I consider myself to be fortunate. Everyday, I get a chance to serve nice clients and their pets. One interesting client that brings his dogs to The Studly Pooch is ex-Major League baseball player Steve Lyons.
If you don’t know, Steve had an 9 year MLB career with the Red Sox, White Sox, Cubs and Braves. Steve’s numbers are impressive too with a career batting average of .252, 17 home runs, 545 hits and 196 RBIs. Plus, Steve played with some of the greats including: Roger Clemens, Wade Boggs and Jim Rice. Recently, Steve was nice enough to do an interview with me. Here’s how it went…
Me: Tell me a little bit about yourself?
Steve: My name is Steve Lyons and I grew up in the great state of Oregon. I attended Oregon State on a baseball scholarship and in 1981 I was drafted in the 1st round by the Red Sox. My nickname was ‘Psycho’ since I was a scrappy player with a colorful personality.
Me: Wow – what was it like when you got the call to the Majors?
Steve: I had been playing baseball since I was 8 years old but I never thought I would play at the Major League level. I had my first Spring training with the Red Sox in 85’. Normally I don’t do too well in the Spring, however, I played great and John McNamara (the mgr at the time) gave me a chance. My first year I had 470 at bats – the most in my career. I was always the underdog guy so it wasn’t until I was in AAA that I thought that I could play with the big boys. I have to say, when I was in centerfield playing with guys like Rice and Boggs – it was pretty incredible.
Me: What is your fondest MLB memory?
Steve: Two come to mind right away. I was one of only 3 players to play all 9 positions in one game. I’m proud of that. Plus, in my first MLB start I hit two home runs. That was quite an accomplishment considering I hit a total of 17 home runs in my career.
Me: One thing baseball is going though is ‘the steroid thing’. What are your thoughts on this?
Steve: Obviously I feel that it is wrong to use steroids. It’s a ‘black eye’ for the game but I have to say that the media has made it a lot bigger than what it should be.
I always think about the scene in ‘A Few Good Men’ where Jack Nicholson says, “You put me on a fence to keep you safe and then you ridicule me when I do just that.”
It’s the same thing with baseball. America loves entertainment and they want baseball players to do things that the average guy can’t. But they then ridicule the players for how they go about their business.
Me: How have pets played a role in your life?
Steve: I have to say that I had more pets when I was a kid than I do today. Mainly because I travel a lot.
Currently, Debi (my girlfriend) and I own Bunjee and Data**. Each are elders and we take special care of them.
I do believe pets teach kids a lot of good lessons especially about the life cycle. I know I learned a lot from them when I was a kid.
END
A big thanks to Steve, Debi and their dogs Data** and Bunjee for this interview.
**Shortly after this interview, Data (an 18 year old pup) passed away. My heartfelt condolences to Steve and Debi for their loss. May Data rest in peace.
Sometime during the Summer of 99’, I had an opportunity to do a graduate Nutrition rotation at the San Diego Zoo. To be honest, it was the highlight of graduate school for me and here’s why…
- It was new, different and exciting.
- The Zoo Nutritionist at the time, Dr. Marc Edwards, was 100% passionate about animal nutrition!
In my opinion, there’s nothing better than excitement and passion. I truly love these two emotions.
So fast forward 8 years and I got the idea to call the San Diego Zoo and ask the nutritionist for an interview.
Guess what?
He agreed, there was just one catch…
Instead of Dr Marc Edwards (who had moved on to The National Zoo) it was Dr Mike Schlegel. No worries, since Dr Schlegel was great and had the same passion as Dr Edwards.
Here’s how the interview went…
The Grooming Guru: Tell me a little about yourself?
Dr. Schlegel: My name is Mike Schlegel and I am the animal nutritionist at The San Diego Zoo. I received BS degree in Animal Nutrition at Penn State and then an MS & PhD in Animal Nutrition at Michigan State.
I taught Animal Nutrition at a small college called Delaware Valley for 5 years before I took the job at the San Diego Zoo. Believe it or not my specialty is in bovine (cow) nutrition.
The Grooming Guru: Can you talk a little about what you do at The San Diego Zoo?
Dr. Schlegel: I am the nutritionist for the Zoological Society of San Diego.
I supervise the nutritional services department at both the SD Zoo and the Wild Animal Park.
We have a department of 20 people, who receive the food and prep the diets for the animals.
The Grooming Guru: What do you like about what you do?
Dr. Schlegel: Well there’s always something unique going on since we take care of 7000-8000 animals at the zoo and park…and 400 different species.
So we may be reformulating hummingbird diets or we may evaluate our elephant diets or we may be looking at the light for our reptiles to make sure they are getting enough.
I love looking at numbers to make sure the animals are getting enough of what they require.
The Grooming Guru: Could you talk a little about what the average pet owner needs to know and should do for their pet’s nutrition?
Dr. Schlegel: Well there is a lot of information out there and even though I do exotic animals, I’m not an expert in domestic pets.
That being said, there are some key components to ensuring the overall nutritional health of the animal.
One thing would be ensuring that the pet food you’re using meets the standards set by AAFCO, which is the American Association of Feed Control Officials. AAFCO sets the standards for pet nutrition.
The other key component would be understanding your dog or cat’s target body weight and evaluating its body condition.
One of the biggest challenges is preventing animals from becoming obese.
Purina has a really good body score system that gives you descriptions and pictures for what the ideal dog or cat should look like.
The other thing is since there are a lot of options for pet foods, I would encourage watching dental health especially if an owner provides a wet food diet. The pet needs something crunchy to help with dental health.
The Grooming Guru: Is there a place, website or book that the average pet owner could go to for more information.
Dr. Schlegel: There are some places but the definitive source is The Nutrient Requirements of Dogs And Cats published by The National Research Council through the National Research Press.
It’s a little above the average pet owner’s level and it’s not cheap (around $200) but it is the gold standard.
The Grooming Guru: And they could get this book at Amazon?
Dr. Schlegel: Yes.
The Grooming Guru: You also mentioned something that Purina has on ideal body condition. Is that online?
Dr. Schlegel: Yes, it’s at Purina.com and I think that you can print out the pictures. You may be able to contact them as well to get a chart.
The Grooming Guru: A lot of people in the pet industry really believe in the meat only diet for dogs and cats. Could you talk about that? Are there studies out there to prove that this diet is better than a regular diet?
Dr. Schlegel: We use a raw, meat only diet on the big cats at the Zoo since it’s hard to get them to eat kibbles. Keep in mind that this diet is supplemented too.
I have not read any studies with regards to raw meat diets for pets.
Dogs and cats are different though since cats will eat meat only but dogs will eat things other than meat.
I think if you are using a raw meat diet purchase it from a quality manufacturer and you prevent cross contamination at home. That’s because it is not a sterile product.
The Grooming Guru: I’ve heard that a raw meat diet prevents things like hip problems and I’m ok with that, but only if there are studies.
Dr. Schlegel: I agree and there are a lot of Universities doing studies on pet food. Some of the Universities doing studies are UC Davis and The University of Illinois.
The Grooming Guru: Is there anything else that you’d like to add?
Dr. Schlegel: I think there are different products for different pet owners. There are brands at different price points and as long as they meet quality standards they should be good for your pet.
I would really like to hear your comments on this interview. Please send them to wes@thestudlypooch.com. Remember, the only way I can improve is if you tell me how I’m doing.
I would also like to thank Dr. Mike Schlegel for his time and commitment to this interview and to promoting the health of the animals at the San Diego Zoo.
HERMOSA BEACH, CA – JANUARY 3, 2008
– South Bay pet stylist and owner of The Studly Pooch pet spa, Wes Murph, will compete in Southern California’s international grooming competition.
“This is my first competition with Lola so I’m excited-nervous. She is a great dog but we still have some work to do so that I can keep Lola calm and put her into a show trim,” says Murph.
Barkleigh Inc. is sponsoring the competition which will consist of three levels – novice, intermediate and expert and four breed classes – poodles, terriers, sporting and mixed breed. Lola and Wes will compete in the poodle class under the novice category.
For the past 2 months Wendy Johnson, owner of Lola a chocolate standard poodle, has been coming to The Studly Pooch in order to get ready for the show.
“I can’t believe my baby will be up on stage. It’s so exciting,” claims Johnson.
Pet stylists from all over the world will compete in the contest for thousands of dollars in cash and prizes.
The Studly Pooch provides high end spa treatments for dogs and cats. They are located at 1127 Aviation Blvd in Hermosa Beach, CA. If you need directions or have any questions please call 310-376-7033 or go to www.thestudlypooch.com.
Pet Photos with Uncle Sam Raised Several Hundred Dollars For Lab Rescuers & Got ‘Cooper’ Adopted
Hermosa Beach, CA – On Saturday June 30th, The Studly Pooch held its 1st annual Pet Photos with Uncle Sam fundraiser. Twenty four dog owners came to get their dog’s photographed by Erin Tomanek of Paw Prints Photograpy.
There was no charge for the 5×7 professional photo, but The Studly Pooch was accepting donations for a local animal charity.
By the end of the day several hundred dollars had been raised and ‘Cooper’, a dog available for adoption, found a new home.
The Studly Pooch, along with Paw Prints, funded the event so that the Lab Rescuers could receive all of the money raised.
“This year is the first time we’ve done something like this,” said coordinator Wes Murph. Murph added, “We’re definitely going to make it an annual event since the turnout was incredible.”
Also on hand was Jeanine Curcione from the Bichons and Buddies adoption organization. Jeanine said of the event, “I couldn’t have been happier, especially since Cooper was adopted.”
Ms. Curcione added, “Cooper is a ‘special needs’ dog that we found hit by a car. He had to undergo thousands of dollars of operations and we weren’t sure if he was going to get adopted. It really was exciting for us to find him a home.”
The Studly Pooch offers professional spa treatments for dogs and cats including: the cherry remoisturizer, shed reduction and the ever popular blueberry facial.
Wes Murph at work at The Studly Pooch.
(photo by Chris Miller)
Business Profile
The Studly Pooch
The Beach Reporter – July 12, 2007
by Eric Michael Stitt
If you’d like your pet to feel less like a number and more like royalty when visiting a grooming shop, then try out The Studly Pooch.
This pet grooming business prides itself on being an appointment-only shop, which gives owner Wes Murph the chance to see that your pet gets the attention it deserves.
Murph said he always wanted to have his own business and because he’s loved pets since his childhood, he decided to open up a pet grooming business. After going to grooming school, he opened The
Studly Pooch last November. But this is no ordinary “chop shop,” he said. The Studly Pooch is an appointment-only shop for two reasons, Murph said.
Accepting walk-ins creates an atmosphere that is very disruptive and chaotic because there are numerous pets, therefore making the animals feel uncomfortable. The other reason is that walk-in shop owners
aren’t able to commit as much time to taking care of the pets because they’re constantly backed up with incoming clients, he said.
“I don’t want to run a shop like that,” Murph said. “I want it to be peaceful. I want it to be a positive environment for pets.”
Self-proclaimed as the “South Bay’s Friendliest Pet Spa” Murph said he’s in the business to make pets and their owners happy. He said pets make people happy. So when the pets are happy after a trip to The Studly Pooch, then the owner is content, and that’s very important to him.
The quickest way to make a pet happy is to have it groomed on a regular basis, he said. This is especially vital during the summer months. Having a full coat during the summer jeopardizes the pet’s safety. Murph said most dogs will get different skin conditions like hot spots, which cause them to vigorously itch over their entire body, when their coat needs to be groomed. Murph urged that all breeds need some type of grooming and a pet’s nails should be clipped or ground every month.
During a visit, The Studly Pooch offers a variety of different shampoos and conditioners along with skin and hair treatments for cats and dogs. It even has berry facials, which the animals really enjoy, he said.
Besides going to the shop, the business’s Web site informs pet owners how to seek optimum nutrition for dogs, gives tips for training and obedience, and provides a list of different activities owners and their dogs can enjoy in between visits. Murph periodically sends out newsletters to his customers.
Diane Chow has been a customer since The Studly Pooch opened and she loves taking her dog there because she said Murph is very caring with the animals and goes out of his way to see that the owners feel completely satisfied.
“He treats them so special and he’s really good about special instructions,” Chow said. “He’s very personable and adjusts to your needs.”
She said prior to going to The Studly Pooch, she’d take her dog to shops that accepted walk-ins, which resulted in her dog staying from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. sometimes. But with Murph, she said her dog is cared for in a couple of hours because it’s an appointment-only shop.
One thing Murph has noticed about pet owners in the beach cities is that their pets are part of the family.
“It’s unbelievable, the pets are the people’s kids,” he said. In some situations, “pets are a replacement for kids.”
That’s why Murph takes such pride in his work and exhausts a lot of energy to see that the animals and their owners are satisfied because they’re part of the family, he said.
“There’s very high emotions involved because people love their pets,” he said. “We try and make it friendly, and make it a fun place to come to.”
The Studly Pooch is located at 1127 Aviation Blvd. in Hermosa Beach. Prices for grooming vary by size of animal from $35 to $70. Business hours are Tuesday through Saturday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. For more information visit www. thestudlypooch.com or call (310) 376-7033.
Hermosa Beach, CA - Hermosa Beach business aims to pamper while it grooms your pet. The Studly Pooch, a dog and cat grooming salon in Hermosa Beach wants it’s clients to strut this week from getting some added affections.
Please click the link below to view the entire article as it appeared in the Daily Breeze.
HERMOSA BEACH, CA – OCTOBER 1, 2007 – According to Business Week magazine, Americans spend $41 billion dollars a year on their pets which is more than the GDP of all but 64 countries.
Experts expect this number will increase to $52 billion dollars in the next two years. But with all of the growth, the pet industry is one of the least regulated – especially the pet grooming industry.
Most pet owners don’t realize that pet grooming in California does not require a license or certified training. To the average pet owner this means anyone can pick up a pair of scissors and trim their pet. Scary – huh?
The good news is that there are voluntary certificate schools and regular industry seminars.
Wes Murph, the owner of The Studly Pooch Pet Spa in Hermosa Beach, regularly attends seminars to keep up with the latest in the pet grooming industry.
On Sunday September 30th, Mr. Murph completed a pet grooming continuing education seminar titled, “Super Styling Session.”
Industry professionals Jay Scruggs and Sue Zecco taught the seminar which included breed demonstrations, time saving tips, scissoring techniques and new product information.
Mr. Murph says, “It was a terrific seminar and I learned a number of safer and faster pet trim techniques.”
He adds, “Unfortunately California doesn’t mandate any kind of training much less continuing education. It’s a real shame and pet owners don’t know this. I will continue to educate myself on a voluntary basis so that my clients know I’m working hard to give their pets the best.”
Wes Murph operates The Studly Pooch in Hermosa Beach. For more information you can contact him at 310-376-7033 or Wes(at)TheStudlyPooch(dot)com.
HERMOSA BEACH, CA – OCTOBER 17, 2007 – On Saturday October 13th, The Studly Pooch Pet Spa held its 1st annual Howl-O-Ween Pet Photos fundraiser. South Bay pet owners came in droves with their pets dressed in cute costumes. Participant Gen Gagnon said, “I saw several super cute costumes including a bride & groom, plus a little wizard.”
Erin Tomanek of Paw Prints Photograpy was on hand to take professional pet portraits. Ms. Tomanek says, “There were a lot of cute ones but my favorite was the little wizard.”
The Studly Pooch along with Paw Prints Photography donated a portion of daily sales to Bichons and Buddies pet charity.
“Wes, I just want to write and say how happy I am to have found The Studly Pooch. In the beginning I wasn’t sure who I could trust with my dog named Dawson. Not only did I want him to look and smell great, but I wanted someone that would take great care of him! Thank goodness my friend Jen Cochran told me about you. I recommend you to anyone looking for a great groomer. Thanks Wes.”
Cindy Magleby
Mom, Dog Lover & Professional
Manhattan Beach, CA