Our Doggo loves DLOD. The staff are great, professional and kind. The original temperament test they did with our dog, indicated that she would thrive with a couple of the packs of dogs, so she gets extra play time. We utilize the daycare a couple times a month and the boarding a couple times a year. When we pull up she runs to their door, and when they let her back she will scurry to her favorite staff for tummy rubs that they will happily oblige in. She returns to us worn out! They no longer provide grooming. (Provided 4 starts rather than 5 due to it often being unclear the best way and times to communicate with them). read more

Wish I could leave zero stars. We just picked up our two dogs after boarding them there for five days. My dogs were traumatized. The place stinks and the guy who was managing the desk was a total jerk. If you love your dog, stay away from this joint. read more

Dog's Life on Damen is a gem!!! I frequently travel to the Chicago area with my dog, and I'm so happy to have found such a caring place to board him. The staff are wonderful and truly love all the dogs that they take care of in daycare and boarding. I've now boarded my pup with them a few times. He's always excited to see the staff when I drop him off, which is a big deal for him. He doesn't like everyone lol. read more

I take my dog here multiple times a week. I board him there regularly. He gets so excited to go here he jumps out of the car every time. My dog is always tired when he comes home and he's happy. Also, they have two former vet techs on staff, one of which noticed a bite mark my dog got a dog park. They cleaned and disinfected there wound and probably saved his life. Great rates, good people, terrific business. read more

They didn't let my dog out to play they crated him the whole time he was there, causing him to be aggressive. I believe they abused him. This is not a true day care do not take your dog here unless you want them to have bad behavior and undo all of their training. read more

This is such a good place to take your dog!! My girl was super super tired after camp and they actually know her. They're really good at putting your dog in a group they know that your dog will thrive in. I love that they don't judge based on breed. They test your dog first with multiple dogs to see their temperament. I also love the people there. They're sooo sweet and very knowledgeable. The interior is super super cute. The waiting area has a really cute painting and there's paw prints al over the walls. When you bring your dog in for the initial temperament test they show you around. And it's nice and spacious inside. Would 10/10 recommend this place to anyone! They get your dog nice and tired. I also love that they feed them and give them snacks through out the day. Which is very nice of them. We will be coming here for a long long time :) read more

DLOD is THE absolute best dog daycare experience I have ever had. First, they helped me raise my rescue pit/box ~ essentially a miracle as Nessie was a messie after living at four different places in the first year of her life. They taught me how to work with her energy (showed her love by nipping too much)~ now she is so sweet without the attitude! The excellent handlers/owner also alerted me to get her limp checked out as they were concerned she had torn her ACL and she did!! I was in denial~ It was a 3 month recovering after surgery and they were able to keep her active, yet calm so she did not re-injure herself. There are so many great things about DLOD~ I am always getting reports about her day and the silly things she does~ she is in great hands and is well loved. Thank you all at DLOD!!! read more

Dog's Life on Damen is located in a nondescript building in the Lincoln Square area. The best feature is the outdoor back yard play area for the dogs which has kiddie pools and various obstacles to play on. Perfect for summer dog shenanigans. Inside, the dogs are kept in fairly large individual wire cages - standard in a facility like this. My dog came back happy and healthy. The staff seemed to take good care of her and I could tell that they knew the various dogs individually. I would definitely bring my dog back here during the summer months. Not sure what their indoor play facilities are for the winter so will have to check into that further. read more

Staff are impatient and unfriendly. Didn't even greet my dog or verbally welcome us when we came for the first time. Did not offer any information on daily activities, exercise etc. Told me my 7 month old puppy's barking before happily and earnestly meeting another dog there is " a turnoff for the other dogs." When I asked about boarding and where my dog would be sleeping etc. I told he would be in a run because he's a medium sized dog. Yet, I saw dogs bigger than mine in crates. When I asked to see where the dogs are kept I was told my going over there to see would disturb them, but they were already barking.. all of them in their crates. No leaflets or information about the place and what to expect was provided. read more

My wife and I have been taking El Duque to a Dog's life for over a year now. We have never boarded him at this location. We have only used this facility for Day care. He obviously likes the place, his tail and ass start wagging before we get to the front door. When we pick him up in the afternoon, he's exhausted and happy. What more can you ask for from a Doggier Day care facility. One of the things I take notice of from people who run pet related businesses is their interaction with the animals. I have been to veterinarian's and pet stores that employ people who really don't seem to like animals. That disturbs me. The people I've talked to at this location seem to really enjoy interacting with the dogs they care for. The facility is nothing fancy, but there is a nice outdoor play area for the dogs to run around in, and the place seems fairly clean. So no complaints on my end. Here's the bottom line. A Dog's life is a nice facility where my dog can play til he passes out. I live by the adage, "a tired dog is a happy dog". While I'm bored to tears at my mundane job, El Duque gets to run, play and sniff other dog's butts in a clean, safe environment. The Dog is happy, and I get a night of peace and quiet with my snugly , tuckered out dog. It's a win-win for both of us. read more

I have been taking my dog here since he was a puppy and he absolutely loves coming to A Dog's Life. The day care is under new management/ownership and have made a lot of improvements, such as extended hours! The best part about this place is that they really understand dog behavior and set up play groups based on age and temperament. They don't discriminate based on breed like a lot of other doggie day cares. The prices are also really reasonable and the dogs have a really good time. My dog is always nice and tired whenever I pick him up. The facility is not the prettiest out there but what matters is how well the dogs are taken care of and how knowledgeable/helpful the staff is. My dog and I both give them 5 stars! read more

Listen, I don't know much about doggie day cares because my wife and I just got our first pup a few months ago. But we found Dog's Life through Yelp, and what I can tell you is, every time we drop Jessica Jones off (yes, we named our solid black, whippet/lab mix on the Marvel Comics character), she is clawing at the car door as soon as we turn onto Damen, pulling the leash inside the door of the facility, and jumping to meet whichever one of the friendly staff is there that day. So I'd say -- oh wait, Jessica wants to chime in. WOOF! WOOF! WOOF! WOOF! WOOF! WOOF! WOOF! WOOF! WOOF! WOOF! WOOF! WOOF! WOOF! WOOF! WOOF! WOOF! WOOF! WOOF! WOOF! WOOF! WOOF! WOOF! WOOF! WOOF! WOOF! WOOF! WOOF! WOOF! WOOF! WOOF! WOOF! WOOF! WOOF! WOOF! WOOF! WOOF! Well, there you have it. This is a great place. read more

I originally reviewed A Dog's Life in 2008, but they have changed locations and it seems the reviews did not transfer to the new location. So, here's my most recent review, followed by my original review from 2008. We continue to board our dogs at A Dog's Life whenever we go out of town. We've also recently used their daycare services while having remodeling work done on our house. The dogs LOVE to go to this facility; they greet the workers with tail wags, kisses, and big jumps. At the end of the day, the dogs are exhausted from playing, and they go right to sleep when we get home. Thank you for taking such great care of our fur-kids! ** 2008 Review Murphy and Ella give A Dog's Life five stars! When we were looking for a boarding facility closer to home, a friend recommend A Dogs Life. Her dog just loved it there, so we decided to try it out. First, they asked us to come in and have our dogs evaluated before scheduling a boarding appointment. During our visit, they gave us a tour of the facility, introduced us to other staff members, and tested our dogs out with other dogs to evaluate how they play and with what types of dogs they would play best. We actually met Murphy and Ella's doppelgangers as the play-time test pups! And, especially important to us, was the option of having our dogs crated together (the "family crate") since they are so used to being together all of the time. As we have done with all other boarding facilities, we asked to have our fur-kids groomed prior to our picking them up so they would not smell like kennel. They were very clean smelling and plenty tired from all the playing they did! read more

I love this place so much. Amazing facility, super nice staff, and very reasonable prices. My black lab puppy is so happy here, and it's such a good feeling to see him having fun. They even do grooming at a great price, which is a huge plus. I am so glad my dog is getting supervised daycare with other dogs. Keep up the good work guys! read more

The first time I brought little Marcel into Dogs Life there was major construction going on... so there wasn't any room for the dogs to play around or romp... and isn't that the point of Doggie Hotels? They were nice and pretty apologetic about this (and nice about the fact that I used a YouSwoop too). I knew my YouSwoop was up for expiration in a couple of months after that day, and because of this inconvenience, they mentioned to me that they would extend the expiration of my remaining 3 nights of the YouSwoop. Well, I just called and the story changed, now my deal has expired... and only gives me a minor discount (20%) off each night. Bait and switch, big time. If I had known this, I would have used my remaining nights before the certificate expiration. What a shame. read more

I love these guys with all of my heart. Y'all don't even know. We are the proud parents of an elderly deaf cat and an anxious doggy. Our dog, Gizmo has separation anxiety and cannot handle being by herself. She has figured out our work schedules and seems to accept the fact we need to leave to make money to keep feeding her; but other than that is the set up for a meltdown. She cries and screeches and panics, convinced we won't come back for her (it actually makes me pretty sad that she gets so worried). In order to even go to the store without her staying in the car required a babysitter. We used several dog sitting apps but they were never consistent in our ability to secure someone. We also dealt with sitters who wouldn't disclose things (such as being afraid of medium sized dogs.. you know... there are pictures of our dog we have ... that is all over her profile). Needless to say, this took a toll on my relationship and at times my own happiness. I love her with all my heart, but sometimes you just want to go to Target without your dog. On my birthday last year, we decided to try boarding- we contacted PetCo and talked to them for a bit and realized she'd be in a kennel the whole time. We decided to call this spot after getting a recommendation from Facebook and we've never gone anywhere else (seven months later). We brought our girl in and had a tour and me the staff- she now goes at least twice a month (usually just for a night or two... sometimes just for half a day so we can complete errands). She's very shy, but as soon as the door opens and she goes inside - she quickly greets all the staff who know her name and her personality. I truly feel safe and secure leaving my dog there. I sincerely believe the folks there love her and will take the best care of her. I highly recommend Dog's Life on Damen and I adore everyone who works there. read more

After buying 3 Groupons for different Doggy Day Care facilities, I stuck with these guys. I went in unannounced without my dog to check in and check the place out before I brought her. I was given a complete tour of the facility, and I showed up during their closed hours when the dogs were all resting/napping. I used the entire Groupon and then bought a 10-pack, and have been taking my dog Chloe there twice a week ever since. I do not NEED daycare, I choose to take her there for exercise and socialization, and she LOVES it there. She does circles of excitement in the car as soon as we pull up, she can't wait to get in! The thing I like most about bringing her there is that Chloe is one of the most energetic, borderline hyper dogs ever, and the staff understands canine behavior and how to deal with it (I believe the owner is a dog trainer). I have even seen them teach/reinforce the control command "wait" that I have been using with her to calm her and help her focus (I'm a former dog trainer myself). They also have explained to us how they deal with her nervous energy and give her periodic time-outs to reduce anxiety. I wish my schedule and budget would allow me to bring her more often, but I make it a point to get her in no less than once or twice per week. read more

Very knowledgeable and informative staff! I was taking my 1 1/2 year old pup to a different daycare that did not walk me through the facility or answer my questions like Dogs Life! I got to be present for the temperament testing here and glad that they have a schedule for the dogs. Dogs life groups them based on personality. I have a rather laid back pup that doesn't want to run 1000 miles/minute but loves the company of other dogs. But if your dog loves to run constantly - they have a group for him too! I love catching up with the pictures on Facebook and getting a run down of her day. Check out their pictures and you can tell the dogs are having a great time! Lastly, their prices are very reasonable for a full day of play. read more

Dog's Life On Damen - Pups playing some chase games. - Pet Groomers Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I really can't give A Dog's Life enough stars. My older girl, Kayla, has been with them since she was a puppy. She turned 12 this weekend and still loves it as much as ever. Both of my dogs are there multiple times per month (for daycare and boarding) and I know I never have to worry with them under the care of the staff at ADL. The facility might not be fancy, but the staff know my dogs, love my dogs, and take amazing care of my dogs... A couple years ago, my younger dog, Quinn, had a horrible abscess that required a 'cone of shame' and multiple drug treatments. As luck would have it, this happened the day before I had to board him at ADL and leave for a week on a trip that could not be postponed. I dropped him off with his cone, his meds, and a ton of instructions, and they took excellent care of him including giving him his own playtime so that his injury wouldn't worsen. Last year, my senior girl was displaying some increasingly severe symptoms and Karin recommended (after seeing the same symptoms in her own dogs) that I request the vet test her for a manageable condition that was then diagnosed. She is now receiving proper treatment, which has improved her quality of life immensely. These people love that animals they care for. I can't speak highly enough of ADL and their staff. I wouldn't take my dogs anywhere else. read more

Dog's Life on Damen is a great doggie daycare! Our family has been taking our pup here once a week for the past three years. The staff treat her very well, and she comes home tired from all the play with the other dogs. I especially like (1) how flexible DLOD is with me on when I can bring in our dog, (2) the reasonable rates, and (3) the grooming options (nail trim and baths), as their schedule allows. If I could change anything, I only wish its location was closer to our house! But as it is, we think it's well worth the 7 mile drive to bring our pup! read more

The staff is nice and you can tell they really enjoy animals. My dog hasn't made the FB page yet, but that's more my fault since I only bring him 1x/week. I especially like how very reasonable the rates are for all day dog care, and if I'm afraid I might be running closer to the 7 pm cutoff, they've been willing to work with me. My greyhound seems to have a good time coming here and is excited when we pull up. He's always whining and extra tail-waggly when we exit the car. The only con I have is that he comes back smelling...musty. It's not a bad/terrible odor but it's definitely there. Like when you have several blankets stored in a box and then try to use them months later. A quick wipe down with a grooming wipe and little coconut oil has him smelling normal in no time. read more

Our Pippi loved boarding there, she drags me in and gives the staff kisses when she leaves. Best option in the area, we've tried a couple and she is happiest at Dog's Life. Nice balance of play time and alone time. read more

I would give this place zero star if I could... We made an appointment in late October to get our little dachshund mix evaluated for boarding, and the person I spoke to was helpful enough and set up a Saturday appointment for us. But when arrived about an hour early to our appointment,, the door was deadlocked and no one answered the door after we rang the bell multiple times over a 30 minute period. We could hear dogs barking inside the building and became very concerned about the complete lack of staff when they clearely have dogs there for boarding/daycare, so we decided to just forget about it and leave. As we were walking away, we saw someone riding a bike towards the building and decided to wait and see if she's one of the staff. We saw her park her bike and stand in front of the door, so we start walking towards her trying to see if she could let us in. She got the door open when we were still la few feet away, and literally shut the door in our faces as we were still addressing her. We rang the bell a few more times and she never reappeared. We even called and left a voicemail saying that we were there for an appointment while still standing outside the door, and got no answer still. We are completley dumbfounded by this experience. Not sure why anyone would treat their customers that way. And even to this day, no one has ever called us back regarding our awful experience, even though we clearly stated our disappointment in the voicemail we left. read more

I cannot recommend A Dog's Life any more highly. Karin is extremely knowledgeable and was very helpful when Max was being "less than obedient." What I admire most is the staff's honesty. They will tell you if there's a problem with your dog and together you can address it. I have friends who use them for both day care and boarding and they, too, have no complaints. read more

An acquaintance of mine recommended this place as the only place he trusted to take his dogs, so I decided to try it after a few other kennels didn't work out due to the special handling my dog requires. Now it's the only place I will take Max. He loves it there and he loves the staff. It is clean, quiet, and the everyone who works there is knowledgeable and caring. I would be shocked at the negative reviews if I thought they were accurate, but based on my own experience with this place, they clearly are not. I highly recommend Dog's Life on Damen! read more

Yup, still love this place. We have been taking our dog(s) there since 2003 and have had nothing but great service. Our older dog passed away a year ago and the staff each wrote a heartfelt message in a card for us and posted his picture on the wall. They made sure our other dog had lots of extra attention in the time following his passing. I love the new facility and changes that Karin has made since taking over - like extended hours and Sunday daycare. They have made accomodation for us like last minute scheduling changes, bathing our dog at the end of a long stay because they knew I forgot to ask one time ( they were right - I do ALWAYS ask for a bath at the end of a stay but forgot this time) and bringning the dog out to my car when I pull up with my toddler and infant in the car. I continue to recommend ADL to anyone who asks! read more

For daycare services, this place is probably ok. But for boarding I'll never again bring my dog back. After 4 days boarding at A Dog's Life over Thanksgiving, our dog came home pretty happy and we assumed everything had gone ok. But the next time we brought her back (several months later!) she was terrified to go inside. This is a dog who LOVES to play and LOVES doggy daycare and boarding. But upon her return to A Dog's Life she dragged her feet and whined and looked back at us with those sad puppy eyes. The reason, we quickly saw, is that they use crates rather than kennels here. Of course, some dogs love crates, but for ours being confined to a small (think airplane-compliant) crate for many hours a day is probably the worst torture imaginable. Next time we'll make sure she's boarded somewhere where she gets a nice full-size kennel of her own to sleep in, like at Bow Wow Lounge. read more

I bought a Groupon Now to have my dog's nails clipped here. I wasn't impressed & won't return here. I didn't like the way they handled my dog, the facility wasn't the cleanest & the staff was generally unfriendly. While I waiting, I saw a mice run across the floor - eek! I get that this is an old warehouse or whatever but still, not what I want to see in a grooming/kennel/boarding facility. I wish I could comment on the rest of the area inside but I can't. While the dog's nails were being clipped, we asked to see the boarding area to assess for future use. We were told it wasn't a good time & just shown the rate sheet. No thank you. After my dog was finished, he was quite anxious to get out of there, as was I! read more

I was very dissapointed by this place. It wasn't very clean and I don't like that all the dogs are in their kennels in one room together, which can stress out dogs. My dog recently stayed there, and though the people seem nice, my dog has never come back so filthy from boarding before. Ever since I brought him home, he has not been eating his food the same way and seems more lathorgic. I will not be bringing my dog back here. read more

I have been bringing my dog to Dog's Life On Damen for years. Years! It's not fancy, but my dog absolutely loves it. He would live there if he could. I just read other views - less than stellar reviews - and want to comment on this: 1) it does not smell like urine; 2) sore on your dog's leg - not because he's been in the crate too long. The dogs are out most of the day; 3) not clean. Nope, always clean. Not fancy, for sure, but clean. I know our dogs are our babies, and I get not every place is right for every person/dog, but folks at Dog's Life play with my dog all day and he's thrilled each time he walks in. They care about him and have given me advice about handling him, etc. read more

My little guy goes to A Dog's Life maybe once a week. While he tends to come back smelling a little musty, I see the pictures posted of him on Facebook and I know it's because he's running around with his buddies all day!(And is probably sniffing pee and rolling around- we can take full responsibility for that!) I also take my pup to Petsmart Evanston, and while they are an equally great facility in regards to the care they give my dog, he doesn't get nearly as much active playtime. My dog comes back exhausted every time from ADOD. I also love that the people here are laid back, yet knew my dog by name per his second visit. They are attentive to his needs and are considerate of requests (such as keeping a jacket on or making sure they keep tabs on a cut/injury he might have). They pair him with other pooches that they know he gets along with really well, and I love that I don't always have to call ahead of time before dropping him off. They are even in tune with some of the local issues in the neighborhood, such as outbreaks of canine flu or kennel cough, and ensure that precautions (such as no shared toys or water bowls) are in place to prevent spread. I am very particular about who handles my pup- we have tried a few different day camps in the area- but overall we really like A Dog's Life on Damen. In contrast to some of the reviews from previous years, it seems like this crew has made the necessary improvements to make sure dogs are happy and healthy- and tired!! read more

Dog's Life On Damen - One of many pictures posted of my little guy at daycamp - Pet Groomers Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Dogs Life is fantastic! We've been taking Lilly there for about 3 months now and have had no issues. Lilly loves it there and jumps for joy whenever we're close. Every time we drop her off they remember her (even though she only goes once or twice a week) and every time we pick her up they give us a little update on how her day was. We really trust them to take good care of Lilly- they're knowledgable and experienced and you can just tell they're good people that care about your dog. So much so that we boarded her there for 10 days while we went on vacation and there were zero issues. I'm convinced that she completely forgets that we even exist until we pick her up at the end of the day-"Oh yeah! You guys! Hi!". They also post awesome pics on their facebook page if you need even more proof that your dog had a fantastic time. And the icing on the cake? They're one of the most affordable doggy daycares in the city! read more

Dog's Life On Damen - Just havin' a blast! - Pet Groomers Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I left my baby Boris here during a Thanksgiving trip to MN. I was a little nervous boarding him because he's a big dog, is now over a year, and not yet neutered. He is very good with other dogs, but I know the neutered males don't seem to like non-neutered males very much. I called to see how he was doing the first day and they assured me he was fine, they were starting to introduce him to the group slowly. I liked that they were familiar with him. They didn't put me on hold to check his chart or ask around. Later that day, I saw the newly posted pictures on their Facebook, and there he was, running around with the other dogs, having a great time! I felt so much better, I was able to enjoy my trip without any worries. When I picked him up, he was happy and energetic, like always. He will definitely be back! read more

HORRIBLE!!! We picked this establishment after buying a "you swoop" and couldn't have been more unhappy with the place. We picked up our dog after being at Dogs LIfe for 7 days to a urine soaked bed and an ill pet. Under new management..hmmm....I beg to differ. The place was smelling bad and was in a major need of a renovation. They charged $40 per night for a run down, poorly managed facility. Management=horrible...will NEVER take my little darling there again! I recommend Best Friends or Tuckers Pups, same price world of difference. read more

My dog Ellie stays here whenever we travel out of town and can't take her. Every time we near the facility, she starts whining and wants to jump out of the car. She has a blast (particularly running full speed in the snow) and is well cared for. The staff has been great with her food and medications. We have been taking Ellie and our late dog here for a couple of years. read more

My dog, Dora, absolutely LOVES this place. I tried 4-5 places before deciding that this was the nicest daycare for her. She goes Monday through Friday and has stayed overnight, too. If she even hears the word "daycare," her whole back end starts wagging. Everyone there is so nice and really cares about animals. There is a huge outdoor area with equipment for the dogs to play with, including kiddie pools in the warm weather. The dogs are grouped generally by size but also by temperament. The staff also does a very nice job with baths / grooming for an extremely reasonable price. They have a blower dryer that really gets rid of the excess fur (Dora has a ton of long hair, so this is great). read more

I HIGHLY recommend this place. We have a very active and excited 1.5 year old Australian Cattle dog. We had trouble with boredom and separation anxiety at home and chewing things. We began taking her to Dog's Life on Damen every other day and it has made the biggest difference. We had taken her to other day cares before and it was hard to get her to go in the front door. At Dog's Life she is basically jumping over the front gate to get in because she is so excited to be there. All the staff knows her name and she loves getting to see and play with them. It feels amazing to know she is so excited to be there. At other day cares she would come back smelling like pee and sometimes even more nervous than when we dropped her off. When I pick her up, she is happy to see me, smells fresh and is so tired from all the play time. read more

I have been a customer for many years. There is new management in place that have made a lot of improvements, like extending pickup hours and adding dog walking services. They've been great with both of my dogs for daycare and boarding, and the pups always come back tired! read more

Fantastic. The place is clean (if you've been to a lot of kennels, you'll appreciate this - when you walk in the door you DON'T smell anything) and the staff is friendly and caring. We boarded our old retriever for a week and he came back healthy, happy, and very thoroughly groomed. The prices are fair and I would use them again happily. read more

Not impressed. We took our 2 dogs to this place. This place reeks of urine. I work at a pet store, so I understand that a place like this will never smell awesome - but even by my standards, it was gross. The guy at the check in door was nice, but certainly didn't instill confidence in us in regards to giving 1 of our dogs her medication/special diet. When we got home, I noticed one of my dogs had a sore spot on his elbow - like from lying in a crate for too many hours. Having such specific pick up/drop off times is difficult - which tells me the dogs go for several hours during the day unattended as well as at night. I wouldn't recommend this place at all. read more