. This is what I use on all dog faces and it works on all fur colors but it may be more noticeable on white fur,” says he. “This is not your idea of a traditional human facial. … This is a shampoo designed for washing facial hair. There are exfoliating ingredients in some blueberry facials but the main focus is on deep cleansing. dog’s facial hair.”
Hauck himself designed and created the Rogue Dog website. The store is closed on Fridays and Saturdays but open on Sundays.
“I need at least one weekend with my two children, because yes, my child is of school age,” she said. “So it’s like, you know, he’s doing his thing. I have been doing my work all week.”
The dog on the Rogue Dog logo is her late, great Frenchie, Edie, “her soulmate,” who died in 2020. She got another Frenchie a few years ago, Myrtle, who was “a crazy, different different from Edie,” and follows her daughter everywhere.
Health protections
Hauck spoke about the health risks to groomers who do this work full time. He wears a mask while getting a haircut to protect his lungs. He knows friends in the industry who are no longer able to work because of “groomers lungs.”
He takes other precautions like wearing protective braces on his wrists to reduce strain and headphones in his ears to protect his hearing.
There was always the risk of being bitten, an occupational hazard he had encountered many times. Once he was bitten so deeply that he was out of work for 12 weeks. Fortunately, he had disability insurance coverage and made a full recovery.
Influences and inspirations
Hauck grew up in Pittsburgh. When he was young, he dreamed of moving to Chicago one day.
She was creative and artistic, and at first thought of pursuing architecture or interior design at Columbia College, but her love of dogs and her talent for caring for them won out.
Now he has a following. Many of his clients from former work locations have followed him here to Evanston. Some have been with him for 10 years. Her voice cracked with emotion and her eyes widened at this part of the story.
“I am very thankful,” she said.
His artistic interests also include his love for tattoos. He said he was asked about them all the time; although now “all my surplus money goes to my children.” The detailed work on his right arm was inspired by Camille Rose Garciaa California-based artist whose style he describes as “dystopian Disney.”
Another person who inspired him was John Kim, owner of Backlot Coffeehis neighbor at 2006 Central Street.
When he was looking around the neighborhood to see if the Central Street area would be a good place for his business, Kim’s help was invaluable. He always took the time to answer her questions and was very supportive of her opening up in this part of town.
The RoundTable reached out to Kim via email. He was out of the country and could not be reached on the phone but replied, “I am a big fan of Briana.”
Hauck said he just wanted to “break away from what everyone else is doing” and build a business that delivers one-on-one, high end care for his clients.
