Dog Lover Turns Passion into Business

Juli Seeger has always had a soft spot for dogs.

"I grew up with them," Seeger said. "They've just always been a part of my life."

The Edina native has three dogs at home and, between fostering animals for Secondhand Hounds Animal Rescue, decided it was time to enter the pooch business herself.

Seeger and her husband, Mike—one of Edina's two K9 officers—are celebrating the launch of , one of the area's first indoor dog parks.

Ruff House has seen a handful of customers step through its doors, though Seeger said foot traffic has been slightly slower than anticipated. She suspects part of the issue is people simply not being familiar with the concept.

"It's such a unique model," Seeger said. "We don't do day care or anything. We're strictly an indoor dog park."

An Unassuming Structure

Take a drive down Washington Drive in Edina's southwest corner and you'll begin to see a common theme: warehouses. It's perhaps the last place one would expect to find a dog park, dance studio or bakery. But look closely and they're all there, tucked into brown brick buildings.

Seeger said it seemed like a great place to open Ruff House, since it's close to Edina, Eden Prairie and other neighboring southwest metro communities.

"The closest indoor dog park I know of is way up in Plymouth," she said. "We wanted to give people another option a little closer to home."

The 7,000-square-foot building—filled with toys, a doggie tetherball, white picket fences and an emerald-painted floor—is open for business 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

"It's sort of like a Snap Fitness, but for dogs," Seeger said.

Seeger said the concept came to her out of a need to exercise her four-legged friends, and a dislike for just about every aspect of traditional dog parks.

"I don't like wet dogs," Seeger said. "I don't like to be cold, I don't want to stand out in the sun, I don't know if there are breaks in the fence and I don't want to deal with ticks on my dog. Outdoor dog parks just aren't a good fit for me."

In an effort to make clients feel safe bringing their dogs to the park any time of the day, Seeger said they installed a coffee station and have asked Mike's fellow officers to stop in when they're in the area to get a coffee and make sure nothing suspicious is going on.

While the business is currently focused on providing a safe play space for dogs, Seeger foresees puppy socialization classes, as well as some one-on-one dog training hosted by Mike.

"With Mike being a K9 officer, he really wants to get into more personal training with dogs, as well," Seeger said.

Cleaning Up

Seeger is sharing space with Zoom Groom, a personalized grooming service operated by a Bloomington mother-daughter duo.

Anna and Linda Olson had been grooming in the comfort of their home for quite some time, but after getting involved with Edina-based rescue organization Secondhand Hounds they got to know Seeger.

"We came and looked at the space and it just felt like a great fit," Anna said. "We tend to be busier in the summer and they (Ruff House) tend to be in the fall and winter, so it's kind of a natural balance."

Anyone can come in and book an appointment with Zoom Groom, but card-carrying members of Ruff House are free to use the dog-washing station and shampoos whenever they want as a bonus.

The self-serve dog-wash station is located right next to the dog park, allowing members to clean up their dirty dog and then let them play in the park for a little while to dry off.

Open for Business, Officially

The Ruff House will be hosting a grand opening party to welcome locals to get a taste of the indoor dog park. The festivities will run from noon to 7 p.m. Friday, Aug. 12. As an added incentive, customers who sign up for any membership on Aug. 12 will receive 50 percent off their first month's payment.

They won't be alone in the venture, as Seeger said DanceXChange, Main Street Bakery and other neighboring businesses will be taking part as well. It's all part of a push to get people to view the area as a commercial zone rather than an office park.

"This space really used to be industrial, so we're trying to retrain people to come here for some of these local businesses," Seeger said.