Larry the Owner is a Saint ! The BEST place in Chicago to trust your Fur Babies to stay ! I would not trust anyone else . read more

My wife and I left our two pups for 12 days when we went out of town for our honeymoon. We had never left the pups behind anywhere for longer than four days and were panicked to leave them with anyone, especially for an extended period of time. We went in and met with the owner and he put us at ease. We decided to give them a shot and could not be happier with the services. Our pups were well cared for and we got pics and updates whenever we emailed. We will definitely be utilizing their services in the future. It's clear the owner loves dogs, and it shows in the service he provides. Great experience overall and highly recommend. read more

I have been bringing my huskies here once or twice a week for a few months now, they seemed to like it and got a lot of their energy out. Owner seemed nice enough and the young girls that are occasionally there are so sweet. Today was 90 degrees outside and I have two huskies. They are miserable when they are hot. I've picked them up on hot days before and noticed that they were panting a lot and had asked about the temperature in there and the owner told me they have fans and don't turn the A/C on unless it's extremely hot. I would consider 90 degrees to be extremely hot, especially for a Siberian husky. Today the girl mentioned that my dogs were not as playful because it was hot so I asked about the A/C and she told me it was not on. I was planning on bringing them back all weekend and asked if the A/C would be turned on at all since all weekend is supposed to be 90 degrees and she said she'd ask the owner so I asked if I could just talk to him. He barely stepped all the way out into the front to talk to me and was so bothered by the fact that I even asked to talk to him. When I asked about the A/C he told me it was 'common sense' that the A/C would be on since it was going to be 90 this weekend. I told him it was 90 today and was told it was off... he said 'well it was the first day' and again, was so bothered that I was even asking. I was just appalled that I was made to feel so bad about being concerned for my dogs well being while they were there all day. Absolutely ridiculous. I really thought I had found a good place but I will not be bringing my boys back. Such a shame. read more

My husband and I were referred to Playful Pets from another dog owner we met at a park recently. Our little guy is only 10 months old and we hd never boarded him before so we were a little nervous. We went in for a "trial" a few days before our scheduled overnight. They have a HUGE screen in the front waiting area so you can watch you pup go inside, see them play etc. His trial went great so we brought him back Monday for his overnight visit. I was initially supposed to be gone two nights but was able to get on an earlier flight and pick him up early. When I got in yesterday to pick him up I could see him on the screen sitting happily off to one side of the room. He seemed to have a lot of fun but was really tired after the 36 hours of playtime with all the other pups! What's so nice about this place is that the dogs are free to interact, play and run around all day and are only crated for bed time at night. This was a really important part of why we chose this place over others. On top of that, the owner Larry lives upstairs and Rayanne, one of the dog handlers, was very kind. She walked us through everything, answered all of our questions and gave me a nice little debrief of how he did upon pickup. I can't imagine we'll board Niko anywhere else in the foreseeable future. We feel SO much better about traveling for work at the same time knowing that we have a fun/safe place to leave him while we're gone! read more

My dog or wallet couldn't be happier. Easily the best and most affordable long/short term boarding option in the city.

A great place to leave your dog ! The workers there are kind helpful and genuinely care for dogs! It's a nice atmosphere great neighborhood Beautiful dogs and the workers there are great help and willing to step in if necessary to reassure the dogs safety. A Great daycare for your dog. read more

You know how sometimes really bad reviews are caused by a business owner having a rare bad day, or some other extenuating circumstance? This is not of one of those reviews. So, I have two dogs. I have taken them to Playful Pets for boarding at least four times. Each time I pick them up, my dogs are scratched up, smelling of urine and the chemicals they use to mop up the defecation, and they LITERALLY hurdle the gate to leave that place. But I keep giving the place more chances hoping it was just an isolated experience. Here's the thing; I feel a sense of dread everytime I leave my dogs there- call it mothers intuition or whatever, but somehow I know they are not exactly loving on my pups. My one dog has developed anxiety around other dogs since I have been taking her there and my other dog has completely lost his potty training skills BUT ITS SO CHEAP! At some point you have to choose responsibility over affordability. Playful Pets is by far the cheapest place in Chicago to board a dog, but for the love of ol yeller and every other cinematic dog that might pluck on your heart strings, don't subject your dog to the anarchy that is Playful Pets! (Side note, they cage dogs they don't want to deal with. Watch the cameras long enough and you'll see what I mean) DOG LOVER OUT read more

Larry is an amazing man....he truly is and I cannot say a bad word about him. I unfortunatley had to switch day cares because my poor little guy came back scratched, scraped and bitten too many times. They do not seperate the dogs according to size or temperment....rather just let them all be together. If you have a large dog or one that can hold it's own....it is a grea place. But if you have a little timid guy who can't fend for himself...you should really look elsewhere.... Again, the owner really has a heart of gold so I hate to not give 5 stars but just don't want someone with a small dog to go through what we did. Many times he came home and limped for days and noone could ever tell us what happened. After we would bathe him and he got wet you could see all the scrapes and bite marks..... read more

Larry is the shit. Can I say that here? It's the truth. The guy knows dogs on a whole other level. I mean, I know dogs. I work with them, for them, and around them all day. But Larry KNOWS them, knows how to be among them and let them know that they're in a safe place, they can have fun, but he's the boss, and they better damn well respect him. Here're the facts about Playful Pets: it's a large, open space. The dogs aren't separated by size, breed, or energy level (though they tend to naturally sort out themselves accordingly), but they're all given the same high level of care.If your pooch is timid, fearful, or poorly socialized, it might not do well here. Larry does a great job integrating new customers to the mix, but this style of daycare is not for every dog. Your dog will come home tired, possibly scratched, definitely a little stinky from a day of play. It's not a fancy place. No spa treatments or plasma screens, here. But it's DOG DAYCARE. You bring your pet to run and play, and have a full, active day while you're off making cash-money to provide for him. So let your dog be a freaking a dog, already. Finally, the most amazing thing about Playful Pets is how involved they are in animal rescue. It's hardly about money for Larry; the guy is in this business for love of dogs. The pet care industry in Chicago be such a crapshoot -- a lot of people get into thinking it'll be easy profits, and don't put any emphasis on animal welfare. At Playful Pets, foster dogs from local rescue groups mingle with the Lakeview clientele, and if I may get a little mushy for a second -- it's a beautiful thing. Rescue dogs learn to socialize and feel safe, paying customers are given the best possible care, and everyone has a grand old time. read more

My dog is extremely social and loves to play. I took him to Playful Pets for his initial trial and he seemed to like it. I brought him back a second time and he did not want to even enter the place! At this point, I had to be at work in 15 minutes and we didn't have another choice for the day. I figured he was just being stubborn. When I got there, nobody was in the front office area. Then a girl came out, leaving all of the dogs (you can see them on camera when you walk in) in the back room unattended! Red flag numero uno. She took my dog's leash and jacket off and hung them up. At this point, my dog was giving me pleading eyes to not make him go in- poor fella. I wish I hadn't! She brought him in and, from what I saw on camera, he was immediately surrounded by a giant swarm of dogs! Now, luckily my dog is used to this from Chicago dog parks and handles it well. But for a dog that is easily overwhelmed, I could imagine this is not an ideal experience. I left after that and picked him up after I got back from work. A girl brought him out and my dog, who is part Boston Terrier, was jumping up super high to see me over the double-door security gate. He continued jumping while she tried to put his leash on. At one point, he jumped up and sort of bumped her in the face, in which she commented in a rude tone, "Your dog just hit me in the face.." I wish I had replied what I wanted to say, which was something not appropriate for this post! I politely responded with, "Yes, he's a dog he tends to do that sometimes." Shouldn't you be used to all types of dog behaviors if you work at a day camp and boarding facility?! Red flag numero dos!! Also keep in mind, the rest of the dogs might have been unattended at this point- not sure! As I pulled out my wallet to pay, I asked the girl if she had change for a $20, she said, "No we only charge credit. You can write down your credit card information here and we'll charge you!" Yeah, let me just HAND over my CC info to you and trust that you'll be responsible with it.... At that point, I just threw her the 20 and said screw the change! Red flag numero tres!! By the time me and my pup got home, I realized that he REEKED of cig smoke- EW! I understand being a little dirty and grimy from running around and rolling around with other dogs. But I know none of the dogs in that place were smoking- clearly the employees have no concern for the animals they're around. I'm not paying for my dog to be exposed to carcinogens on a regular basis! My poor pup needed a full on scrub down immediately after getting home. It also ticks me off that this still happens after reading other people's reviews about the cigarette smoke smell- there is clearly a lack of concern for customer service or well being of the animals if this hasn't stopped. Red flag numero quatro! All-in-all, I wish I had just kept my dog walker for that day and not taken him. Luckily, we have found a much better daycare in Lincoln Square called A Dog's Life on Damen- it's little more expensive but not enough to persuade me to take my little guy back to Playful Pets. I'm sure the owner here truly does love and care for the animals, but this is not a professional way to run a business. I've also heard similar reviews since this experience from other friends living on the North side of Chicago. Do whatever works for you, but I encourage you to be in tune with your pup's needs and reactions, especially after trying this place out! read more

Larry's place is great. He saved my foster dog's life about a year ago. I had a little foster dog named Ozzie who was spending most of the day crying in my apartment. Larry agreed to take her a few days a week, thus saving me from my neighbors' wrath and helping Ozzie to get over her separation anxiety and get adopted. He didn't even charge me - he did it out of the love for dogs that he has. I know a lot of people walk in and see that the place is a bit grungy and then question leaving their dogs there. But there is really no better place for your dog. Larry has the dogs' best interests at heart, and your dog will receive lots of love (provided he behaves, of course ;) read more

Larry has many admirers, and I'm one of them. He and his staff--and the mix of dogs they take care of--are terrific. My little girl Freebie comes back WET (from play) and EXHAUSTED after a day at Playful Pets. Most of the time, it seems like the dogs play hard and just wear themselves out... but every once in awhile they're all under some spell and the staff will report that Freebie has followed them around most of the day because everyone else is taking it easy. From what I can tell, there are a few separated areas for dogs who need a break with other mellow dogs, but for the most part it's go-go-go. I train dogs in the city and I'm constantly suggesting Playful Pets for my clients whose dogs have excess energy and need a little more excitement in their lives. It's easily the best value in the city, and unlike other doggie daycares, your dog won't spend 2/3 of the day in a crate. I think someone else mentioned the work that Larry does with rescues throughout the city. He's a great guy and he really does care about his clients. read more

First of all, owning a dog in Chicago can get pricey. For the winter, I want my dog to be able to run around and get the exercise she needs without suffering in the cold. When I started researching dog daycares, I was appalled by how much places were charging. Then I came upon Playful Pets - GREAT prices and even better reviews. My dog is overly energetic. And I am not exaggerating here. It takes a lot to get her to settle down. I was nervous about bringing her to a daycare because I thought her energy level would be too much for the people watching her and the other dogs playing with her. I don't know WHAT happens at this place... but it has got to be magic. My girl is exhausted and happy when I pick her up. Mind you, she's dirty, smelly, probably has a scratch or two... but it's a dogs life!!!! And I don't think she or I would have it any other way :) Playful Pets is great. Larry is great. His staff is great. The puppies and dogs that come here are great. Seriously, nothing bad to say. We hope it stays this way because a happy pup = a happy home! read more

I used to take both of my dogs here and one of them hated it. One time she just would not go in and jumped over the door. My gut was telling me all along this wasn't the best daycare for them. From the frustrated looks on the owners face when one of my dogs was too hyper or not obeying his commands, was one of the signs I wanted to take my business elsewhere. No one knew what the daily charge was and I always paid something different. My dogs were never tired when they came home like they used to be when I took them to other daycares. One time my dog had some sticky stuff on her ear that looked like gum, took me forever to get off. I always knew for the few weeks I took them there, that something was not right about this place. When one of my dogs refused to go in, enough was said. I've found another place and they run into this place and swim in their indoor heated pool all day! I feel happy and no weird gut feeling. Just a happy dad knowing his girls are ok! Thanks but no thanks playful pets, I've seen better, much better daycares! read more

I've been taking my dog to Playful Pets for over 5 years. She absolutely loves it. She gets so excited when she gets there and goes nuts when she sees "Uncle Larry" She goes to daycare almost every day to help with her separation anxiety and she has boarded there several times as well. I wouldn't dream of taking her anywhere else. It's quite obvious Larry, the owner, really cares about every dog there. read more

Pretty darn clean (at least for a place that boards dogs). As a New Leash on Life volunteer, I've visited Larry's numerous times to pick up dogs, take a dog for a walk, and for obedience training (for the dogs, not me, I swear...). The one thing I can DEFINITELY say is that this place socializes dogs incredibly well. NLOL takes in dogs straight from Animal Care and Control. After they get the clean bill of health from our vet, a few of our dogs spend some time at Larry's. In at few specific cases, I've noticed a marked improvement in the dog's energy level (more consistent), socialization (less jumpy), and overall demeanor. The improvement is pretty notable from meeting the dog for the first time at the vet compared with after they've spent time at Larry's. I would have no reservations about boarding my dog at Larry's. read more

Looked for dog boarding with more affordable prices during the holidays as our usual place charges a bit much for us. We found Playful Pets on yelp and gave it a try. They require a free trial day first before reserving to board. We brought in our friendly, yet shy beagle for a daycare trial day and kept him there for about 3-4 hours. I worry because our beagle is friendly, however extremely cautious and scared of bigger dogs. Upon picking him up after his trial, they reported he did well so we made our reservation for 9 days during the holiday. We dropped him off and picked him up with no issues and they reported back with good things. I did notice he lost some weight, but I assume it's because of his lack of appetite. The boarding price is half of what we normally pay so we'll be taking our dog here in the future. read more

My dog, Coach, is CRAZY. I've never had a dog with so much energy.... it's sporadic, spastic, and Larry can take care of it! =) Coach has been hangin' out with Larry every once in a while when we go out of town on trips... and Coach comes back home T-I-R-E-D! I never thought I would have to drag my dog outside to go for a walk... or have to literally pick him up off the bed to make it! OOh, or after this past weekend when I picked him up from Playful Pets and took him for a walk (ok, not even a walk. We went to the tree outside of the building), Coach SAT DOWN outside!!! Coach NEVER sits down on anything hard.... his butt has to be cushioned with carpeting! He doesn't even like to sit down on hardwood floors!!! Ok so, that shows how pooped out he is after playing and romping around at Playful Pets. Aside from the insane amount of activity Coach gets when visiting Playful Pets, i LOVE that Larry & The Gang absolutely adores animals. He's a great guy and his passion for animals really does show (just ask him how many dogs over there are HIS!) Larry is always there to answer any questions, and/or give you his opinion on just about anything! Vets, shops, food, leashes, collars, training, anything and everything!! WE LOVE YOU LARRY!!!!!! Thanks for loving Coach and not getting frustrated with him for being a ball hog (I am so jealous of those dogs who actually understand what 'drop-it' means) read more

My sister introduced me to Playful Pets in 2007 when I moved to Chicago with my 12 lb min pin mix. She had been taking her boxer to Larry's place for a few years and I trust her opinion completely. Sure enough, Larry and the staff at Playful Pets welcomed my pup and treated him like he was part of a family- which is what it feels like at Playful Pets. From my (and my sister's) experience, we have been treated like family by Larry and the PP staff and I feel 100% comfortable leaving my dog 2x/week for daycare. I have also left my little guy for extended boarding stays (14 days) and I know he is in good hands. I can text Larry anytime for updates and cute photos :) if I need to. Did I mention that my dog is not the brightest little guy? Sometimes I think he would be in a special needs class if he was a child...seriously. Larry's staff know this and they make him very comfortable by letting him in the kitchen with the little dogs and the heater which he likes to stay by. They also know to pick him up and carry him to the front when it is time to go home because he gets anxious and turned around easily. :) It should also be noted that the prices are THE most affordable in Chicago. And Larry has a heart of gold when it comes to animals...among other things, he helps socialize rescued dogs so they are more adoptable. I love that and I love Playful Pets. Give them a try!!! I highly recommend them. Also...recently I told my neighbor about Playful Pets because her puppy was having separation anxiety when she left him home while she went to work. Now she takes her dog there 1-2x/week and the separation anxiety has dissapated immensely on days when she does leave her at home. read more

Larry and his staff were great! My first time boarding my dogs went very well. I was pretty nervous about leaving them for the first time, but they made me feel much better about it. They require a trial day before boarding (which is free!!), and you can sit in the waiting area to watch them on the camera to see how they interact with the dogs. One of my dogs is a social butterfly and had no problems at all, but my other dog has a bit of anxiety. My anxious pup had some issues with eating, but they worked with him and made adjustments to make sure he ate. He seemed to get more comfortable with time though. They both were extremely tired when they got back home. I love that they can roam around during business hours, which makes me feel much better about kenneling them at night. It was also very cheap to board them here. I couldn't find anything else close to this price. The only flaw I would say is that I wish I could see my dogs from a live video online. However, it did make me happy that they posted pics of them on Facebook and keep me informed over the phone. We will definitely be back! read more

Playful Pets Playtime - Photo of my dogs posted on playful pet's Facebook page :) - Pet Boarding Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I can't believe I didn't take my dog to PLAYFUL PETS sooner! After moving to the city-- my 5- year-old- boxer -rescue-Lexi's-- anxiety increased drastically! Being in grad school, I would leave her alone at home-- where she would whine and howl until I got home. (Not pleasant for HER or my neighbors). Long walks and plenty of attention didn't seem to settle her. After hearing about Playful Pets through a friend, I started taking Lexi because of the long hours that I sometimes need to work. IT HAS BEEN SUCH A BLESSING! Lexi is excited every morning that I drop her off and PLAYS her little heart out the entire day! We come home-- and Lexi sleeps and sleeps and sleeps! Her separation anxiety is decreasing and she seems SO MUCH CALMER! Larry, the owner, knows all of the dogs (not just their names, but their temperament and what they need)! read more

Playful Pets is amazing. Our dogs are our children with 4 legs and sending them somewhere fun, clean and loving is very important to us. The owner, Larry, is knowledge, kind and hands-on with the pups. All of our dogs leave there happy and very exhausted! If only he'd watch our two-legged kids too! ; ) read more

Larry and the rest of the staff do a wonderful job taking care of my dog. There are different areas for large and small dogs and the dogs are allowed to roam freely and play. There are also crates if a dog does need to be separated for whatever reason. I love looking at their Facebook page to see videos and pictures of what the pups are up to. They have a video feed in the front lobby area and you can always see staff members around keeping an eye on the dogs. It's clear they care for the dogs and watch out for their safety. This place is very affordable and I appreciate that. We recently went on vacation for a week and they happily gave our dog a bath right before we came to pick him up so we didn't have to when we got home. Overall, I am very comfortable leaving my dog in their care and would highly recommend this place to anyone looking for a place to board their dogs. read more

Not much more you can say. If you live on the Northside and you aren't taking your dog here, you're nuts. We found daily boarding was only a few bucks more per day than a dog walker, but instead of coming home to a restless pooch that wants to play in inclement weather, he's wiped out from constants play and attention! The gang there are great with dogs and have a person relationship with everyone. They'll even do hair and nails for just a few bucks more. I'd love to find one thing wrong with this, but its just dog and owner heaven all around. read more

Been taking my dog here since late spring 2015 and now that they have expanded and added a small dog area, my review can now be bumped up to 5 stars. We take him one day a week just to break up the week and wear him out a bit (works like a charm). The staff is very friendly and flexible. It's a pretty no-frills place but the prices and staff make it worth it! Only complaint is that my pup does come home sometimes smelling like cigarettes (would have made this a 4 star review) and a weird cleaning solution smell. He's a poodle mix so his hair holds odors a bit more than most dogs, but would be nice to have him come home a bit less stinky. For the most part, if you are looking for a solid daycare, I suggest checking out Playful Pets. Larry & staff are great! read more

I was apprehensive bringing my 7 month old lab to any daycare, but Larry and the Playful pets staff put my mind to ease. It has been one year since she started going and she can't wait to get in there everyday. I really appreciate any establishment that knows their customers down to their dogs leash, it truly shows their passion. It is also great that Larry posts on the Playful Pets Facebook page on the daily dog shenanigans Playful Pets is very affordable considering a competitor down the street from me charges 3x what Larry charges daily. I always recommend Larry to all my dog owning friends. read more

In a word-Awesome. I am a story teller-in case you haven't figured that out by my other reviews. I also have a passion for animals and their care. I have been wanting to write about Playful Pets for awhile (since I have had great phone conversations with Larry)-but it wasn't until last Friday when our newest addition, Lily got to spend all day there. Well, actually-she has spent several days there before we knew her. See, the owner of Playful Pets works closely with a lot of rescue groups. We found out that a very nice client of his actually brought Lily in as a stray they had found in their backyard. After looking for her former owner, she was brought into the New Leash on Life Program...and that's where we found her. Not only did Larry provide us with Lily's background story, but he remembered her. Actually, he remembered almost every little detail of her personality, mannerisms, etc. It had been almost two months since she was there. When I told him we were up in the air about a vet, he suggested a great one-right across the street. He was very personable-but definitely all about the dogs. When I dropped Lily off, I was a first time momma saying good bye to her kid...Lily did not even hesitate and with no backward glance at all, bounded up the stairs to the day care, ran straight through the entry gates and waggled her way into the playroom. No missing me at all. When I picked her up, she was exhausted but grinning-doggie style. She smelled like she had been playing all day (which Larry confirmed whole heartedly), but I didn't mind. She and I were both happy with Playful Pets. They are very affordable, Larry knows everyone and Lily was happy. What more could we ask for? We'll be regular customers for sure. read more

My husband and I have left our 30 lb basset Herky with Larry a couple of times for a long weekend. During the day, he plays with all the dogs at Playful Pets and at night, Larry takes Herky up with him to his place. Herky comes home exhausted, happy to have played so hard, and ready to to sleep for the ENTIRE week. Our whiny dog comes home not so whiny for at least a week because he's just so tired. Yay for us! Larry is also very attentive. When we left our dog with him for a weekend couple weeks ago, he noticed that Herky had trouble peeing. I had noticed that Herky seem to try and mark more but only a drop or two came out couple days earlier but didn't think too much. Larry called us while we were on our trip and asked us if it was ok that he brought Herky in to the vet next door to get it checked up because he suspects that Herky's got a bladder infection after seeing some blood in his pee in the morning walk. We are very appreciative of Larry taking care of the situation and making all the phone calls while we were 10 hours away. He also kept us posted all weekend on Herky's condition so that we weren't so worried!!! Yes, Herky does come home in need of immediate bath after a weekend at Playful Pets but it's because he had too much fun playing and running around with all the other dogs! We are very happy to have found Playful Pets! read more

We took our dog to Playful Pets for 1 free trial session of daycare and 1 time boarding after reading the great review and being convinced by the low prices compared to other places. While it was clear how much love and care the owner puts into his work, I hate to say that we got what we paid for. Upon entering, you could immediately smell the strong odor. Obviously this would exist to some extent in any dog care facility, but even after 1 day of daycare our dog came home smelling so bad we had to wash her. Shortly after, we left her for a week while we left on vacation. When we returned, our dog not only smelled horrible but came home with a bad case of kennel cough. We were of course not notified she was even showing symptoms while we were gone. To me this was just a sign of poor maintenance and cleanliness on the part of the owner. We haven't experienced anything similar since moving to another facility. read more

Playful Pets is such an amazing daycare. Larry does a brilliant job keeping the pups happy and having fun. Tucker loves to come here and play hard. When we do board overnight, he is not crated and loves to be with his friends. We rescued Tucker, a crazy mid-sized mix, from New Leash on Life and met him at Playful Pets. Larry's prices are super fair and we bring Tucker over all the way from Skokie. read more

We rescued our dog from a shelter a few months ago and realized she was very anxious around unfamiliar dogs and our trainer recommended daycare as a good way to help her socialize. I was not sure that any daycare would take a nervous little dog, but Larry assured us he had lot of experience with foster dogs and other 'dogs in progress.' I'm so glad we tried it! She has endless energy but somehow always comes home dead tired after a day at Playful Pets. She's that little dog who thinks she can run with the big dogs and so occasionally comes home with a small scratch or two - but nothing serious and I know Larry and the staff know dogs and they keep a close eye on them all day. I wouldn't take my dog anywhere else! read more

This review is long overdue. I have been taking my dog Hercules here for nearly 4 years now for boarding usually every couple of weeks or so. Larry and his staff are extremely knowledgeable and attentive to all of the dogs. They have also made many improvements to their facility over the years. I love checking their Facebook page as they post photos and videos regularly. When I pick up my dog he is always bathed, happy, and exhausted! Price is super reasonable, especially for the quality of care you are receiving. read more

We moved recently from IL to AZ and don't know that I'll ever find anything like Playful Pets out here. To make it short and sweet: read the other 5 star reviews and know that they speak the truth! If you want your dogs to; run, jump, play, nap, run, jump, play, get some hugs, play, nap, play and go home tired & loving life, this is the place you've been looking for. read more

Larry offers reliable, flexible dog daycare and boarding. I've been taking my dog here for over a year during long workdays and out of town trips, and I've been very pleased with the service. I had a GREAT daycare near our previous home in Cleveland, and was worried that I wouldn't be able to find something like it after moving back to Chicago. However, my active dog is always happy to arrive at Playful Pets and comes home tired. Larry's operation is no-frills and doesn't offer the "amenities" (dog massage? please...) of other places - which allows him to offer very reasonable prices. My dog and I will be loyal customers as long as this place is in business. read more

So Glad Larry is Back!!! He is the Only one I trust with our Crazy, Hyper active Lab. We had pulled our Dog from PP when Larry moved away. Wasn't really comfortable with the new staff. Larry really is The Dog Whisperer!!!I Have to comment on the post about the dog coming home smelling like smoke. Our Dog has been going to PP for 4 years and has NEVER smelled like smoke. Another review said their Dog doesn't want to go in when they take him. My dogs LOVES going to PP and a couple times has stopped when I take him to go in. Doesn't mean anything bad is happening, it's a Dog, just like people they have their mood's also. We recently rescued a 5 month old Great Dane mix and he loves PP also. Most important thing is My dog's LOVE it & are Happy. If my Dog is Happy then I'm Happy. read more

Being relatively new dog owners, we weren't experienced with leaving our pup with anyone other than family members for any type of travel. Doing our research in our area, we narrowed down our list of potential housing for the 9 days we were going to be gone. We couldn't have chosen any better. Larry & Co. were absolutely fantastic and incredibly accommodating to our schedule and needs. Dude just gets dogs, just as everyone else had said in the reviews. We were a bit skeptical because our dog hadn't really been kenneled or spent a lot of time with so many dogs at one time. After the trial run prior to us leaving, we were convinced and his stay went off without a hitch. They even gave him a bath before we picked him up! It was a fantastic experience We've decided that we are going to be taking our dog there for normal day-care every week or two, just to give him some more activity. read more

I can't say enough great things about Playful Pets. Well, actually I try not to say too many great things because I'm afraid the secret will get out and the prices will go up. I've been taking my three year old boxer there for about a year and a half and other than the occasional scratch that comes with her playing hard, have not had a single issue. Larry seems to not only care about each and every dog he has with him, but the owners as well. He's given me advice on everything from dog training to where to find an apartment. Since we've been going to Playful Pets, I've moved across town but am willing to drive out of the way to take her to a place where she's taken care of. read more

Larry is so great with my Dobie pup. He loves going and so exhausted from playing all day. Great experience all around.

Larry was recommended by my previous dogwalker four years ago. Since then, Larry has been my go-to guy for boarding my 4-year-old handful mutt. My dog absolutely LOVES the place (and he is not an angel - he had a problem at another place, where he proved able to jump the 5-foot fence separating the dog area and the front door out of sheer nervous energy and was not invited back.) I have also taken him to other places - one where he was in a cage except for walks, and at the PetSmart boarding on Elston. Larry's is not only the cheapest place but also where my dog seems to be the most comfortable and least misbehaving. the place smells kind of crazy and is chaotic and loud, so you may want to consider your dog's demeanor before bringing him/her here, bu it is the perfect place for my guy. yes he comes back smelling less than ideal ... but he is TIRED as hell due to all the playing and running around, and a tired 4-year-old dog is the best! =) i love Larry's and would totally recommend it to anyone! read more

We left our pup here for 9 nights while we went on vacation and boy did she have a blast! She must have slept a straight 24 hours when we brought her home, recovering from her marathon of playing. This place is clearly run by true dog lovers, and with all the rescue work that they do, you know that your dog is in great hands. My fretting over leaving my dog was honestly at a minimum and I don't know that other dog owners can say that about other dog boarding places. This was our first experience with boarding and we will definitely be staying with Playful Pets for the next trip! Also, to Will G.--the jerk who wrote a review complaining of the smell--what exactly do you expect a dog-boarding facility to smell like? roses? Your comments have no place here and are a waste of space. Yelp is for evaluating your experiences at a business--you did not do so, and so you clearly didn't utilize this business. Your comments are idiotic and only damage the rating for a truly great establishment. read more