Bark and Bougie

Man’s best friend split away from wolves about 30,000 years ago, opting for cuteness and obedience rather than ruthless pack hunting. And though our floppy-eared buddies are technically still the same species as wolves, they live much different lives. While wolves track large animals across an unforgiving landscape, Fido is begging for scraps under the kitchen table — and we love them for it.

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Courtesy Dogs Gone Wild

Dogs Gone Wild takes dogs into nature for a two-hour outdoor experience that will tucker them out and boost their confidence.

People want what’s best for their pets, and it’s showing in the market. The amount of money Americans spent in the pet industry doubled between 2011 and 2021. People feed their dogs vitamins and supplements, “raw food” diets with human-grade meats and produce is more popular than kittle and pet insurance is a multibillion-dollar industry. Dogs’ lives are getting more and more luxurious, so we talked with businesses that cater to these pampered wolves.

Luxury dog hotels

Bend Unleashed is a high-end hotel for dogs. Unlike the loud and claustrophobic kennels of old, it offers all-day play for its pupstomers. Animals are individually assessed before booking to make sure they’re put in the most appropriate rooms and plays well with others. 

“Our philosophy is very different. Most conventional kennels have the dogs stay inside their room most of the day. Some places even only allow the dogs out for 15 minutes in the morning and 15 minutes at night, unless you want to pay extra and to us that’s just absurd,” said Tiffany Farrell, managing partner of Bend Unleashed. “What we do is we have a place for every dog, whether they can be in group play or not, where they have access throughout the day, from 7 in the morning until 9 at night, outside whether it’s in their own private play yard, or whether it’s in their supervised group play yard.”

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Courtesy Bend Unleashed

Bend Unleashed’s 40-acre property keeps dogs playing all day rather than cooping them up in a kennel.

Ferrell started the business four years ago after struggling to find a kennel that could accommodate her high-energy bird dogs. During their stays, dogs spend most of the day playing, or for additional charges going on private walks, getting individual sessions with a human or getting professionally groomed. 

“We’re just so fortunate with the quality of care that we can offer because of our staff which makes our facility even more exceptional,” Ferrell said. “We do have an on-site certified groomer. We have certified trainers, we have that tech assistant, we have a lot of experience.”

Doggie playdates

Just like Bend Unleashed is a cut above other kennels, Dogs Gone Wild goes above and beyond what’s expected of a dog walker. Rather than a stroll around the block, Charlotte Roy takes dogs on outdoor adventures. Ten years ago, Roy began taking her Border Collie for long walks outside. Friends asked if their dogs could tag along, and before long people were offering her money to look after their dogs for a couple hours. 

“My mission is to get the dogs tired, because I think a tired dog’s a happy dog, and they’re much better behaved that way,” Roy said. “A lot of the dogs are young, need confidence and they have tons of energy. So, I walk up buttes or rock formations, all kinds of different obstacles to not just get them into shape but get that confidence up.”

Dogs Gone Wild has an adventure camp for young athletic breeds, a slower-paced camp for older dogs, a solo camp for solitary dogs and even overnight camps. Roy says dogs in her care benefit from reduced anxiety, better socialization with other dogs and are in better physical shape. 

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Courtesy Bend Unleashed

“It’s great benefits for socializations, it’s more than dog park, which is more like a wild card with what kind of dogs you find. It’s always the same pack,” Roy said.

These jobs may seem like it’s all fun and games, but there’s more to it than that. Bend Unleashed works tirelessly before, during and after its play sessions.

“Playing is the fun part, but that’s a very small percentage of what we do. Our employees work their tushes off, our place is spotless, from floor to ceiling,” Ferrell said. “We do room service every single day in all of our dogs’ rooms. It doesn’t matter if they’re there for a day or if they’re there for a month, every day their room is cleaned. We sanitize every single bowl and water pail after each feeding; it’s just it’s a lot of work.”

Dogs Gone Wild’s outdoor adventures is no walk in the park either — well, not just a walk in the park. Roy must keep a pack of 10 off-leash dogs out of trouble in large open environments.

“It’s not just hanging out with dogs, it’s managing a pack of dogs,” Roy said. “I have to be in charge. If I’m distracted, they’ll immediately notice and then get into things that they shouldn’t.”