The Barker Shop

What I love about this place is that it is one of the few to offer hand stripping (for breeds like norwich and cairn terriers with double coats), and the two hand strippers there really know how to give the perfect terrier cut! This place is cute and the staff is friendly. My puppy Cody comes out looking perfect every time, they went easy on him since hes not quite used to getting groomed. A+

Great place for dogs! I have been coming here with my dog for years now. Always very professional and accommodating. The only thing I would love to see an improvement on is their loooooong voicemail. Way too long! Absolutely would recommend to anyone looking for a great place with service to match!

Wonderful shop, wonderful staff and true animal lovers.

I was really nervous taking my cat in to get groomed. He had never been to a groomer before but he was so badly matted that I finally gave in and made an appointment. Mario was so good with him. He took my cat out of his crate while I was there, examined him, and said he could keep his mane and tail since they were not badly matted. I also gave him a bottle of Pet Rescue remedy to put a drop on my cat’s nose to help calm him down which he did prior to grooming. My cat was done in less than 3 hours and was calm and happy when I picked him up, not stressed at all and looked just beautiful, was so soft, and his nails were clipped too! I hope that I never let him get this bad again but I would definitely take him to Mario again if he does.

My dogs love the Barker Shop! Ok maybe they don’t live getting baths but enjoy the complete spa treatment! This weekend they spent at Kamp Kirsten, their affiliated boarding facility. I got back 2 freshly scrubbed exhausted pups! It’s a great experience all around, I love the transport from Barker shop too! Sydney and Eddie give shout out to Spence up front!

We brought our grand pup to the Barker Shop for his first haircut in Chicago since he just moved here from Kansas. Tracy listened to what type of hair cut we wanted and did exactly what we asked. Didn’t think Milo could get any cuter but Tracy did a great job! The people at the Barker shop were all so friendly ! Thanks so much for taking such great care of Milo and giving him the BEST haircut he’s ever had!!! We will be back !!!’ Great customer service !!!

I can’t say enough about the Barker Shop and their staff (volunteers included)!!
My daughters dog «Stella» was lost and Kathy (owner) put out a blast to her friends about Stella being lost. Within a day we got emails about «Stella» being sited. Kathy sent (3) of her volunteers to help us search for «Stella». They took time out of their Saturday «no Pay» to help us find «Stella». Thanks to them we have «Stella» back! Without their help we would still be searching.
Also enjoy their products and services. Their products are top of the line but reasonably priced (what my dog deserves).
My own dog is a little nervous and fidgety when I get him trimmed but with time and their trained groomers; I do not foresee a problem. They will take time and be patient with his uneasiness.
This is my new go to place for my dog. Wonderful caring staff and volunteers!
Kathy M

2^nd visit to shop with my silky terrier — 1^st time awesome — 2^nd time — aweful!!! I did not even recognize the dog — too stunned to say anything — dog now looks like a fat chihuahua! All this for $ 80!

I came here randomly because they were one of the places that carry a variety of raw food for dogs. My dog was having a lot of issues with his stomach, was refusing to take antibiotics and just didn’t want to eat. His breeder suggested raw food so I swung by this store. I explained what was going on with my dog and the woman behind the counter could not have been more helpful. I left with some great food (and even a free sample) and good advice. My dog loved the food and has really perked up since starting his raw diet. I felt like I was really listened to and I plan on going back next week. The worker really knew a lot about dogs, food, and nutrition. I was incredibly impressed!

Been coming here for years.
Award winning groomers and the owner runs a fabulous dog day care in Burr Ridge, the one next to the grooming shop is smaller, go to the one in Burr Ridge, its unbelievable. The dog/​cat food selection is second to none.
Never had to wait for my dogs after the time quoted at the front desk. Spence and the girls at the desk are polite, and thorough. Its alot of commotion, dogs, people, groomers and a retail space… give these people a break.
Never had «advertising» handed to me about my barking dog.
They carry the BEST nutritional foods for both cats and dogs.
You want to adopt a rescue dog? There is the place.
Try it out for yourself, you will not be disappointed.

Needed a place for doggy day care on Saturdays near my home and they are fabulous with my pit bull. You can imagine the difficulty I have in putting him in daycare. I was a walk-​in and they took him right in for a try-​out! WOW. No apt, no red tape. And 1^st time is free! And Saturdays are considered ½ day which = cheaper price! My guy goes to daycare in the Loop M-​F. I knew there would be no issues from him. I just know how most daycare places freak about the breed! I didn’t have any of that here. Now, we’re regulars. The daycare is indoor only and small but it works out perfectly – my guy comes home happily exhausted. That’s all I ask and expect from a doggy daycare. No fuss. Do a good job. A happy dog is a repeat customer.

THIS REVIEW IS NOT ABOUT BARKER SHOP, rather the «boarding facility» that uses the space. Unfortunately, you are the company you keep… and I’d rather be associated with criminals. But I guess she technically is. I was informed of Kristen?, via a volunteer at BS. She hadn’t heard much feedback, but we both figured the Shop would have a great place. I call her close to the date (Christmas time) and she tells me «usually she’s booked solid, but she has some openings». Now I know why.
So, I’m in FL, and I get a call from her. My Lab had a severely injured tail… from an UNKNOWN CAUSE. um, he’s like my child, except my daughter can articulate what happens to her. He has been boarded maybe 5 times in his almost 12 years. They try to say maybe he chewed it, or it got «stuck» in a door. 1^st off, those are 2 TOTALLY different injuries. 2^nd, I’m calling Bull. So she asks if I want him to see a vet… no, I want him to clean it himself and diagnose it. But I ask her «professional» opinion and she suggests it. She’ll use“her vet”. Uh huh…
I go to pick him up, his tail is MUTILATED. That she had to guess on his medical care is frightening. He hadn’t healed by October of the next year. Anyone who saw it was in true disbelief. More so that I paid for her AND the vet.
Speaking of payment, I’m very well aware I probably can’t get him without paying! I have a credit card, BShop says sorry, she doesn’t take them. Um… she should have mentioned she’s a separate payment than the grooming. Never once. So the very nice man says, we know you, come back when you can. I live a block away, bring my dog there, don’t plan on fleeing the country. She calls me ONCE 2 days later, I didn’t answer. She starts BOMBARDING my mother with calls. I’m 33… she was my emergency contact. My mom calls and says «some crazy b@&$h won’t stop calling me. Call her back or she’s gonna hear it from me». My mom isn’t a tough guy, she wanted to lose it on her. So, I call her to tell her to 1) calm down 2) do not call mommy 3) It’s been 2 days, one a holiday, and your fault you didn’t inform me of limited payment options. She goes OFF! Yes, I had attitude. But she got personal…“you always were a little spoiled brat, good luck in life!” Um… hey weirdo, I’ve never met you. Turns out she rode at the same stable I did. Apparently she’s a loser or a b&$@h bc none of knew her from WHEN I WAS 16! And there 7 days/​wk. No wonder no one talked to you babe. Then she hangs up on me. Class act.
At that point I think, screw you, I’ll take my time. And my dog was BLEEDING ALL OVER MY HOUSE for a month. She tries to deny this, I have pics and witnesses. She then calls my mom about 30 times. I’ve never seen anything like it, she truly needs I be committed. After leaving endless voicemails on my moms phone about her «hard work» and divorce, etc, I don’t doubt for one second why her husband left her. Employees of BS told me she said crazy stuff about me bc. of this. You destroyed my dog lunatic, you’re lucky I don’t sue you and/​or not pay.
Come to find out she comes with plenty of warnings about her «business», and it’s recently been brought to my attention, may not be insured. I plan on finding this out because $ 800 for 10 days is a little steep… Karma honey, karma.

This place offers grooming, daycare and a retail front. We stopped in to see what kind of treats and toys they had. I was a little disappointed with the selection of toys. I could go to Target and buy them cheaper. The treat selection was mediocre. They do however, carry good treats. The staff seemed nice and offered us the do it yourself bath. I doubt we’d go back but while there we did pick up a few cans of food and some treats.

I dropped my dog off at 1:30pm and was told she would be ready between 4:30 & 5pm and they would call me when I could come pick her up. No one called and it was nearing 5pm so I called and was told she would be ready in 10 minutes. I arrived 10 minutes later, paid my bill and was given a dog. Not my dog but a dog that looked a lot like my dog. I pointed out the mistake and was told my dog would be brought out. That is until they realized they couldn’t find my dog. This went on for 20 minutes — one staff member would tell me she was on the premises then another would tell me she was gone — given to someone else by mistake. I start getting nervous and agitated at this point and a little teary eyed. That’s when the girl behind the counter told me, «you need to understand that sometimes people make mistakes». Excuse me? Finally they realized that they had given my dog to a foster mom who was bringing her back. After about 45 minutes I was finally reunited with my dog. I said to the owner that I was disappointed in how the situation was handled. Not one person was empathizing with me or reassuring me or even apologizing for giving my dog away! Only then did the owner show some remorse and apologize.
Moral of the story… do not go to the Barker Shop unless you like being treated like a bother because of their amateur mistake.

I love the Barker Shop and so does my dog. His coat is nice and he is groomed well and has his nails trimmed every six weeks However, the prices are a bit steep in comparison to other shops. I have been bringing him since she was a puppy so I will continue.
If my dog misbehaves– like barks too much or is not in a good mood, right away
they hand me a bunch of advertising for products, and for trainers and special
dog food without additives or preservatives. This time, a trainer was recommended.
He is almost nine years old and passed all his training in dog training. He just needed a little attention. Our home situation has changed drastically and he is one lonely dog and craves people. Obviously, he was not receiving the attention he needed. Of course, I am partially to blame. However, he does not do this with me, ever.
The store carries a lot of «stuff» almost to a fault and now– it is overwhelmingly full of dog food so you cannot walk through the place. And, every dog that comes in goes absolutely crazy sniffing the dog food. So unfair to have all these treats out there. There must be a lot of money to made in selling it. I love some of their products but honestly, you can find them online for a lot less money and the exact same products, especially the toys and chewies.
The Day Care is kind of small for dogs over 35 lbs. Mine is a labrador and he is close to 95 lbs. I am not sure if he is given the all attention he needs. The larger dogs seemed to be held down by leashes and just sit and watch. I only drop him off once in a while if I have to be gone from home more than 5 hours at a time.
All in all the counter staff are just kids and they are friendly when they have time to be because it can get quite noisy and busy all at once with people dropping and picking up their dogs. Of course, everyone is always in a hurry, too. I always try and pay ahead of time, if there is time. So, the staff are attentive but sometimes no one is there! Or, when you call, there is an answering machine, you leave a message, and they never call you back! Why bother with the answering machine? This is why I only gave it four stars because place needs a tweek with more organization with it’s staff, answering the phones, and have more room to walk through the store, with less dog food filling up all the space in the place! Also, prices need to drop down around 10%. Then, it could get a good 5 star review from me and my pup!!! The Barker Shop is his favorite place to hang out.
Also, the Pet Rescue The Barker Shop sponsors is really a good cause and worth
adopting a dog from. The dogs set up for adoption are beautiful and I so tempted to take one home each time. At this point, however, one big dog is enough for me for now.

I’ve taken my dog here for grooming since she was just a puppy, and we love it. I’ve moved to the city since I got my dog, but I still come back here for her grooming because I find, despite some of the other reviews, that the prices are really reasonable. My dog requires hand stripping, and the Barker Shop offers this service for at least $ 40 less than any place that I’ve looked at in Chicago. I also think that their prices for food, toys, and leashes, etc., are reasonable compared to the other dog boutiques in the area, like the Urban Mutt, and my favorite in the city, Dog-​a-​Holics.
The quality of their services has always been good, and their groomers always listen to special requests, like «leave the legs long» or «shorten the ears.» I have never encountered any of the rudeness that the other reviews mention. Everyone has always been friendly. (Yes, you do have to wait in line sometimes, but that’s the nature of a busy place!) Maybe what the other reviews are missing is the baby talk that some people think is necessary when dealing with animals, but I frankly appreciate that they handle my dog professionally and not with any of this goo-​goo-​ga-​ga nonsense.
Their work with their rescue is what pushes my review from four to five stars. I love a place that does what it can to give back.

Not a bad place to go to once in a while. It has your typical bones and treats. Prices are fair for a nail trim and bath. Customer service could be better. Find myself standing at the register for a few minutes, waiting to pay for my items before someone even says hi. Wish they were a bit friendlier toward my pup when I bring him there.
UPDATE**** service has gotten better. They have also expanded and included a daycare. The only weird thing is that they seem to love those little Foo Foo dogs a lot.

Okay place, lots to buy for your dog and is clean, but felt the prices were a bit all over and somewhat expensive.
One thing I did not appreciate was the attitude of the groomers, not so friendly — they actually charge more if your dog whines too much, they consider that annoying and difficult. They need to find another professional or take a vacation from it if that’s how they truly feel about the dogs they care for.

They are organized and it is a nice shop. However, the prices are outrageous. $ 60.00 for a small, short-​haired dog? Every service is ala carte and you don’t know the damages until it’s too late. In fact, the intake girl said it would be around $ 30.00…she wasn’t certain. Turned out to be double that.
Unless it is your only child and you are independently wealthy, go to a place with less pomp and circumstance.

One afternoon, while Ryno was visiting his Grandma in the ‘burbs, we decided to take Ryno for a visit here. I’ve drove by this shop a bazillion times, but never stopped in, until Grandma told me how cute it was!
Inside, the store has a WIDE variety of different cookies, products, and collars/​leashes to choose from. I ended up buying Ryno an essential Cub hat for this upcoming World Series Championship series (Ok, wishful thinking, but it COULD happen!). He looks adorable in it!
I will be back for sure as they have grooming services, a self wash, and a pet photographer on staff! The prices are very reasonable too, which makes it easier to come back, and load up Ryno on all the doggy biscuits he wants!