GREENFIELD — A long-standing tradition of dog grooming continues on the French King Highway, but this time with a youthful twist, as Puppy Parlor’s owner plants her business roots.

Alyse Tower opened up the city’s newest grooming salon in October and has been booking steady clients in the space that once featured Mighty Clean Mutt and Auntie Jordan’s Grooming at 52 French King Highway. Offering a full suite of grooming services, as well as a variety of additional services, Tower has been steadily expanding her first-ever business.

The twist with Tower? At 18 years old, she is probably younger than most of her clients’ owners.

“Age doesn’t equal experience. I’ve had a lot more experience than people would assume,” Tower, who graduated from Franklin County Technical School last year, said in an interview. “I went to Tech and I graduated in the animal science program. I’ve also worked in grooming salons since I was 14. … I started grooming, actually, in this building when it was Mighty Clean Mutt.”

Her love of animals led her to Franklin Tech’s animal sciences program and then it was “figuring out which avenue of working with animals” she wanted to go down, which led her to pursue dog grooming. “I have a lot of respect for people in the vet industry, but that wasn’t for me,” she said.

After working with Mighty Clean Mutt’s Megan Edson before the business’ closure in January 2022, the opportunity to rent the space soon came up in 2023, as Auntie Jordan’s moved to Winchendon over the summer. Tower said she still leans on Edson — along with her parents — for advice as she navigates operating her own grooming business.

“You take the risk and it’s awesome to see people are coming to me,” Tower said, when asked if she was nervous about taking the plunge into starting her own business. “I’m extremely happy and fortunate to have the clients I do. … A lot of them come from Megan and they are definitely very accepting.”

As the only employee of the business, Tower said each dog gets one-on-one grooming, which means they get her full attention and care.

“Some salons don’t work one-on-one, but I find it’s a lot better for the dogs, especially with anxiety,” she said. “It’s a lot calmer, quieter and more individualized that way.”

Puppy Parlor can be found at 52 French King Highway and its Facebook page can be found at bit.ly/499VciS. It is open Monday through Saturday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Pricing is customized based on client and type of service, as the dog’s weight, coat type and coat condition are all taken into consideration. There are also several add-ons folks can opt for, such as a $15 spa day package that includes aromatherapy and a blueberry facial. As the only groomer, Tower said she has a 95-pound weight limit for dogs, but she also offers self-service, where there is no weight limit.

Folks can book appointments by calling 413-824-5844, emailing puppy.parlor3@gmail.com or by messaging her on Facebook.

Chris Larabee can be reached at clarabee@recorder.com.