Playful Pets

My dogs absolutely love it here! They come home tired and I can tell they’ve had a great day. The staff is always helpful and you can tell they care about dogs. I would recommend playful pets to anyone searching for a daycare in the area!

I’ve been bringing my dog to playful pets for about almost a year now and he absolutely loves it. Comes home exhausted so I know he played his butt off! Def recommend.

Been taking my dog here since late spring 2015 and now that they have expanded and added a small dog area, my review can now be bumped up to 5 stars. We take him one day a week just to break up the week and wear him out a bit (works like a charm). The staff is very friendly and flexible. It’s a pretty no-​frills place but the prices and staff make it worth it!
Only complaint is that my pup does come home sometimes smelling like cigarettes (would have made this a 4 star review) and a weird cleaning solution smell. He’s a poodle mix so his hair holds odors a bit more than most dogs, but would be nice to have him come home a bit less stinky.
For the most part, if you are looking for a solid daycare, I suggest checking out Playful Pets. Larry & staff are great!

This review is LONG overdue. Last year, I decided to take a last minute vacation to visit my family for Thanksgiving and my regular boarder was booked so I had to find somewhere else to take my dog (e.g., Lexi is a 10 pound Yorkie mix). After reading several reviews about Playful Pets I decided to give it a try. When I wen to the facility it was pretty basic. There were no fancy products to buy or nice décor but the people were nice so I left Lexi for the trial session. I am EXTREMELY overprotective about Lexi, so I sat outside for an hour and talked to everyone that was dropping off and picking up their dogs before I drove off. I know it crazy but I really loveLexi dog and I wanted to make sure Playful Pets was legit. To my surprise when I picked up Lexi she was happy. I mean tail wagging, this is a super cool place kind of happy. Lexi HATES being boarded and going to daycare so I was shocked beyond belief. I decided to leave her for 4 days during the Thanksgiving holiday. During my vacation one of my family members suffered a medical emergency and had to be hospitalized. What turned into a 4 day trip ended up being a two week vacation. I called Larry, explained the situation and he couldn’t have been nicer. He even assured me that he would make sure that Lexi had food (e.g., I only brought enough food for the week, so my dog ran out of food pretty quickly). I still don’t like being separated from Lexi, but I won’t hesitate to take her to Playful pets. In fact, this is the only place I’ve taken her since last year and I live 40 minutes away from the facility. The place is not fancy but what they lack in décor they make up with care. Playful Pets really LOVE dogs and doggie parents. To all you overprotective, worried pet parents. Give them a try. :)

My dog is extremely social and loves to play. I took him to Playful Pets for his initial trial and he seemed to like it. I brought him back a second time and he did not want to even enter the place! At this point, I had to be at work in 15 minutes and we didn’t have another choice for the day. I figured he was just being stubborn. When I got there, nobody was in the front office area. Then a girl came out, leaving all of the dogs (you can see them on camera when you walk in) in the back room unattended! Red flag número uno.
She took my dog’s leash and jacket off and hung them up. At this point, my dog was giving me pleading eyes to not make him go in– poor fella. I wish I hadn’t! She brought him in and, from what I saw on camera, he was immediately surrounded by a giant swarm of dogs! Now, luckily my dog is used to this from Chicago dog parks and handles it well. But for a dog that is easily overwhelmed, I could imagine this is not an ideal experience.
I left after that and picked him up after I got back from work. A girl brought him out and my dog, who is part Boston Terrier, was jumping up super high to see me over the double-​door security gate. He continued jumping while she tried to put his leash on. At one point, he jumped up and sort of bumped her in the face, in which she commented in a rude tone, «Your dog just hit me in the face.» I wish I had replied what I wanted to say, which was something not appropriate for this post! I politely responded with, «Yes, he’s a dog he tends to do that sometimes.» Shouldn’t you be used to all types of dog behaviors if you work at a day camp and boarding facility?! Red flag numero dos! Also keep in mind, the rest of the dogs might have been unattended at this point– not sure!
As I pulled out my wallet to pay, I asked the girl if she had change for a $ 20, she said, «No we only charge credit. You can write down your credit card information here and we’ll charge you!» Yeah, let me just HAND over my CC info to you and trust that you’ll be responsible with it… At that point, I just threw her the 20 and said screw the change! Red flag numero tres!
By the time me and my pup got home, I realized that he REEKED of cig smoke– EW! I understand being a little dirty and grimy from running around and rolling around with other dogs. But I know none of the dogs in that place were smoking– clearly the employees have no concern for the animals they’re around. I’m not paying for my dog to be exposed to carcinogens on a regular basis! My poor pup needed a full on scrub down immediately after getting home. It also ticks me off that this still happens after reading other people’s reviews about the cigarette smoke smell– there is clearly a lack of concern for customer service or well being of the animals if this hasn’t stopped. Red flag numero quatro!
All-​in-​all, I wish I had just kept my dog walker for that day and not taken him. Luckily, we have found a much better daycare in Lincoln Square called A Dog’s Life on Damen– it’s little more expensive but not enough to persuade me to take my little guy back to Playful Pets. I’m sure the owner here truly does love and care for the animals, but this is not a professional way to run a business. I’ve also heard similar reviews since this experience from other friends living on the North side of Chicago. Do whatever works for you, but I encourage you to be in tune with your pup’s needs and reactions, especially after trying this place out!

Awesome place! I come here every month to get my dog groomed and Mayra is great!

I have been taking my pup here for almost a year now and she is always excited to go, then nice and tired when I pick her up. The staff is truly caring and trustworthy. I always feel comfortable with taking my dog there. And Larry post funny videos of the dogs playing on the Facebook page, which is awesome!

I was apprehensive bringing my 7 month old lab to any daycare, but Larry and the Playful pets staff put my mind to ease. It has been one year since she started going and she can’t wait to get in there everyday.
I really appreciate any establishment that knows their customers down to their dogs leash, it truly shows their passion. It is also great that Larry posts on the Playful Pets Facebook page on the daily dog shenanigans
Playful Pets is very affordable considering a competitor down the street from me charges 3x what Larry charges daily.
I always recommend Larry to all my dog owning friends.

Overall this place is awesome. Very friendly and accommodating staff, GREAT price for day of day care and boarding, and their hours are better than most places.
We have been taking our dog here for a year and a half. Originally we had a dog walker, but we would come home to our dog still having tons of energy that we were unable to get out in our small apartment and with walks. Now, our dog always comes home exhausted and happy! We have had circumstances where my husband and I are unable to drop our dog at the normal opening hour and Larry has been able to accommodate having to drop our dog off early when we notified him ahead of time. Larry has done a lot to really update the place and you can tell he cares a lot about his business and the pups!
I wish that Playful Pets had a lifestream video cast, but Larry does post videos and photos on the Facebook page, which is nice to see what the dogs are up to. Also, our dog always comes home stinky, but I guess that’s to be expected when you are playing with a large group of dogs all day long!
We’re so happy to have Playful Pets!

Love them! Our puppy is full of energy and he comes home after a day of playing here happy and tired. I know he has a great time here because normally he is really hesitant to leave my side, but when he gets there in the morning he runs right into the playroom totally forgetting I am even there :) The staff is great and clearly care about the dogs that are there. Highly recommend them!

We took our dog to Playful Pets for 1 free trial session of daycare and 1 time boarding after reading the great review and being convinced by the low prices compared to other places. While it was clear how much love and care the owner puts into his work, I hate to say that we got what we paid for.
Upon entering, you could immediately smell the strong odor. Obviously this would exist to some extent in any dog care facility, but even after 1 day of daycare our dog came home smelling so bad we had to wash her. Shortly after, we left her for a week while we left on vacation. When we returned, our dog not only smelled horrible but came home with a bad case of kennel cough. We were of course not notified she was even showing symptoms while we were gone. To me this was just a sign of poor maintenance and cleanliness on the part of the owner. We haven’t experienced anything similar since moving to another facility.

10 Stars out of 5 for sure.
I think this review is long over due, my experience with Playful Pets started in a bit of an odd way when randomly I met the owner at a gas station a few days before adopting my first dog. He insisted I bring the new addition to my family in so he could meet him. Naturally, the day I brought Hunter home I ran him over to Playful Pets to visit the nice stranger from the gas station, however, I did not immediately start Hunter on daycare. Of course my need for daycare became more and more apparent when my dog walker locked himself out of the house on numerous occasions and proceeded to drive around in the car with my fur baby for hours on end before informing me, or the time Hunter got hit by a truck because the dog walker let him get loose «accidently». I took my pup to Playful Pets everyday while I was at work and to be honest, it was the only place Hunter actually behaved himself. Hunter was human aggressive and territorial at home but at daycare he was the most well behaved dog. If your dog misbehaves here they will let you know, they will also give you training tips on how to prevent the behavior both in home and at daycare.
1.5 years later I had to part ways with Hunter, as horribly sad I was, Playful Pets also missed my pup dearly. These guys build a personal relationship with every dog and dog owner, they are not your big box daycares who pretty much take in as many dogs as possible, herding them in and out of the door.
Fast-​forward 4 months post-​Hunter. I got a puppy! HES SO CUTE!!! He’s the most adorable little Labrador you will ever meet. Yes I am a grown man getting all cute with my puppy. Of course, in true fashion my new puppy had to meet the Playful Pets staff. I took him in the first week I had him for a meet and greet. They gave me tons of fun training tips and told me not to bring him back until he was up to date on all of his shots so he isn’t at risk of getting sick. Naturally I obliged and kept my puppy home for the first 4 weeks. He then started going to Playful Pets and continues to go there. I can’t even count how many times Playful Pets has stepped up to the plate and helped me out when I was in a pinch (this happens since I’m a single parent of a fur baby). I love this place and have referred everyone in my neighborhood to this place. I can’t say enough good things about it, if you are a responsible dog owner you would love this place too.
Side note: This is not one of those places where you can go online and watch your fur baby play all day. I have a theory on this, if you require a webcam to watch your dog all day, your dog should not be at that daycare/​boarding facility & you should be home with your dog. You should be able to trust that your pup is in good hands and I’m willing to bet he/​she will be here.
Summary: If you love your dog take them to playful pets so the playful pets team can love your dog too.
Pros: Friendly staff, dog lovers, PUPPIES!, treats (yummies), remodeled facility, clean, outdoor playground, very reasonably priced, personal treatment!
Cons: Nothing!

My sister introduced me to Playful Pets in 2007 when I moved to Chicago with my 12 lb min pin mix. She had been taking her boxer to Larry’s place for a few years and I trust her opinion completely. Sure enough, Larry and the staff at Playful Pets welcomed my pup and treated him like he was part of a family– which is what it feels like at Playful Pets. From my (and my sister’s) experience, we have been treated like family by Larry and the PP staff and I feel 100% comfortable leaving my dog 2x/​week for daycare. I have also left my little guy for extended boarding stays (14 days) and I know he is in good hands. I can text Larry anytime for updates and cute photos :) if I need to.
Did I mention that my dog is not the brightest little guy? Sometimes I think he would be in a special needs class if he was a child… seriously. Larry’s staff know this and they make him very comfortable by letting him in the kitchen with the little dogs and the heater which he likes to stay by. They also know to pick him up and carry him to the front when it is time to go home because he gets anxious and turned around easily. :)
It should also be noted that the prices are THE most affordable in Chicago. And Larry has a heart of gold when it comes to animals… among other things, he helps socialize rescued dogs so they are more adoptable. I love that and I love Playful Pets. Give them a try!!! I highly recommend them.
Also…recently I told my neighbor about Playful Pets because her puppy was having separation anxiety when she left him home while she went to work. Now she takes her dog there 1−2x/week and the separation anxiety has dissapated immensely on days when she does leave her at home.

I’ve been taking my dog to Playful Pets for over 5 years. She absolutely loves it. She gets so excited when she gets there and goes nuts when she sees «Uncle Larry»
She goes to daycare almost every day to help with her separation anxiety and she has boarded there several times as well. I wouldn’t dream of taking her anywhere else.
It’s quite obvious Larry, the owner, really cares about every dog there.

Looked for dog boarding with more affordable prices during the holidays as our usual place charges a bit much for us. We found Playful Pets on Unilocal and gave it a try. They require a free trial day first before reserving to board. We brought in our friendly, yet shy beagle for a daycare trial day and kept him there for about 3 – 4 hours.
I worry because our beagle is friendly, however extremely cautious and scared of bigger dogs. Upon picking him up after his trial, they reported he did well so we made our reservation for 9 days during the holiday.
We dropped him off and picked him up with no issues and they reported back with good things. I did notice he lost some weight, but I assume it’s because of his lack of appetite.
The boarding price is half of what we normally pay so we’ll be taking our dog here in the future.

I volunteer for a local animal rescue.
We are a foster based rescue and are completely dependent on the compassion of others to step up and prepare these animals to be successful in their forever homes.
We screen, interview and perform on site inspections of all potential homes or facilities that we use for our rescued animals to insure their safety and well being.
I met Larry in June of 2013 when we were in search of a foster for a Great Dane at a local kill facility. We needed to find someone who was experienced with the breed and could help give this dog the tools necessary to reach his potential. Larry came highly recommended to us through other rescue peers. In the past, we had only used boarding facilities as an emergency interim while we screened potential foster homes for proper placement. We had little experience working with daycare as we were concerned about safety and interaction and staff response time.
Larry and his staff at Playful Pets have truly opened our eyes. Although the dogs are not separated by size, he does offer each potential client the ability to go in for a trial before accepting them. He will not permit aggressive dogs in his facility. They are fully supervised and there is a camera available to the public to see all views of the facility. I took a tour or Playful Pets and stayed for closing for peace of mind to see how the staff operates, the care that is given and too see how they operate. I have also come to visit unannounced to ensure consistency. I can attest through my inspections that the facility is clean, and kept clean throughout the day, feces and wastes are addressed immediately, and sanitized daily. I have visited on slow days as well as packed days. There is no question in my mind that the dogs love Larry and he treats them as if they were his own.
Larry has become an invaluable asset to our rescue. He has helped rehab several dogs for us that others would have given up on. Seniors, dogs with anxiety, fear, his nurturing has given these dogs the confidence and love needed to make them whole.
We highly recommend his services to those in search of a daycare or boarding for their own dogs.
On a personal note, as a multiple dog owner, I fully trust Larry with my own dogs
This man has mad skills. His prices are not only reasonable and affordable, I truly as a customer am shocked by how much he gives to these dogs of his own time and finances. I have witnessed other customers taking advantage, not setting appointments, arriving late for pick up or dropping off dogs without appointment. He and his staff have hearts of gold and far more patience then I would in similar situations.

Being relatively new dog owners, we weren’t experienced with leaving our pup with anyone other than family members for any type of travel. Doing our research in our area, we narrowed down our list of potential housing for the 9 days we were going to be gone.
We couldn’t have chosen any better. Larry & Co. were absolutely fantastic and incredibly accommodating to our schedule and needs. Dude just gets dogs, just as everyone else had said in the reviews. We were a bit skeptical because our dog hadn’t really been kenneled or spent a lot of time with so many dogs at one time. After the trial run prior to us leaving, we were convinced and his stay went off without a hitch. They even gave him a bath before we picked him up! It was a fantastic experience
We’ve decided that we are going to be taking our dog there for normal day-​care every week or two, just to give him some more activity.

Larry offers reliable, flexible dog daycare and boarding. I’ve been taking my dog here for over a year during long workdays and out of town trips, and I’ve been very pleased with the service. I had a GREAT daycare near our previous home in Cleveland, and was worried that I wouldn’t be able to find something like it after moving back to Chicago. However, my active dog is always happy to arrive at Playful Pets and comes home tired. Larry’s operation is no-​frills and doesn’t offer the «amenities» (dog massage? please…) of other places — which allows him to offer very reasonable prices. My dog and I will be loyal customers as long as this place is in business.

We moved recently from IL to AZ and don’t know that I’ll ever find anything like Playful Pets out here.
To make it short and sweet: read the other 5 star reviews and know that they speak the truth! If you want your dogs to; run, jump, play, nap, run, jump, play, get some hugs, play, nap, play and go home tired & loving life, this is the place you’ve been looking for.

First of all, owning a dog in Chicago can get pricey. For the winter, I want my dog to be able to run around and get the exercise she needs without suffering in the cold. When I started researching dog daycares, I was appalled by how much places were charging. Then I came upon Playful Pets — GREAT prices and even better reviews.
My dog is overly energetic. And I am not exaggerating here. It takes a lot to get her to settle down. I was nervous about bringing her to a daycare because I thought her energy level would be too much for the people watching her and the other dogs playing with her. I don’t know WHAT happens at this place… but it has got to be magic. My girl is exhausted and happy when I pick her up. Mind you, she’s dirty, smelly, probably has a scratch or two… but it’s a dogs life!!! And I don’t think she or I would have it any other way :)
Playful Pets is great. Larry is great. His staff is great. The puppies and dogs that come here are great. Seriously, nothing bad to say. We hope it stays this way because a happy pup = a happy home!