pamperedpuppy // luxury lifestyles for dogs

It's a Dog's Life

Private hiking trails, massages, swimming, climate-controlled naps on luxury sheets... sounds like the ideal resort getaway, doesn't it? Perhaps you should ask your pet; she oughtta know.

"We get a lot of calls from people that want to make a reservation for themselves. That makes me wonder if maybe our marketing's gone wrong," jokes Jennifer Cermak, owner of the Yankee Dog Retreat (www.YankeeDogRetreat.com), a pet resort just outside of Boston.

A recent lot of postcards Jennifer sent out to advertise her all-inclusive doggie resort showed a puppy with a tagline that read: "Your best friend deserves the best." "It was supposed to be an ad to treat your dog. As in dog is man's best friend," says Jennifer. "But this man called and said he wanted to check himself in as a gift from his son. I had to explain to him we're a dog resort. He couldn't believe it."

It's no surprise given the luxury services offered to pets and a growing number of pet resorts across the United States. Some pet resorts offer swim packages. Others have treadmills and personal trainers. And there are some that will even offer room service and cuddle time for your pooch.

If you were to take a peek inside some of these resorts, you'd walk away even more confused. "Our main room has chandelier sconces and mirrors. The second floor playroom has murals top to bottom. There's also a beautiful fountain and a rooftop park," says Kristina Koch, general manager of the Ritzy Canine Carriage House (www.RitzyCanine.com) in New York City.

And that's just play space - we haven't even begun to describe the details on the orthopedic bedding and velvet crates with curtains and tassels. (Or in some cases, full-out antique beds.)

The activities are endless. At the Holiday Barn (www.HolidayBarn.com), a pet resort with locations in Glen Allen and Richmond, Virginia, pets can sign up to go hiking or swimming. "We have harnesses for dogs that need to learn how to swim and we have lots of toys that they can play fetch with in the pool," says marketing assistant Bekah Hughes.

Perhaps the most notable dog care advancement is that some pet resorts are turning to technology to keep their clients' concerns at bay. At Barkington Inn (www.Barkington.com), a pet resort near Houston, pet owners who book a suite for their pooch can keep an eye on them 24/7. A camera is installed in each suite and broadcasts of your pet's activities are accessible to you through the Barkington web site. "It's very popular. It's one of our main points of attention," says kennel manager Roberto De Echavarri.

Roberto says Barkington caters to a lot of busy travelers who want to know exactly what their pets are doing throughout the day. "If a client has to go to Italy he can see how his dog's doing right from his computer. It's live, streaming, video as if you were watching television." Roberto says his suites are constantly booked because of the password protected Web cams. However, the cameras can only monitor the pets while in their suites. The dogs are walked along the inn's sprawling gardens behind-the-scenes.

As with any resort, keeping costs down to consumers (or their owners!) is a top priority. Like anything, how much you'll pay has a lot to do with one thing: location, location, location.

Yankee Dog Retreat, outside of Boston, charges a $100 flat fee per dog, per night. "We try to get as close as to what you would think for a human spa or a human bed and breakfast," says Jennifer. The stay includes round trip taxi service, custom meals, spa treatments, a 30-minute massage, trips to two manicured parks, a trip to the beach, hiking and multiple walks. (The retreat even has the capability of hosting your next doggie nuptials - they've hosted many happy dog weddings on site.)

In Manhattan, a luxury suite at the Ritzy Canine is comparable to a human hotel stay in another state, weighing in at $175 per night. Slightly less luxurious accommodations (yet still featuring crates festooned with velvet-covered orthopedic beds complete with designer curtains and tassels) are priced by your pet's svelte figure (how very New York). Divas under 20 pounds are $55 a night; pups that tip the scale above 61 pounds are $75 and up. Room service is available for $9, and the meals change daily - chicken, turkey, or sirloin mixed with vegetables, rice, and broth all mixed and perfectly heated. A licensed pet masseuse is also on call. A 30-minute massage is about $45. A ride to and from the resort inside their custom-made pet limo costs $16 within city limits.

Farther south, the distances to the resorts may be longer but the prices get a lot smaller. A suite in Virginia-based Holiday Barn will cost you $45 single-occupancy and $75 double-occupancy. Holiday Barn does not include walks in its basic rates because dogs have their own spacious runs that are cleaned daily. The resort does offer walking packages and other add-ons, including a V.I.P. Package (Very Important Pet) which includes a stroll with a pet counselor, a frozen treat, a nighttime walk, and a lambswool blanket.

Barkington Inn near Houston continues the trend. A tech-ready suite costs $30 per pup. Roberto will allow up to 3 dogs per suite as long as they're all siblings. If your pets share a room, you'll get a 25 percent discount on the second dog; if there's a third pet, it gets 50 percent off. Only three family pups are allowed per unit.

Most pet resorts open around 7 a.m. for pick-up or drop off and close around 6 p.m. All of them, at least the ones mentioned here, have someone on hand 24 hours a day (be sure to confirm with any pet resort before leaving your pet!). Most also have a veterinarian on the premises or on-call. Again, when in doubt - ask.

How do you find a great pet resort? When choosing the right luxury establishment for your pet, drop by unannounced during business hours to poke around for yourself. Take a mental note of how many people are on staff, ask to walk the grounds, check the cleanliness, listen and watch the pets at play. "Sometimes kennels will call themselves pet resorts and have this huge property but the dogs never get to use it," warns Jennifer. "Wherever you take your dog, just check he or she is happy when you pick them up."

Another sure-tell sign of a great resort are the lasting friendships. "The dogs have their own little cliques. It's almost like having a daycare with children. They have their best friends. A lot of these dogs live in the neighborhood and when they see each other in the same building or on the street they say hi," says Kristina. "It's very cute."