A Joyful Dog

I cannot speak highly enough of this kennel. From our first interaction with the staff we knew it’d be great, just very genuine individuals. We were visiting on vacation and had to change drop off/​pick up times a lot from changes in our schedule. I was high maintenance in that respect to say the least (sorry!) But each call I made they were sweet and so accomodating! Having someone there ²⁴⁄₇ is great and a comfort, the facility also has cameras you can view online! I love the little report card we got letting us know how the dogs handled the time and let me say they were spot on with both dogs very different personalities-​you can tell they spend time with the dogs. Ladies you’ve found your calling! Wish you were local to us!

I cannot believe my luck to have found this place. I live in Connecticut but travel to the buffalo area often so when I heard about a good place to board my dogs I decided to drive them to buffalo to board. I had signed my dogs up on line then called to ask some questions, I was amazed that when I called they knew my dogs already and had so much knowledge about each of thier personalities.
I have 2 dogs both in need of’extra’ care… First off neither are used to being boarded as I previously had a dog sitter. 1 is a 10 year old lab mix with seizures and the other a 6 year old hound mix with severe anxiety. It is unbelievable how well my dogs did at A Joyful Dog! I am still amazed that both were happy and relaxed and both were so excited to see the girls on thier second visit.
In addition the girls at A Joyful Dog were so wonderful with me, admittedly I had some anxiety leaving my dogs at a boarding facility. They were so sweet to give me updates on my pups settling in.
My only regret is that A Joyful Dog isn’t close to my home so that I could use them every time I travel. Rest assured my pups will visit and stay again next time I need to be in the buffalo area.
Thank you everyone at A Joyful Dog!!!

The girls here are awesome! I have been taking my boxer here for close to a year and she loves it. I travel a lot for work and they are always flexible with my schedule and the place is clean and can tell they are true animal lovers. Highly recommend!

The AJD ladies are AMAZING! You will not find another group of people that care for your dog (or cat) like them. Merle has been with these ladies for 3.5 years. There is plenty of stimulation and nap time for the dogs, as well as individual care. Your pup will not be left in a cramped room alone all day w/​no soft bed to lie on. Your pup will come home exhausted from playing all day
The facility is clean and spacious. They will only accept a limited number of guests as to not over-​crowd the facility. They offer doggie-​cams to help with YOUR separation anxiety while you’re away. The pups are outside with supervision/​interaction weather permitting.
Very fair fees for the level of care given. This place is their passion, not just a paycheck. You will not be disappointed with this place.

We were adopted by Boxer, an almost 14-​year-​old, one-​eyed golden lab. Before him adopting us, we had made plans for a getaway, and were scrambling for a place to board him. I am grateful to have found A Joyful Dog. While very good with people, Boxer has no clue when it comes to doggie etiquitte. They were able to not only accommodate him, but got to know his special needs before he arrived. The were able to provide him with a safe, nurturing environment. If we ever need to board him again, we will definitely come back!

For those who have read my other reviews about doggy daycare, never fear! We still love them, but we’ve moved and wanted to find something a little closer.
Victoria, who is one of the owners, has known Stout since he was a puppy, so when we found out that she had opened a doggy daycare not far from our new house, it was too perfect!
Apart from all of the basics that you would expect (friendly and knowledgeable staff, clean facilities, spaces for big/​little dogs, indoor/​outdoor areas for varying weather, extreme attention to detail concerning your dog’s needs, etc.) there are a couple of things that make A Joyful Dog stand out.
First, the puppy cam. On. My. Cellphone. Once I get this set up, I will never be able to get work done again. Ever.
Second, training. Victoria asked me what sort of training we are working on with Stout so that she could do some training time during the day. This is so helpful for us because while we’re at work/​school/​etc. Stout doesn’t always get all of the training time that he needs and he is a breed that definitely requires some practice time.
Third, convenient hours and all night *supervised* sleepovers. A Joyful Dog is open early/​late enough that getting to work on time (or hitting the road for Cleveland Monday morning) isn’t a problem. And if we ever have to go away and can’t find someone to watch Stout for us, a sleepover party at A Joyful Dog is just what the doctor ordered. I would not feel comfortable leaving Stout somewhere that kenneled him all night with no one to watch him. Having someplace like A Joyful Dog that will be there so that he’s comfortable, makes me feel comfortable.
I have to say the one thing I get jealous about is that mostly it’s my other half who gets to bring Stout, but now that I have the puppy cam…
Definitely check out A Joyful Dog — and tell them that Stout sent you!

Such kind and professional people, I felt like I was leaving my dog with family. I boarded my dog (Gatsby, a high-​energy border collie) for a week while traveling over the holidays and they took great care of him. They even taught him a new command, «Quiet Please» when he gets barky, which has improved my life ever since! I loved the streaming webcam because I could check in any time and see what my guy was up to. And they keep the dogs BUSY with lots of socializing with people and other dogs. (I gather they also have quiet rooms and human interaction time for dogs that don’t get along with other dogs.) He was clearly bonded with the workers there because of all their love and attention, then he got in the car and happily passed out. Much better than leaving him in a kennel for a week. I will definitely bring Gatsby back to play with his human and dog friends next time I travel!

Our dog Elke gives A Joyful Dog five stars! She plays with her friends here three times a week, and when we drive up she can’t wait to see her buddies. Victoria, Mallory, and Karen keep in intentionally small so every dog gets individual care and attention. They match up the dogs with compatible buddies each day, so the more boisterous dogs and the more laid-​back ones are all taken care of. They even include training as part of the day’s care – just tell them what your pup needs work on and they’ll concentrate on that.