My Samoyed has been going to doggy daycare and periodically boarding with Lori for years and it has been wonderful! Our pup is always excited when we arrive and we know she has a great time there. This location is incredibly convenient for us and significantly more affordable than other options is Seattle. I like that the dogs have lots of space to roam in the backyard can freely move inside and outside when they want to. We feel very lucky to send our dog to Baba Lu's! read more

Just started sending my younger dog (1.5 yrs) to Baba Lu's twice a week. While he won't tell me what he's been up to during the day, I've never seen him so tired after coming home! I'd call that a successful playdate. He's also happy to see the staff when I drop him off in the mornings, which I consider as a positive sign. They've have been really great with him (and me) and I appreciate the excellent communication. read more

Baba Lu's Playhouse - Hank is wiped out after a day at Baba Lu's. - Pet Boarding Near Me - Seattle, Washington

Our sweet pup has been a regular for doggie daycare at Baba Lu's for the past two years and it's been a wonderful experience. She's excited to arrive at every drop off to hang with her daycare/pack friends, it's clear that Lori and the staff give her so much love, and we've consistently had great communication. We trust them to always to always take great care of our girl! read more

Everyone has their own review and stories and originally I chose baba Lu's as they were rated well but after a couple of incidents I won't be back nor do I recommend them to anyone. I've used baba Lu's for a few of my visits and it's been a mixed bag. My dog was fine at the meet and greet and 2 of the bookings, my dog was fine and staff were nice. 2 of the other times I had issues with my dog - once he came back with two chipped teeth and 6 dime to quarter sized scabs from an altercation, and the other time he needed to visit the emergency vet due to swelling of his male appendage and extreme redness/sores around his genitals. For the latter booking, I find it odd that the caretakers did not notice this as two different vets said it was obvious it had been out for a while. To me, it seems like the caretakers are not watching the dogs as attentively as they should. If something was odd, I should've been contacted but wasn't. After the whole situation at the emergency vet happened, the owner of Baba lu's (Lori) seemed indifferent about the situation. My partner also noticed distressed barking one time when I was picking up my dog but shrugged it off. I won't be back especially after this last emergency vet visit and the lack of observation. Use your own judgement - I shouldn't have used baba Lu's after the first incident. Some other info: Lori will offers trazodone to dogs that have anxiety - I had to specifically mention not to use it as she's not a vet. It's odd that a dog boarder/day care would offer this medication that requires a prescription and that if a dog wasn't a fit, they wouldn't be allowed. Baba Lu's does not offer any refunds but provides credits with at least 2 weeks notice only if they can fill the spot. Any notice less than 2 weeks has a cancellation fee and it's usually 3 days. Weekday drop off is 7-10am with no weekend morning drop offs. Pickup is up to 9pm. There's a $45 charge for day care if you don't pickup before 10am. otherwise $60 for boarding a night. Venmo (not using goods and services) seems to be the preferred way for payment. Lori will not show you where dogs sleep during the temperament visit nor is she willing to send pictures of your pet during boarding as it is "confidential". Again, I do not recommend Baba Lu's Playhouse. read more

Baba Lu's Playhouse - 2 chipped teeth from boarding - Pet Boarding Near Me - Seattle, Washington

See all

Lori and the team are incredible and will love your dog like their own. They are the only folks I would trust with my dearest canine kids. I have had two dogs here and I could not recommend them more highly. Dogs get to be in a regular pack, have outdoor playtime, and come home tired and happy. read more

TL;DR My dog was attacked while being boarded at Baba Lu's, resulting in extensive lacerations that required stitches, bruising, and swelling. The proprietor didn't take him to the vet (car wasn't working...) and made me coordinate pickup and emergency care from across the country. $804 in medical bills and proprietor only gave a partial refund for boarding. Details: I boarded my dog Leonard at Babalu's playhouse while I was traveling, and he was attacked by several other dogs resulting in extensive lacerations all over his legs, chest, and back, temporary lameness in his front leg due to extensive bruising and swelling. The owner of Babalu's Playhouse called me at midnight to let me know this attack had happened because Leonard made a "prolonged yelping sound" while he was laying down that caused multiple dogs to rush in and attack him, and her hand was injured in the process of breaking up the fight. Also, her car was not working so she couldn't take him to the emergency vet for urgent medical care, and she did not take initiative to find another solution. She let me know I'd have to find someone to come pick him up in the morning. I was traveling across the country and had to find someone back in Seattle to help. Because of this, Leonard waited more than 9 hours before he was taken to the vet, with four deep, freely bleeding wounds (one deep enough to show into the subcutaneous fat). Leonard ended up having to go to the vet for three visits to get stitches and other wound care, racking up a medical bill of $804. Lori also argued with me about providing any refund, tried to give me "boarder credits", before eventually agreeing to a partial refund. If you're boarding your dog at a boarding facility, some key expectations are 1.) safety and 2.) capacity to do what's needed in an emergency, and 3.) accountability. Lori provided none of those. Avoid this business if you have similar expectations. I'm not taking legal action against her, I have pet insurance, this isn't about money. I just want other folks with dogs to be forewarned, and avoid the very scary situation we went through. read more

See all

The owners of this place have no morals or ethical standards. They prescribe medication to dogs that aren't theirs and as they are not veterinarians, they won't show you all of the property where your dog will be staying due to "confidentiality" (what kind of reason is that?), they don't actively take care of the dogs, they leave dogs in a separate space in the back of the property unsupervised, they fail to notify you of injuries, altercations, or strange behavior, and they NEVER accept responsibility on any of their bad reviews. My poor dog is a shy guy and has left with injuries and medical conditions each time we boarded him here and each time they said everything was fine. They must be seriously deranged or purposefully malicious, prioritizing penny pinching practices over actual animal care. Keep your beloved pets far far away from this place. read more

Baba Lu's is our dog's home away from home! We've been boarding him with Lori since he was a puppy and it's so great to know he is cared for and safe when we are out of town, and we feel much better taking him to a private home vs big boarding facility. They have even been there for us recently when I had to get emergency surgery and went out of their way to take our pup last minute. Can't recommend Baba Lu's enough! read more

My dog, Nuzzy, needed a daycare situation that wasn't a traditional box/ kennel environment. We started off boarding and very much wanted to bring Nuzzy to Baba Lu's Playhouse, but it was just too far away from my house to make it work on a weekly basis. We do still board and have been very happy. Nuzzy LOVES his playtime with the other boarders and he feels right at home with everyone. The initial meet and greet went really well. I felt like many of my concerns where addressed from the get go. I was really nervous since he was an adopted Airdale with very little history about him. Occasionally, he does get persnickety and they have just done a fabulous job dealing with his sometimes bent attitude. He gets a lot of exercise, love and socialization. In all honesty, spending the time at Baba Lu's has almost eliminated his weird mood swings all together, which I cannot be more grateful for. The employees and the owner, Lori, are so great with him. I wish Baba Lu's was closer to my home. read more

Our experience at Babalus has been great! We have taken our dog Frank to Lori's multiple times for overnight boarding. Basically a big dog friendly playhouse, Frank even sleeps in a big bed at night with other dogs. Great socialization for our little guy, and Lori always gives good insight into behaviors she notices, puts him in timeouts when he gets high energy, etc. He has come back with a few little scratches but it's expected with all of the dog playtime. Most important was the initial meet and greet with her own dogs to understand whether he would be a good fit to the group. Love having this an option for when we travel. read more

See all

My husband was forced to cancel his three day booking for a puppy because we had a covid scare. Lori did not offer any understanding and charged us a 50% penalty and has not allowed us to rebook with the remaining credit. However my main concern after looking back on this is that Lori suggested that she give our dog Tramadol if he would be anxious during his stay. She is not a veterinarian, how can she prescribe these types of human medicines to animals? read more

Our dog Kona has been going to Baba Lu's for about 9 years for regular days and boarding. She absolutely loves it there and having an awesome yard that size in the city to roam and play is the best! We were in Maui a few years back and the dog sitter at our house left the gate open and Kona delivered herself to Baba Lu's 6 blocks away-luckily Lori was at the gate and saw her. She texted us right away to let us know and kept Kona until we returned. We are very fortunate to have had Kona given such great care all these years. read more

Honestly, we cannot gush enough about Baba Lus. Our guys absolutely love getting to go play with their best friends all day and we are so grateful knowing they are safe, happy and cared for. We've been bringing our babies for many years now and it's been such a refuge for us. We've occasionally left them with Baba Lus while on vacation and they seemed to love their own little vacation time. I just want the staff to know how much we love and appreciate how much they love and care for our furry family. Truly the best. read more

My puppy loves this place! He can *just barely* sit down for a treat when he gets there in the morning -- so excited!! As he slooooowly walks away at the end of the day, he'll sometimes look back wistfully as Vic waves and says, 'bye, love you Beebo'. My spazzy puppy loves Baba Lu's, and we're both learning so much. Lori tells me who his favorite friends are, helps me troubleshoot not-fun stuff like eye infections and bad behaviors, as well as help Beebo pick up some good ones. I love taking him to a small place where folks know the dogs and their owners. When he's at daycare or boarding, I never worry about him being safe, and I know he's going to come home happy and tired. We're both glad that he's part of Baba Lu's pack. read more

Baba Lu's Playhouse - Pet Boarding Near Me - Seattle, Washington

I found Baba Lu on Yelp and was impressed with all the 5 star reviews. I needed to drop my dog off somewhere for a weekend so I took her here and regret that decision. As soon as I walked in the gate with my dog, the owner (Lori) greeted us with two of her dogs and was friendly enough. About 20 seconds later, four dogs burst out of the front door and surrounded my dog barking incessantly. My dog is extremely social and sweet and I've never seen her so terrified. Lori had a spray bottle and sprayed all the dogs with water which did not help at all. She didn't seem to have any control over any of the dogs. I should have left after this but I didn't have time to search for another place. So, after a long while, the owner grabbed the dogs, got them inside the house and put them in the kitchen. Once my dog got over that fiasco, a little white dog started wrestling with her in the living room which was not dog proof AT ALL. As they wrestled, my dog kept hitting the coffee table and backing up really hard into the corner of the table which made me cringe. Lori assured me they'd be allowed to play in the backyard soon. I left with the worst gut feeling. I felt so guilty for leaving my dog there. That was a Friday morning and I'd be back to pick up my dog on Monday morning. On Sunday, I called just to check up on my dog and was told that she had had some kind of reaction on both of her cheeks from that same white dog that I saw wrestling with my dog. Lori told me not to be alarmed but wanted me to know that I would notice some fur missing. When I picked up my dog on Monday morning and saw the condition of her checks, my heart sank and I wanted to vomit. There were patches of fur missing and her skin was raw. Lori said that was a normal reaction but of the dozens of times I've taken my dog to dog parks and let her play and wrestle for hours, this has never happened. I asked Lori if she had paid any attention to the dogs and she said Yes but I have trouble believing that. I was blown away that Lori expected me to pay the full price for three days when my dog ended up in this condition on her watch. I paid her half and even that was too much. As we left, my dog, who normally never wants to leave where other dogs are, couldn't wait to get out and never looked back. When we got home, my dog acted completely different. She was uncharacteristically skittish and seemed afraid of everything. When I tried to take a picture of her cheeks, she'd run behind me and hide. She had NEVER done that before! End of story is...I had to take her to the vet which cost me $93. Quite a high price for trusting Baba Lu and all the great reviews on there. Never again. read more

My 10 month old puppy Charley Marley loves his time at Baba Lu's Playhouse. We met the owner Lori through Columbia City Veterinary Hospital. Charley goes 2 days a week for daycare and I am very happy with the care Charley has received. He has boarded for 10 days in April. He's gonna stay at Baba Lu's for 2 weeks in June. I will miss him but I have peace of mind knowing he is well cared for. I'm excited for him! read more

Lori took such good care of my dog, Sunny, while he was staying with her for 5 days. Her yard is an oasis for dogs - with plenty of places to run, play, and relax. I knew he was safe under her care and the well-fenced yard was extra reassurance. Since coming home he has slept all day and can't wait to come back for daycare. read more

Baba Lu's is a dream come true - starting a new Job and needed the right spot for my pup to play and hang out during the day and occasional overnights - Lori the owner could not be more accommodating, thoughtful and professional about her business and her canine clients. My dog comes back every day happy and tired after a an active and social day playing with his new buddies - both of us could not be happier ! read more

Baba Lu's Playhouse - Lori sent me this shot of my pup's favorite spot on a warm day - Pet Boarding Near Me - Seattle, Washington

Max loves Baba Lu's! It has been great for him (and us)! He plays super hard, lounges and naps - and then comes home a tired and happy pup. Lori is fab - very friendly, upfront and really partnering with me on what's best for Max. She knows what she is doing and I love knowing Max is with her and her crew all day (and on the overnights when we are out of town). PROS: --Home/yard set up is all about dogs! --The hours, price, staff, convenience, communication - all excellent. --Friendly and warm environment. --You know your dog is in the best hands - safe and cared for like in your own home. ... well pretty much everything! CONS: --Keeping up with Max as he rushes full speed to Lori's gate in the mornings for drop off. --Picking him up -- as he never wants to leave. When he was smaller I had to carry him to the car. Now I have treats to convince him to come with me...! read more

Lori and her crew are amazing. I've been boarding my 4yo Frenchie with them for 1-2 weeks per month for the past year. They're running a consistently excellent business. I have an off leash dog but Lori requires a harness or collar while boarding. When I put the harness on my dog he gets so excited because he knows he gets to go play with his friends. And when he comes home he's exhausted. Lori helps me be the best dog parent I can be with my hectic schedule. read more

About a year and a half ago Craig came into my life - I literally rescued him out of a mini-mart parking lot, treated his fleas and mange, NEUTERED him and loved the smack out him on the spot. We had a great life together as I was working from home at the time: we went to the dog park everyday, I took him to dog friendly businesses and he helped me write winning ad copy. After a while, however, I decided leaving the house would be good for my head and my ass (yoga pants can not be trusted, FYI.) As it turns out, Craig can't really write ad copy, I was just going bat shit crazy for lack of human contact outside the confines of the dog park. So I got a "real job" and left Craig at home with the cat, thinking that as long as I had my shoes safely hidden away all would be fine. Right? He'll be fine. WRONG. Craig no like mama no home. Craig eat couch. Craig poo nervous, loose poo on mama's rug. Craig drag all items out of recycling bin and distribute around the house. Craig lay on mama when she get home and not get off because Craig think mama no can go if she no get up. Craig weigh about 80 pounds. Not good. Poor Craig. Poor mama's couch, and rug, and general mobility once in the house. Enter Lori and Baba Lu's. Lori has a great place for dogs and a huge dog loving heart. Dogs are able to hang out in the house where it's warm and comfortable and homey (because it's a home) and Lori has a great yard to play in....where bacteria doesn't build up on man made surfaces, if you understand my meaning. I'm totally happy and so is Craig, he loves playing with the other dogs and he LOVES Lori. I'm so grateful to be able to leave him somewhere and not worry about him...or my couch....or my rug.... read more

Owner reached out to me directly after I posted a negative review. Kind, thoughtful, and very conscientious. I will definitely consider them for boarding in the future. read more

I went back to school this past year, and Baba Lu's has been a life saver! Since I'm at school all day, I didn't want my dogs to be left alone at home without any interaction. They have had sleep overs during the school year a few days in the week and they always love going there. I live almost 45 minutes away one way, but the drive is worth it for my dogs. read more

See all

I have been looking for the perfect, safe boarding situation for my fur baby, Charlie Brown, and found it at Baba Lu's!! I wanted him to be safe, get plenty of outside playtime, and be able to sleep inside a home with a loving human. Lori knocked it out of the park! He had SO much fun staying with her, made a ton of new doggie friends, (including her adorable Baba Lu and Dory), got to sleep in a bed, and came home happy and exhausted. I never once worried about him while he was in her care. She can never retire because Baba Lu's Playhouse is now Charlie Brown's home away from home. :) read more

Baba Lu's Playhouse - Charlie Brown - Pet Boarding Near Me - Seattle, Washington

Lori is great with my dog. She accepted a shy, timid puppy and now my dog wags and wags her tail when we get close to Baba Lu's. The dogs are not kenneled at all - they are outside the vast majority of the time. (Unless, I assume, it is very cold or they are boarding or staying late). The dogs play all together in a very large backyard that has a variety of elements (trees, grass, dirt, hammocks). Lori is great at communicating and I appreciate her love of dogs and commitment to keeping my dog happy. She is flexible and friendly. I would recommend this doggie daycare to anyone whose dog loves other dogs. read more

This place has just worked out wonderfully for us. Lori is very flexible with drop off and pick and really seems to enjoy each dog's personality. We have a Whippet which is typically a tentaive breed, but there is no hesitation in his love for his days at Lori's house. He can recognize where we are going from a block away and starts getting excited. When we arrive he sprints inside as fast as he can, and when I come to pick him up he is happy but completely exhausted from playing all day. read more

Baba Lu's and the owner Lori are awesome! She is so friendly and caring! Lori was also so accommodating as I needed a new sitter in short notice. The property is set up perfectly for our dogs protection and fun! My dog loves his play date days and always comes home happy and tired. read more

Baba Lu's Playhouse - Love that she posts pics and gives you updates! - Pet Boarding Near Me - Seattle, Washington

We've boarded our dog Luna with Lori twice now, and both times she's had a great time and come back a happy, tired pup. The first time we boarded her over the holidays she was only 5 months old so we were nervous wrecks about leaving her, but Lori was great about giving us updates via text. Luna had such a good time she was definitely sad to leave! 10/10 would recommend Baba Lu's. read more

I visit Seattle often and take Luna, my Bull Terrier mix, with me. Lori, the proprietor of Baba Lu's Playhouse, is knowledgeable about dog behavior and completely trustworthy. I have used her daycare service, and also have boarded my dog overnight, for a very reasonable rate. Her large, clean yard is tailored to dogs, with lots of comfy dog beds and papasan chairs, shady areas, play space, and a very secure fence. I feel confident that Lori knows how to handle an emergency, she answers texts and calls immediately. Drop-off and pick-up are a breeze. The dogs spend most of the day outside playing but are also welcome on the luxurious chaise lounge or the bed, and in the kitchen for treat time. I think Luna might be having more fun in Seattle than I do! read more

Our puppy, Lando, started going to Baba Lu's at age 18 weeks and has been going there 2+ times per week for the last few months. It has been a great experience for him and for us: - He loves it. Gets excited when we pull up and races out of the car to the front door. - Lori and her team clearly love dogs,and the fact that it's a smaller daycare in a cozy home environment enables them to keep a closer eye on the dogs. I trust that Lando is super safe in Lori's care and she would pick up on whether anything was wrong with him. - Lori is super flexible - we've sometimes added days, asked for a night of boarding or requested a late pickup. Lori has always been super accommodating,and it makes it much easier to manage our schedules knowing we have her as a backup. The only small thing to be aware of is that the dogs play outside all day, which is fabulous fun for them, but means a slightly grubby coat. We use dog-grooming wipes at the end of the day, which do the trick just fine. However, if you are super OCD about your house (hard if you have a dog!), this may not be the place for you... read more

Lori and the ladies of Baba Lu take great care of our German Shepherd! He wasn't that well socialized before coming to Baba Lu's but the team there worked with him and he is now so much better around other doggos. They have an indoor and outdoor space for the dogs, and flexible drop off and pick up. They also offer boarding. Scheduling and payment is easy with Lori. read more

We brought Archie, our 1 year-old Boston Terrier, to Baba Lu's Playhouse to stay during an out-of-town trip. We were a little anxious because this was Archie's first time staying away from family, and being with other dogs. But Lori was very reassuring with how she eased our dog into the stay. She texted us with updates as to how Archie was doing (nervous the first couple of days, but then relaxed after, enjoying his time there). After our week away, we came to pick up Archie. He was happy to see us of course, but at ease with the other dogs and the environment. Lori loves dogs, and knows a great deal about them. Archie will be coming back, for sure! read more

Our German Shepherd / Chow mix has been staying here for a few months and we have had such a great experience! Our dog comes home happy (and tired) and Lori has been great to work with! We definitely recommend this doggy daycare to anyone looking for a convenient, safe, and well managed place to send your pooch for the day! read more

baba lu's playhouse was our dogsitter of choice for two years, 3 days a week. they took great care of our dog, were always flexible on boarding, and lori was super dependable the entire time. i really love the format, our dog made great friends over the years. and it was the same dogs every day so they got to know each other and were even more excited to go to day care everyday. i highly recommend babalu's, just for the care and attention they give, their dependability and the unique format & dog community they foster. read more

What a great treat finding Baba Lu's playhouse for doggy daycare! A warm, fun-loving 'home' environment is provided by Staffordshire bull terrier and all-around happy gent Baba Lu. Seriously, Baba Lu is a fantastic host - it's like dropping a child off at camp - they can't get out of the car fast enough. Such is the case at Baba Lu's playhouse. A huge backyard to run and sun in, and, when paws are exhausted, they have their choice of sofa or nook to curl up in. It is an ideal setting for a dog being able to have the familiarity of kitchens, living rooms, backyards at their disposal and an adorable playmate to welcome them in. No dog ever feels left out at Babalu's playhouse. Can't recommend this playhouse HIGHLY enough! An affordable, generous, loving, worry-free place for your pooch. It was for mine! read more

Wow! A home away from home for all dogs I know. Cosy, comfortable, with a dog-knowledgeable, loving, work-from home owner. The Dog of the House acts as a gracious host, thrilled to have playmates. I can't recommend Baba Lu's enough. read more

My one year old pup is a newbie to Baba Lu's. Lori has welcomed her with open arms and takes excellent care of her as if she were her own. My dog went in to Baba's as an overly energetic terror (in the most loving way possible) and has come out on the other end as a calm, well-exercised angel! I'm so thankful for the attention and care Lori gives my dog on a daily basis. I can't imagine a better place for my pup! read more

Wonderful experience with Lori. Such an incredibly positive experience! Lori is a true dog person with genuine care for our furry friends. Boarded my pup with her last minute and was so thankful. Got updates throughout the time my pup was away. Very appreciated! Would use again! read more

Baba Lu's is a doggie oasis in the city. Unlike big doggie day cares Baba Lu's is a sweet in home alternative. There's a small but spunky crew of dogs with a huge yard and play area. There's even a nice ramp for older dogs like mine who have trouble with stairs. My dog loves cuddling inside with Lori and playing with the pups. Lori has been incredibly sweet and compassionate with my senior dog. I can't say enough about Baba Lu's! If your dog needs some interaction and play time (not to mention indoor lounging), this is your place!!! read more

As a first-time dog mommy, I was pretty nervous dropping my girl off at daycare! Turns out I had NOTHING to worry about. Not only that, but on daycare days Nellie puts herself to bed (which if you've raised a puppy, you know how important it is to get some peace once in awhile). Lori is also helping to get rid of some of Nellie's bad habits and Nellie has definitely shown more confidence around bigger dogs when she's with me. I couldn't be happier with Baba Lu, and it's certainly evident that Nellie loves going based on how quickly she jumps out of the car and runs to the fence on those days! Thanks Lori for helping keep me sane and in love with my dog! read more