Philosophy of the Barber
One on one conversations with barbers about their journey to and in the profession. Bree covers present day topics affecting the industry with cohost Cassy , as well as personal struggles and growth made possible by being a barber.
Philosophy of the Barber
Hair of the Dog: Pros and Cons of Canine Companions at Work
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Cassy and Bree discuss their experience with shop dogs and the pros and cons of having their own.
Welcome back to Philosophy of the Barber. Welcome back, Cassie! Hello! This week's episode, we are discussing pets in the barber shop.
SPEAKER_01Yeah. Very friends.
SPEAKER_00Yes. So um I'd first kind of like to wonder what is your experience ever going to an establishment that has a shop pet before being part of the industry.
SPEAKER_02Um Yeah, actually the very first barbershop that I went to when I shaved my head bald and started getting skin fades and stuff, um, has a shop dog. And I immediately I didn't even know that that was a thing. And I was immediately excited. Of course, I just got to sit while I was waiting for my haircut, I got to hang out with the dog. So like I was in heaven. To me, that's almost like an added bonus. The service is getting to hang out with a dog for a little bit before your haircut.
SPEAKER_00I find the present of an animal, uh the the presence of an animal is very reassuring. It's like, alright, cool, even if we can't, as humans, be able to like hold a conversation, the dog is the buffer.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, yeah, yeah. Definitely a buffer.
SPEAKER_00If I'm not talking, it's because I'm paying attention to the dog. It's not because I'm not like wanting to converse with you. It's just that the dog. The dog. The dog needs the attention. I didn't really have any experience with shop pets, uh, though when I moved to New Hampshire, uh I went to this like post office store sort of thing, and they had they had a little dog. And I was like, oh, that's cool, because uh I don't recall Ohio having that at all.
SPEAKER_03Yeah.
SPEAKER_00So I was like, oh that that's pretty cool. I think I went somewhere where somebody had like a shop bird, not like a barbershop bird, but like you could that some people just had pets in their stores. Yeah. As long as you know it's not, you know, you're not preparing food.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, like the it's super common down south for like at the tractor supplies for there to be like a dog chilling behind the desk with the person or whatever, or a cat roaming around the store.
SPEAKER_00Well, and here in New Hampshire, like they seem to be generally speaking very dog friendly. Yeah. In general, like even Lowe's, though the corporate policy is posted that service dogs only, but realistically, the local Lowe's does not care. Nope. As long as your dog is cool and isn't peeing on everything. Yeah, yeah. You can bring your dog in. Nobody cares.
SPEAKER_02Oh yeah. We've Willis and I have gone in plenty of times to the the home improvement stores.
SPEAKER_00But I mean, I've always had a shop dog with an exception of one year of time. Yeah. Because I had my little like six-pound toy fox terrier that came with me from Arizona. Uh she was more of a seasonal dog because she didn't really do winter. Oh, okay. She was more of a cat. I mean, she's six pounds, she's like the size of a squirrel here.
SPEAKER_01Not much work with.
SPEAKER_00So, like, she was trained for peapads and such in the wintertime, and I would not have that in the in the shop. So, like, she just chilled at home, and that was enough exercise for her in the apartment. So, um, but like during nice months, she was in the shop, and she being a very one-owner personality, I had some customers, and it's it's kind of adorable. Some customers really, really wanted her approval.
SPEAKER_03Uh, yeah.
SPEAKER_00And so there were these um the waiting chairs at our first location were old theater chairs, and a couple of them would not automatically pop back up anymore. Oh, okay, yeah. So there were two on the end, and if you were sitting in the very end one that was nearest to the door that w had a very large glass front and then the main front window. Well, Chloe was my first dog, she could hop onto the chair beside that end chair because it stayed down on her own, and then she would make herself at home on whoever's lap happened to be in that chair. Now, if you sat in a totally different chair down the line, she would pay you no mind. But if you happen to be sitting in that seat, you are a lap, usually with arms attached to you, to give for pets. Yeah, and then she can come and go as she pleases, because she can get on and off that. Yeah, okay. Yep, it's a bonus chair. Yeah. In heaven. Boom, done. Mom can't give me attention, I will take you.
SPEAKER_02Yep. I love some of your clients would just need her approval.
SPEAKER_00Oh my goodness, like when they happened to be in that chair and she got under their lap, they're like, She likes me! She did it! I was like, no, it's the chair. Yeah, it's not you.
SPEAKER_01Sorry. It's the spot you sat in. Sit there next time, she'll do it again.
SPEAKER_00And even some of the like biggest, burliest, uh, most, you know, hardy men would totally do me a solid and take her for a walk to do her business. Yes. This is like a little like cow-looking six-pound thing. And this, like, you know, six foot four fireman of a man is just walking her around.
SPEAKER_01Oh, I love that. Great visuals.
SPEAKER_00Yes. So after she passed, I had a solid year almost to the day of not having a dog.
SPEAKER_02Oh, okay.
SPEAKER_00And then came Harvey.
SPEAKER_02And now did he come like into the shop right away?
SPEAKER_00Yes. Uh, got him when he was four months old. He was raised in the shop. Which is why he likes girls more than men. Which you wouldn't think so intuitively when it comes to a barber shop, but because of the people that worked there and who gave him attention when he was a puppy. He's like, oh, well, the girls give me attention and love and treats and all the things. And the guys that worked in the shop ignored him. Like basically pretended he didn't exist.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, not dog people.
SPEAKER_00Who doesn't love a corgi? I know. The internet is in love with corgis, especially as puppies.
SPEAKER_02Oh my god.
SPEAKER_00The splut is unmatched.
SPEAKER_02They're just adorable ass dogs. It's like one, I've I usually wasn't like a little dog fan, but like corgis will always still be a great little dog, even if you're not like a little dog person.
SPEAKER_00Well, it's not even a little dog. It's a medium dog with little legs.
SPEAKER_02Fair.
SPEAKER_00That's it. Like, he's a solid 35-pound dog. That is a medium dog.
SPEAKER_02Yeah. It's imagine if he was taller.
SPEAKER_00Right.
SPEAKER_02Well, that's the thing. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Huh. I think it's great to be able to have. Like, I'm I'm really hoping Willis does continue to get more comfortable in this space. Um let's introduce Willis. I was gonna say, let me introduce Willis. Um Willis is my staffy pity. He's I've had him in my life for about a year, but in the last three weeks he's been living with me full-time consistently. And so I'm trying to. I'd brought him to the shop um previous times before just to get him the experience, but um lately I'm trying it more so because I'd like him to be a part of the shop, a part of the atmosphere, part of the face of the business and stuff. I people love dogs, you know what I mean. I've s a couple people have intentionally walked in my shop because they've seen the picture of Willis outside and wanted to come in, either ask about him, or just then realized I'm a barber shop and ask about a haircut. Um, but yeah, so we're trying to get Willis used to being here. He's a little bit vocal right now, he gets real excited meeting everybody, so trying to get that toned down. But I just love being able to have him here and just the comfort I have from having a dog in general and him being able to be in my space just helps my space feel more like home to me. And I like the homey comfort that comes with a pet.
SPEAKER_00Well, and I think in general, when there is specifically a dog in the environment, I think typically it automatically makes it more friendly.
SPEAKER_02Agreed.
SPEAKER_00Because you're gonna have somebody who will automatically give you positive loving attention with like no expectation other than pets. Easy enough. So it's the even worst case scenario, there is one entity here that accepts me.
SPEAKER_02Yep.
SPEAKER_00Obviously, so in the state of New Hampshire, there are laws that govern what we can and cannot do with um pets in the shop, specifically for shop dogs. They must be posted so that anybody with a phobia or an allergy is aware before they enter the establishment that there is a dog present, specifically what breed, uh, the name of the dog, and a picture of the dog. So that way those bases are covered as far as that. Yep. And also, I mean, that does act as a good selling point for attracting people because so many people at the old location when Harvey was there would come in just to be like, there's a corgi here.
SPEAKER_02I'm pretty sure people think your current barbershop is just a dog place.
SPEAKER_00Right, because I I don't have anything that shows that I am a barbershop on my side. Yes. Um very incognito. Yes.
SPEAKER_02But the picture of Harvey is still there. It is there. So it is the most peeked-at thing on her windows because that's the only identifying marker to this place, aside from the little your little sneaker.
SPEAKER_00There is an identifying marker.
SPEAKER_02You have a logo, yes, but a color-coded picture of Harvey is way more attention-grabbing. Yes.
SPEAKER_00Uh, so what are some of the reactions that you have had from customers having Willis on your side?
SPEAKER_02Um, most people respond very well to Willis. Um, I am for a little bit more backstory since I'm getting Willis adjusted at the shop and he is a little bit more vocal being excited with things. I'm very selective on who I like have in my book for the afternoon. So that way if it's like I've got a bunch of kids in my afternoon or someone that I know has an issue with dogs. So I do have a couple clients that have bad history with dogs, so like I would never have them in this environment like that. Um, and so I I'm very particular about like who I have him engage with for now, so that way I'm not rubbing anybody the wrong way, I'm not giving them a bad impression of my business because he's a 70-pound pit bull. People can be deterred from that fact alone. And so I try to be very um active, like forward thinking with it and very like conscious and thought about what I'm doing when it comes to Willis being here. Um, but with that, like those that have gotten to meet him love having him here, like even with him being a little loud sometimes, like they they get it, they understand a dog's gonna do dog stuff, dogs bark. And so I when I have all those interactions, honestly, I've not had besides the one time your client was trying to come in my side, I've not had a negative reaction to Willis, um, which has been very reassuring in me being able to bring him here. Like I feel more comfortable getting all the positive feedback and stuff about it. Um, because I'm not trying to make anybody uncomfortable, and like if that's the case, then he won't come here. Like, I don't that's fine. I'll I can work my life around that. But if he can be here, that'd be great.
SPEAKER_00Now I've taken a little bit sterner of an approach uh when it comes to my dogs in the shop, but that's because like I make sure that my dogs have been acclemented so that it's like their behavior is like oh it's it's nothing, not a big deal. Yeah. Like Harvey's Harvey's vocal. Yes, yeah. You're gonna have a vocal for any herding breed. Um, but because the state has already implemented our requirement to post their presence, I've done my part to let people know that he's here. Yeah. If they have a problem after that, that is their problem. Now, this is something that I know limits my clientele, but that is a choice that I have made and am willing to defend. Yeah. And go, look, if you can't handle a fluffy, adorable, smiling, vocal corgi, then this isn't the shop for you.
SPEAKER_02Yeah. Fair.
SPEAKER_00Like, fair as fair. If you can't handle my dog, you can't handle me. Because if that's going to bother you, there's gonna be a lot of other things in the shop that'll bother you.
SPEAKER_02Yeah. I can definitely get that.
SPEAKER_00And I have had instances in the past where like not a customer, but like someone who came in with a customer, like having a fear of dogs, and it's like, why are you here? Yeah then. You're not even a part of the service. Like, if you don't like dogs, there is a dog present. He works here.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_00You don't. You're not even paying to be here. Why are you here? If you are afraid of being in the presence of a dog, why did you come in?
SPEAKER_03Yeah.
SPEAKER_00Though in the instance I will remove the dog from the situation, I will then defend their right to be there because guess what? They work here. Yeah. You should not be here if that's the case. That's why there's a sign. So that can certainly put me in the um witch with the capital B category in some people's eyes. So be it.
SPEAKER_03Yeah.
SPEAKER_00I'm I'm willing to wear that badge with pride, but that is that is my boy oh.
SPEAKER_02Yeah.
SPEAKER_00And I make I'm a good dog parent. I make sure that like he does what he needs to do. He's not gonna come up and bite you. He's not gonna like Yeah, yeah, yeah. Maybe he if he likes you, he'll jump up in your lap. But uh for the most part, he's just like, let me sniff you. Yeah, let me lick your shoes, maybe.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, let me smell your feet.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, that's it. And then oh, and he, of course, has been positively reinforced to love when people come in. Because he will immediately do what he needs to do and go to his crate so that he can get a treat.
SPEAKER_02Because he's like, There's a new person here. He knows that it's time. Yep. I can definitely appreciate that stance. I feel like if I had a better grasp on Willis, then I would have a better stance with that.
SPEAKER_00Well, and there's a clear difference between Willis being a rescue dog that you're still getting to know and like figure out what his parameters are and like me having Harvey from four months old.
SPEAKER_02Raised in a shop.
SPEAKER_00Raised in a shop. Yeah. Very different situations. Yeah. But also from a business standpoint, we're very different situations. Like, I have gotten to the point where I can and will stand your ground. Stand my ground and limit my clientele as necessary. Yep. Whereas you're trying to build, so you need raw material before you can just carve out your ideal situation. Yes.
SPEAKER_02We need to just keep adding to. We don't need to take anything away from.
SPEAKER_00Right. You can take away later. Yes. Get things first, then you can carve.
SPEAKER_02Like I was very grateful today. I had two walk-ins this afternoon while I had Willis here, and that's a rare occasion. So he got to I got to see how brand new people that have never been to my shop don't really know what to expect here. Luckily, one of the people was reading the Willis sign right before he came in, so he was very aware of what he was about to ex like meet. But having those both be positive interactions was was really exciting this afternoon.
SPEAKER_00Nice. Yeah.
SPEAKER_02They both they all ended up loving him and we're glad that he was here.
SPEAKER_00And a wide range of ages. Yeah. Yep. Unfortunately, you do have to deal with a little bit of uh prejudice when it comes to the breed.
SPEAKER_02Yes, also that. Which is which is really unfortunate. And what's really what's also unfortunate is that people correlate barking to anger or aggression, like the dog's unhappy. Um, because that's where I feel like a lot of the misconceived comes in. Like when people say to Willis, Don't worry, be nice, it's okay. I'm like, he's not being mean. Like, this isn't him being mean, this is just him being excited, being loud. He barks at me. Like when I get home, he barks at me. It becomes very high-pitched because he's very excited to see me. But like it's not in a bad way, he's not like about to attack you because he's barking.
SPEAKER_00Well, it's not in a defensive posture, like he's not backing up.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, his tail, he's got the biggest smile on his face, and his tail is wagging. I think we're good. The prejudice just in the circumstance of the barking, because people will look at Willis like he's this untrained, aggressive dog, but yet little dogs aren't viewed in that same category of aggression when they also bark. I'm like, they're all just vocal, they're just chatty. Some of them, yes, mild-mannered, tempered, sure, absolutely, but just the size doesn't matter on that, doesn't determine what the bark is and what the bark means. They're just all the same.
SPEAKER_00If anything, I knew a chihuahua that was far more aggressive.
SPEAKER_02Yes.
SPEAKER_00Well, there's a chihuahua poodle mix.
SPEAKER_02I got bit in the butt by a pug. By a pug? It was some weird little pug mix. It had to jump up to bite my butt cheek and ripped a chunk out of it. I've got a scar. There are three whole scars on my butt cheek from where it how old were you when this happened? Oh dude, that was only like three years ago. Yes, I was a full-grown adult when that happened. It made me bleed through my shorts. It was a it was rough, dude. No pun intended.
SPEAKER_01I had cheek meat hanging off me, dude. This crazy little pug.
SPEAKER_00Don't blame it on the pug. You said it was a mix. Blame it on the mix.
SPEAKER_02Listen, I was ganged up on in that circumstance. My friend opened the door to her house. She was renting a room from this woman who had dogs. A large lab mix and a small pug mix. I'd met them once before and everything was fine. Well, this time, friend opens the door. The large lab is very excited to see me, but jumps up to get to say hi to me, happens to double paw me right to the crotch. So I'm just like kind of shocked and like keeled over a little bit for a second. All the while the little one has snuck out from behind that one, made it around me, and almost simultaneously is biting my butt cheek and shoving me into the door and the dog in front of me. It happened so fast that I just I freaked out and then I ran inside and my butt's just bleeding. I didn't even it happened so fast I didn't even register that I got bit in the butt. Like I just got shoved forward by my butt. It was it was wild. Have you ever had well I mean besides the the c co-client or whatever, do you ever really get any kind of negative reactions to Harve? Not really. No.
SPEAKER_00Most people are just really excited to meet a corgi. Fair. One in real life. Right. A real life one. Um, and aside from it's funny people's reactions to dogs' behavior of like um because he is trained to do a very quick greet and immediately go to his crate to receive a treat when someone comes in. And I did that so that he does not try and leave the shop when the door opens. Yeah, fair. Like that's why he darts immediately to his crate, is because it's the alright, you get away from the door. Because if he were to see a dog outside, that would overcome most training for him. Because he's really excited to meet dogs and to play with them. So, but not all dog owners love being approached by a dog off-leash. Fair. I get it. Yeah, understood. We wouldn't, we wouldn't in turn not like that. So I try to avoid that as much as possible with doors that push out. So that's why it goes immediately to his crate. Some people will take that as like him not being interested in saying hi to them. Yes.
SPEAKER_02I see that that's most people's reaction to him doing that.
SPEAKER_00Yes. That's that's them them like, oh, did you not want to say hi to me? It's like, he just really cares about beef liver. Yeah. Like, don't take it personally. He just like is very food motivated. He's ready for step two. Yeah. Step two is the treat. That's the part he wants the most. Like, if for a while when he was a puppy, we would go through his like training routine and we do like the same things over and over and He got to the point at one where he would just like quickly do every trick to hurry up and get to the treat. So I had to start changing him up. Put him in a different order. Yes. So he's like, Well, whatever we can do to get to the treat, I'm gonna do. Just get me there. And then once he gets the treat, he'll come out and actually do like an interaction. A a s a longer sniff session. Or get pets or whatever. But for the most part, he's not he's not one to really want to get a ton of pets from just anybody. If there's uh clients that have established a relationship with him like that, yeah, he is super excited to see them. Like if you're willing to get down on all fours and like play with him, greet him, yeah, let him sniff around you and do all sorts of stuff, he is all about that. Most people don't do that though. Yeah, they're not but um other ones, if you bring him a treat once, he will remember and expect it every time in the future. It doesn't matter if you've only been here once. He'll remember six months ago you brought him something in your pocket, and he is gonna search your pockets.
SPEAKER_02I tell you what, my favorite thing is is now that I get to see Harvey say hi to people from my side when he's at the gate, it is the cutest thing with him up on his hind legs, almost like clapping his front paws together. It's so stinking adorable. And it's it's almost every time someone approaches that gate, like intentionally to say hello to him, and he like the way he like Oh the wiggle butt-the way he wiggles and like lowers down is almost to like amp himself up to stretch really high is probably the cutest angle I've ever seen him at.
SPEAKER_00It's kind of a wind-up toy sort of, yeah, very much like that.
SPEAKER_01Very much. Exactly it.
SPEAKER_00Well, because he's all about the attention. He's like, human, you saw me. Yep. You acknowledge my existence. Even when like a random person, when we're out for a walk, if they speak to me, he's like, sweet, they can see me.
SPEAKER_02I will say one of the one of the things that's more difficult with the Willis adjustment is that a couple times he scared some people outside that were just walking past. Because like it only stings a little bit for me because now their first impression of my barber shop is associated to fear. Yeah, and so those ones tinge a little bit, but I really it's very bittersweet because I'm the one inside dealing with the barking. But when people are walking by and he starts barking and they pause for a second because they're excited to see him through the window and are like waving, and I'm like, this is great, I'm glad you're happy to see him, but it's really loud in here with that mouth. Like, you don't need to amp him up, I promise. He'll he'll keep barking when you're gone. Don't worry.
SPEAKER_00I feel like you need we need to get some things on your walls to help dampen that reverberation.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, good idea. Because it's so sh- I do need some things.
SPEAKER_00Maybe you can make a macrame or something.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, I can make a macrame. Bet you I can.
SPEAKER_00I I bet you can too. I've seen what you can do with a crochet hook. I can only imagine if everything's bigger.
SPEAKER_02Fair. Ooh, I never looked at it like that. But yeah, I my goal is my end goal eventually for Willis is to be able to have a dog bed in the window on the display thing, and him just be able to chill there and relax. But we'll see. Right now it's curtains closed as much as possible, so you can see as little of the outside to be stimulated by while hair services are being done.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, I don't I don't necessarily see him unless he's like medicated. I don't I don't see him being He does like hemp treats. It's not the same. Harvey gets to the point where it's more like a relinquishing of the possibility of him getting attention from anyone that causes him to just lay down. He's like up. Well, no more attention over here. Let me just lay over here in this corner or in the middle of the floor or underneath our feet, or on the couch, or on the chair. Oh literally anywhere.
SPEAKER_02Will is underneath my feet. I love it. I really don't mind it. I don't mind having like I will step around him because if he's chilling, I'm cool with that. So I'll step around him, but I really cannot stand how much hair he's starting to eat on accident from just getting his toy rolled in. Oh my gosh. I just don't want to clean up more. He threw up the one hairball, and I just don't want to do that again.
SPEAKER_00Oh yes. That's why Harvey has a crate here. Is because he threw up one hairball and I was like, oh, and we are getting you a crate today for the shop.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, I think that's gonna I think that's a good idea to do that as well for my side for Willis. So he just has his own, like a home base.
SPEAKER_00So let's say, yeah, there are pros and cons to having dogs in the shop. I'd say overall, net positive. Yes, it's just you know, from a case to case basis, like if somebody's sensitive to sound and you have a vocal dog, take that into account when looking at your schedule. Yeah. But that's always gonna be like if you choose to have a pet in the shop, that's gonna be a factor if you're taking walk-ins.
SPEAKER_02Yes, yeah. And I mean the most you can do is just communicate the fact that your pet even exists in the shop. That's the biggest thing, because then nobody can be surprised by it. Right. I've got Willis, one, because of state regulations, we have to have the signs outside the window, but like I also have Willis on my website so that we he there's a picture of him there, it mentions him being vocal, and it kind of warns of all the things. Granted, is everyone looking at my about page on my website? No, but the information's there. I tried. I've tried to let everybody know. That's the best I can do, and hopefully they like it.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, I mean, and it's no different than like finding your hours or your prices. It's like the information's there if you bother to look. We're not trying to hide anything. Nope.
SPEAKER_02We're trying to make it as easy as possible for you to figure out everything you could possibly want to know.
SPEAKER_00Without having to call us. Yeah. Yeah.
SPEAKER_02Which did not work today because a woman called me to ask me. Well, it was more so, I think, because she wanted to know if it would be cheaper because he's got not a lot of hair. I hate that question. How much are haircuts when he doesn't have that much hair? The same price as a haircut,$30. Oh, okay.
SPEAKER_00We don't charge by the ounce. Mm-mm. If hair is being cut, it's a haircut. Yep. And that price is$30. Because I didn't I wasn't offered a license that was cheaper because I wasn't gonna cut as much hair.
SPEAKER_02Yeah.
SPEAKER_00Fair. They don't offer a part-time license. Mm-mm. Yep. Same price.
SPEAKER_02And I'm pretty sure most of the time, even when there's even if you don't have a full head of hair, I'm still touching your whole head. Nine times out of ten, my tool is touching every part of that head somewhere.
SPEAKER_00Well, and you also need to have as much attention to detail with those people because the difference of like missing one hair matters. Yeah. A lot.
SPEAKER_01A lot. A lot, a lot. Especially when there's usually less on top. There's usually one stray one that comes out of the forehead somewhere.
SPEAKER_00Gotta keep out for one person or one last holdout behind enemy lines. Mm-hmm. I will say that that is one thing I like about Harvey is that he has adopted opinions. Like Harvey really doesn't like people talking on the phone.
SPEAKER_02Oh my god, so fair. He really does not like people. He does not barks all the time on the phone. Yes. Oh, that's so true. I never honestly I never even correlated it to the rule. The previous shot. Love that. Willis thinks that I'm talking to somebody anytime I say hello, that somebody's in the room. So like if I'm on I call my mom or my mom calls me and I say hello, Willis will start barking like somebody's in the house. I'm like, no, Willis, I'm on the phone.
SPEAKER_00It's fine.
SPEAKER_01I'm not talking to anybody.
SPEAKER_00Well, so Harvey's justification as far as I've been able to tell, yeah, since he doesn't speak. Uh is that, yeah, the same thing with like my cell phone, my husband's phone, like shop phone. He associates a loud ringer type of a sound. Yeah, yeah, yeah. And us saying hello with there is a person that I cannot see and I want their attention.
SPEAKER_01Yes. Somebody has to know that I'm here.
SPEAKER_00Yes. Well, and like, hey, you can't have an interaction with a human if I'm around and I can't have an interaction with them. I mean, fair. Like it's like it's like show yourself.
SPEAKER_02Show yourself when you're talking to me.
SPEAKER_00So I get it. You know, it's fine. But it is it's great for my personal stance on really not ever wanting to answer the phone.
SPEAKER_02But I would be curious to know if there's like people that bring other kinds of pets.
SPEAKER_00I don't think the barber board allows for any other pet. Like they specifically approve dogs. Oh.
SPEAKER_02So I couldn't bring like a bearded dragon.
SPEAKER_00I don't know if you couldn't.
SPEAKER_02I don't want to.
SPEAKER_01I don't have one, just to be clear.
SPEAKER_00I don't know. I mean, there's nothing barring you from having fish. So I mean if it's in a similar enclosure, I don't see why you couldn't. Uh I I don't know about cats though. I'd have to look up the statue. Interesting. I mean, kinda makes sense. You know, like because the posting is specifically a barber board rule that came from a shop in Manchester. A guy who had a White Shepherd, and that was like something he pushed for. Because Manchester one man showed Shepherd was his protection. Yeah. They made a cool poster about it and everything. But they're just like there are other stores that are not governed by the barber board, obviously. Yeah. That have had birds, cats, whatever. So, I mean, as far as New Hampshire cares, any non-barber uh or cosmetology or aesthetics related professions are cool with having them. As long as you don't serve or prepare food. Oh, yeah, fair. I'm curious on uh different states' views on dogs in the barbershop or pets and shops.
SPEAKER_02I did. There's a um salon that I've gone to a couple times down in Nashua that have big dogs there, a couple of them.
SPEAKER_03Yeah.
SPEAKER_02They have a uh Italian Mastiff. Technically, two. They swap off on days, though, a male and a female. And then my friend who did my hair, she's got a Great Dane Mastiff mix that is also a shop dog and has been coming there since she was a pup. I didn't know about the big Mastiff in the back. I knew about the puppy when she was still a puppy. I think the dog's a little over a year old now. But when she was still a puppy, I went and got my hair done there. And as soon as I walked in, I heard the big dog bark from the back, and I was like, who is back there? He sounds lovely, and I got to see him. He was ginormous, solid black dog. Looked terrifying, but he was great, he was so great, and it was literally just a salon filled with women and giant dogs. That's just it, and it's the salon's not huge, and like it's a full, full shop. Like, there's four chairs out front, there's like four solo kind of room suites that have like two chairs apiece in them, but it's very close-knit, and so you just walk into this very white, very pretty aesthetic, and then there's just giant black dogs everywhere.
SPEAKER_00I know they've been shops that have like uh they've got Pible uh mixed breeds, they've got uh there are great Danes that I know in shops, they're Frenchies, I mean all sorts of sizes and shapes. I think they're all fun, personally.
SPEAKER_02Yes, agreed. I think every shop should have a shop dog, some way, shape, or form.
SPEAKER_00Even if it's just part-time.
SPEAKER_02Yeah. Lucy's only a part-time employee.
SPEAKER_00Anything else we can think of? Mm-mm. We'll talk to you next week. Have a wonderful day. Good night.
