This farm is beautiful and I suspect the regular dogs greatly enjoy their time here. However, dealings with the owner that included last minute cancellations, name-calling emails and complicated procedures left me completely appalled. In short the owner cancelled the day before I was to drop off my dog before a two week trip Africa saying she had an emergency and had to take in three other dogs from a local emergency the night before. This was after I confirmed our reservation earlier that week. Naturally I expressed my disappointment that she canceled on the day of since I did not have a back up plan, and was leaving for Africa in 24 hours. I asked her to reconsider taking my dog in today since I had no where else to go and about three hours after work that day to figure it out. She emailed me back telling me that my "total lack of compassion is amazing to her and that as a dog owner I should have concern for these other dogs" that she took in instead in the middle of the night, and that she" had absolutely no interest in business relations with someone with such little compassion or understanding." Clearly, there are underlying issues here that have nothing to do with us. I wish her good luck but felt it was necessary to highlight the lack of professionalism and name-calling. Although I am confident she loves other dogs who are long term customers of hers, she clearly didn't care about mine...so I actually felt relief that she burst out like she did before I boarded my dog with her saving us some unnecessary headaches. read more

Are you looking for a place to board your pooch while you are away on vacation, or perhaps out of town on a business trip? My girlfriend happened to find this place through word of mouth at a local dog park in Old Town Alexandria. And quite frankly we couldn't have happened to luck out in a better way. This 6.5 acre fenced in free range dog boarding business has a wonderful owner who really cares for the pets that stay with her. For the first time in forever we feel like we can leave Guinness (our dog) and he will be well exercised and treated with the utmost respect. Something you don't tend to find in those places that have the big runs of fenced in concrete. The location Martin's Dog Farm is close to the entrance of Skyline drive in Front Royal, VA. It is nestled in the foothills of the Shenandoah over looking rolling hills and the mountains surrounding the dog farm. It was so majestic that quite honestly i was jealous that i wasn't the one staying and the dog being made to visit the "in laws". Not only are the dogs allowed to run free in three different fenced in areas of the property but for an extra charge you can have them walked on Skyline drive, or given a swim in the Shenandoah River. I mean come on, what is this - certainly not just a dog kennel, right? Both staff and owner are always playing or watching over the dogs on a daily basis. Also, something that is a notch above the rest is that your pet receives an "interview" by the owner or member of the staff at your local dog park. I believe they look to see how well your dog plays with others and whether they would fit in with other dogs of the same nature at the dog farm. So just because you can pay the allotted $$ per day doesn't necessarily mean your in.... however if there is a match made, you know with out a doubt that your pooch is going to be extremely happy with its surroundings. Because our dog is a big athletic chocolate lab we knew that the kennel or "PetHotel" was not going to give him enough exercise. Not the case with Martin's Dog Farm..... He was up by 6:30 and didn't go back to his own crate until around 10:30 or 11:00 pm. The owner has even made their sleeping quarters quite cozy with a small barn / housing unit that has video surveillance and is temperature controlled to with in a couple of degrees of its setting. The housing unit has all the amenities of a care facility in case your dog needs extra meds or certain requirements over that of the normal pooch. And if you are a 'city dweller' with no real way to get to Front Royal, the farm has a Canine Shuttle Service that will wisk your pooch to the farm in an air conditioned / heated for a small surcharge. This is one of those small business that was well thought out, and is very well run. I promise you that you will enjoy the service you get with Martin's Dog Farm. It is over an hour each way out of our way, and we don't even hesitate to take Guinness every time he can't join us on a trip. Have a look at the website and email with questions. She promptly returns calls and emails. 1-866-DOG-FARM www.martinsdogfarm.com PS. I would recommend the "My Time on the Farm" Photo Album for the first time boarder. It shows all the fun things, and new friends your dog makes while stays at the Farm and gives you a sense of all the great things the owner does with the dogs. read more

I was so saddened to read the review above. Our dogs were actually on the farm when the emergency occurred. A neighboring farmer had sprayed his property with a weed killer that spread by air over onto the dog farm property. The owner contacted us explaining the situation and our Bentley and Boomer were safely taken to another kennel for their safety. I think one dog ate the grass and got very sick, but I'm not totally sure. We love Martin's Dog Farm and have been using them for over 8 years. Our goofy mutts actually run away when we come to get them because they want to play more and stay with their friends. We would never take our dogs any where else. They are incredible. read more

Well we were really excited about trying Martin's Dog Farm. We called 4x and left messages 2x before a 10 day business trip, unfortunately, we couldn't get anyone from this place to call us back. Guess they didn't want our $500.00. read more

I have zero idea what the previous poster's deal is, but I can tell you that Martin's Dog Farm is a fantastic place for the pooch. We've had our golden retriever there three times in less than a year....one visit was almost a month long. And I promise you, our furry buddy was taken excellent care of and it's obvious he enjoys being there. The simple fact he gets extended outdoor time during the day makes the farm ideal. I'm very appreciative that Meghan is particular in the dogs that stay at the farm and she is meticulous in her details and the way she runs the business. And let's be honest, the daily rate is much cheaper than you'd find anywhere near DC. We recommend Martin's to all our frineds. read more