I had mixed feelings about my experience and wanted to share them for other pet owners who may be…read moreconsidering this facility. First, I want to give credit where it is due: the facility itself is immaculate, organized, and appears to be very well run. It is clear that a great deal of care goes into maintaining the space, and from that perspective, I was genuinely impressed.
That said, there were a few things that gave me pause. During my visit, the staff-to-dog ratio appeared, at least from what I could observe, to be somewhat disproportionate. There were several dogs in areas that seemed to be unsupervised, which made me a little uncomfortable. I will also say, however, that there appeared to be adequate cameras throughout the facility that were viewable from the lobby, and I personally observed Charlie respond quickly to intervene when a situation arose. That was reassuring and is worth noting.
My biggest concern, however, was the evaluation process and my interaction with Charlie. To be fair, I would not describe him as outright rude or openly condescending (as noted in other reviews). However, I left feeling that much of our conversation centered on his own credentials, experience, and knowledge of dog training and behavior rather than on listening to my input about my particular dog, Jack. As Jack's owner, I had hoped for more of a collaborative conversation about his personality and behavior.
Charlie called me approximately 2 hours into Jack's evaluation period. I was told (and could hear over the phone) that Jack was barking incessantly and this could be stressful for the other dogs and staff. Charlie advised that I consider using a bark collar. I questioned how I may train on this as I do not see this type of behavior in his normal day-to-day life. His response was, "He doesn't ever bark?" The tone struck me as cold and somewhat snide, and it felt dismissive rather than like an attempt to better understand my perspective.
I was also uncomfortable with the suggestion of introducing a bark collar. This is something I have never used with Jack in his five+ years, and the idea of introducing something entirely new to him while he is already adjusting to an unfamiliar facility and environment gave me pause. To me, it seemed possible that adding an unfamiliar and punitive device during what could already be a stressful experience might create more stress and give my dog a very negative association with the facility. I offered to come and pick Jack up immediately but was told I needed to wait until the lobby reopened.
I fully understand that dog daycare and boarding facilities have to maintain standards for safety and the well-being of all animals and staff. I also understand that not every environment is the right fit for every dog. However, I would encourage anyone with a dog who is not perfectly trained, is anxious, vocal, or simply behaves differently in unfamiliar environments to ask plenty of questions and make sure this is the right fit for their pet.
This may be an excellent facility for some dogs and owners. It is certainly one of the cleanest and most professional-looking facilities I have seen. But for me, the overall experience left me feeling that there may be limited patience or flexibility for dogs who don't immediately fit a particular behavioral expectation. I wanted to share my experience and hope this is useful information for other pet parents when deciding where to place a dog they love.
