I cannot recommend our experience at Zen Dogs more! The care and services that are provided to our dog is top notch - she comes home every day tired and leaves every morning excited to board the bus (5x a week) - signaling to us she loves her time and pals while at daycare or boarding. Additionally, the ease of life that's been provided to us is invaluable, both from a convenience standpoint with pick up and drop off given our schedules, and most importantly, knowing our dog is well taken care of and having fun. Thank you to Cynthia & the entire Zen Dogs team - you really are the best! read more

After about 9 months of being with Zen dogs, I think it's about time that I share the love. This daycare is the best best thing I could've asked for for my 1.5 year old dog Enoki! I can tell through her expressions in all of the photos shared by the Zen Dogs team and her reactions when I drop her off every day (I go 5 days/week) that she adores being there. She comes home super tuckered out and has developed fantastic social skills with all dogs large and small. I also greatly appreciate how much all of the staff truly care and love all of the dogs. Around when I first got Eno, she suffered from a pelvic fracture and I informed the daycare staff of this injury when we first joined. During one of my earlier training sessions with her and a staff member 1:1, I found out that he had been giving her some PT stretches and massages throughout the day whenever she approaches him. He demonstrated them to me so that I could also perform them at home to improve her mobility and she seemed completely unfazed! Along with this, I was able to walk through their rest area and see for myself the kinds of kennels the dogs stay in during their naps. I prefer the concept of rotations of play and rest so that the dogs don't get overwhelmed (this was one of my reasons for choosing Zen), but, as an owner, thinking of your dog in confinement can come with some nerves. All my worries vanished when I saw the kennels: they were spacious, cushioned and I even found out that they will give dogs antlers or toys to keep themselves occupied during down time depending on what they prefer. These are the kinds of things that I feel other daycares would advertise and charge extra for; but, at Zen, they treat the dogs well because they care as much as we do. Love love love this place! I never want to move for as long as she lives just because I can't bear the idea of moving her out of this daycare hahaha. Thank you all so much from me and Eno! read more

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Zen Dogs is truly the best daycare environment in Chicago! My dog has been a 4 day per week pack member for over a year, and I cannot say enough good things about the whole Zen operation! The entire staff at Zen is knowledgeable, kind, personable and caring. I trust them with my dog's life for both daycare and for boarding. We've tried 3 different daycares in Chicago, and Zen is truly hands down the best. My dog is very high energy and can get overstimulated easily, and the holistic approach that Zen Dogs takes to daycare is what makes the difference. She has so much fun playing with her friends but also taking naps, meaning she comes home in a well-balanced state, and not in over tired zombie mode! I used to walk past the Zen yard on my way to the office every day and I never even knew it was a doggy daycare because I didn't hear incessant barking! The dogs are calmly and quietly playing with their pals out in the yard and are not stressed out by non-stop barking. It's very impressive. It's also a major plus that the dogs are able to be outside for most of the day. Thank you for everything Zen! I highly recommend sending your pup to become their own version of a zen dog! :) read more

Zen Dogs Chicago - Pet Sitting Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Zen Dogs takes care of your furry family members like they are their own. Every single person on the staff is fantastic, and we have total peace of mind when we send our pups there for daycare and boarding. Cynthia has created a top-notch business with two locations - Fulton Mkt and Logan Square/Bucktown. Our dog started at the Fulton location and when we moved back to Chicago, we went to Logan Square. Boarding and weekend daycare takes place at Fulton. Both locations are great! Mostly importantly, we know our dogs love it. In the morning when getting ready to take them we tell them it's time for daycare, and our older dog can't get out to the car fast enough! She absolutely adores it. We get pictures of them playing together and with their friends weekly. We love Zen and would recommend it to anyone. read more

Zen Dogs Chicago - Picture of our pups playing at Zen Dogs! - Pet Sitting Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

This daycare seems great for chill dogs. It's open-air, they keep the dogs comfortable, they seem to get plenty of personal attention. But they advertise that they train reactive dogs. They do not. I explained my dog barked at other dogs and that he was reactive on-leash. They said they would work with my dog on it, and they have personal reviews on their website from owners of reactive dogs. But when I went there, they would not introduce my dog to other dogs when he barked. If they had explained that to me, I would not have set anything up with them. They should be honest with their advertising and when you set things up with them. read more

My dogs Poptart & Joe love going to Zen Dogs at the Logan Square location! They thrive on the consistency of seeing the other dogs in their pack on the weekdays. All of their dog friends seem very friendly and fun. Poptart also attended puppy school in her younger days, which was very helpful! Both dogs are having a blast on the live stream at all times. The staff is great and super responsive. It's easy to tell that they really care about the dogs under their care, including rotating the dogs inside for naps and in the case of harsh weather. Also, we get our dogs groomed at zen dogs. They do a great job and it is incredibly efficient to be able to drop off your dogs for a fun day at daycare and pick up clean, fluffy dogs. (That pass out immediately after getting hom read more

Zen Dogs Chicago - Having a blast - Pet Sitting Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Cannot say enough good things about Cynthia and her team. We brought our 12 week old Golden Retriever puppy to start the 4 week training program (and ended up doing the puppy college because we found he showed so much growth). He went from learning no commands at all to being fully capable of sitting, staying, going to his mat, walking on loose leash and generally being very friendly when introduced to other dogs. His trainer "C" could not have been a better coach! She would send us videos of the profess he'd made throughout the day. Because he was the runt of the litter, he had a couple health issues. Cynthia and her team were extremely diligent on keeping their eyes on him and making sure he was being fed the appropriate diet. Dizzy absolutely loved it here! read more

Our golden retriever, Ruby is a Zen Dogs pack member. She goes about 3 days a week for daycare and did the puppy head start when she was a baby. Zen Dogs is the best resource we have found as first time dog owners. They have helped us train her, and she absolutely loves going and seeing all her friends. We really like how Zen Dogs has a large outdoor space, actively monitors the dogs playing to halt bad behavior, and alternates play and rest. Huge thanks to Alex, Jesus, and Cynthia for helping Ruby grow into the best dog she can be (and perhaps more training us to be more equipped dog owners). read more

First off I would like to thank Cynthia and the entire Zen Dogs team for how far my pup has come along in ~3 months of joining them. I have an 8 month old German Shepherd (Vinny) who I brought to Zen dogs (Fulton St. Location) when he was about 4-5 months old. We had done some basic socialization classes elsewhere and he was having trouble with socializing around other dogs. A friend of mine recommended Zen dogs and after a 1 on 1 consultation session, my pup began the "Puppy College" option they have under training. When I first brought Vinny, he was shy and nervous. Week after week I saw progress in his ability to play with/socialize with other dogs and humans. Now, after 2 months of being there, Vinny has a ton of friends and is part of the pack! Its safe to say he loves going to day care there and has a good time with his dog friends. They did a phenomenal job getting him comfortable in different environments and dialing in basic leash obedience. When I take him for walks, I can notice the difference as he is more focused and does not pull on the leash (important when you have a big dog)! I am beyond happy with my experience with the Zen Dogs team. Big Kudos to their trainer Alex as well for being responsive and offering great professional advice for Vinny during 1 on 1 training sessions offered as part of their training program as well. Overall, I highly recommend Zen Dogs for anyone interested in Day care/training/boarding. The "Zen" aspect of their name is right on the money as well. The environment they create for the dogs is both fun (lots of space to play) and chill due to how calm the dogs are while playing. I have yet to pick up Vinny and hear a cacophony of barks like you do at other outdoor day care/boarding places. Very chill environment. I am excited to continue to bring my dog here and support a local business, especially during these tough times. Please consider bringing your dog here for. Thank you Zen Dogs for everything you guys do! read more

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We took our high-energy pup to try a few doggy daycare's in the area and Zen Dogs in Logan Square has been the best! When you drop off and pick up you don't hear dogs barking like crazy and it really seems to be a calm environment. They take breaks inside to nap which is ideal for us because our dog can tend to get over stimulated. The team knows every dogs name and is super responsive to any requests such as boarding or schedule changes. Highly recommend! read more

Had a very unpleasant dog daycare interview process and experience . Was given a second interview and the person who did the second interview did not know I even had a second interview and even though I have over 6 years of cutting edge dog experience my 2 hour "work" interview was cut short by the manager after only 35 to 45 minutes and I was sent away without giving a proper full work interview like I was promised . I have a strong feeling this place is biased on who they hire regarding race and there is a lack of diversity on their roster. I also said hello to the owner and she did not say hi back as I was leaving . There was also a lack of material for the handlers and was told not to give dogs any attention . Definitely not a place I would like to bring my dog to or work for after how I was treated . Very unprofessional and the place smells. 1 star read more

Zen Dogs Chicago was great! We were going on vacation and needed to board our two dogs for a week. We have never boarded them before but after meeting Cynthia and seeing her facility and her knowledge of about dog training we felt much better. We opted for boarding school not just boarding so they also received some much needed behavioral training. They even went the extra mile when my wife picked the dogs up. My wife had our kids with her and Cynthia just said to text when she was there and brought the dogs out to the car so my wife didn't have to unload the kids to go inside the gate and get them. We will definitely use Zen Dogs again in the future for both training and boarding. read more

I cannot say enough wonderful things about Cynthia and the other trainers from Zen Dogs. Our spirited dachshund, Klaus, has no impulse control and while he is ridiculously cute he picked up some bad habits. He stayed at Zen Dogs for two weeks while completing intensive training and I am delighted to see the changes this experience brought. He quickly learned new skills and his overall demeanor has mellowed. Cynthia came to our home today for a follow up lesson to address any residual issues. She offered easy ways to intervene and methods for how to elicit desired behavior. We are so glad we found them! If you're looking for a trainer who will explain to you why your specific dog acts the way he/she does and how to correct without punishing said behavior then Zen Dogs is the place. read more

Zen Dogs Chicago - Pet Sitting Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Unresponsive. It took almost a week to receive a response as to availability. Then told they were at capacity.

Absolutely love Cynthia and the entire crew at Zen Dogs - my two pups, Stella and Bruce, were full time members for months and I can't say enough about the positive experiences. The whole crew knew them and myself (the personal approach I haven't seen in many daycares around Chicago), they are super responsive (I'd get a reply within an hour on any request), and prices are unbeatable for what you get. With $700 a month for two dogs for M-F daycare, I was essentially only paying $17.5 per dog per day. To say my dogs loved it would be an understatement, they always dragged me towards the doors to get in....Highly recommend! read more

At a year old, our dog had two really fearful experiences with plumbers/HVAC guys. Since then, he has been really grumpy around strangers. We used to take him to the dog park and beach all the time, but now we can hardly go on walks without barking at people. While some of our 16 month old puppy's personality may be breed conflicts between being a people lover and super protective (he is a Great Pyranese, Bloodhound, Lab mix), some of who he is has been shaped by us. As first time dog owners, some of the ways we tried to correct negative behaviors may ultimately have supported what we were trying to stop. We have spent gobs of money on trainers, classes, leashes, etc., and nothing had really helped, until we met Cynthia. Cynthia is a dog whisperer. While we thought Harper was anxious, she deemed him to be a distracted walker. When he's not connected to us, he is startled by everything and frequently goes into "protect my human" mode. She gave us an all-rope leash (not a prong collar, like others had suggested) she thought would help Harper and taught us how to use it as a tool to teach him to be connected to us on our walks. We learned strategies to help him without inadvertently making him feel like he has to protect us. We learned more in on our one-on-one hour session with Cynthia than we did in the year we've had Harper. We will continue to work with her to support us. My only regret is that she did not train Harper from the start! read more

LOVE Zen Dogs, the whole team has been so helpful for us and our pup always loves his stays. Highly recommend their puppy training, our dog came back a new, and better behaved pup. Also boarding is always great. So glad we found Zen Dogs! read more

Our little guy LOVES Zen Dogs. We will drive up and he will sit at the car door wagging his tail waiting to go in. We have no reservations about boarding him there either. I know boarding can be a scary thought to a lot of people (was in the beginning for me too) but he loves it - I miss him like crazy but I know he is having a good time with all his buds. They also send us pictures throughout his stay which is so nice. read more

My husband, myself and our pup Watson all love Zen Dogs! Our pup has proven herself to be a handful and (much to the displeasure of our neighbors) hates being left home alone and will cry and cry until somebody returns to her. After going through several daycare facilities we came across Cynthia and her team. Unlike any of the other places that we tried out, the Zen Dogs team were willing to make room and take our furry friend in for daycare everyday without acting as if we were the worst pet parents in the world. They also offer guaranteed boarding for their daycare pups and can accommodate short notice which has come in handy on several occasions. Cynthia and her amazing team also took care of Watson for three weeks during our wedding and honeymoon without batting an eye - and we were able to enjoy ourselves knowing that our pup was in great hands! Watson gets excited every morning when we drop her off at daycare and you can really tell that she enjoys herself - she's become much more manageable around the house since she started attending. We are very much looking forward to some one-on-one training with Cynthia to see what we can do to work on the separation anxiety issues next! Given what we have seen so far I'm confident that the results will be stellar! read more

Zen Dogs is as good as it gets. I had a foster dog who was reactive on the leash and very strong. He would become really excited outdoors and was nearly impossible to control for the average person. Cynthia volunteered to foster him at her boarding facility; and train him to become less reactive on the leash so that we could put him up for adoption. Over the course of him boarding at Zen Dogs, I visited often to check on his progress and give him some loving. From the first moment that Cynthia took control of his leash he was a different dog. She has the intuition and keen ability to understand exactly what this dog needed: She recommended that we stop using treats to train him because the anticipation of getting a treat made him too excited and impaired his ability to focus on training; and we had to take the prong collar off because it was making him too nervous. Very different from what other dog trainers had prescribed for him. Cynthia worked with him and taught him how to ride alongside a bike for exercise, taught him some urban agility, and more importantly taught him how to RELAX. She and her staff (Lisa is amazing!) walked him all over busy sections of the City to get him ready for his forever home. Eventually he was able to be walked by several of Cynthia's staff members and even by the "average person" without pulling or reacting to other dogs on the street. He is a different dog today than when Cynthia first started working with him. To make sure that his adoption was successful, Cynthia worked with his adopter on proper handling techniques prior to being officially adopted. Cynthia trained "the human" in her neighborhood and home, on how to handle a dog recovering from leash reactivity. She did such a good job this dog is now in an adoptive home in a very busy neighborhood and is doing extraordinarily well. Cynthia's training methods are fascinating and they work. I would highly recommend Zen Dogs for boarding, daycare and training. I have seen it all in action on many occasions and it works. read more

Highly recommend Zen Dogs for Daycare and grooming. The location has an amazing outdoor space with everything your pup could need and staff is very friendly and accommodating - they all truly care to spend time with your dog/understand their needs! read more

We were thrilled with our golden retriever puppy's (Como) experience at Zen Dogs! A neighbor recommended Zen to us, and we wish we had enrolled Como sooner! He went from being a little wary of getting out of the car when we arrived to practically opening the door himself to get out and go play! He really benefited from the consistency and structure of Zen Dogs. I can't say enough nice things about the staff--they were very caring, good-natured, and took the time to work with him on basic manners (no easy feat as he is a very spirited pup). Overall Como became a calmer and happier dog after being with the Zen Dogs pack for a short time. We recently moved from Chicago and really miss Zen Dogs. Kudos to Cynthia and her team for creating such a great environment for dogs to thrive! read more

It's time for my periodic effusion of love for Zen Dogs. Since my last update, we have added a member to our canine family with the help of Cynthia. On her own time, she scoured the internet and made multiple visits with us to area shelters to evaluate potential sister candidates for Emmett. Now we have CJ and she's been a great addition to our family. Both dogs are now full time at day care. My husband commutes to and from the south suburbs and Cynthia and her staff are really patient with him when he is running a few minutes late to get the fur kids. Since we've gotten CJ, Cynthia has been great about doing training sessions with us so we learn the individual needs of both dogs and techniques for keeping them balanced and happy. She's never charged us for any of our follow up training sessions and is always really patient with answering questions and explaining the reasoning behind her techniques. We also now get all of the dogs' food through Cynthia, which is really great. Both dogs love the raw diet and the difference it's made in their health and appearance -- especially in CJ -- is really remarkable. read more

My dog has been going to Zen Dogs for about two years now and it has been a great experience. They are much more organized and experienced than other daycares we have tried. Cynthia has been very accommodating. We mainly used the bus service but have also done drop off and pickup. All of the staff have been great too. No complaints. read more

We adopted our sweet boy Knuckles one year ago. We tried having him at home with a mid day walker but he just didn't seem to be getting all the joy in life we wanted to provide him. That was the purpose of adopting a dog. A friend told us about Zen Dogs and we decided to check it out. We brought Knuckles to meet Cynthia for an assessment. What a great place! There is a full play-lot with chill classic rock playing and dogs in the fresh air being dogs. This is exactly what we wanted. Cynthia the owner gave us really keen insights into Knuckles behaviors and temperament which was so helpful because we were still getting to know him ourselves. We watched him play and he was so happy. We knew that this was how Knuckles should spend his days. It's been a year and we couldn't be happier with our experience. Knuckles hangs out with his dog posse all day under the careful, watchful eyes of the Zen Dogs Staff. Knuckles is now on a raw diet that Cynthia recommended for some of his tummy issues. We pick up the food when we come to get him each night which is very convenient and healthy for him. The staff is really friendly and are clearly meticulously chosen. We went on some short trips out of town and we knew Knuckles would be just fine playing with his friends and having a doggy sleepover. We have done some private training and Cynthia has taken so much time to listen to all our concerns and questions (we're first time dog parents so you can imagine we are a bit nervous) and really helped us understand more about dog behavior. Knuckles is now as relaxed at home as he is in the play-lot with his dog friends. Long story short, I would recommend Zen Dogs as the only place to take your dog if you want them to spend their days happy and relaxed and just being dogs. Fantastic. read more

Our dogs have been going to Zen Dogs since they opened. They've always loved it. I recently started watching their live streams on Instagram and was struck by what a wonderful and special place Zen Dogs really is. Our dogs get to spend their days playing outside with other dogs, surrounded by caretakers who know them and genuinely love them. I will never take my dogs anywhere else. read more

Zen Dogs is the best! I work for a company that provides in-home pet care, and though my older pup is a bit reactive and a better candidate for a walker that comes to him, my teenage puppy has a BLAST at Zen Dogs! The staff is fantastic & super friendly, and Cynthia is amazing and super responsive. I really feel like the team cares about the pups, and they have so much fun while still asking for good manners from the kiddos. I love that my pup has a little "pack" of buds she plays with, and there is so much peace of mind in knowing she's happy, safe, and getting some of her extra energy out when I'm not able to be with her :) read more

I miss Zen Dogs and Cynthia. My move to Los Angeles has been great in many ways - Olive loves the hikes and the weather, but her separation anxiety and the change of scenery has been a bit much for her and she's had a hard time adjusting. Luckily - we're back on track. I reached out to Cynthia a few times for advice - and she was always available and spot on. Even from afar - still so thankful for her! read more

I couldn't be happier with Cynthia and Lisa and the whole Zen Dog gang. I visited other daycare/board facilities and it seemed like the dogs were cooped up in cages much of the day. At Zen Dogs, I know my dog is spending 5 hours a day playing with his buddies in a safe, structured environment. The pack at Zen Dogs know each other well an respect each others boundaries. Zen Dogs is different because Cynthia is always watching the dogs and training them....even when they are wrestling or swimming in the pool. She knows my dogs personality quirks and gives me actionable feedback on how to to train him. Her pick-up service is amazing. I know I can always text her or call her cell for any behavior related issues. I think her services are very fairly priced and I know my dog is in good company with the Zen Dog pack. read more

No one loves dogs more than Cynthia (and Lisa too). Only place I've found that lets dogs play outside all day long until their hearts are content and will provide pick up and drop off at good prices! Not sure if Yelp deleted my other review but just in case, here's a second one. read more

We were in contact about sending our dog here. We let them know it needed to be ASAP due to changes in job schedules. They were quick to schedule a tour, saw the outside only and said everything was good moving forward. However, we never heard from them again. I emailed twice about setting a time to start but received nothing back. If they didn't think our dog was a good fit, they didn't indicate anything and didn't respond back ever. Two things about the tour.. we waited outside over 15 minutes to answer our calls that we were there for the tour. We saw people shadows moving around on the inside but no one answered our calls or knocks. The man who ended up doing our tour was fantastic and extremely nice. They also didn't let us see the inside which I understand due to covid. We were told if the dogs weren't outside, they were crated. With Chicago winters, I didn't like the fact we paid for our dogs to be crated all day at a place when I could do that at my own place. I expected a lot more from a professional location to leave a pet that is a family member. I'm glad I found another place with better communication and crate free environments read more

Our pup has been a member of the Zen Dogs pack for almost three years. She absolutely loves it - she runs to the door to be let in and is a tired girl when she gets home. Cynthia and her team are top notch dog lovers - they are attentive and very responsive. We don't know what we would do without Zen Dogs! read more

I'm a dog lover. Specifically, I love my 12 year old Miniature Pinscher and my almost 1 year old Doberman. It's likely that I've had many a friend block my Facebook feed due to dog posts. I am not offended as I most likely have done the same as a result of their children posts. But I digress.... The point: I thoroughly researched my options regarding dog training and dog boarding. There were a few specific and intimidating challenges that a trainer/boarder needed to be able to address with my pack. Including the following: Lucy: 1) I found out when my pup, Lucy, was 6 months old that she has severe Von Willebrand, i.e., severe doggie hemophilia. I needed a place that would put the health and well being of my dog first and that I would trust to look after her. 2) In addition to the Von Willebrand, Lucy has had other health issues that did not exactly make me a stern leader that have resulted in behavioral issues. Not aggressive issues. Just naughtiness. 3) She was incredibly submissive most likely due to her being the runt and not being strong enough to compete against her litter mates for nutrition. Resulting behavior: she wouldn't get off my lap at the dog park prior to me taking her to Zen Dogs at six months, despite me taking her previously for 8 weeks to small group training elsewhere. I literally had to carry her out of the dog park on my hip as she was too scared to walk out on her own. At six months, people thought that this was really cute, but she was almost bigger than all the dogs at the dog park. A clear problem. I didn't think it was cute but clearly indicated a problem. 4) She was incredibly energetic. As in, Cynthia indicated Lucy is around a 9-10 on the energy scale of dogs that she has known. So Lucy will run 10 miles with me and two hours later try to entice me to play. Now, as for Demi: 1) She's an old girl who rules the roost, Alpha at 10 lbs and completely fragile. 2) She had never been in a group boarding environment. In fact, the only time she had ever been boarded previously was with her former MinPin friend who she had known since she was 9 months old. With him, she had only been boarded in something akin to a large, private dog run (only a number of times). I can't tell you how happy I am with Zen Dogs. Cynthia and Charlie have been INCREDIBLY patient with Lucy. And Lucy is a handful. As in, enormous pain in the ass. In high contrast to her sitting on my lap going to the dog park, she is now a socially awkward (naughty) butterfly and downright enthusiastic about going to see her friends every morning, having found her rightful place in the puppy brigade. I can't tell you how happy I am that she loves life. Yes, I need to learn a couple skills. But, what a long way she has come. Demi also loves to go there. In fact, I learned that Demi is perfectly capable of holding her own, self-regulates and enjoys herself. In the 12 years that I've had Demi, I've never come back from more than two nights away from her without a visually noticeable loss in her weight. To my amazement, I pick up a healthier and happier dog when she stays at Zen. Thank you Zen Dogs. read more

Why hasn't anybody reviewed Zen Dogs yet??? What can I say...Cynthia is amazing... a real dog whisperer. I was referred to Cynthia by a dog park friend, and then I by chance met her at the dog park. I adopted my nervous cattle mix dog from PAWS a couple of years ago. She suffered from extreme separation anxiety ("accidents" in the house, high pitched barking, difficult to walk on leash... you get the picture). She immediately responded to Cynthia at the dog park. After a couple of sessions with Cynthia, I could see a marked difference. Cynthia also pointed out the behaviors I was doing that reinforced my dog's negative behaviors. My dog now spends three days a week with Zen Dogs doggy daycare...She is happy, relaxed... My life with my dog has definitely changed for the better...Wasn't ever sure it would be normal, and now it's totally enjoyable. I cannot give enough kudos to Cynthia and Zen Dogs.... She works miracles, as far as I'm concerned! read more

I had an extremely negative experience with Zen Dogs on 8/2/21. I enrolled my 5 month old puppy into the two week obedience training program. I dropped him off at the recommended 7am. At 2:30pm Lucas the trainer called and requested I come pick up the dog. I asked what the problem was, he stated the pup was continuously crying, standing by the fence and pacing around the yard (basically having separation anxiety). I asked if my dog had ever become aggressive with his peers or the trainers, Lucas stated he did not. I agreed to pick him up and proposed to try again for a few hours the next day to see if he would become acclimated to his new environment. I was told my puppy was not welcome back and "beyond threshold" and needed to see a dog behaviorist. The crazy part of the story is when I arrived to retrieve my dog 45 minutes after the initial call. I peered into the fence to see my puppy happily playing, interacting, wagging his tail, and having a general good time with the pack. Seeing this was extremely confusing. Lucas and the owner Cynthia stated the puppy started doing better in the afternoon. If the dog had become more comfortable with his surroundings, why didn't they call me and let me know? I proceeded to tell them I did not drop off a perfect dog, and he was there for TRAINING. I found Cynthia to be extremely condescending, and to give up on a puppy in the first half of the day for non-aggressive behavior is unprofessional. I would not recommend Zen Dogs for training. read more

Cynthia and the Zen Dogs team are the absolute best!!! TRUE LIFESAVERS! Last April we adopted a very energetic dog who was also pretty naughty! After attending two weeks at Zen Dogs boarding school, we decided she needed to attend daycare full time since we had such a good experience. Lady (our dog) could not have loved Zen more, and we felt confident she was safe AND having so much fun. Cynthia is incredibly easy to communicate with, and the whole team is super friendly. Lady also spent many nights boarding there while we were away, and while I hope she missed us, I knew she was having the best time with the Zen pack. We just moved, and one of the things I'll miss most about Chicago is Zen Dogs. I don't know what we'll do without Cynthia and the team!! I am so grateful for the wonderful care and attention Lady received. read more

I have nothing but good things to say about Zen Dogs. We've tried other dog facilities and nothing comes close to Zen, especially in terms of the staff's knowledge of dogs and their behavior. Along with daily daycare for over a year, we've utilized their training services and boarding, and have been extremely pleased with everything. Our 2-year-old lab comes home happy and exhausted everyday, and we've never once worried about her. what i love most: --Cynthia (owner) really is a dog whisperer and all the dogs completely respect and obey her, which means the environment is calm and under control --the dogs spend the vast majority of their time running around outdoors and not cooped up inside --prices are very reasonable, especially considering they pick up and drop off your pet -- we've noticed a drastic improvement in our dog's behavior since we became clients, and more importantly Cynthia has taught us how to be better dog owners I wouldn't hesitate to recommend Zen to anyone. read more

Five stars for sure and I would give Zen a sixth if I could! Please take note that reviews posted by actual CLIENTS of Zen Dogs have only positive comments. WE are the dog owners whose canine family members are recipients of the incomparable high quality of care offered by Cynthia and her staff. Long story short, I have a Malamute I thought I knew how to handle but whose aggressive behaviors proved differently. My pup, Jax, began with some personal training sessions with Cynthia and then entered daycare at Zen. Within six months, Jax went from having aggression issues at home and being unable to play with dogs to being a dog who can play off-leash and who knows his place in the pack at home. Cynthia is a holistic trainer who educates and trains people as well as dogs. Jax is now also on a raw diet and he is much healthier than he was previously: a shinier coat, less waste, healthier teeth, more energetic. Zen Dogs also offers extremely reasonable prices for the quality of services. I just can't say enough positive things! Many many words come to mind to refute the negative reviews posted by the non-clients. But they are obviously miserable enough if they post such reviews of a place they haven't even experienced. read more

We are very thankful for the wonderful care Cynthia and the Zen team have given our pup over the past few years. The Zen pack is well cared for and watched closely. It is clear the team puts a lot of thought into creating a safe environment for the dogs. Cynthia is incredibly knowledgable and we looked to her for advice regarding our pup. We had adopted a very shy (and previously abused) Blood Hound/Shepard mix who was welcomed into the Zen pack. This really helped her come out of her shell and learn how to socialize with other pups. You absolutely cannot find a better place in the city. Thanks Cynthia and team! read more

Cynthia and her team know more about dogs than anyone you will meet. Our dog had some minor behavioral issues so Cynthia took the time to do off-site training with us and created a customized schedule for her during the day. I would recommend Zen Dogs to any friend or family member looking for a fun place for their dog to go during long work days or while on vacation! Their doors are always open to your dog, no questions asked. Our dog recently had an incident that led us to need to find a new home for her. Without hesitation, Cynthia took her in during the transition time while we found a new owner. This made the whole experience 10x less stressful for us and for our dog. I'm not sure what we would have done without her advice, thoughtful guidance and open doors during that time. Zen Dogs was truly a second home for our pup, and we are forever grateful to the whole team for being there for us. read more