Liz Freitag, owner of Peninsula Pups, loves her job as a dog groomer
Liz Freitag, owner of Peninsula Pups, says working as a dog sitter is fulfilling in many ways.
A Day in the Life is a monthly series where we highlight some of the area’s more interesting jobs and how these people interact with the community.
Liz Freitag prepares for work by stuffing a handful of disposable dog poop bags into her jeans pocket.
In addition to her many duties as owner of Peninsula Pups dog daycare, Freitag often works the morning shift as a dog handler in one of the Erie facility’s three indoor play areas.
The dog handlers’ duties include preventing dog fights, ensuring that no one leaves their assigned play area and cleaning up the dogs’ droppings.
“When people say I can play with dogs all day, I actually do,” Friday said with a smile as she picked up a fresh pile of dog poop and then wiped the area clean with a mixture of water and disinfectant.
Freitag, who turned 51 on Aug. 19, didn’t plan on opening a dog daycare when she moved to Erie with her dog, Job (pronounced like the biblical figure), in 2009.
But Friday soon discovered that Erie had no affordable housing for her dog while she worked at Lanza Medical Equipment. When Friday returned home, Job had lost patience with boredom and lack of exercise.
“So I decided to open a dog daycare, even though I only had experience with dogs,” Freitag said.
She leased space in the former Keystone Automotive Industries, 901 W. 12th St., and opened Peninsula Pups, 801 W. 12th St., in January 2011. Dogs can stay for half or full days Monday through Friday.
By the end of the decade, the business grew to nearly 80 dogs a day before the COVID-19 pandemic forced many people to work from home, where they could be with their pets all day.
Peninsula Pups almost had to close its doors despite receiving COVID-19 relief funds, Freitag said.
“There were days when we only had a handful of dogs. It’s almost back to where we were before COVID,” Freitag said. “Today we have about 60 dogs here.”
As an owner, you can also step in for various employees
On the day she met with the Erie Times-News, Freitag was filling in for her staff member in the front office, typing on the computer and greeting the dogs as they arrived.
She does much of the tax, social media, scheduling, billing and other administrative work from home, where she lives with her three dogs, Chad, John and Eden.
Chad, a Chihuahua mix, walks around the office while Friday types and talks. John, an older pit bull, sits on a bed under Friday’s desk.
Eden, a pure American mixed breed, loves spending his day with the other dogs on the playgrounds.
The play areas are divided according to dog breeds. The “T-Ball” area is for smaller dogs, the “Football” area is for medium-sized dogs and the “Soccer” area is for larger and active dogs.
“The T-ball area is actually the toughest for handlers,” said Freitag. “The smaller dogs are running all around you. It’s like having 25 five-year-old kids all pumped up on sugar and caffeine and their parents never told them ‘no.'”
The dogs in the “football” area greet Friday and her visitors with a chorus of happy barks as they all rush toward the double-gate entrance.
Friday’s advice: “Don’t stop walking, don’t talk to them, and don’t pet them until they all calm down. They are all well-behaved dogs and will calm down in a few minutes.”
Friday: Dogs often behave like high school students
She described each play area as being a bit like high school. Some dogs play in packs, while others become best friends, boyfriend/girlfriend, or even act like an old married couple.
As she speaks, Friday suddenly steps back and settles a disagreement between two dogs before it can escalate into a fight.
“The dogs need to realize that we are the alphas,” said Freitag, wearing a Peninsula Pups T-shirt with “Alpha” printed on the back. “When you approach a dog that is misbehaving, you don’t reward them by speaking nicely to them and giving them attention by saying, ‘Don’t do that.’ You speak softly, as if you mean it, and you don’t get angry.”
Friday also offers photo shoots, grooming sessions
Friday’s affection for the dogs is evident after just a few minutes at Peninsula Pups. She shares videos she’s posted on social media and keeps a scrapbook of past and current clients.
She and her team also plan dog birthday photo shoots with costumes and dog-friendly cupcakes and offer grooming services.
But above all, it is about letting the dogs play together in a safe environment, said Freitag.
“Dogs just want to be dogs,” she said. “That’s why we’re here.”
Contact David Bruce at [email protected]. Follow him on X @ETNBruce.
