The Dog House of L. C. & L - Niles, Illinois

Stephanie L.

I am a small business owner. Because of that, I ALWAYS give businesses grace and do not turn to a poor review haphazardly as I understand there are two sides to every story. With that said, here is my story and it's based only on facts. I just returned to town from a very short trip to Mexico, sent by my company to award people time to rejuvenate after working hard to meet a goal. I had made a boarding reservation for my dog a couple weeks back. I called on Saturday at 11:52am to confirm drop off hours. The gal said the Saturday window closed at Noon. I said did not realize this and was not home at the time and grew panicked. I asked if later in the day was possible? Or perhaps even Sunday AM? The gal put me on hold and encouraged me not to worry and that someone would be there on Sunday at 7:00am. My flight was at 9:30am so I thought: great. This will be okay. I arrived at 7:00am to find a completely desolate space. I hung around for a bit wondering/hoping if someone was just running late? And then it became abundantly apparent that Louie wouldn't be welcome until the 9:00am dropoff as posted on their website. Okay, I messed up and I'm still not blaming anyone but myself at this time, and I considered the gal I spoke with last night was misinformed and that's okay. I found a gracious neighbor to take him there and ran my key to her mailbox before my Uber arrived.

Now moving on... On Sunday, I receive a call that Louie was in an "incident". Mind you, I am in Mexico and my reception is spotty at best so this communication takes a solid amount of time for me to subsequently understand that he is mostly okay. Louie is a very sweet and friendly dog who has grown up being a part of boarding and daycare as some folks rely on trusted providers to fill their gaps. I asked for a picture. I find it unclear if he is truly hurt or they were just documenting "an incident"? My parents who live in Niles were kind enough to go by to take a quick look and they confirmed he seemed happy and okay. I feel better, at least in the moment, as dogs are animals at the end of the day and I consider myself a mostly reasonable person until Monday rolls around and I receive another text I will share here.

By this point, my patience runs thin. YOU HIRE SOMEONE TO CARE FOR YOUR DOG AND YOU EXPECT CARE. It's very simple. Louie was again injured and this time more significantly. Also, I was told both times it was "not his fault!". I have little tolerance by now. One time? Perhaps I understand. Two times? That's an organizational issue and my opinion was confirmed when I picked him up tonight and asked: How big was the dog that attacked Louie the second time? The gal said 70 something pounds. My dog is 32 pounds. Why are you not better regulating your guests? Do you just throw them into a giant room and hope for the best? Certainly this is not the first time this has happened but people are not as vocal as me. I could keep going on and on but if you're a dog owner and expect your baby to be safe, I think you understand.

I will never ever again return to this establishment. The anxiety informed my vacation. The teenagers that were texting me about him were doing their best to communicate so I do not blame them. They are probably hourly workers and realized I was sincerely and genuinely worried so wanted to keep me informed which I appreciated. The only thing I will add is they did not charge me for the stay but truly: I'd pay double for my dog to be happy and healthy. It's not about the money - it's about trust and care.

I experienced neither and worse, I have a sweet dog with an outright injury that I will closely monitor now that I'm back home. I am very upset and you would be, too.

Sincerely,
Stephanie

Amy G.

For safety reasons, I can see why they evaluate dogs before accepting boarding reservations. If you have a young dog or a dog who has not socialized with other people and dogs, this group boarding facility is NOT the right fit for your dog and I would not even bother with the pet evaluation. It is a VERY busy place and it is not designed so your dog will have their individual crate or kennel. Your unsocialized/young dog will show aggression and anxiety when placed with other dogs straight away. I think a few changes could greatly improve this facility but until they fix those issues for young/hyperactive/unsocialized dogs, I would not board your dog here. I was lucky enough to find last minute accommodations with a big name pet hotel in Mt.Prospect that was not overcrowded and had safety protocols in place for dogs like mine.

Jessica G.

I have been taking my rescue there for three months and I have had nothing but good experiences with the staff. They have been great at taking care of my pup and communicating with me.

Andy P. O. D. T. R.

I can't say enough about The Dog House of L.C. & L. I've owned several dogs that have been groomed, nail trimmed, or otherwise pampered by the amazing staff, including one particularly difficult customer named Clancy (photo) who simply hated being groomed. The Dog House was the only grooming facility that I trusted to handle this tough client and they never let me down. Highly Recommend.

Allison R.

My dog Paisley loves the dog house! Also the employees are some of the most kind and caring individuals who take the time to know the dogs so well, huge shout out to Lauren and Gabby for being wonderful to both of my pups and being a safe haven for all dogs.

Roxy F.

I was interested in getting my two dogs established here for daycare as they open much earlier than other facilities and this works with my schedule. After sending all the info and creating profiles, I was told there is no flexibility to drop them off before 8am for evaluation which was discouraging to hear as I could drop them off as early as 6am once they become regular members. Felt that the staff was not interested in providing alternate solutions so we could start bringing them. I’m sure the facility is great but the customer service before I could even get them in the door was not.

Tracy M.

Took my puppy for classes and great learning experience for both of us. Mike the trainer is great at what he does

Meredith D.

We feel so fortunate to have found The Dog House of L.C.&L. Not only does our puppy,
Sage, love going to doggy daycare there, but Gabby also does a fabulous job with her grooming. Perhaps most importantly, we are grateful for the caring staff who keep a watchful eye on our pup - when she goes to doggy daycare, we know she is in good hands. We look forward to sending Sage to The Dog House for years to come, and we also hope to take advantage of some of the obedience class offerings soon.