I took my two dogs to The Barking Dog to be boarded for their first time for three days. I called once a day to check in and everyone said they were doing well but there were no videos being posted which concerned me. After I called they did post one that included my pups but I had been told that there would be one a day and the video had only a single clip of them. My dogs come from a shelter and I needed to know that they were getting out to play with other dogs and people and not just being cooped up in their 'condo'. When I picked them up they gave me a report on how they did in the pool and during playtime with a picture on each and they had been given a free bath so they smelled great. I understand that videos are a pain to post but that was my big hang up. I was upset when I arrived because I didn't even know for sure whether or not they had been given bedding. I was never shown where they were actually going to stay after it was set up and the other dogs I saw during the tour either had their own bedding or did not have much. I would take my dogs here again only on the contingency that videos would actually be posted and I had verification that they were given bedding. Otherwise, I would have absolutely brought bedding rather than just two measly blankets if I knew that might be the case. My dogs are so precious to me and I just needed a little bit more reassurance without feeling like there was some dishonesty happening. A place like The Barking Dog is difficult to maintain and dog hair is a pain to clean. I am very grateful for all the work the staff does and the time they take to ensure they get exercise and socialization. Thank you for taking care of Emmie and Myson. I hope that if there is a next time things can be a little more cut and dry. read more

I'm sadly going to have to echo the other reviews. I put in multiple calls and messages to find out more about training our new rescue. Never got a call back over several days. When I spoke with a "supervisor" on my last call she really could not care less. She blamed her front desk staff and said the trainer never got my messages without even asking her staff for their side of the story. I don't know who was in the wrong here, but either way I will be continuing the search for a trainer. read more

I don't typically like to leave a bad review, but I'm hoping that this doesn't happen to anyone else. I had booked two kennels next to each other for my two dogs last year, but they ended up putting my two dogs together. Since then one of my dogs became food aggressive, and now he is no longer with us because of this. I also met someone else that said the same thing happened to them here. Beware of this kennel. read more

I wouldn't let them touch a hair on my puppy. Front staff arrogant and borderline rude. I could go on but why bother... Took her in for grooming and said she was part poodle they would have to shave her head bald! Walked out, took her home and groomed her myself. Just use a wide blade dopes. Pup looks great. Place is just weird. read more

The best my Skyler has ever been to. Clean, friendly staff, excellent outdoor space, professionals watching and involved with play time, offers many products in the lobby. Terrific rates. This place is outstanding!! Take your pooch. To play and meet new friends! You will love it!!! ‍ read more

Called 3x for a grooming appointment. No return calls. Have done business with The Barking Dog in Derry for going on 30 years so very disappointed with this level of no service from the Exeter location. read more

Beware if you bring your dog to the Barking Dog Exeter our dog Diesel goes every Wednesday and today we get a call to come get him as he was "playing" with another dog and it got a bit rough. We'll that turned into a $500 emergency vet visit for staples in his thigh. I spoke with a manager and they believe there is no wrong doing on there part!? Really under there supervision dogs got to playing too aggressively and Diesel is not aggressive at all he is very submissive to any dog that barks at him and the vet even told us how odd it was that they didn't get involved at all with any info about what happened or the other dog, and that the way the would is it is clear diesel was getting away or trying too.. Very sad that the Barking Dog has gone down hill so bad you can't even trust that they will keep the dogs from hurting one another. read more

The Barking Dog - Exeter - My dog - Pet Training Near Me - Exeter, New Hampshire

See all

Please Please please don't believe that your experience at one barking dog will be the same as the others. Upfront...I lived in Manchester and used the Hooksett branch for many years. Then I moved to New Market....I tried the Exeter branch MANY times... My dogs did not like the Exeter Branch at all. So...I traveled all the way to Hooksett for daycare while I worked. I moved to Londonderry 2 years ago and started going to the Barking Dog in Derry. My dogs love it and I do as well. I can call anytime and get down to earth feedback. They send photos and my boys are super tired when they come home. So please keep in mind that you have to evaluate each facility on its own merit and staff. There is low turn-over in Hooksett and Derry. I'm not sure about Exeter. read more

There is no better home away from home, even Grandma's! Kim Connick and the staff at The Barking Dog in Exeter are real "dog people". The care and concern they have each dog who visits there is as if the dog was their own. We have been using them now for over a year and each time MAX goes there, it gets better and better. They are on top of special needs or requests, they provide valuable day to day feedback on what your dog is doing and how he or she is interacting with the other dogs. Michelle, Lauren and all the staff there take so much interest in our dog we cannot get over it. As a pet owner it is hard to leave our loved ones with any strangers but with Kim and the staff, it is just like his second home. Go there for a tour, you won't believe your eyes! read more

The Barking Dog - Exeter - I love The Barking Dog, it's my second home - Pet Training Near Me - Exeter, New Hampshire

Love the barking dog! Ruby Has been coming here since she was 6 months old... now shes 6 years old! The staff is amazing, she has even had a few overnights there. I have never had any issues the place is so clean and they have a pool! The place is really a vacation center for dogs! They always have fun costume contests and send my dog home with holiday scarfs they really put the extra effort into making you feel special read more

The Barking Dog - Exeter - Pet Training Near Me - Exeter, New Hampshire

The staff here are undertrained, stressed out, and do not manage aggressive dogs well with other dogs. Dont leave your dog here.

My husband and I had planned to go camping today for a week. Packed everything, dropped off our cat and got ready to leave our driveway. My husband looked back and smoke was coming from the camper. We had an electrical fire and needed to cancel our trip. Vanessa the resort manager told us when we arrived there was no charge. My husband was shocked. He said that's how a business should run. We were so grateful and her actions solidified for us that we had made the right decision bringing Acadia there. Thanks so much for your kindness. It was greatly appreciated. read more

As good as it gets!! I love bringing my dog here They are incredible She lives going for day care or boarding and when she is boarded, she has been given a bath when it's time to come home She loves coming and all of the dogs seem happy when we leave and arrive and on their YouTube feeds It is an incredible facility with a lovely staff read more

I really want to LOVE The Barking Dog, but I have had terrible luck there. I occasionally take our dogs there for daycare, but two months ago they contracted Campylobacter jejuni. A VERY Nasty bacteria common in dog feces (I suspect the pool). Both dogs contracted it and we spent about $1,500 in vet bills. Then I decided to give them another try two weeks ago with instructions to not let the dogs have pool time, and this time they contracted kennel cough... Back to the vet again! They have both been vaccinated for kennel cough, but kennel cough, like the flu, or a cold, has many strains - and vaccination is no guarantee that it won't be contracted. So now, I am sorry to say.. no more Barking Dog for us. They just have SO many dogs coming through their doors, that they can't manage the spread of illnesses. read more

I am former military with a masters degree and have used 20+ pet care and boarding facilities over the years. Barking Dog usually makes a great first impression (see the rest of the reviews for confimation of this), but after using this facility a few times I noticed the following: - Severe diarrhea and lack of appetite (my dog, not me), which lasted 3+ days before subsiding - Persistent, constant, upselling from the staff for their additional services - grooming, training, etc. When you tell them you are not interested (we did buy the grooming once), they counter with "you may not be able to bring your dog back". Specifically, they told me my dog was "stalking" other dogs and "laying his head" on other dogs, so clearly he needed their training services, and has our trainer gotten in touch with you yet? Spend 5 minutes reviewing their Youtube channel and the pix/videos they post on Facebook - and you'll see how laughable this is (my dog is an exceptionally friendly and social breed, and has never even growled before - seriously). Half the time their dog groups are in free-form melee mode, or engaged in a butt sniffing marathon. - Finally, and most importantly, you'll notice this facility has a 3 star raing. If you take the time to look at the 20+ reviews that Yelp chose not to include (scroll to the bottom of their page to find the "rest of the story"), their actual rating would be somewhere around 1.3!! I find it hard to believe Yelp would include 10 reviews, and then exclude over 20, most of which are just terrible? Seems a bit fishy if I'm honest. - Trends on Yelp and elsewhere: If you take the time to read the 50 or so reviews found on Yelp and Google Review, you'll see consistent trends around uneducated staff, loose standards of care, unsanitary conditions, injuries to animals, pressure to sell, and animals who spend more time in crates than anywhere else. Strongly recommend you do your homework before considering this facility. Seems they've forgotten how important pets are to their families.... read more

I used to take my dog Max to the barking dog when he was younger, he needed some socialization. He would get anxious when I would drop him off, the staff seemed really friendly, but Everytime i called during the day to check on him, he was always in a kennel. I like that they had a pool for the dogs and different play areas, but the fact that when they transition the dogs to the next area, they kennel them for a while. The whole point of daycare is to not be in a kennel all day... read more

We boarded are 2 dogs here for the holidays and we're pleasantly surprised with the facility and friendliness of the staff after reading the previous reviews. Large boarding facility with spacious drop off/pick up area and very affordable rates. Day care, one-on-one play, and other options are available too for an additional fee. My dogs have very opposite personalities and the staff here was able to make both of them comfortable during their stay. Having just looked at this place online before bringing our dogs here as we live in RI, I was pleased to see their website described them accurately. We will be back next year for another dog holiday stay! read more

The Barking Dog - Exeter - Lobby area - clean and large enough for multiple dogs at one time. - Pet Training Near Me - Exeter, New Hampshire

During a tour I witnessed many of the workers barely interacting with the dogs, and actually overheard some of the girls insulting the dogs. During what is supposedly referred to as "play time" I had taken note that the girls who were working partook in only standing by the dogs and not in fact actually playing with any of them. The overall vibe I received from this business was that no one there actually had any knowledge of dogs or any animals whatsoever due to the disinterest I observed from nearly all of the employees. If I were to leave my beloved pet with ANYONE it would not be in the hands of people who didn't seem to care about dogs in any manner. I recommend finding a well reviewed pet sitter online rather than wasting money having your dog treated like an inanimate object at The Barking Dog. read more

We had an awful experience with the Barking Dog this past weekend. Went to go check in our dog with a full car and 2 kids in the parking lot. Told our shots not up to date w pet. Faced with prospect of having to leave her crated all weekend. Frustrating thing is that when we called to make the reservation 2 weeks in advance, they made no mention of this over the phone. We could have very easily had our vet send over records well in advance. Even more frustrating, our dog was up to date with the shots. They just didn't have the record. Lady at front checking in pets was very combative as we tried to talk through the situation with her. Eventually we got everything worked out. When checking in the dog she offered to give us a bit of a discount on our stay for the delay and stress. But when picking up the dog the same lady tried to take back what was promised because "we didn't deserve it". She even lied and said she could not honor her original commitment without speaking to a manager who she refused to call because it was her day off. Only when held accountable for another frustrating 15 minutes did she agree to follow through. Lastly, I emailed her manager to explain what happened to me and never received a reply. You would think a manager would want to have happy customers so that word of mouth is positive. Not the case! I would not ever consider going back here based on how we were treated. I highly suggest avoiding this place and finding other alternatives. read more

Used Barking Dog for the first time, very pleased. My Australian Shepherd is very shy and seemed very calm when we picked her up. We had her groomed while she was there, and they did an outstanding job! She looked 10 years younger... We know where we will drop her off from now on, and this really reduces any stress we may have had. Aussie's Parents read more

Wes has been going to the Exeter location since he was a puppy. He loves it, he always goes in with a lot of energy and comes home happy and tired. The staff is great and they always look forward to seeing him in the morning. read more

I brought my kitty there to be groomed. He came home smelling so good. His fur was nice and soft and shiney. He's purring so loud. It's really hard to keep him groomed at home, he has long fur. So now we have found him a groomer. Thank you Barking Dog for taking such good care of my kitty. e Will Be Back ! :) read more

There are some doubts when it comes to their caring for for animals. My dog would cower and shake when I brought him there. Never happened before or since! read more

I had my two labs at The Barking Dog Exeter for 11 nights. They were both supposed to get playtime. One in the pool and the other one beside the pool. One doesn't swim but I wanted him to have the opportunity if he changed his mind. When I called to check on them (several times) they were vague and rushed me off the phone. When I went to pick them up I learned that one of them NEVER got playtime for 11 days!! The non swimmer got pool time (they weren't sure if he went in) and the swimmer got NOTHING!! The girl said "well he went out a few times a day to go potty...They both had grooming appointments 90 minutes before my pick up, yet one of them was soaking wet when I picked them up. They brought him to me like that, when I asked if they trimmed his nails the girl said.."Well, did you pay for that?"..The other girl said she would have to talk to her boss about giving me a discount. I asked for the manager because she was so cold and unapologetic. She said she was the manager!! I wasn't complaining because I wanted to save on the bill...I was very sad and upset that one of my dogs had no playtime for 11 days and the other more timid one was brought to a pool area without his brother!! She could have cared less. It's all about money to them. These dogs can't speak for themselves and I trusted they were in a good place. But, they weren't! It makes me wonder how well they were cared for. I wouldn't use them! read more

We have been taking our dog Remy here for the last 2 years and have never had a bad experience. When we drop him off, he is always excited and comes back exhausted. He gets his best night sleep after a day of day care playing with all his friends. The staff is always friendly and we enjoy watching Remy online when they post the days video. We have also boarded him many times and we feel very comfortable dropping him off knowing he is in good hands. Thank you all at the barking dog in Exeter for taking care of our pup! read more

Awful. I was bringing my puppy (12 weeks+) there, and because she is an extra large breed, they put her with the bigger dogs. She got bit (a puncture wound). She also was getting Giardia frequently! As soon as I stopped bringing her there she never had diarrhea again. The facility is big and spacious, however I found the staff to be extremely unfriendly and fake. I have since relocated my dog to a smaller facility and she is extremely happy and HEALTHY. I do believe she was crated most of the time at The Barking Dog, especially since she was VERY playful, as all puppies are. If you sign up to have your dog bathed, I sense that your dog is crated for long periods (until you pick up), so they won't get dirty. Beware, looks can be deceiving. Mom and Pop facilities are the way to go! read more

Great options for puppy daycare and boarding. Staff seemed friendly and location looked very clean and organized.

We used to bring our Wheaton to It's a Dog's World in York Maine and she couldn't wait to get out of the car to play. They had matched her with a group of dogs that fit her. She was the dog that always wanted to make friends and just keep running and playing. The staff thought she was the sweetest dog - never fighting or growling. We moved to the Exeter Area and started taking her to The Barking Dog. After a few times, she wouldn't get out of the car. I also noticed a mark on her chin that looks like she was bit. We think she was attacked there but never heard anything from the staff. She has become a nervous pup and now out of fear attacks other dogs. So we can barely let her play off leash without a problem if there are other dogs in the area such as at the beach, Pierce Island, etc.. We have spent a lot of time, money, and energy having her trained to be OK with other dogs and she's still not there yet. A co-worker of mine was near the Barking Dog working on the roads recently. He was watching the dogs during a break and saw four dogs having a Battle Royal in the yard and the staff screaming trying to break it up. The place is kind of a money machine and there is little personal attention given to the dogs and their differing personalities. I wouldn't bring a dog there now if it was free. read more

The Barking Dog Exeter is As Good As It Gets! I brought my dog, PJ, here for her trial, meet - and - great. She passed and so she had her first over night and couldn't have been happier. When we went away for a week, last week, she stayed there, again. And, again, they were terrific and she was thrilled. They even gave her a free bath. (Something they do when you board your dog for several days) The staff is wonderful, the facility looks like a great hotel and has wonderful space (inside and out) and the dogs all seem happy coming and going and on their Youtube video. I am from Chicago and have had her at different, very good facilities and with one great overnight care giver for three years and nothing is like this place. I am overly protective and was concerned after reading so many negative reviews...many about the water in the dog pool so I don't have them let her in their.. and after having her at The Barking Dog in Exeter for several visits, day time and overnight, and I couldn't be happier. Many, many, people bring their dogs here and are delighted, (I asked because I was so worried), they just aren't writing reviews. Before bringing her here, I tried meeting people from petvacay.com, rover.com and care.com and was miserable with the choices. I didn't leave her with them. It was depressing and nothing like the woman I had watch her in Chicago for 2 years from petcay.com. I had also had her stay at two different large and lovely facilities like Barking Dog Exeter and they were nothing like this. This place is Fantastic! read more

The manager at the front desk was so rude and insulted my intelligence and those of my family. I honestly believe it's because we are of color...she gave the most disgusted look when I walked in the door with my husband and our dog. I'm very offended and probably will be filling a report based on her attitude only towards me and not the white couple behind us. The staff seemed very friendly though just the manager was the problem. Very unprofessional. I'm disgusted. read more

I wanted to take the time and read the reviews. Many years ago, I took both my dog's there and both became very sick, one giardia, one kennel cough ... Recently with my 9 month old puppy, I thought about trying Barking Dog again - NO WAY. Thank you all for posting current information. My research is done!!! read more

I've been using barking dog off and on since 2006. 4 of my dogs have benefited from going. These folks have been wonderful! My newest pup was quite difficult for me to handle. NOT ANYMORE! Now she's great and it's because of the staff taking time to work with her. yes a dog can pick up kennel cough or a gastro issue. Very much like a young child in school. With so many dogs around it's more likely, but otherwise they are great. Will continue going there! read more

My dogs still love barking dog, and here it is two years later!! I have never had any issues with my pets and staff, I have found the staff to be very attentive to my dogs and when we walk in my pups are so excited to be there. When I pick up they are exhausted so I know they don"t just get locked in a kennel all day. The manager Kim is great to my Meatball he absolutely loves seeing her, keep up the great work Barking Dog!!! read more

Every time I come in the staff is extremely friendly and kind. The manager working the desk is one of the nicest people I have ever met!! I bring my dog in for daycare and boarding and the staff is always excited to see him. The daycare staff seems very knowledgeable about not only dog behavior but also there individuals as creatures. I will never bring my dog anywhere else!! read more

We have used The Barking Dog both in Hooksett and Exeter, being happy with both. As with any type of service you need to be observant of what is being done and mention anything that does not meet your expectations. Any time we have done this it has been addressed to our satisfaction, in both facilities. The staff has been helpful and friendly, always making us feel our dogs are welcomed. We enjoy seeing our dogs on You Tube, always fun. We also use the boarding facilities and feel our dogs receive very good treatment and we often call when away to check on them and they always give us an update. We used the training program last year, left them there for 3 weeks, and they came out extremely well trained and happy. Whenever we asked for feedback it was given and the care given by the trainer was exceptional. read more

We have been bringing our two pups here since Sept both for daycare and boarding. The front staff never recognizes us nor seems to care and this has been on each occasion we have dropped off our pups. Her answers are short and she is not interested in any conversation nor even trying to portray a friendly business ethic.Thankfully the staff attending the pups seems very helpful, courteous and takes the time to answer questions. This past boarding their nails were cut way too short and for two days I have been changing bandages and cleaning up blood spots left on the floor. This is very disappointing. We brought our pups here because of the good reviews however, lack of friendliness from the front staff has become a reason to possibly look elsewhere. read more

I had been a loyal BD customer for years but after the experience I had after our last vacation they will never be going there again. After coming back from a 2 week vacation I was was very excited to see my dogs. Although I was fighting some jet lag I went in the morning to pick up my babies after waiting around in the lobby for 25 minutes they finally brought my dogs down along with their bed. I grabbed my dogs and their bed and put them in the car. When I got back home and let my dogs out of the car I noticed my male terrier had dried up feces all over his backside. While I did decline the complimentary bath because every time they get it they are overly perfumed and do not seem to be clean.( I believe they use either a dry shampoo or were not taking the time to rise them completely, but I digress. ) They could have taken the time to wiped him clean. I then went to remove their bed from the back of my SUV and found it soaking in urine. I am at home with my dogs all day and they do not have accidents under my care which led me to ask how often they were being let out and how long they were forced to sleep in their own mess. When I called to discuss the matter with the manager she apologized and made some poor excuses as to why I received them in the condition in which they were in. She then offered to refund a portion of their stay. She advised she would speak to the owner and call me the next day. After I didn't hear back from anyone after 2 days I called to follow up and was told the manager I was dealing with no longer worked there and the day I spoke with her on the phone was her last day. Now I have to repeat the whole story again to another "manager" who again had to contact the owner to discuss a refund I never asked for to begin with. After all off the back and forth I was refunded $50.00 of my almost $2,000.00 bill. Not even 10% which only added insult to injury. The BD will NEVER get my business again. I believe they are understaffed and the dogs are neglected you and find better elsewhere. Don't let the fancy facility fool you like it did me, RUN! read more

While the daycare staff is wonderful, the grooming team is another story. We used to get our dog groomed there and he would freak out every time we went near the grooming side or either of the groomers. We figured that he just didn't like having to stay still for that long. However a few weeks later, he came home with bloody paws after being groomed. When we called to ask about this, we were told that he hated being in a crate with the blow-dryer so he would scratch to get out. No apologies. No sincerity. What animal lover doesn't feel badly that a dog is so desperate to get out of a crate that he has bloody paws? We changed groomers to Club Canine in Hampton and our dog loves it. But when we take him to daycare at the Barking Dog, he still shakes and hides every time the female groomer comes near him - and not just because she always looks miserable and angry at the world. read more

We left our dog there for the first time and she was very nervous at drop off. At pick up she was confident and happy. No complains here! We will go back again for her boarding and will stay on for grooming as well. read more

We have been renting the pool this winter. It's great exercise for our dogs during the winter. They provide chairs and water. Make sure to being towels for both you and your pup. It's tons of fun! read more