Pamper your pooches at Canyon Canines

Photo by MacKenzie Dore

Canyon Lake dog owners now have a new option for their four-legged family members. Canyon Lakers Christie and Mario Bahena opened Canyon Canines on Feb. 22 in the Eastport Center, just outside the east gate. The business caters to local dogs, offering grooming, daycare and boarding.

Christie and Mario relocated from San Clemente to Canyon Lake four years ago to be closer to family. Christie, formerly of Styles and Smiles Grooming and Furr-tography, offered dog grooming in her home before opening Canyon Canines.

Mario, an Army veteran, works part-time in sales at Canyon Fitness Center and has a background in business marketing and analytics.

Christie and Mario’s three fur babies, Milly, Moto and Monster, are the inspiration for their new business. “We wanted a place for our own dogs to go where we felt safe taking them,” said Christie.

“There was nowhere we felt comfortable leaving them. The last place we took them forgot to feed them. That was my last straw!”

Canyon Canines offers half and full-day doggie daycare services. The daycare is modeled similarly to a preschool setting, with the perfect amount of group play and downtime.

All dogs over the age of four months are evaluated before being accepted into group daycare. Canyon Canines does not accept unsocial dogs for the safety of other dogs and staff.

Daycare rates are $20 for a  half-day (five hours or less) and $27 for a full day. A 10-day package starts at $180.

Overnight boarding service includes a stay in a cozy suite best suited for the size of the dog. Beds are elevated. Small blankets or something familiar from home is encouraged for the dog to cozy up to at night. Staff is present 24-hours a day when there are boarders.

Meals must be prepackaged in individual meal portions to ensure the dog gets the correct amount straight from home. If there is an insufficient amount of food, house food consisting of grain-free meat and sweet potato dry food is available for $3 per meal.

Overnight boarding rates are $40 (25 pounds and under) for a studio, $45 for a junior suite and $50 for a master suite.

Full-service grooming services are available Monday through Saturday. Baths, haircuts and creative colors are among the grooming services offered in a one-on-one setting.

All grooms include nail trims, ear cleaning and gland expression. Optional add-ons include fun colors with pet safe dye, pedicure with nail polish, teeth brushing, deshedding and glitter. Grooming rates start at $35.

For pet owners who like to wash their own dogs, self-wash options are available. Canyon Canines provides everything needed for a self-wash, including shampoo, conditioner, towels, brushes and a high-velocity dryer. Self-wash rates are 50 cents per minute.

Canyon Canines also offers Pet Tech CPR and First Aid courses for pet owners. Christie and Mario plan to add obedience training class to the list of services this summer.

The staff at Canyon Canines is trained in animal behavior and in pet CPR and first aid. In order to maintain a safe and healthy environment, copies of current vaccinations for each dog who visits is kept on file. All dogs over nine months old must be spayed or neutered for daycare and boarding.

Canyon Canines is located at 24370 Canyon Lake Drive North, Suite 4. Business hours are daily from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Grooming is available Monday through Saturday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. For more information about Canyon Canines, call 951-458-0518 or visit
canyoncanines.com.