We pride ourselves on strong customer service and we love to share what our clients have shared with us. Come in anytime and you will see the difference with Bark Avenue Daycamp and why people that love their dogs, love us as well.

The following is a letter we received from Dr. Lisa Mikol-Doering DVM:

Dear Michelle, Matt, and the rest of the staff at Bark Avenue,

Thank you for providing such a great service to my clients, their pets, and my own dog, Finley.   I always feel comfortable when leaving Finley at Bark Avenue and confident that you provide a safe environment for all of the dogs.   I must admit, that as a veterinarian, I used to be hesitant of dog daycare facilities, because I was always concerned about fights and injuries occurring.  I always envisioned this type of facility as an area where dogs of all types are just “put together.” 

Contrary to that belief, I have learned from visiting your facility several times, watching the dogs and staff interact, and speaking with Matt, that in a properly controlled environment like yours, behaviors that lead up to problems are extinguished before they escalate.  The ratio of staff to dogs is very comforting, and knowing that the staff is well-trained in dog behavior is comforting as well. 

Of course, as in any daycare facility (dog or child), unexpected things can happen, but I have full confidence that you and your staff handle the dogs in such a way as to minimize any unwanted behavior.  In addition, I have seen first hand that the staff is very observant of any medical issues a dog may have, and you keep an open line of communication with the owner and a veterinarian if needed.  I have officially converted and become a fan of doggie daycare, but PARTICULARLY at Bark Avenue.  I have seen other facilities that I would not feel comfortable leaving my little guy in.

Your facility is large, well-kept and very clean smelling!  This is very important from a veterinary perspective, because although some illnesses in groups of animals are unavoidable, your daycare area is easy to clean and disinfect, and your protocol for keeping the area clean is of the highest standards.  I also like the fact that you have an outdoor area for the dogs to play, and the structured schedule you have for feeding time, nap time, etc.  The staff is always friendly and caring, and Finley feels comfortable with all of you.  From a “mom” perspective, I am very happy to have a place like yours to bring Finley for exercise and socialization, rather than leaving him in a cage all day. From a doctor perspective, I am very happy to have a place to refer my patients and clients to.

 In addition to the wonderful daycare services you provide, I am very impressed with Matt and his training/behavior skills.  He is so in tune with dogs and their behavior that he knows what they are going to do before they do themselves!  Again, as a veterinarian, this is important to me, because I am often asked about behavior problems, and although I am able to help to a certain degree, I often need to refer to someone who can give more specialized attention to my patients in this area.

 I have had my dog for 9 years, and his behavior problems have progressively worsened over this time.  I have had several trainers help me, but the fixes were just temporary, and once the training session or “class” was over, I was left on my own to figure out or remember what I needed to do.  Matt has been awesome with his follow up, and is the first person that has helped me make enough progress to “see the glimmer of hope” that my dog can be good!  As a result, my relationship is changing with my dog, and it is less stressful.  Matt is not only helping my dog, but he is helping me to relax and feel more confident with my dog in social situations.  This allows me to enjoy my dog more and even take him to public places more!

 I cannot thank you all enough for your help and kindness.

 Sincerely,

 - Lisa Mikol-Doering, DVM

“I am Carolyn Mossberger, Executive Director of the West Suburban Humane Society in Downers Grove. We use the services of the Bark Avenue trainer regularly and have for quite sometime. We have 100% trust and confidence in his abilities. He is flexible and works just as well with people as he does with the dogs, which is a rare find. We have worked with other local trainers and have not had positive results. It’s well worth the 45 minute drive to use a trainer that we know will give us results. As a non profit organization, we need to be mindful of every dollar we spend. When we utilize the services of Bark Avenue Daycamp, we are confident that our money is being well spent. Dogs from shelters have unknown backgrounds and sometimes come with baggage. This trainer has successfully rehabilitated our shelter dogs with issues such as fear, food aggression, other dog aggression, leash aggression and basic bad manners. We have such complete confidence in the trainer, several of our staff members have used him to train their own dogs. I highly recommend the trainer and services at Bark Avenue Daycamp.”

- Carolyn Mossberger, Executive Director of the West Suburban Humane Society

“My husband, Tim, and I can not say enough good things about Bark Avenue and their staff. We sing their praises everywhere we go and have dubbed Matt Covey our local dog whisperer!

We learned about Matt and Bark Ave from friends after we began considering adding an American Bulldog to our family. With two smaller dogs and a six-month-old daughter we knew that socialization would be important for our pup. Little did we know that we would need a lot more than socialization!

Our “little” bundle of joy arrived weighing 10 pounds at seven weeks old. Adorable and sweet, Drago also had a bit of an aggression problem. He did not want to take any orders from me and communicated his displeasure through snarling and biting me. The breeder wanted us to put Drago down which was out of the question! Gratefully, there was Matt. While most trainers do not work with such small pups, Matt has personal experience with Am Bulls. He took Drago in for rehabilitation for two weeks. Afterwards, he taught us how to work with Drago, so that we could better understand pack behavior and know how to maintain and continue his progress as well as rehabilitate the two other dogs we have.

Since then, Matt has been a constant resource for us as Drago has grown and pushed his boundaries as all stubborn Am Bull pups will do. We have found a great outlet in Bark Avenue’s Doggy Day Camp where Drago has become a beloved staple and works off his energy. The staff is wonderful and well-versed in how to handle dogs of all personalities and sizes. Drago has also gone through Distraction Training with Matt and is the most well-behaved seven-month-old dog you will find around. We get so many compliments on his behavior, and people are amazed at how young he is since he is now tipping the scales at 80 pounds!

On a personal note our family underwent some difficult health issues throughout the beginning of this year. Bark Avenue’s entire staff demonstrated tremendous care, concern and support not only to our dogs but to our entire family.

I would, and do, recommend Bark Avenue to friends, family and strangers for their comprehensive programs, well-trained, caring staff, and remarkably talented trainer-Matt Covey.

Thank you for all you have done for us and for giving us a place to go that our dogs can call their second home!”

- Rebecca & Officer Tim Mace

“My 5 yr old dog, Tully, recently completed his 2 week doggie “boot camp” for aggression. My dog is a totally different dog. The staff was so friendly and never minded all of my calls to check on Tully. Matt was awesome. He never raises his voice, you can tell he absolutely LOVES his job and the dogs. What a shock it was to see Tully intermingling with 20 other dogs and not one problem. Matt spent an hour and forty five minutes with my son and I -”training” us to keep up with Tully’s training. Not to mention, that we have another follow up in a week to make sure that we have no other problems and answer any questions we might have. Matt and the staff are available by phone to answer any questions we have. Even though I live over an hour away, it was worth it knowing my dog would be treated lovingly by all that work there. I had no reservations about leaving my dog in Bark Avenue’s care. Not to mention, that Tully has learned his manners and is a pleasant dog to live with. Thank you Matt and staff!!!!”

- Sally

We originally brought our year and a half old Yellow Lab Mix, Chrissy, to Bark Avenue for an evaluation to have her attend daycare. She didn’t pass because she was aggressive towards the other dogs. This didn’t surprise us since we brought her to a dog park and she was aggressive to three different dogs. When we walked her and we passed another dog or person, she would always jump and get excited. As her way of greeting people at our door, she would always jump on them. We didn’t trust Chrissy in our fenced-in backyard because she would escape by jumping the fence.

Bark Avenue recommended an evaluation with their trainer, Matt Covey. We decided to enroll Chrissy in the two week board and train program. When we picked up Chrissy two weeks later, she was a different dog! Matt calmed her down, so she listened and didn’t jump on people or other dogs. She heels when we walk her and listens when we tell her to sit and stay. She also comes when she’s called, even when we’re outside. After her training, a couple people came to the door and we told Chrissy to sit and stay and she did! We can even let Chrissy out in our yard by herself. Now we enjoy taking her to the forest preserve for long walks and really enjoy her and … Bark Avenue is happy to accept her in daycare!

We highly recommend Matt. Chrissy really loved him too! When we came a week later for our follow-up visit, Chrissy was really excited to see him!

- Tom and Barb Dayment

Timber came to us as an adult male from a German Shepherd rescue organization, and  was supposed to be “cat friendly.”  Well, sure he’s cat friendly — as long as they don’t mind playing chase with all 95- lbs. of him right on their heels…  Understanding that “A tired dog is a good dog,” this led us to contemplate ways we could tire him out besides letting him run around the dog park every day, which got a little old in the middle of winter.  Also, I was concerned that he might have a “bully” streak in him, based on how he treated two of my cats and certain dogs at the dog park who displayed a skittish or overly-excited energy. We heard about Bark Avenue and thought we’d  give daycare a try to keep this dog tired and out of trouble.  

Timber’s assessment went well, and after his first 1/2 day visit at daycare, we were advised that he wasn’t a bully at all, but that he is just a very dominant male, ready to take charge of any situation when he feels somebody needs to step up to the plate.  Between the caring and competent staff at Bark Avenue, the many dogs Timber regularly gets exposed to, and the exceptional talent and attention of their resident trainer, Matt Covey, they have all provided Timber and I the guidance to help him not have to go into ‘dominant mode.’  We always receive compliments on how well-behaved and obedient out dog is, and our cats are pretty thankful, too, as they now have a much more loving relationship with their very, very big brother. Timber has been a “regular” at Bark Avenue for quite some time now, and I know he has formed special relationships with many of the staff there.  It gives me great comfort to know that when I drop  him off for day care, not only is Timber being exercised, socialized, and mentally stimulated while he’s there, but also that so many of their staff genuinely care about him and enjoy his company as much as I do.

- Jen and Steve Morrison (and meowers Toby, Cleo, and Sydney)

Ginger, our Boxer, loves Bark Avenue Daycamp.  She is very friendly and is always happy in the car on the way there. Upon pulling into the parking lot, she cannot wait to get out of the car and get inside to see her friends there. The staff has been wonderful and extremely knowledgeable on how to take care of and introduce new dogs as they arrive .  Ginger is our pride and joy and we would never let her go anywhere that we felt would not be good to her. 

 - The Bishea Family

My name is Arlene Swann and my husband Howard adopted Justin from S.T.R.A.E.S. this weekend.

I must say that whatever training you did with him is remarkable.  I have owned Lhasas for over 20 years and I have never had one this behaved.

-Arlene Swann

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