Wag the Dog

I have had a very disappointing experience with wag the dog. I have read some of the other reviews and agree with many things that have been said. My bad experience revolves around Christine the owner. She has constantly been rude to me and very unhelpful regarding my dogs behavior. I do not know how she can run a business when she acts as unprofessional as she does...she needs to stop treating people like dogs. I am shocked that she is an animal behaviorist. Her staff has been very nice to us and they always welcome my dog. I feel good leaving my dog in the staffs care. I wish I could say the same for Christine. She should think about what HEr behavior is doing to her business. If other clients knew what she was like, I imagine she would not have any doggy clients to keep her business afloat. Very disappointing customer service from Christine. We will be looking for a doggy day care that treats the owners like humans. Pros: Kind helpful staff Cons: Rude business owner more

I too, have had a bad exprience at Wag the Dog! I thought I had done my research and I fell for the ""Best Daycare in Portland"" thing as well! Did they pay someone for this title? I was appauled that my puppy came home every time I took him there smelling like a nursing home (urine)! I questioned the apperance of a few of the staff members as well as how they handled my puppy. I felt as though he was stuck in a room (or in a cage) all day and had no interaction with anyone! He was not coming home tired. In fact, he would come home and still run around the yard after being at daycare for 10 hours. I was also concerned that my puppy was not getting enough fresh air. ""Spending a few minutes outside"" just doesn't cut it! He's a puppy, not a prisoner! Don't even get me started on the owner and her attitude! If there was a class offered on ""how to be rude 101"" she could definitely teach it! Let's not even talk about the price!\r \r We now go to ""Dogs Dig It""! It is a loving and wonderful place! They offer transportation to and from their facility, which if you have a busy schedule, is a lifesaver! The cute little bus is adorable!! Janel, Ellie, Christine, Jason and Chris are always happy to see my little guy and he is pooped when he comes home, NOT smelling like a nursing home! He has tons of room to play outside! Plus, they keep a diary of what he has done and who he has played with while he was there! They don't offer any of these services at Wag the Dog. ""Dogs Dig It"" is the best and a much better value all the way around!!!\r \r For your dog's sake and yours, don't go to Wag the Dog! Cons: Rude owner, Inadequate staff and facilities, overpriced more

I take my puppy to Wag the Dog a couple times a week and she absolutely loves it. She gets excited as soon as we get out of the car and practically drags me to the door. Once inside, she can barely wait to get back to the puppy room. The staff are warm and friendly, can answer any question that I have, and seem like they truly enjoy spending time with my dog. I had to leave my puppy there to board for a few days and was nervous about leaving her alone for the first time, and multiple staff members reassured me that she would have lots of fun and encouraged me to call as often as I wanted to check up on her! Wag the Dog is fantastic--and my puppy comes home exhausted from playing all day, which can be a relief if I've had a busy day. Pros: my dog loves it!! more

This day care would be my first choice for boarding or day care when I am out of town. Friendly staff and a safe environment. more

I felt that the owner, Christine, was very rude. I didn't get the feeling that she was a dog lover, but more like a dog jailer. She needs to take a class in comunication. more

I have been taking my 6-yr-old beagle ""Taz"" to Wag the Dog for over a year now and he and I are so happy that we found them. We tried 2 other doggy daycares and I can tell you that he and I were not happy. When we began to go to Wag the Dog, we noticed a change in Taz right away. He loves to go and see his human and doggy friends at Wag the Dog. At the other daycare facilities they seemed to just let the dogs run wild (regardless of their size or personality). Christine, Toni, and all of the other staff, genuinely care about and love all of the dogs and take care of them as if they were their own. From the moment I drop him off, I know he is well taken care of and he enjoys his time there. (A tired dog is a happy and good dog!)\r \r When I first contacted Christine about bringing my dog in I was given a tour of the facility and met with some of the staff. I was highly impressed. We do not have human children so our animals (our dog and his 2 kitty sisters) are our children. Believe me; I would not take him to Wag the Dog if he wasn't treated well. I have never used the overnight boarding services because we take our ""kids"" with us where ever we go but if we did need that service I'd have no apprehension about leaving him.\r \r The person who wrote the one bad review is probably the type of person that you couldn't make happy no matter what. Dogs are like kids. They play and sometimes they might get a little scratch or bump, but let's not exaggerate!\r \r In regards to their customer service Christine and her staff are beyond exceptional and their rates for daycare and boarding are definitely NOT over priced. If you love your dog, you should call Wag the Dog immediately and take him as soon as possible. Your dog with thank you for it! Thank you to everyone at Wag the Dog. Taz thanks you too!\r \r D.R. more

I have almost a 4 month old VERY active Eskimo......Scout loves to go to day care and visit with the humans and all his 4 legged pals! I have boarded him due to business, and got great reviews from the staff. Scout seemd very happy, uninjured and showed no signs of trauma. He does not hesitate to go back and seems very comfortable. The staff seem very genuine, patient and really like what they do, Scout seems to be comfortable with everyone and gives me no concerns. As long as Scout has fun, is taken care of and is happy we will attend Wag the Dog. I would recommend Wag the Dog to all my 4 legged friends, to play with Scout.\r I have not used the weekend services, but I am sure the care is as great as the weekdays. Thanks for helping Scout to grow up happy and well trained I appreciate the care he gets from the staff !\r \r Marcelle R more

I've taken my dog here since the very beginning and I've seen this place improve and improve to be the best facility (including recycled flooring to help dog's joints--the first floor used to make her paws black but I think they have a new one now, because she is much cleaner!). My experience has been nothing but wonderful... and my dog LOVES going there. I love the people and you can't beat the location or price. The staff are much more knowledgeable that at other daycares. In fact, Christine, unlike other dog daycare owners and workers, is an animal behaviorist. She has always been nothing but polite and attentive to me and my dog. I think she is very clear about the improvements my pup needs to make... maybe some people can't take that. Some of the feedback has been kind of surprising but had really been great.My guess is these people had ill-behaving dogs and don't want to hear this.\r I also like that the staff doesn't just let any dog in. Those that cause trouble or can't play safely are asked not to come back. Luckily my dog has been thriving for the last 6 years at Wag the Dog! Pros: Dog lovers; exceptional, experienced staff Cons: Not open all day every day! more

I've used other kennels for my dog, and this is the only bad experience I've had. If you love your dog, I'd suggest looking elsewhere. My dog was hurt during his kennel stay (more than once), and I was not notified of this. Even when I picked him up, the kennel staff could not give me an explanation of what happened to him to get those injuries. I researched the kennel prior to my dog's stay- checked the website, looked for reviews, and did an initial evaluation visit. I should have walked away during that initial visit after I asked to see the kennels and was told I couldn't due to liability reasons. I was too trusting. The dogs are also kenneled for far too long at night, unsupervised- the kennel is closed from 5pm-8am on weekends. The kennel rates are very overpriced concerning their lack of supervision. And my dissatisfaction with my dog's stay did not fare well with the owner- very poor response and customer service. I will never put my dog, or myself, through this again! Cons: Poor customer service, overpriced more