For years, Julie Sadler rehabbed homes for a living. But when her knees went bad, Sadler realized she would have to get out of the construction business.

Since she always loved animals, Sadler decided to attend seminars and eventually a dog grooming academy in preparation for opening a pet grooming business.

"I like being self-employed. I've been self-employed since 1984, and I didn't want to work for someone else," Sadler said. ""I figured that the pet industry is huge, and if I could groom 150 dogs on a regular basis, I could stay busy year-round."

Originally, Sadler was thinking about launching a mobile dog grooming service. But when a vacancy arose in a building she owned, it seemed like the perfect opportunity.

"I've been thinking about this since last summer," she said. "Owning the building made my decision a lot easier. It's a very good location and there's not a lot of competition in the area."

One of the hardest things about opening the business was coming up with the name, according to Sadler.

"I thought about names for three months," she said. "I was going to go with Groomingtails until I thought of this. People are really attracted by the brightly colored awning we have outside, it looks like a happy place."

The school she attended teaches the hand-scissoring technique for grooming dogs rather than the use of clippers. This allows Sadler to groom the dogs as if they were going to be shown.

While she finishes her current rehab project, Sadler is open by appointment two days a week. Within three months, she plans to be with Groomingdales full-time. Eventually, she hopes to offer daycare and boarding services.

"I like this business more than I thought I would," she said. "The dogs are really fun to work with and I've met some great people too."

Groomingdales

Location: 707 N. Indiana, Crown Point

Phone: (219) 712-7515

Owner: Julie Sadler

When opened: April 2008

Number of employees: One

Type of business: Full-service pet grooming, retail boutique and dog training