Anne Renahan Special to The Daily Star There’s nothing that Sweetie likes better than a trip to the hairdresser. Relaxing jazz floats in the background as her hair is trimmed, brushed, powdered and perfumed. You would almost swear that she’s smiling as her fluffy white hair is blow dried by the capable hands of her beautician, Ramsey Khattar. “She loves it,” he says, lifting her off the table and tickling her under the chin. “Dogs should be made happy.” Something that pet owners here are slowly starting to catch on to, says Mr. Khattar, who is Lebanon’s only dog beautician. His canine care business caused something of a stir when he set up shop six years ago ­ when it was a concept that people found quite bizarre. “When I started, I had a lot of media attention, this was a new thing in this country,” he says. But seeing the popularity of hair and beauty pet care in France, he spotted a niche in the local market ­ and promptly took it. He has about 400 regular customers from all over Lebanon and Syria. They have their pets petted at his home in Zouk, which doubles as a salon. Mr. Khattar used to work for pet shops and clinics but decided six  months ago that it would be better to work from his home where he has a garden, which acts as a waiting room and relaxation area for dogs as they wait to be pampered. He will only see a maximum of three dogs a day ­ “no more than that because it’s tiring.” And because grooming a dog takes time. Grooming sessions usually last two hours and cost between $30 and $60, depending on the size and condition of the dog. He insists that apart from the physical well-being of the animal, the main aim is to indulge the dog. An owner will drop off their pet in the morning at the salon and pick it up later in the day when the animal has been made over: Either bathed and cut or, if well groomed, brushed, trimmed and powdered. “I invent a lot of hair_style_s,” says Mr. Khattar, who has a range of fashions for dogs. But certain _style_s suit certain dogs: Poodles suit the very shaved _style_s, which would make a terrier look naked and vulnerable. Sweetie is a bichon frise, a white puff of hair, who looks as if she’s sporting an immaculate bob. Mr. Khattar was inspired to turn from computer programmer to dog groomer when he lived next door to a dog hairdresser in Paris. He took a variety of courses over three years which qualified him to set up shop as a dog beautician. When he returned to Lebanon he realized that the only people cutting dogs’ hair were vets. But this kind of care is too clinical, he says. Would a person go to the hospital to have a manicure or to have their hair cut? “No,” he says. “There’s no fun in that.” Although his business is doing well, Mr. Khattar says that it can be a struggle to persuade people to pay proper attention to their pets. “People don’t take care of their dogs here,” he says. The problem is that people buy pets to show off, or for children who may lose interest in their present after only a few weeks. A dog is fun for a short time and then it gets neglected. “In France, people treat their dogs like their babies,” he says. “It’s very different to the attitude here ... Pets are like a gadget or a gift for kids.” But attitudes are changing and Mr. Khattar thinks that he may have helped to raise awareness. “People are changing. I’m forcing them to change. I sometimes tell people that I will charge them more if they don’t groom their dog.” He says that it is not just a frivolous thing, dogs need to be well looked after, as humans do. But Mr. Khattar says that there are limits. “If someone wants their dog dyed pink, for example, I say no. I’m against that.”