RIVERTON — Dog breeder Toni Dechert was surrounded by a pack of poodles and one giant Malamute but still sensed something was missing in her life.
She was no longer able to keep up with her grooming business and was having to turn away clients.
She loved working with dogs, so Dechert came up with a plan, and convinced her husband Don to build her a dog kennel.
But this wouldn’t be just any old kennel, this would be for pampered pooches, for those canines who like to live the high life.
This spring, the couple opened their rural doggie boutique Muddy Creek K9z Boarding and Grooming in Riverton, Wyoming, complete with a television in each stall.
“I needed another way to make a living,” Dechert said. “I knew the only job I would not get burned out on would be working with dogs. I have 14 of my own poodles to take care of so scooping poop is not a problem.”
Yup, They Have TVs
During a recent tour of the facilities, she walked into a kennel to shower kisses on Biscuit, a 3-month-old puppy that had been boarding with her. He had been curled up with his toys dozing, and woke up instantly.
He eagerly accepted her attention, alternately wrestling with his stuffed dog and nuzzling her. Dechert adjusted the volume on his television before leading him to the outside enclosure.
“Dogs love to watch TV. I think it's soothing for them,” she said as she watched Biscuit happily bounce about. “I tried several channels when I first started. Animal Planet was great, until a Bigfoot show came on.
“The Bigfoot roared, and I had two little Schnauzers that were screaming bloody murder. I thought, ‘I can't do Animal Planet,’ so I did National Geographic, and for some reason that agitated the dogs.”
Turns out, dogs love old-fashioned, wholesome family TV.
“I found the ‘Little House on the Prairie’ channel, and it's calm and the music is really soothing,” Dechert said. “They just love ‘Little House on the Prairie.’ It's weird.”
She also encourages people to bring their own blankets and toys so their dogs will have the best stay possible.
Her goal is that rather than being traumatized by staying with her, dogs look forward to their mini-vacation.
“Bring all the comfort items your dog is used to just to make it as homey as possible,” Dechert said. “We have what we call suites instead of kennels. There are no wires on these suites and the floors are heated for winter with air conditioners in the summer.
“Everything is climate controlled, and I have nice cots in there that are ortho friendly.”
Dog Whisperer
When dog owner Cody Beers was referred to the new kennel, he was cautious.
His golden retriever Ella didn’t do well with strangers, but he needed a safe place to bring her when he was out of town, and he had been referred to Dechert by another local dog kennel that had been booked up.
“Ella is special,” Beers said. “She's not mean, but she become a coyote, and she's really a golden retriever.”
Dechert invited him to bring Ella over for a visit and saw right away that it would take a lot to win his golden over.
“Ella came in, and she just hid behind Cody's legs and growled,” Dechert said, remembering the visit with a smile. “We walked around and talked, and she just growled and growled. He reassured me that he thought she would be OK with me if I didn’t push her. All I could think of was that I was going to get bit.”
Once Beers said it would be OK for his dog to have treats while she was at the kennel, Dechert was on a personal mission to win Ella over. Every time she talked to Ella, brought her outside, put her back into the suite or got her to sit, Ella was rewarded with a treat.
“It was still three days before I could touch her,” Dechert said. “She'd let me feed her, but that was it.”
Dechert has a lawn chair set up in the outside enclosure so she can watch over the dogs during their excursions. It was while sitting there that Ella finally came over.
“She put her front paws in my lap,” Dechert said, the relief still evident in her voice. “I kind of gently let her smell me. Then I started to pet her, and she crawled all the way into my lap. She got the rest of the handful of treats and we have been best buddies ever since.”
“She told me it only took 2 or 3 pounds of dog biscuits, but now they're friends,” Beers said, happy with the turn of events and still a little surprised. “We have a wonderful place to take our animals, and each pen has a television set that plays old movies. When I arrived with my dogs two weeks ago, Lassie was on. They were getting to see their favorite actors.”
Dog Breeder and new kennel owner Toni Dechert is surrounded by her pack of poodles. Her love of dogs led her to open Muddy Creek K9z Boarding and Grooming in rural Riverton, Wyoming. (Cowboy State Daily Staff) 
Toni Dechert grooms one of her "grandkids," a toy poodle she bred. She still offers grooming, but only to the dogs that are boarding with her. (Cowboy State Daily Staff) 
Biscuit, a recent guest at the Muddy Creek K9z Boarding and Grooming, in Riverton, Wyoming, relaxes in his suite with "Little House on the Prarie" playing on his TV and his toys. (Cowboy State Daily Staff)
Extra Care
The televisions serve another purpose.
During the Fourth of July or stormy weather, the dogs that need the extra protection or distraction are safeguarded against scary sounds.
“With the TV and the insulation we have in the building, the dogs don't hear the thunder,” Dechert said. “They're totally oblivious to it.
“We had a couple of dogs that were really afraid of thunder. They had to go out and were just freaking out. I put them back in their kennels and turned their TVs up a little bit. I then sat nearby and waited. Pretty soon they were sleeping.”
Dechert makes sure that dog owners are also taken care of while their beloved pets are in her care. Her human clients get daily updates, pictures and videos of their canine companions.
“I just figure that I worry about my dogs like crazy, and I would not be able to go a day without seeing them and knowing how they're doing,” Dechert said. “I just send a photo and say, ‘We're doing well.’”
She also keeps alert for any medical issues a dog in her care may be suffering and relays that information to their owners.
“I notice everything,” Dechert said. “I had a dog here last week that had some blood in her urine every time she went to the bathroom. I let her dad know that she needed to see a vet about it.”
A Need For Dog Boarding
It is not unheard of for pet owners to drive long distances to find boarding for their dogs where they feel comfortable leaving them or that even has space available.
“In Wyoming, we like to travel and do things in our state, but sometimes it's difficult when you own several dogs, and the dog people that we have in Fremont County are booked up months in advance,” Beers said. “When we heard about the new dog whisperer, we called Toni and appreciate the care our dogs get.”
He also likes the fact that he can book a bath and grooming for his dogs while they are at the Muddy Creek K9z Boarding. Dechert still has to turn away grooming clients but will book the extra care for those dogs staying with her.
“When you get involved with dog people, you want to trust them because they're taking care of your babies,” Beers said. “You get to the point in your life, like I am, where your dogs are your kids.”
“I breed and sell toy poodles” Dechert said. “That's my passion, and that's why I never leave home. I've got a bunch of dogs of my own I care for, so I may as well play with other people’s puppies and dogs all day.
“It's the best job ever.”
Jackie Dorothy can be reached at jackie@cowboystatedaily.com.
