Dog Day Afternoon, Inc.

From Larry & Cathy Wacker:
We started Beau in Doggie Day Care when he was 10 weeks old because his energy level as a Jack Russell Terrier mix was more than we could handle. He needed a place where he could run and play with other dogs and burn some of that "hyper-ness." A great side benefit, though, was the socialization he received, learning how to behave with other dogs, and then learning to behave around humans as well. Julie had unlimited patience to teach him skills we were not familiar with and didn't have the patience for. Beau is now 7 1/2 years old.and has moved with his mom and dad to Colorado. He misses his twice a week visits to Dog Day Afternoon. But on occasion when the family makes that trek back to Kansas he sometimes gets to stay at the "Ranch." What a treat! He wouldn't want to stay anyplace else.!

Beau says: "Woof, woof, woof! I love this place!"

From Roger &Kelly Elsbury, a memorial:
In January of 2003 we started a 3 month project to finish our basement which meant we had to find somewhere for our 14 year old bichon frise, Chances. Actually, due to his age we needed to find day care long before January because at his age he was not able to go all day without going outside. Since he was a geriatric dog with some hearing and eyesight loss as well as mild dementia, I didn't know how he would handle day care. Only one way to find out, so I called Julie to set up the pre-enrollment visit. Chances passed his pre-enrollment sniff by Baby with flying colors and he went for day care the next day and every day after that unless we were on vacation.

I was surprised to see the changes in my old dog. At first he was pooped in the evenings when I brought him home. As our routine continued, Chances started to perk up as I finished getting ready in the mornings, knowing it was about time to head for day care. And when you picked him up, you had better have a treat in the vehicle because he expected one! Boy did he have us trained!

Everyone at Dog Day Afternoon was so kind to him. Treating him with a little extra patience since he was old & slow. I understand he spent a lot of time in the feed room searching for nuggets. Believe me, he was fed at home.....it's just the nuggets always tasted better at day care.

One time when I came to pick him up, Katie was so tickled because they had been to the dog park that afternoon and she commented to Julie that the black poodle was so cute! Julie exclaimed, "That's no black poodle, that's Chances! We better get him back to white soon." Turns out he had wandered through a mud puddle. When I picked him up he had a bath and was white again.

I could go on about how fantastic I think the programs are at Dog Day Afternoon and how beneficial it is for dogs to come and socialize with other dogs no matter what their age, however, space is limited even on the internet so I'd better close.

I know Chances created some challenges for Julie &Phil and their helpers because of his age and disabilities. I want to share my sincere appreciation and thankfulness for the patience &love they shared with my Chances while he attended day care. Their services were truly a blessing for our family and Chances was a happier old dog because he went to day care.

Chances passed away on August 19, 2003. His presence is deeply missed here at the Elsbury house.

From Darcy Williamson & Linda Stevens:
We have two wonderful dogs, who just love Dog Day Afternoon. When Taz was a puppy, he was a chewing machine, and long days at home or at the office just didn’t work for a non-stop bundle of energy. Dog Day Afternoon was the perfect answer. Taz learned to socialize with other dogs, and Julie’s patient and consistent training supplemented what he had learned in puppy training.
Cocoa was a beautiful, but troubled and lonely dog we adopted from the Humane Society when she was about 2 years old. She was extremely nervous and shy, and we had to re-house train her as if she were still a pup. After several messes and chewed-up furniture, she finally settled into our home, but we couldn’t imagine her adapting to the busy and social environment at Dog Day Afternoon, where our other dog loved to go. She "passed" the interview (having her buddy, Taz, there helped), and she has blossomed into a wonderfully social and happy dog.
Both dogs go to Doggie Day Care two to three days a week now. They have their favorite buddies, and get so excited they start barking in the car before we turn in the driveway. On the days they don’t go, they are so tired they welcome a quiet day at home or in the office.
Whenever we have to leave town, we don’t worry about our "babies" staying at Dog Day Afternoon. They are familiar with the routine, and Julie, Phil and the whole family are there to check on all their "guests". There is even a video room where dogs and friends can view, sleep, sit on the couch...better than home! This has turned out to be the perfect solution for two busy professionals and the dogs they love.

From Connie Blaser and Don Sisco:
Our German Wirehaired Pointer Konig and our German Shorthair Pointer Liebchen started doggy day care in Novemer, 2005. We had heard many great testimonials about the daycare and knew it would be the perfect place for our puppies. I will never forget the first day of daycare. I took Konig and Liebchen home and they immediately went to the dog bed. They could barely lift their heads up! Doggy Daycare has provided our puppies important social skills plus the love and care they deserve all day long! When I wake on the morning of daycare day, I will point to the leashes and tell them "It's doggy daycare day!" They immediately go into hyper spastic mode running around the house barking. When I arrive at the daycare, I open the daycare door and let go of the leashes and they made a bee line straight to Phil or whoever is working that morning. It is truly hilarious!!! Phil and Julie provide a valuable service to dog owners in this community. Come check out the incredibly awesome paradise for dogs!

From Kimberly Brooks:
I know Shiloh has just started going to Dog Day Afternoon but he plans on being there for the Valentine's Day party and many other days after that. Since I can't drive, getting to the Bark Park is difficult at best. And since I work all day, it is good for him to get out and socialize with a variety of people and other dogs - this will help not only since he is a young dog but also keep him "tuned" for his visiting therapy work. I really do appreciate the fact that Doggy Dude Ranch provides transportation to and from their facility for Shiloh. This photo of Shiloh was taken after his 3rd day at Doggy Dude Ranch. Julie said he really played hard and he came home just pooped! Again, thank you for providing this wonderful opportunity for Shiloh and all the other doggies.

From Elizabeth Lumpkin:
Blackberry started going to Doggie Day Care as a rambunctious pup. I figured day camp was better than having him swinging from the chandeliers all afternnoon, or reupholstering the couch to suit his decorating taste, or whatever other jobs he could find for himself around the house.

Julie and her staff were so good to Blackberry. He was happy when I picked him up and best of all, he got to expend all of that puppy energy.

Right before Blackberry and I left for Summer Camp in Vermont (www.campgonetothedogs.com), I asked Julie to work with Blackberry to help him learn to stop jumping on people. Blackberry was going to be taking the AKC Canine Good Citizen test at Summer Camp, and I was worried because I knew he wouldn't pass the test if he jumped on people...and Blackberry was, at the time, a world-class jumper on people!

At Summer Camp, I kept hearing over and over again from others who were putting their dog through the test for a second or third time, that it's hard to pass the test when the puppy is so young. It's a testament to Julie's good manners training that Kalein Blackberry passed his AKC CGC test on the first attempt at the tender young age of seven months.

Now that Blackberry has passed the AKC CGC with Julie's help, he will be eligible to take the Therapy Dog International test when he is a year old. A TDI certification will permit him to volunteer at hospitals and schools and nursing homes to provide happiness and cheer to the people there. TDI dogs were used at crisis centers during 9/11 and Katrina and many other national emergencies.

Thanks again to Julie and her fine staff at Dog Day Afternoon.

Testimonials from our Clients...