This was the first time Auggie stayed at Dogwoods Lodge. He was there 1 night. The staff was great and knew his cabin neighbors on each side were calm, quiet pups, which was reassuring. We received the complimentary picture in a text noting he was enjoying his time outside in the sunny weather. Drop off and pick up was efficient. The report card is a nice touch. It would have been nice to know the schedule of when the campers would be outside to see them on camera instead of randomly catching action on the live feed, but not a big deal. Auggie will be a returning camper. read more

Dogwoods Lodge - Auggie enjoying his first camp day - Pet Sitting Near Me - Grimes, Iowa

I have LOVED my experience with Dogwoods. I always know my pups are safe and well looked after when staying for boarding. I would highly recommend! read more

I noticed that they expire their daycamp "punches" when competitors don't. They offer a discount if you purchase multiple punches at a time, only to expire them after 12 months. They told me that they do not reinstate them for anyone, despite already paying. We went there exclusively with our Aussie for the 3 years that we've had him, and planned on continuing forever, however since they have been unwilling to reinstate my 2 expired punches that I paid for, I can no longer trust them to do the right thing. I requested for the manager, Morgan, to call me but she emailed instead.... And when she was unable to answer a basic policy question, she stated via email "I don't personally make the policies or fully understand the reason for this policy, but I am required to enforce them." I asked to discuss with the owner and I never got a call back. I never write reviews but I wanted others to know that they are the only place who expires services their customers have already paid for. I'll be going to one of the many choices in the area from now on who value the dogs instead of the money. read more

chief and I LOVE dogwoods lodge, they take such great care of him and even send pictures! would definitely recommend to anyone with a dog! read more

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We have been with Dogwoods for several years and have always been impressed with their service. Recently, we were halfway around the world on vacation and had a house sitter at home. In the perfect storm, our dog got sick and our house sitter had to go back home to Colorado for an emergency. After being taken to the vet and prescribed a very complex food schedule that changed almost daily, as well as medications, we called Dogwoods and were able to get her into her favorite room. The staff, and especially Morgan, were amazing at keeping on top of all her food changes daily and checking her health and wellness. They went way above and beyond the typical responsibility of taking care of a boarding pet. They kindly accepted my calls daily to see how she was doing. We were thinking about coming home, but once she got to Dogwoods , we knew she would be well taken care of. We wouldn't trust our fur babies with anyone else! read more

Dogwoods Lodge - Pet Sitting Near Me - Grimes, Iowa

Facility always clean. Staff always greet my dog by name even though she doesn't come regularly. My dog is always happy to go there. The notes I get from boarding are always so thorough. I feel comfortable and confident with staff and facility. Thank you for caring for our furry family member. read more

Great environment for dogs! My dogs love going there, and the staff is so affectionate towards both of my dogs. They have clean kennels, lots of activities, and the staff is very flexible to work with your schedule. They are great, and it is a well managed place for pets. read more

Archie and Scarlet love the care and attention they get when they visit DWL!! The best staff!

We have been going to Dogwoods for years!! From daycare, to grooming, to lodging, they are top notch in all they do! I highly recommend them to you & your pups!! read more

I've been boarding Barkley here for a few years I feel comfortable leaving him at Dogwoods. I trust the staff to take care of him. I like the all day play and 2-hour play time offerings so he can play and socialize with other dogs during his stay. read more

The only place that we will board our dog. Great caring staff that takes excellent care with our pet. Our dog is older and they are very patient with her and she always comes home happy. Highly recommend!! read more

A hidden gem. I have used the big box groomers in the past. This was so close to home. The staff was so helpful and caring. Slightly higher than Petco/ PerSmart. Well you the few extra bucks. Nellie and I give it thumbs (paws) up read more

Dogwoods Lodge - Pet Sitting Near Me - Grimes, Iowa

I have an older dog who loves attention. I was happy to see they offered cuddle time. She no longer enjoys playing with other dogs, and sleeps a lot, but can't get enough time with people. read more

Dogwoods Lodge - Pet Sitting Near Me - Grimes, Iowa

This was the first time we had checked out a Kenneling/Training Center, so I appreciated the opportunity to see if Dogwoods was a good fit for our golden doodle through the no obligation, trial "social assessment." Fifteen minutes in and we could tell she was enjoying herself, so we extended our Saturday visit. When we picked Kona up at 4, we received a report on how she did. Fortunately, our doggie passed :) Great job from the staff of making us feel welcome and more importantly, making us feel that our dog was the most important one there. Will definitely be returning! read more

Our lab mix would give Dogwoods ten stars if he could. I've used them for daycare and overnights, and have always been completely satisfied. It is not the cheapest price, but they still provide tremendous value. Our dog always comes home tired and happy. Dogwoods is safe, and is always careful to match your dog to the right environment. Their staff are friendly and very easy to work with. My favorite features are the daily report cards telling you who the dog plays with and how they did, and I also like that you can see your pet online through their portal. If i could change one thing, I wish you could schedule appointments online. The bottom line is that this place is top notch. If it's within your budget, and you have a high energy dog or puppy, do yourself a favor and schedule some day care time at Dogwoods. If you are going out of town, this would be my first choice to board your dog. read more

Very friendly staff, cute decor and you can tell their love for animals when you walk in the door!! Our dog enjoyed his evening with staff and playing with other dogs! You get a report card on their experience and recommendations of what they would enjoy when they visit again. You get what you pay for at Dogwoods!!! We will definitely use their services in the future. read more

We've been to a few boarding places in the area and I haven't been impressed with either the staff or the facility at any of them. So each time we leave town we've been trying a new place. Dogwoods is hands down the best. It's clean, there aren't thousands of dogs barking so loud you can't hear, the folks at the front desk actually know your dog, and I got a report just like my kids did in preschool telling me how my dog did, what she liked, what she didn't, etc. This place looks and feels like an actual hotel. It's cozy and the dogs actually have rooms and not cages. I won't keep looking for other options from here on out, this place is amazing. read more

We have a great dane and we've used Dogwoods Lodge for lodging, day camp and grooming and all services were fantastic! We were in the process of moving into a new home so we had our dog stay for the weekend and I like the options of rooms they have available and they actually offer "room service" which is a nice touch that I haven't seen anywhere else. It made me feel a lot better with boarding her with the special attention that is available. We ended up not being able to completely move in two days and called to see if they could keep her one more night and they were very accommodating which was awesome! Don't worry we stopped by and dropped off more food =) The day camp is great. They have separate play areas for big dogs and small dogs and they have indoor and outdoor play areas. The staff is always friendly and happy to see Shiva when we walk in the door. The first time we went they did let me tour the place and check everything out and I appreciate the transparency. And a major plus is the live Web cam! I can check in on her whenever I wanted. They always do a great job with bathing her. They have a walk-in bath which works better for a great dane than a tub so shes not climbing in and out. We also get the nail dremmeling done and they're very gentle and patient with her and do a very good job. The waiting area is comfortable with a TV. The lobby is open and they do have items to purchase for your fur babies so that's also nice. I highly recommend the awesome staff and clean facilities! read more

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The people here are great and seem to truly love what they do! Our pup always has a good time and leaves tired! Boarding is a bit pricey, but worth the money knowing my dog is played with and taken care of. read more

We had avoided traveling for a couple of years after a less than satisfactory experience with another boarding facility. After a strong recommendation from a friend we decided to try Dogwoods for a short three night stay. Our dog has had back surgery and cannot jump or climb stairs and is afraid of other dogs especially larger ones. We visited the facility, were very impressed with the accommodations and the very friendly but professional staff. We are now fans! Our pet was obviously well taken care of, the "report card" demonstrated they actually made his stay as safe and caring as we had hoped. It's so nice to have found someone we trust to care for him as we would. Thank you Dogwoods! read more

My family and I recently left our girls, Daisy (a yellow lab - 4 years) and Lola (a black lab mix - 3 years), at Dogwoods Lodge for seven nights when we went to Tennessee. It was the first time we've ever left them - let alone, boarded them. We have not gone on a vacation since bringing them into our home because we were not able to find it in our hearts leave them, and we weren't sure we'd be able to find a place that we trusted enough to take them to. Thankfully, we found Dogwoods Lodge and felt comfortable enough to leave them there. When we rescued Lola, she was malnourished and had been abused. She's very skittish and easily spooked, so we were concerned with how she was going to do, however, she did great! So did Daisy! The staff was so helpful! I called everyday to check on the girls, and each day they were so kind and never made me feel like I was calling too much! Each day the staff filled me in on the girls and gave me peace of mind! Next time we leave them, they will be staying at Dogwoods Lodge. If you are hesitant, don't be! You won't regret it! read more

Absolutely love this place for my pup. She loves going ther and always gets really excited when we pull up. They offer all different kinds of service such as pup camp, boarding, nail trimming, training. It really is a one stop shop kind of place. read more

Dogwoods Lodge Rocks! The staff is great and Boomer had a great time. Thanks for being awesome!!

Great staff beautiful facility. Cameras to watch your dog. Make sure you understand, when they say they "rotate the dogs" it means their out 20 minutes and then crated in kennels 20 minutes while another group of dogs are out. I get this, it allows them to double the number of dogs but it also means your dog is in crate 1/2 the day. We're on to Collar Club where the dogs only rest in a crate 2 hours out of the day. read more

I was so excited to take my dog here after reading the reviews. We don't board him often but if he liked his weekend there we were going to look into daycare. But the past few days have me very concerned. When I picked my dog up he was acting fine just very excited to go home. When the girl who brought him out to me she handed me his stuff and said his report card was in the bag. I personally had never been given a report card after boarding my dog but thought it was cute they did so. I glanced at it when I got in the car. All it said was he was good and loves people (okay, thanks I knew that). So I thought it was just something cute they did to give you piece of mind after being away from your dog. Not long after being home our dog jumped on the bed and sat down when he got up there was a lot of blood. I cleaned him up and kept an eye on him, later that evening he was begging to go outside and my fiancé was trying to get the door open but couldn't get it open fast enough and our dog had runny poop. For the record, our dog barely had accidents in the house when he was a puppy let alone a 4 year old AND he has never ever had runny poop or blood. Naturally we were freaking out. We got him cleaned up and monitored him the rest of the night. The next day we called the vet and kept monitoring him. This day was fine, no accidents, just a lot of going inside and out but he loves the cool air and loves to lay in the yard so it's not out of the norm for him to want to go outside multiple times a night. The next day no accidents but that night he woke us up 4 times throughout the night with needing to go out in an emergency, also VERY out of character. So after a rough night I decide to give Dogwoods lodge a call and see if they noticed anything. I brought it up to the girl who answered the phone and she took a look in his account and could see they had noticed a bloody soft stool the second day he was there. So I asked why this is the first I am hearing about it and she said that it was noted on my report card. I told her it wasn't and she asked me if I was sure. Yes I'm sure some one scribbled 5 words on this paper and nothing has to do with poop! I told her I don't appreciate not being told about this. She told me she understood and would feel the same if it was her dog, she also said she would have a manager call me tomorrow to discuss the issue further. I received a call from their customer service girl and I re-explained the situation. She explained to me it is not protocol for staff to call owners or for front desk staff to inform owner when picking up their dogs about concerns they write them on the report card. And then she apologized that protocol wasn't followed. She tired to tell me this is normal and they don't usually alert owners about it (except for the report card). I told her as an owner I don't think the report card is an effective method for that kind of information. She then compared it to a child's report card that a teacher wouldn't call a parent about something concerning their child they would put it on the report card. I would seriously hope that if her child was throwing up at school she wouldn't want them making her child stay at school and let her know via the child's report card. read more

Friendly staff, very clean facility. My whippets love their daycamp time and come home exhausted and happy. And if I have to go on vacation without them, I know they are in good hands lodging at Dogwoods. read more

Dogwoods Lodge - Sitting for treats at daycamp - Pet Sitting Near Me - Grimes, Iowa

The staff was so friendly! They greeted us and our little pupper with open arms. Our baby was happy and healthy when we returned.

We absolutely LOVE Dogwoods. Our dog Peanut attends day camp and it is the best socialization and exercise!! We love the live cams and being able to keep up with her day and the updates we get at the end of her visits. The staff is so friendly, easy to communicate with, and clearly care about all dogs that attend! read more

I am glad that Dogwoods Lodge offers grooming again! They did a great job grooming my Goldendoddle. I will be making her next appointment with them. read more

Staff always super-friendly greeting you at door. The location is super convenient for us coming back from travel. If your flight comes in super-late but don't want to wait until next morning to pick up dogs you can arrange for after-hours pickup using an outside accessible kennel with keypad Dogwoods provides. Love the report cards your dogs get at the end of each kennel visit as well.... We also use the Daycamp which offers some great socialization and the dogs get to burn off steam during the day. The training program we took was also great. Very informative and productive.... read more

Dogwoods is a wonderful place! My dog loves going there and I love that I can watch her all day on cameras. They take such good care of my dog and have lots of variety in ways to love my dog when I need to lodge her. Ben Zaugg - dog Coda read more

They have wonderful facilities and friendly staff. Their prices are a little high compared to other places, but they do have several nice amenities and rooms. I also like the video feed they have in the play areas. One slight annoyance is that you cannot drop off your dog from 12-2pm. Most days that may be okay, but it makes it hard if you are leaving early on a Friday. If you take a half day you either have to drop your dog off early or wait until 2. I was annoyed by this because they said they have staff there to answer the phone and be there with the dogs. If you are paying staff why can't I simply drop off my dog when I've already paid for the room? Just an inconvenience that I wouldn't expect for the cost. read more

This afternoon, I brought my dog to Dogwoods for a "social assessment" to see if they would be willing to have him attend their dog day camp. Even arranging the social assessment had been somewhat arduous--when I first called to set it up, they told me they wouldn't schedule it if all the required vaccinations weren't uploaded into their client portal. So, I created an account and scheduled an appointment with the vet to get all the required tests (which included a Bordetella vaccination and a fecal exam he didn't otherwise need). Vet visit accomplished, I uploaded the materials. I then called Dogwoods and left a message, to which I got no response. Some time later, I called again, and this time was able to set up the appointment. I was given minimal information about what the process would entail and so planned on about an hour of interview/dog socialization time. When I arrived, I was asked a few questions about my dog ("How old is he?" "How is he with other dogs?" "Has he been to dog day care before?"). I responded that he was 5, and generally got along well with other dogs, some occasional humping aside, and that he was socialized with other dogs but has not attended day camp previously. My dog found the facility somewhat intimidating--we had to walk down several hallways, and he could smell the other dogs. Being a rescue dog, he likely associated the ambiance of the place with the pound. He was a little stressed out, but behaving well, when we got to the socialization room. At that point in the process, I was instructed to watch through a window, and the staff member put my dog on a short lead and led him into the room. My dog was nervous but behaved appropriately--he indicated interest in sniffing, but not playing with, the other dogs. He checked the entrance a few times, and he checked to make sure I was still on the other side of the window a few times. He went back to sniffing other dogs. The behavior repeated as a cycle. After about 5 minutes, the staff member (a manager who self-reported "4 years of experience" working with the dog day camp) came out with my dog and told me he wasn't a good candidate for day camp because "he wasn't interested in the other dogs." I asked him how he could possibly judge that from 5 minutes of interaction when my dog clearly needed time to adjust and when I had formed a different impression. He emphasized his professional experience and tried to sell me on more expensive services. Angry and deeply frustrated with the poor quality of the assessment, I assured him in no uncertain terms that I had no intention of pursuing such services or, indeed, any services with Dogwoods. I am not sure why, after needing to pay for several vaccinations in advance of the social assessment, the process was so cursory and dismissive. It's certainly bad business practice to behave in such a way. I left feeling that the decision had been made before the assessment began--my rescue dog, at the old age of 5, was not worthy company for the more elite, repeat customers to which Dogwoods already catered, and so the social assessment was really just about going through the motions so that there would be a (barely) plausible reason to deny my dog access to day camp. If that is the case, this is not a place I'd like to leave my dog. If it's not the case, then the lack of care and patience demonstrated by this particular staff member during the assessment process leads me to the same conclusion. I'd caution other people to avoid Dogwoods as well. read more

Our dog Cariba loves going to Dogwoods Lodge. She plays in the "Big Dog Doggy Daycare" and gets along with all the other dogs. By 5:30 pm on the drive home she is exhausted. Thanks Dogwoods Lodge for taking such good care of Cariba !!! Last Spring 2013 Cariba spent 8 days and nights at Dogwoods Lodge while we were on vacation. She had individual "dog training" every day. When we returned home to pick her up, we had a "new dog". Her "doggy manners" had improved 100% and now people compliment her on being so well behaved. Five paws for Dogwoods Lodge !!! read more

The one star is for the general cleanliness of the facility. We moved to Iowa three years ago. We boarded both dogs only when we had to and even enrolled one in dog playgroup. Every time I dropped him off or picked him up, I always took a sneak peek in the back to see how things were going. He seemed fine; sometimes playing, sometimes resting (he's a bulldog), staff giving treats from time to time. The report cards were always positive (even going through an agility course.. a bulldog.. that's how sweet and playful he is) and I always heard how sweet he was. Dogwoods is not cheap, but I believed it was worth it. After TWO years of camp, boarding, grooming, even paying for training on their recommendation for his so called "fence aggression" .. in other words, he would run up to the fence door when new dogs came in. After the training, things suddenly became better by merely moving him to the mid size group vs. the large. No refund. No apologizes. That was that. After two years, we moved and had to board them three times in a row for their safety due to work being done and the actual move. Although I signed them up for tons of walks, treats, cuddle time, and even play group for one of them, they got upset and ended up peeing in their room. They are both house trained. They clearly got upset over something. I was in town, easily reached, but no call, no email. No word. Instead of telling us what was going on or working with us towards a solution, they suggested they do home care and recommended a specific company. I am open minded and called the suggested home care. Their offer: spend the night, feed them breakfast, take them out, and crate them most of the day with one break in the middle. They come home around 6, feed, walk, and go to bed. So, less interaction than what supposedly Dogwoods offered...or was it? I often wonder. I made it clear I would be willing to work with them. After 4 months of research, talking to other boarding facilities and even my vet to medicate one of them to take the anxiety edge off and board the other dog at the vet, I was suddenly told that I was informed (though and email; nice personal and professional touch) both dogs were ALWAYS having a hard time, not suited for Dogwoods, and my account was blocked (whatever that means; I assumed deleted). Two years of appropriate dog behavior that I witnessed and heard from all the staff and the report cards to show it, not to mention the extraordinary bills for dogs that were so called difficult to work with. There is clearly total miscommunication within the facility which is scary when dealing with LIVING beings. And the communication and willingness to work with long term clients is shameful and unprofessional, especially towards a client that was so completely involved to come up with a solution. Shame. I am from Chicago and I have never, ever experienced anything close to this. If you don't like your job, or are bitter, short tempered, angry or dealing with job or personal issues, please find another profession. For anyone out there that has any solutions for places that care for dogs with a loving and understanding touch, please feel free to respond. read more

I have used Dogwood lodge twice and love that my Kodi comes back happy and not sick I will always bring our Kodi back whenever we go away

Very friendly staff. Treated our dog great and he can be a handful. He came home relaxed and happy.

This is the Waldorf Astoria of doggie hotels. I'm so busy with a move that I don't have a lot of time to write everything I'd like to say. But this staff is A+++. I feel so much less stress knowing that my dogs are in such fine hands. A sincere Thank You. From Sara and Georges people. You guys rock! read more

I take my bulldog Murray to Dogwoods Lodge whenever I leave town & they do a fantastic job. The place is very clean & well kept & they have different price options for rooms for your dog. Book in advance because they fill up pretty fast! read more

Fantastic facility, fantastic staff, fantastic rooms and fantastic care. My dogs love Dogwoods lodge, they hve such a great time and everyone cares about them so much. Would never leave my babies anywhere else! Cannot praise this place enough, highly recommend it. Thanks so much and see you soon Jo Cade read more