Bark Avenue Playcare Inc

This review is going to be long so I’ll start with the short version:
Our dog loves this place. The training is incredible. It’s a no frills place so if you’re looking for something that looks nice to humans go somewhere else but if you’re looking for a place that understands dogs and has handlers that truly know how to manage dogs definitely bring them here. They do give the dogs breaks during daycare and put them in a crate, for us this is a good thing because our dog will get overstimulated and then has a harder time focusing with us and maintaining his training in the long run. We’ve taken him to a variety of daycare and training places (several that are far more human friendly) and while those have been not great to mediocre this place is by far the best even though it’s the last human friendly place we’ve been to. And quite frankly, we’re taking our dog there because it is focused on dogs not on us.
The long version:
We adopted an 8 month old husky shepherd mix, Shiro, from the shelter who was originally a street dog they found wandering around the south side and who is a nutty sweetheart. But he’s 60lbs of love and when he’s jumping on you to show you his love not everyone finds that endearing. We have taken him to other obedience classes which were fine but he’s super smart so he blew through the classes easily and unless there were treats involved at home he was ok but it really depended on his mood whether he was listening or not.
We finally did some investigation and found Daniel and Bark Avenue and when we first brought him in Daniel immediately diagnosed him as being a goofball that just needs a different training plan than what we’d tried before. He does believe in using an electronic collar but please continue reading because an electronic collar is not supposed to be used as a punishment, at least not the way Daniel has shown us how to use it. Our dog personally thinks of his electronic collar as a nuisance, like a flea on his neck but conveniently that nuisance is how he knows to check in with us. If he Unilocal or looks pained it’s clear that the setting is too high on the collar and we need to take it down. The point of using the collar is to help the dog know when to check in when they’re in a challenging situation instead of as punishment for something they did wrong. And Daniel’s training style is primarily one of positive reinforcement. There are some instances when we’ve had to correct our silly guy because he gets too enthusiastic about treats and will try to chew your fingers off and that gets a light tap on the nose.
We can’t thank Daniel enough for what he’s done with our dog and we’re not even half way through training. It was initially challenging for us as doggy parents at training because Shiro has had problems with men in the past and is easily scared of them for no real reason (like my friend’s husband was sitting in a chair when they were visiting and Shiro started barking because he heard a deep voice). When we first started he took his corrections really badly when he was with Daniel. For example, if Daniel spoke to him sternly he would cringe even though nothing had happened except a different tone but Daniel (the dog whisperer that he is) managed it really well and Shiro is super goofy with him now. And Shiro has started treating men the same as women in our every day life. It’s huge for us to have that change so he’s able to be more social.
Daniel has also done a lot of work with us so that we understand what Shiro needs. It seems that some people are unclear about the training program so I’d like to clarify a bit. Daniel does train the dogs during the day when we aren’t there. But then he *also* trains the dogs *with* you in the evening when you come to pick up your dog. The time he spends with you is based on your interest and the dog’s attention span. There are some days when Shiro is just done so spending an hour with us will do nothing for us and just frustrate the dog so those are shorter lessons. And other days we’ll spend about an hour with Daniel going over what he learned during the day, it really depends on how challenging it is for us and the dog to get through. Either way Daniel is super patient and really great about meeting your goals and in our case far exceeding them. We’re thrilled that our baby is really progressing very well and we get homework every time we go in so not only is Shiro learning a lot so are we!
The daycare has also been great. The staff at Bark Avenue is amazing and I love it when Rick greets me at the door with a little report card about how Shiro’s been doing during the day. It’s clear that the handlers all know how to respect dogs and they care for them deeply. I care much more about the fact that these guys really know my dog and his personality and treat him well than having a facility that looks fancy to me and handlers in spiffy uniforms.
In my opinion this is the best place you could take your dog in the city.

This review pertains to their training course, although we have boarded our Lab there as well with no problems: Daniel has a clear passion for what he does and treats you like you’re his only client when working with you and your dog. He has a methodology that simply works and even though our dog was already 4 years old when we started training, we were able to see dramatic improvement in his behavior after the course was finished. We’ll be using what we learned here for all our future dogs.

I purchased a Groupon for 6 days of daycare with 6 30-​minute training sessions. I took little Henry there for his first day yesterday and I’ve quickly realized I should have just purchased the on and off leash training package outright… this place is amazing!
Henry is 9 months old Doxie/​Terrier mix and has had no previous training– his overall stubbornness has made me worried how tough of a cookie he is to crack, but I can really see Daniel getting through to him with only one lesson… he really is the Chicagoland Dog Whisperer!
Henry was so tired after his fun filled day at Bark Ave, I could really tell he had a great day there. This place is super legit and I cannot wait to take him back!

We did on and off the leaching training with our Pomeranian/​papillion mix and couldn’t be more pleased! We noticed a huge difference in Blairs behavior (and in ours) with Daniel’s teaching. Now blair goes for daycare, jumps out of the car and runs in when she sees the entrance. While there are many bigger dogs here, the little dogs have their own space and I’ve never once worried about Blair while she’s at bark avenue!

My dog has been coming here for several months now, daycare a few days a week and boarding once a month or so. He is a rescue dog that had pretty severe separation anxiety for the first 9 months or so we had him and we came to rely on daycare heavily. He struggled at a different daycare. Daniel and his crew at Bark Avenue have had my dog pulling to get into this place everytime I pull up! He loves Rick! He’s made some dog friends here and we can see that its made him more social on walks/​dog park too. It’s an amazing feeling to drop your dog off and know that he’s going to have a great day. I’m also convinced that the only reason he agrees to come home at night is because he is obsessed with dinnertime!

Owners are great people and they do a good job! They offer boarding and dog training to any kind of dog and they also have a nice affiliation with K9 For Keeps which is an adoption program. Excellent place

My dog Gracie has been blessed to have been trained by arguably the best set of trainers that Chicago offers. The team at Bark Avenue are intensely knowledgable and were capable of creating a base of knowledge for both my dog and I will never forget. Daniel once said to me «a well trained dog eventually learns what it is that you desire from them. Once they understand what you demand, their ability, willingness, and desire to HAPPILY work toward your expectations becomes second nature.» Those words have never left my frame of reference and I pass on as much that I can to others thereby living by that very same Bark Avenue mantra. I cannot tell you how lucky I feel to have been trained to really understand my dog and I would not have been able to accomplish this goal with such ease without Bark Avenue. Thank you!
Thank you! Thank you!
Key Benefits:
Best trainers in Chicago
Earliest drop off available in the city 6am
Latest Pick up available in the city 8:45pm
Super knowledgable staff
Training during daycare and then train you upon pickup.
Most reasonable prices I have seen for both daycare and boarding.
Best training deal, go through classes and get a lifetime of free training days with your dog.
Go see for yourself. Saturday intro trainings are free at 1pm. Gotta love this place!

Bark Avenue Saved my dog, WE LOVE THEM !!
Bark Avenue Playcare is a clean and friendly home away from home for your dog, and has excellent professional and efficient dog training staff. This facility goes above and beyond for your pet care and training needs!
In Feb of 2014, I lost my dog of 13yrs to cancer. A few months later I decided I was ready for a new pup. I wanted to save a dog so I went to Chicago Animal Control Center (CACC) and on ⁴⁄₂₆ I adopted a 1yr old Pix/​lab Mix. (Gino)
Being that I had a dog for 13yrs prior, trained her myself, I was very confident that I could take on the responsibility of any dog and train them just as well. 2 months into having Gino, my frustrations were high. We were unsuccessful with potty training, crate training and obedience. I had no control over the dog and he was making me crazy. My only thoughts were this dog was un-​trainable and needed to go back to CACC. I was seeing no improvements that I would have expected after 2 months of diligent training on my part.
In a conversation with my neighbor, she told me about Bark Avenue Playcare and Daniel. I immediately called that afternoon and talked with someone on the phone and explained just how frustrated and at the end of my rope I was with the potty training, chewing, and aggressive behavior. The person I talked with was wonderful and had Daniel reach out to me immediately, b/​4 I made the decision for the return. Daniel emailed me and called me immediately and asked me to bring Gino in the next day for an evaluation.
Then next day after Gino and Daniel met, Daniel let me know Gino was trainable and he and Bark Avenue can help with their 8 week program of On Leash and Off Leash training. I was a bit skeptical, as I was a good dog owner in the past, why would this dog not take to the standard training procedures I was used to and worked for me. Daniel was appreciative of my opinion but showed me some basic techniques and in 15 minutes I saw Gino responding to Daniel and training positively. I was sold.
8 Weeks later Gino is a new dog. no more accidents in the house, he loves his crate (when he is in it), he spends most time free in my house without destroying things or my supervision, he understands commands and is obedient and listens to me, as well his aggressive behaviors are a thing of the past.
If you would have asked me in July if Gino and I would be long term companions, I would have said No, but within a few weeks of the 8 week training, I knew this was the right decision and investment. Now I cannot imagine what would have happened if I did not find Bark Avenue and Gino did not get the proper training. I also learned a lot that I did not know about dogs and behaviors, and as well understood my role in the training and interaction with a dog etc.
Bark Avenue Playcare staff are amazing, they all really love animals and each person on staff are knowledgeable and friendly. I was greeted with a smile all the time and you can tell they enjoy working there. The facility is clean and well cared for, no dog smells or messes. They are very respectful of following feeding or care instructions for your pet as well as flexible with drop off and pick ups prior to open and close times.
Thank You Daniel and Bark Avenue Playcare for not only saving Gino from a CACC return, and training Gino so wonderfully, but giving me a loving pet. You all are the best and Gino will be a longtime friend and visitor for daycare etc.
I highly recommend Bark Avenue to anyone looking for a clean, and friendly home away from home for their dog and/​or professional training that will make their dog the best possible pet! Linda C

My dog just did her first ever boarding stay at Bark Avenue and they obviously took great care of her! The staff here is friendly and knowledgable and my dog really, really loved them, which was evident when I picked her up. The place is very clean and safety-​oriented, and I appreciate that they accept and know how to handle dogs who are not social enough for a doggy playgroup. My dog gets to have private playtime with a human and there is no extra fee for this. I was able to go on vacation and not worry one bit about how my girl was doing. I actually drive my dog all the way from the suburbs to these folks because they’re that good! Highly recommend Bark Avenue as a safe, clean, fun place to board your dog!
Oh! And you can pick up or drop off 7 days a week and they have really generous and flexible hours, which is always a plus.

We LOVE Bark Avenue and so do our dogs!
Our Airedale completed on and off leash training here and the difference in his behavior is incredible. He (and we!) learned so much!
The daycare services are awesome and the dogs always arrive excited and return home exhausted and content. They are also the only kennel we’ve felt completely comfortable boarding our dogs at. A positive all-​around experience!

Oliver, our Victorian Bulldog started training with Daniel 8 weeks ago. When we first brought him to Bark Ave., he was a loving but overly anxious and not well socialized dog. We had tried everything we could at home with training on our own, but he was just stubborn and sometimes unpredictable. When we had guests over at our house, we were forced to lock him in his kennel because of his barking and jumping on people (which wasn’t too pleasant with a 60 lb. dog with a 3-​foot vertical). If he was ever let off leash at a park, we were always afraid that he would fight with another dog, or simply take off running. Eight weeks ago, we were considering the awful decision of whether or not to give Oliver away.
After completing both the on-​leash and off-​leash training, he acts like a completely different dog. Oliver is still a lovable bulldog, but now well-​balanced and well-​tempered. The real test was this past weekend with my parents in-​law. They saw him as a danger to our family and friends, but after seeing him after his training, their opinion made a complete 180º.
The Bark Ave. staff are all knowledgeable, professional, and simply love dogs. We are grateful that Daniel has given us back a sense of confidence and pride in Oliver.

I’ve been taking my dog to Bark Avenue 3 – 5 days a week for daycare for about four months. I’ve also boarded her there twice. She loves it! Each morning when I drop her off, she presses her nose into the door, wagging her tail. She can’t wait to see her people — Lily, Anna, Steve, and Rick. And each morning she is greeted by the Bark Avenue staff with pets and belly rubs.
I was referred to Bark Avenue by a friend. I had just adopted a pitbull and wanted somewhere for her to play during the day while I was at work. Many places near my house will not take pits. Not only does Bark Avenue gladly accept pit bulls, they have the expertise to deal with all types of dogs. They kept a close eye on her to determine which playgroup would be the best fit for her. They actively manage the dogs during the play groups so everyone stays safe and calm.
The dogs take a break from playing during the day and rest in crates. If you’re not ok with crating your dog, don’t bring them here. Personally I think it’s great that my dog has a rest during the day to chill out.
As other reviewers have said, this place is no frills. It’s about dogs. It’s not about you. The dogs don’t care that there’s no granite countertop and marble entryway. They just want a place to play with their pals and hang out in the plastic kiddie pool on a hot day. As a dog owner, I want a place where I can trust that the people taking care of my dog are keeping her (and other dogs) safe and happy.
I also signed up for the training classes. Let’s be clear — the one getting trained is mostly YOU. :). I really enjoyed the approach to the training. At first I was wary of using a pinch collar, but I soon learned that it’s for a brief correction, only when needed and then quickly released. The vast majority of training is done through positive reinforcement. This training program has helped me manage my dog at home. Making sure she gets enough exercise is key (although she still managed to chew up the remote control last week).
One of the things I like best about Bark Avenue is their flexibility. My schedule changes a lot and they’re really flexible about drop off and pick up times.
The biggest endorsement, though, comes from my dog. I picked her up Sunday morning after three nights of boarding,. She was very excited to see me, but when we started to leave, she headed right back to the kennel area. She wanted to hang with her friends at Bark Avenue!

I had my small dog boarded here for a week and he was happy and well taken care of. I will definitely take him here again anytime I need to leave town. Not only were the staff very nice but also Daniel was available via email which was reassuring to me since I was concerned about how my dog would interact with other dogs. Turns out my dog is more sociable than I knew. I was also very happy with the grooming that my dog received. So glad to have found this place!

*Update: My dogs last scab from the horrific weekend she endured at Bark Ave finally fell off. Still have heard nothing for this irresponsible business owner. Please consider the negative comments on this page before boarding– there is a theme.
My dog boarded here over the 4^th of July weekend and she returned with an infected tear on her ear and a puncture wound near infection. The photos speak volumes, but I can’t load one to the review. The owner (Daniel) categorized it as a «superficial would»; the vet at Furnetic categorized it as «and infected wound in need of antibiotics». Will not board again. Accident happen, but how an accident is handled is telling of ones character.
PS: I see the owner comments, and his disclosure of my pets records on a public forum is inappropriate, not to mention incorrect. Again, this is probably the least professional business I have ever come in contact with. I have never heard a word from them after this incident. I had boarded my dogs here for a year and was treated with utter disrespect, as were my dogs (see posted photo). The owners employees were embarrassed of the way he handled the situation.

First, the training. I’ve got a miniature schnauzer who had incredible amounts of energy and intelligence, coupled with no confidence and lack of socialization. A dog who greeted people by barking at them furiously and then hiding behind me. He didn’t sit, he was confused by what «down» meant, the concept of «heel» was so far beyond him I may has well have been trying to teach him Sanskrit. His method of greeting other dogs looked something akin to an incredibly hyperactive child yelling at the top of his lungs while pulling a school bus behind him as I was frantically trying to restrain his enthusiasm. After having him for two weeks, I was beginning to think «dear Lord what I have I done…».
Enter Bark Ave. I’m almost done with the on-​leash classes. Holy 180, Batman. He can sit when I tell him to, on or off leash, even when he’s near another dog that he very much wants to go meet. He will stay in a down for as long as I tell him. He can heel by other dogs without making noises like a choking Wookie. He enjoys our little training sessions and has gotten several compliments on how well behaved he is. He even made it through outdoor brunch this weekend with another dog nearby and did no more than bark once at a bird. Seriously, if Ceasar Milan is the dog whisperer, Daniel is the dog Buddha. He connects with the dog and with the owner, and harmony results.
Second, the facilities. This is a no-​frills place. Your dog won’t get Voss water and a delightful massage while listening to Vivaldi. There’s not a butler waiting to attend to their every need. So what will your dog get? Supervised play time with the other dogs. A knowledgeable and friendly staff. A crate to relax in when play time is over or gets overwhelming (yup, a crate… they’re very up-​front that this is not a crate-​free facility, and I fully support that). My little dude comes home tired and relaxed every time he’s here.

We brought our new rescue Jazzy here for training and could not be happier! Now we bring him here for all his needs. (day care, boarding, and grooming)
Daniel is a fantastic trainer. Jazzy had very bad leash aggression, which is no more. His training program not only works the dog but also teaches the owners how to be better dog handlers all while gaining knowledge of dog behavior.
Even though our training ended, we know that we can always come to Bark Avenue for advise/​counsel if needed.
The staff truly has a love of dogs, and does treat your dog as one of their own.
I am so happy our rescue referred them to us!

We still come to Bark Avenue Playcare; my wife starting going there in Spring 2003. The staff are all fabulous, while only several of them know my name, they all know our three (3) dogs’ names and greet them like rockstars!
Their training methods are fair and humane; the trainers love and respect all of the dogs.

I came to Bark Avenue because of the convenience of the location. I adopted a puppy in ⁰⁹⁄₂₀₁₀ and was looking for some basic training classes along with a few days of daycare a week.
This is what I got;
*8 classes for $ 200 paid
*daycare for $ 20/​day opposed to $ 27 without training
We did training for two weeks. The first training went pretty well. The second training there was another dog there that was wild and got almost all of the training while we continued to work on what we learned the previous week. In the other room we heard one of the employees yelling ‘shut up!’ at the dogs.
After 2 weeks my puppy got a parasite. It may have been from Bark Avenue or it may have been from being outside on walks. He could not attend training or daycare for over 3 weeks due to quarantine and waiting for a clean test.
When we were ready to get back to it the trainer was unavailable due to personal reasons for over one month.
In the meantime he was still attending daycare once or twice a week so that he could continue to be socialized while I was working. During this time I came to pick him up twice and he was caged!
The first time he was caged I was told he was being aggressive with the other dogs. He was about 6 pounds at this point and 4 – 5 months old. The second time he was caged I was told he puked. Both times I asked why I wasn’t called immediately and the answer I was given was that they didn’t know I would want them to call. The only reason I know he was caged was that I saw them taking him out of the cage while I was walking in to pick him up. So the question in my mind became, are they caging him all the time? Why would I pay for that, I can cage him at home? I asked them to please never cage him again, if he was to be put in the cage I will come pick him up as I work right around the corner.
Another couple of weeks go by. It was cold and flu season. I got sick. The trainer got sick. I still had him going to daycare once or twice a week. I wanted to give Bark Ave the benefit of the doubt and hoped that they would no longer cage my puppy and we would go back to training.
Then he got kennel cough. Poor little guy was only 6 months old. My veterinarian told me that he definitely got kennel cough from Bark Ave. It is highly contagious and he was quarantined and medicated. Dogs, especially small and young dogs can die from kennel cough.
This was the last straw for me. I could no longer in good conscience have him back at Bark Avenue. It was no longer a safe environment for him to be in.
We went to discuss his kennel cough with the owner and the trainer so that they could inform the other patrons of Bark Ave. We wanted to get a refund on the training classes we weren’t able to use. The trainer wasn’t able to make this call but the owner called us shortly to discuss the matter.
After some discussion we told him we no longer felt comfortable and hoped as a pet owner and a business owner he would understand and give us our refund so that we could part ways amicably. He agreed. We would get $ 150 back for the 6 training sessions we never were able to use.
Weeks went by and still we did not receive a refund. I emailed and asked when we would receive it. The owner of Bark Avenue sent a long email back saying that kennel cough is just like the common cold and that I wouldn’t pull my child from school if they had a cold. If my child caught something highly contagious and deadly that other children should be vaccinated against you can bet your life I will remove them from that situation. And I told the owner this.
We spent over a month corresponding only via email. The basic gist was that I did not want to bring my dog back because of the reasons stated above while the owner thought I was overreacting.
I just got my check this week for $ 45, two and a half months after I went in to tell them my puppy had gotten kennel cough at their facility. While the reasons we weren’t able to be in training class were almost solely due to my dogs sickness caught from Bark Avenue or the trainers personal problems the owner decided to deduct my training discount on every day that he spent at daycare.
I wish I had never taken my dog here and if you are looking for somewhere to take your dog for any reason I urge you strongly to reconsider. Bark Avenue is unsafe, dogs are caged in the metal bottomed cages, the employees yell at the dogs and the owner is uncooperative and unprofessional.

Yes, the facility is not the greatest. It’s kind of dark and dirty, and slightly smelly.
However, my dog loves coming here and employees are really good with her.
What I don’t like is their high employee turnover rate. I trained my dog here and used their daycare almost 5 days a week. I knew most of their employees 6 months ago but I only recognize a handful of employees now. I find it strange since I like consistency for my dog.
But if you are looking for a convenient place where you can drop off your dog early (they open at 630am) and pick up later (they close at 8:30pm), this is the place for you. I commute and work odd hours so this was the only place that accommodated my work hours. And I’m so thankful they are close to my condo and on the way to Eisenhower.

We toured this facility one weekend recently and it broke our hearts. The few dogs that were there were kept in small crates and none of them looked happy. The facilities were rough, at best. The two staff members we saw were aggressive/​borderline abusive with the dogs that were there and neither really seemed to love much less even connect at all with the dogs.
Our pup is a veteran of a wonderful playcare facility out on the west coast, so we’ve seen what a good, but no-​frills playcare place can be and this just didn’t feel right.
Perhaps this is a good last-​resort option for the bully-​breed types or for training purposes — though I must admit, I think any place that separates a dog from its owner for training (as described by reviewers here on Unilocal) is failing the dog and the owner — people need as much training as the dogs and its crucial to watch/​reinforce good interactions between dog and owner.
If this place has worked for you, I’m glad — but I can absolutely say that we didn’t feel safe bringing our 3 year-​old lab-​mix here, for the reasons outlined above.