Bark Avenue Playcare Inc - Chicago, Illinois

Patrick Fitzell

We love Bark Ave and all that Daniel and his staff have done for our favorite furry family member Mickey Blue. He’s a spirited, sometimes stubborn Kerry Blue Terrier and has benefited from numerous training sessions at Bark Ave as well as weekly daycare sessions under the attentive and caring watch of the friendly staff.

The most valuable of all the training sessions Mickey has had throughout his 8 years came after the birth of our first child. We tried following the typical advice you see online to “prepare” a dog for the arrival of a baby. But none of that worked for Mickey. We called Daniel and after one session lasting a hour at our house, we were able to better communicate and set boundaries around the baby with Mickey. Now Mickey helps keep an eye on his “little brother.” A true redemption story.

Bark Ave is full of other stories just like ours. They want to help the dogs and their humans live harmoniously and happily. Sometimes that simply means putting the dog in situations where they can be successful and avoiding situations or places that will lead to bad behavior and negative outcomes.

We started bringing Mickey Blue to Bark Ave when he was 2 years old after trying several other daycares around the city. We can’t thank Daniel enough for providing such a welcoming and reliable place for daycare, training at all levels and boarding overnight over the past 6 years.

Marion Shuck

Our Airedale Terrier, Billie Holiday started with Daniel three years ago as a pandemic puppy. She was energetic and mouthy. His training was transformative for all of us. We are better equipped to handle our still high energy and high maintenance 4 year old. Boarding at Bark Avenue is the best, the love and care they provide for our dog is outstanding and she loves, loves, being there. The team knows us and is so enthusiastic to see her when we arrive. Bark Avenue is no frills, but Daniel has created a fantastic environment for fur babies.

Kimberly Ekwemoha

Bark Avenue is excellent! We needed a new training program for our 8 month Doberman after our initial puppy training program was turning out to be less than effective. We signed Violet up for the six week training program after attending the free Saturday workshop, and right from the free session, we learned how to simply go for a calmer walk without our eager puppy pulling us down the sidewalk—something we had not been able to do after months of puppy training with a different provider. We were pleasantly surprised to see a training approach that focuses on our puppy’s natural instincts, rewarding with food but avoiding dependence on treats, and we are heading into our last session tomorrow with a well trained and newly skilled puppy. We know we have to continue training in different environments and under different situations to reinforce everything she has been taught, but we know how to do this through the training process where Daniel walked us through the day’s lessons after each session. An added benefit was that we know Violet enjoyed learning because she is excited to go to her training sessions every Monday, Wednesday and Friday. We are so appreciative of this experience as it has helped our whole family (including our 3 children) build a better and more enjoyable relationship with our lovely puppy. We also found a trustworthy place to board Violet when we have to travel (we never boarded our first Dobie because we were always worried about the quality of care), but Bark Avenue’s team is passionate about their canine clients, and we’ve had a great experience with boarding and day care for Violet as well.

Alex Gorsuch

The team here is incredible! I searched for a long time to find a place for my reactive and pulling husky. I learned a lot, it's clear the team has a lot of knowledge and cares about animals.

Ella Smith

My fur baby (Malachi) has been going to Bark Avenue for over 2 years. He is now 3. He went for beginner training and now he goes for Daycare. He actually knows when I'm getting him ready to go. He gets excited. He watches out the car window and knows when we're getting close. It's really funny. He stays there when I go on vacation, and I have never had any problems with him or them. I recommend Bark Avenue.

Jason C

Brought my bully here to get help with his reactivity while leash walking and other behavioral issues he developed as a 'pandemic puppy.' Daniel worked with both of us, getting my pup to focus on me during walks, and not other people or dogs. Walks are much calmer now, and my pup can now meet new people without going crazy. I'd definitely recommend Daniel for dog training, especially if you have an anxious or reactive dog.

Isabel Collins

My husband and I ambitiously rescued a 2 yr old Rottie as first time dog owners. We can’t recommend Bark Avenue enough. Not only do we have a well mannered pup, but Daniel also taught us how to work through some reactive behaviors and gave us so much education on the breed.

Jack Campbell

We have been taking our Rottweiler Banshee since she was 4 months and have nothing but good things to say about bark. Our girl is reactive and has several issues that Daniel has taken the time to go above and beyond to help us with. There are plenty of good places around but we stay because of Daniel.