Who can resist a place like the Dog Gone Inn Doggie Day Care center?
My first chore of this day was to open the car door for Ellie B, aka Dogamous Pyle. I drove her a dozen or so miles to the east, feeling much like a chauffeur when she stayed in the back and entirely like a one-armed rodeo wrangler when she attempted to jump the console to join me up front.
Destination: The Dog Gone Inn Doggie Day Care spread in a shopping center in the toney Syracuse suburb of Manlius, N.Y., where it was hard to tell who was happier to see the other, Ellie B or Dog Gone owner Leah.
My dear wife Karen signed our rescue mutt up for a spa day. From 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., she is running with the other dogs under Leah’s care, and is having her nails trimmed and a bath. Leah told me at the drop off that she’s going to give Ellie the Full Treatment. Her ears will be cleaned and teeth brushed, too.
Right now, I can imagine Ellie B casually sharing a cup of designer dog food with her friends, stretching out luxuriously, demanding a helper to scratch her belly.
No, wait.
Right now, I can imagine Ellie B running around every square inch of the big back room of the Dog Gone Inn, leading the pack, investigating the corners, tongue hanging, ears pinned back from her self-made breeze.
Ellie B likes to play with like-minded canines every now and then. She’s very social, friendly and trusting that they are there to have a good time, too, not fight and snarl and be a mean dog.
Happy dog, happy doggie day care owner.
We leave her with Leah when we’re going on a trip of longer than a day or two. Leah gives Ellie B compliments when we pick her up. On July Fourth, we marched with Ellie B and a batch of fellow owners and their canines under the Dog Gone Inn banner in the Manlius parade. Everybody was very proud.
It seems to be a good match.
When I get Ellie B home, I’m pretty sure she’ll curl up somewhere — in her crate, on the couch or on the bed, or more likely, all three as the mood strikes her. She’ll rest up from her busy day. She will not go click-click on the floor. She will smell good again for a day or two. Her doggie kisses will be all minty fresh until after dinner.
Merry Christmas a week early, Ellie B.
Have you ever brought your dog to doggie day care? Too much or a good idea?
Mark Bialczak 
OMG!!! love this…..I would love to open up a doggie spa one day! I haven’t taken Lily or Dart to get the full day spa treatment, granted Lily is a full on DIVA she just gets so nervous around people she doesn’t know and well, Dart would just stress out all those other relaxing pooches with his barking. I did take Lily to PetSmart to get pampered for her birthday and although she looked adorable after the fact, when she came home she was limping……for 3 days she was limping and breaking my heart. So i’m not sure what happened…..maybe she jumped off the table when the employee wasn’t looking. …..but I’m fine with pampering her myself, plus she loves it!!
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You are right, Jolene, the social thing is not for every doggie. We usually use PetSmart for the Ellie B bath, but not the nail clipping. Our dear dog had a bad experience with that there, acting up for the handler. We think it’s because they grind the nails, not clip them. Pure speculation. Thanks for sharing about Dart and Lily!
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I have two dogs who wouldn’t fare well at doggy day care. Neither are terribly social and I’d be embarrassed by news of their bad behavior. Best that they stay here and not terrorize other unfortunate pups.
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There indeed some dogs better left at home, and it’s important that owners like you, SDS, don’t try to force the doggie socialization if it’s not happening naturally.
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My sister took her dog for awhile. But the owners kept having to remove her and let her spend time with them up front at the reception are. Poor Carmella just couldn’t handle it.
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Ah, yes, the semi-isolation room called the reception area. Humans good, other dogs bark bark bark. Thanks, SDS.
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FUNNY!
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Oh my gosh, you dog spoiler! My dog needs this (though she’s a little diva, even in her squalor) she hasn’t been bathed nearly enough as of late! I’ve used a doggy day care place for long term boarding of a few weeks while traveling but not just for during the day. Sounds pricey! I just let her entertain herself chasing squirrels in the backyard 🙂
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The day care portion has become a very sporadic treat for Ellie B. She badly needed the bath and her nails clipped. The week before Christmas seemed like perfect timing. And she indeed entertains herself chasing backyard squirrels, just like your little diva, Aussa.
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When Max was living he had a bi-monthly appointment with a spa here, set up and paid for by his sitter. Yeah, that’s right. Max had a sitter. I found him in the animal shelter on a very cold, sleeting morning when I worked for Hospice, knew I had to have him, and couldn’t leave him in the car all day, so took him to visit a patient who loved dogs. Her sitter became his also. I was ordered by patient and sitter to leave him there every day, and any time I was out of town. After work we would go to nursing homes to visit some of my patients there, and he fell in love with all of them. At 3 months old he was very gentle with them, and seemed to know how to behave around them. Still miss the little brown eyed stinker. Guess I always will.
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Here’s to Max, Max’s sitter, and you, Angie. Thanks for sharing that tale.
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You are welcome. I still miss my little buddy.
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no, but it sounds great, i would love to go!
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The thought of that Beth. Nails. Bath. Running out back with the puppies. You still like?
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sounds great!
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Mine is off to Cuts for Mutts today. We have to be very careful not to laugh at him afterwards as he is very sensitive.
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Now that is a great name for a dog grooming place. Cuts for Mutts. I love it. Don’t laugh at the new ‘do on the dog, Irene!
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🙂
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Beautiful dog! My 2 dogs got their grooming last Friday. But Princeton’s breath smells terrible. I am going to have to fork out the money to have his teeth cleaned. Ugh.
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Yeah, the Full Treatment was a pretty penny, but I have Ellie B back home, but she is absolutely gorgeous and smells un dog-like, PJ.
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