Echo Arthur spends her days making sure her canine clientele are nice and clean after too much play time in the dirt or if they make a total mess of themselves.

She has provided care as a dog groomer with Dapper Dog since 2019, and now she has full control over ensuring the dogs she knows all too well always get the care they need. In March, Arthur replaced Lee Ann and Tony Jackson as the owner.

Dapper Dog is a mobile dog grooming service that first launched in 2017 in Durango, but also serves other parts of La Plata County such as Bayfield and Hesperus. Dapper Dog’s services have extended as far out as Mancos.

“I’ve had some of the same clients since I started back in 2019. … I didn’t want them to have to (spend time getting) comfortable with someone else,” Arthur said. “I would hate to lose all my dogs, and it was really important.”

Arthur will continue grooming dogs on top of ownership duties, but may consider hiring a new groomer if demand grows to where she needs extra help.

She said the Jacksons wanted her to take over the business for the last few years so they could entrust it to a familiar face. She also said the Jacksons considered Dapper Dog a side gig and wanted their successor to turn it into a full-time commitment.

When Arthur took over, she removed “The” from the company name.

In her five years as a groomer, she said she developed not only mutual trust and comfort with the dogs, but her attention to detail is top-notch.

“The more you’re in this business, the more tips and tricks you learn to get that perfect look,” she said.

And just like any other professional dog groomer, cleaning the face is Arthur’s chance to establish trust from the outset.

“A lot of the personality’s in the faces,” she said. “It’s the hardest part to do, but it also, I think, can make or break the whole groom.”

Aside from potentially expanding her clientele, Arthur said she may invest in a second dog grooming van in the future.

mhollinshead@durangoherald.com