Hellooo!!! Yahoooo!! Yippeeee!!! I am The Gabinator! But my leedle paws do not typ so good, so I wil now pass thys to peeeple to wryte!!!

And what a fine effort that was, Gabby. My name is Janice Larkin. I’ve owned Weimaraners all of my life, and due to my work schedule and also, ahem, my own aging, I decided that the time had come to begin using day care 2-3 afternoons per week, to help my dog get the play time that she needs and deserves.

So about a year ago, just after getting my current dog, Gabby, as a 5 year old, I decided to check out 2 daycares that were the closest geographically to my location. With each, I found just about what I expected – lots of dogs jumping on each other, lots of noise, joyful chaos interspersed with the sounds of some quick quarrels – so I wasn’t terribly surprised when my dog came home from her second visit with 2 puncture wounds in her neck, one of which eventually abscessed. Needless to say, I decided to broaden my search.

The first thing that I noticed that was different about The Big Backyard was a truly careful behavioral eval. I was able to watch, as Gabby was gradually introduced to first one dog, then two, then to a small dog, then to a more rambunctious dog, etc. As Gabby herself could be too rambunctious – perhaps a roller derby star in a former life – I suspected that she had played a role in her previous injuries. But within 15 minutes at BBY, the owner (Tracy) had her playing gently with the other dogs.

Since that first visit, to this day, I’ve never needed to worry about Gabby’s greeting behavior on walks or at parks. And to this day, I would never consider any other daycare. She comes back from BBY totally exhausted, but also wonderfully calm.

So ‘nuf said. I recommend The Big Backyard enthusiastically, and without reservation.

Yoda has been attending The Big Backyard for over 3 1/2 years and he absolutely loves it! He is aware of the days he’s scheduled to go and it’s such a joy for us to hear his happy husky “wooing” when we make the final turn in the car on our way to The Big Backyard! There’s not a more caring staff around!

       -Natalie & Mark Dreher

“Marty here. I’m just about 10 years old now which makes me about the same age as my Mom in little-dog years. I used to miss Mom a lot when she’d go to work, and I’d spend the day on my home destruction projects to take my mind off of being alone.

She now takes me to the Big Backyard where they are fluent in dog! Everyone knows my name when they greet me in the morning, but even more important – they’ve taken the time to get to know me. They get that sometimes I want to hang out with the little dogs, sometimes the big dogs suit my mood better, and sometimes I just want to nap in the sun. They notice when a little bump is new or different and make sure to ask my Mom if she’s noticed it when she picks me up. They know that when the thunderstorms start rolling in, they need to get me suited up in my Thundershirt before I start to tremble (ok, panic). And if I’m still a little scared, there’s always someone there to pick me up and remind me of how brave I can be.

To sum it up, The Big Backyard is the family we’ve chosen – and they embrace both of us every day I spend with them.”

“Hi! I’m Baron. I’m 10 years old, but you’d never know it because playing with dog-friends at The Big Backyard keeps me young and energized. This wonderful place has been a part of my routine for almost seven years. On weekday mornings my mom and dad often hit the snooze button on their alarm. I love to keep them in my bed on Tuesdays and Thursdays, but Mondays and Wednesdays are play days–I will not tolerate any oversleeping. I pace the room and say, “Get up! It’s time to go to The Big Backyard!”

“My name is the Budman and my mom adopted me from the Larimer Humane Society when I was 9 months old. It didn’t take very long for her to realize that not only was I ‘high energy’ but I got easily bored when home alone. Needless to say, there were a few household items that needed to be replaced! While I am happy being crate-trained and realize that I have to stay home on some days, on those days that my mom is too busy at work to come home for lunch or needs to go out-of-town, she brings me to The Big Backyard.

After trying a couple other doggie daycare facilities, I have found my ‘home away from home’. Although I love to play with my other dog friends, I really am quite content just being around my human friends. There are none better than here at The Big Backyard. The staff is so incredibly caring and knowledgeable. They really know how to treat me right.

I cannot recommend the BBY enough…it truly is a safe, comfortable and loving place for me to be! My mom loves it too!!!! Thank you…”!

-Budman & his Mom, Amy

Morgan joined the Big Backyard crew when he was 6 months old. He LOVES the other dogs and the people there and so do I. He knows his BBY days of the week and is perky and ready to go first thing. He dashes right on in and sometimes doesn’t want to come home. No wonder! He gets to be his playful, energetic, friendly self with his canine pals, and I can enjoy my day, knowing that he is in the care of loving and professionally trained staff who are tuned in to his needs and mine. This is a joyful gift for both of us!!

“Hi, my name is Daisy. I have been coming to The Big Backyard for over a year and love it!

My Mom and Dad were not sure what to do with me when my older brother, Murphy, a Great Dane, went to Doggy Heaven. I was very lonely and had a lot of energy. Now I come to school twice a week and play with my friends and learn good social behaviors. I love The Big Backyard!”

“I was adopted from the Dumb Friends League so my parents didn’t have any history on me. They soon found out when I ate the sofa that they needed another alternative to leaving me home alone while they worked. That was when they found my little slice of heaven, The Big Backyard! I love the car ride to “school” and am practically jumping out of the car when my parents pull up. Both the owners and staff are just wonderful and they go the extra mile in taking care of me. My parents look forward dropping me off to be with both my two and four legged friends because they know how much I love it here. By the way, our “new” sofa is over two years old and still in great shape… “

“My name is “George” and I’m a special and fortunate little dog ’cause I have the “bestest” home-away-from-home… it’s called The Big Backyard. The days I go to doggie daycare, I literally jump out of the car, run to the building and when inside, dash straight back to the room filled with all my doggy friends – I can’t wait to play with them! The owners and two-legged staff people are awesome, too! And… if you’d like to know what happens at the end of the day, just stop by sometime – you’ll recognize me, I’m the dog who sits down and doesn’t want to go home. Good thing I’m so small ’cause my owner has to carry me to the car! “

“Hi! My name is Jackson Carmody. I am a 3 1/2 year old lab who has been coming to The Big Backyard for about 3 years now. I have so many friends here at “school”. I play hard in the morning, nap for awhile, and then I’m free to play for the rest of the day. When my mom and dad pick me up, I am so tired that I have to go home and go to bed! My parents think that this is great. The Big Backyard is a great place for me & my parents. We love it!”