By FRED KRONER
Thanks to Alicia Gusho, there is one less teacher in the world, but one more dog groomer.
Gusho, a Michigan native, earned her bachelor’s degree in English and was doing her student teaching at a high school about a decade ago.
Before the semester came to an end, Gusho knew what the next step in her life needed to be.
“More power to teachers. They deserve a million dollars an hour, but I decided it wasn’t for me,” Gusho said.
An animal lover, she opted to return to something she knew well.
“I went back to grooming,” she said.
Gusho has had better results than the first time she tried her hand at it.
“My family had show dogs,” Gusho said. “When I was 5 years old, I used kitchen shears to express my creativity (on a Samoyed).”
She now has official training and more than a decade of work experience in the profession. In early November, she was hired as the groomer for Ruff Dayz, on Prairieview Road, in Mahomet.
Despite her childhood enthusiasm, Gusho’s entrance into grooming was a chance occurrence.
“I was working for a pet store in Kentucky, as a cashier,” Gusho said. “The guy I worked for showed border collies and needed some help.
“It fell into my lap.”
In the following years, Gusho worked as a groomer for Petco and PetSmart.
There is a word to describe what she likes about her profession.
“Everything,” Gusho said. “When I go to work, I get to create.
“I love taking a dog to the owners and seeing their faces light up,” she added.
Gusho realized she’d found the perfect fit when she interviewed with Megan and Spenser Williams, and Tim and Lacy Belangee at Ruff Dayz.
“I was looking to leave corporate,” she said. “I walked in and Megan and Spenser, Tim and Lacy were some of the nicest people I’d ever met.
“They bent over backwards to give me what I needed. I walked in and it was like I was at home.”
If she could return to teacher mode for one minute, she would use the time to educate dog owners on what she considered one important part of the process.
“I would say, ‘Find a groomer you like and bring your dog in to say hi,’” Gusho said.
Doing so sends a message to the animal that trips to the groomer aren’t just to get sprayed with water or to have their nails trimmed or other work done.
“It makes it a more regular part of their life,” Gusho said. “It’s something I encourage. I want that bond with the dog.”
There have been times at Ruff Dayz, when she has a bit of free time, she has brought one of the boarding dogs or daycare dogs into her room, “just to say hi,” she said.
The difference has been significant.
One 4-month-old pup was not a willing visitor at first, but Gusho said now, “he’s not terrified when he sees me.”
Gusho and her partner have six dogs in their Springfield-area home. She knows from experience the benefits of working with animals that aren’t skittish and are accustomed to the grooming process.
“Our last dog was 3 when we adopted him a year ago,” Gusho said. “We couldn’t even spray him.
“We had to take cups of water (to wash him), but we have another Australian Shepherd that we got at 4 months old, and we groom him every six weeks.”
Gusho isn’t overly concerned about the length of her commute on working days, which are Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday.
“It doesn’t bother me,” she said. “In Michigan, I drove an hour and a half each way, and I did that for seven years.”
Though she has some current clients in people who board at Ruff Dayz or who send their pets there for daycare, Gusho is working to get established in Champaign County.
“The boarding and daycare (dogs) are benefits,” Gusho said, “but we’re also getting outside clientele.
“We’ve gotten great feedback and everyone is super-excited.”
Gusho said it’s possible that reducing her drive time may be part of the future.
“I wanted to build clientele before we moved,” she said.
Gusho’s dog family at home includes the two Australian Shepherds, two Husky/Australian Shepherd mixes, a German Shepherd and a Savibon. Along with them are a cat, a bearded dragon and a 10-year-old child.
Besides the traditional baths, haircuts, trimming and teeth brushing, Gusho provides another service at Ruff Dayz.
It’s one that she only advocates because of experience.
“We offer de-shedding services,” she said. “It helps to reduce shedding up to 80 percent.
“I always thought it was a scam, something the corporate stores did to make more money, but my vacuum loves me. The shedding has been reduced a ton since we started using the shampoo and conditioner (on her dogs).”
Prices for the various services vary based on the size of the dog, although a 10 percent discount will be applied until Dec. 7. Appointments can be made by calling 217-552-3697 or emailing ruffdayzmahomet@gmail.com.
Dogs need to be up-to-date on their shots prior to grooming.
Gusho works with all dogs with the same enthusiasm and vigor, but has a special place in her heart, she said, for “puppies and doodles.”
At previous jobs, Gusho has worked with hard-to-handle animals.
The trick to being successful in those instances, she said, is “a lot of patience and a lot of sweet talk.”
Gusho likes to add the extra touches.
“I like the bows and bandanas,” she said. “People say dogs don’t know the difference, but they know when they are being loved on.”
Gusho, who has lived in Illinois for about two years, doesn’t regret the decision to leave the classroom for the work shop.
“I’ll probably die at my table,” she said. “I don’t see myself doing anything else.
“I like working with dogs. They don’t care about politics.”
