Scenthound, a new dog grooming business in Monument, wants its canine clients not just looking good, but also feeling good.

Scenthound, a Jupiter-Fla.-based company with several locations in the Denver metro area, opened its Monument location — the first in southern Colorado — last week at 810 Sky Vista Point, No. 110. It is the first of several locations in the Colorado Springs area envisioned by franchise owners Ryan and Stephanie Ellis.

The couple live in the area and wanted to bring Scenthound’s services to their community. The two own a dog — a corgi named Oliver — and said they were inspired after seeing the difference Scenthound’s model can make in the health and wellness of dogs.

“We really tailor it to the health and the needs of the dog,” Stephanie said. “We bring the dog in every month, so we can keep on track for all of those things, keep their nails short, keep their ears clean. … It’s just something we can help keep on top of for the dog parents who care.”

Scenthound is not a veterinarian practice but does focus on the overall wellness of dogs, using a proprietary S.C.E.N.T. model, which stands for skin, coat, ears, nails and teeth, all the areas employees look over, clean and condition.

Stephanie describes Scenthound as a first line of defense for a dog’s overall health. With monthly appointments, dogs get a checkup far more frequently than they do if only visiting the vet once per year. Scenthound employees, for example, may — and have in the past, Stephanie said — find lumps and bumps that might be cancerous masses that an owner may miss in their day to day.

“We catch things because we’re looking,” she said. “Everybody we employ has a dog health background in some way, shape or form, whether they’ve been groomers (or) vet techs.” The Monument location’s manager was an emergency vet tech, Stephanie said.

There are three membership options, ranging from the “Escentials” which is $39 per month, “Escentials Plus,” at $49 per month, and “Unlimited Plus,” at $69 per month. While membership is encouraged, as Scenthound’s model relies on regularity, non-members may also bring their dogs in. A non-member will need to pay $50, whereas the first tier membership price is $39 per month.

The Escentials Plus and Ultimate plans offer access to a 24/7 chat line with vets. This way, concerned owners can call an emergency vet and figure out if they need to make a trip to an animal emergency room or if their issue can wait.

The two are not career business owners. Ryan spent 25 years in the Army before retiring while Stephanie worked for 20 years in talent development consulting. But Stephanie has always had an “itch” to start and run a business, she said, adding that Scenthound was one of the first business models she “fell in love with.”

Not every dog is ready to be pampered on their first visit, but that’s another benefit of the regular visits, Stephanie said.

“We’re not going to force a dog to do anything that they don’t want to do, so maybe let’s try again, like give them a break,” Stephanie said. “That’s the power of the monthly (model) is they get very familiar with us, and they get familiar with the process, and they get a lot more comfortable.”

Scenthound is open from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday through Saturday; it is closed on Sundays. Nationally, the company has 300 locations in 30 states. As they ponder expanding, the Ellises are already eyeing some spaces on the Colorado Springs’ north side, but did not share specifics.