Meet VIP Member Inn the Dog House

This February ​T​he Dog Gurus are excited to celebrate their 4th Anniversary of The Daycare Games. For this member highlight, we interviewed Whitney Callahan, Owner of Inn The Doghouse in Lakewood, Ohio. Whitney’s team claimed the top spot in the 2017 Daycare Games in the large class.

TDG: Provide a brief overview of your company.

Inn The Doghouse is a Pet Resort in Lakewood, Ohio offering daycare, overnights and a pet spa for dogs and cats. Lakewood is a densely populated community of 52,000 people, living in 5 square miles right outside the city of Cleveland.

I founded the business in October 2003. At the time it was a progressive idea that dogs would play all day in daycare and only be kenneled at night. It took some time to find the right building, with the right zoning and a landlord who didn’t think the idea was crazy. The community loved the concept and we became profitable the first year. During that time, we observed that the industry was moving towards posher options.

In 2011 I bought our current building, and renovated to allow for suites, a quieter lobby, separate play areas for different play styles and sizes of dogs, central air conditioning and nicer pet spa. Our location is highly visible; with 20,000 cars driving past us a day. Our business grew exponentially. We went from 10 employees to 22 full time employees, and more than tripled our revenue.

Since 2003 a lot of daycares have opened (and closed), but our standard of care, transparency and staff education continues to differentiate our facility from others. I am the last of the original dog daycare owners in Cleveland. The rest have been sold to new owners.

TDG: How did you get started in the pet industry?

As a child, my mother was a young widow and a school teacher. We bred Champion chocolate Labradors. I participated in junior handling and personally whelped 40 puppies. Also, to make a little extra money, my mother would board pets in our home. Growing up I thought I wanted to be a veterinarian. However, after dropping Organic Chemistry in college, I decided to major in International Affairs and Spanish and upon graduation went to work in the consulting industry.

When we moved to Lakewood, I chaired a committee to build a dog park in our city (at the time dogs were not allowed in any public parks and the only place to walk our dogs was on our tree lawns). Soon after, the company I was working for was closing our Cleveland office and asked me to relocate. But my husband was getting his MBA at Case Western, so it wasn’t time for us to move. At the time, I didn’t like the boarding options for my friendly Bullmastiff and it was difficult to convince my friends to keep my giant, very well-behaved dog for a week, while we went on vacations. I knew there had to be a better option, so I took my severance and opened Inn The Doghouse! We were the first dog daycare in Northeast Ohio to offer onsite boarding, grooming and cat rooms.

TDG: What do you find most rewarding about working in the pet industry?

We are truly committed to improving the lives of the pets and their owners in my community by providing them peace of mind when they are away while also giving their pets an outlet for play and exercise. We work diligently to educate our staff and pet parents about dog behavior, pet safety, vaccinations and health concerns. There is nothing better than having an extremely nervous person walk into our facility for the first time and watching them leave relaxed knowing that their dog will be well taken care of and have fun. We focus on transparency, education and communication. Oh, and I get to work with animals all day! We are fortunate in this area of the industry to get to see the positive side of pet ownership. Our pets are so loved and cared for that they receive the luxury of daycare.

TDG: What does being a member of The Dog Gurus mean to you?

They are a resource for staff education, pack obedience skill knowledge and best practices. Our staff LOVES the Daycare Games. It is fun, challenging and they win medals! The reason our staff is so successful during game time is because we incorporate those challenges into our daily routine throughout the year.

TDG: What is the thing you are most proud of for your company?

As owner, I have moved from working “in my business” to “on my business”. Operations and quality of care have been standardized and employees are now incentivized with a performance-based pay structure. We hire good people and strive to create a career for them, not just jobs. There are opportunities for advancement, from becoming a Team Lead on the floor, Manager, to Wellness Coordinators and Canine Concierges. I bring my management team to industry conferences and encourage ongoing education. Groomers have always been difficult to manage, so I no longer hire externally for the pet spa. Instead, we promote from within and send them to school with a forgivable loan agreement that vests over three years. That way we have promoted someone who is already part of our culture, while ensuring consistency and quality for our clients.

TDG: What does your staff do together for fun?

We have annual employee parties that range from a day at a waterpark, to a party at a local bar/restaurant, to a Wine & Design event. My overall Gold Medalists from the Daycare Games are treated to a special Gold Medal Dinner at a local restaurant. They also enjoy their Weekly Skill Challenges. We have weekly Friday meetings and the winner of the challenge receives a special prize ranging from lottery tickets, to movie tickets or a gift certificate to a local restaurant. If there are no vet bills or customer complaints, I buy our staff Friday lunch. I’m proud to say they get lunch almost every week as it is a positive incentive to keep their eye on the prize!

TDG: Do you have a client or dog that changed the way you run your business?

Over the years, our business has evolved. The concept was new when we started, and best practices were difficult to come by. Fourteen years ago, we had one large daycare area and our small dogs and large dogs all played together. A few years into our business we had a small dog that was injured by a larger dog. The dog was okay, but it made me look at our practices to create safer, better options. We contacted over 20 dog daycares across the country to ask about their play areas, policies and procedures. Then we did an audit and found out that our small dog population had also been growing steadily over the years.

Now all dogs are placed in play groups depending on size, energy levels, play styles and lastly age. We still have a larger Main Daycare area, but we also have our Small Dog area and our Senior Lounge (which depending on our group that day can be used for senior dogs, shyer dogs, dogs recovering from injuries, rowdy rover body slammers, large breed puppies or to separate personality conflicts).

TDG: If you could meet anyone in the industry, who would it be and why?

I would love to sit down with Heidi Ganahl, the founder of Camp Bow Wow. As a female entrepreneur, I find her success inspiring. All too often, our small ideas become something wonderful, but do not grow to their full potential. We must be pushed to think and create something bigger. While there is more and more competition in our market, there is also a push for market consolidation by the industry giants. Now that our company is established with a solid reputation in Northeast Ohio and our standards for care and operations are set, I look forward to growing the Inn The Doghouse brand.