Our dog was attending Ruffin it for about a month, 3x a week. He passed his trial days and it seemed like everything was going well at the start. The last few times we took him to be dropped off he would stop in the doorway and not want to go inside, note that he has always LOVED daycare at his previous daycares. In the past he would try to sprint into the door to get inside, definitely not be hesitant. I can't say if something changed in how he was being treated, but it was a bad sign, and made us hesitant to consider taking him to Ruffin it since we couldn't be sure what was happening during the day off camera. We were told that Thursdays were ideally for tiny dogs and dogs that didn't want to play, which we could see on the cameras wasn't accurate. There were plenty of dogs much larger than our dog in the small dog room, and lots of dogs playing even when our dog was sleeping on the bench. But we were told that our dog was too high energy to come on Thursdays, so we agreed to try him out in one of the bigger dog rooms only on Thursdays. He did a trial day and it sounded like it went well. When we took him the next Monday they sent him to the big dog room again which was a surprise to us since we had thought he was only doing Thursdays in the big dog room, but we were trusting their judgement of where he was the best fit. When we went to pick him up, we were told that he has been in an isolation room since 9 am and had failed his trial days and thus wasn't allowed back. Since he had passed his trial days in the small dog room, our understanding was that he was just going through trial days in the big dog room to see how he interacted with bigger dogs for Thursday play. There was no communication from the staff that if he didn't play well with the big dogs he couldn't come back any day of the week, or that there had been any issues reported at all in the small dog room. The staff didn't call us to let us know that he had been put in isolation at 9 am, so he had to sit in the room for 8 hours until we came to get him. They claimed an email was sent which was never received, but even if there was, a phone call should be mandatory when locking a dog up so the parents are aware. All our communication with Ruffin it had been done via phone (texts and calls) up until this point, so only sending an email makes no sense. It felt as if they were trying to hide the fact that they locked him up. If we had known we would've left work to come pick him up sooner. Instead he had to sit in the room all day, and while they told us he was given bathroom breaks it didn't seem as if that was true given how much he peed as soon as he got out (he normally pees every 2 hours so there's very little urine each potty break. He peed for a solid 2 minutes straight after this day as soon as he got outside). It's totally fine if a dog isn't a good fit for a daycare, and we would have accepted that answer if it had been conveyed to us, especially considering our own hesitations. But instead, there was no communication leading up to this incident that there were any issues with our dog at all besides his high energy on Thursdays, and there was no communication day of to let us know that anything had happened. Instead our dog sat in a room by himself for 8 hours and we were charged a for full day of daycare that did not happen. read more

Very unprofessional and overpriced. Don't waste your time here. Even if you manage to get a reservation, they will make up an illness your dog has as a reason to deny service. read more

The first time I took Skipper to Ruffin' It it was like dropping off a shy scared kid at Kindergarten. He did not want to leave my side. The second time he went he tried to jump out the car window as soon as we entered the driveway. Luckily he was tethered. Skip loves to see all his pals and I love seeing the pictures of him having fun. The staff always great Skip like he is their favorite dog but I have a feeling that every dog is also a favorite. read more

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Staff is friendly, accommodating, and they go above and beyond to be helpful. My dogs love boarding here or the occasional day spent at daycare. read more

We brought both our dogs to Ruffin It Resort for a week boarding and they had a blast! They came home tired and happy! Would recommend to anyone looking for a spot to bring their dogs! After our first time there they actually knew our dogs and what they liked and disliked. We can't wait to bring them back! read more

We've boarded our dog here overnight twice now. Both times she came out clean and seeming quite happy afterwards, which seems like the ideal situation. So I think I would recommend this place. However, beware that the prices for boarding are confusing, so what is listed on their website is not the actual price. Also, our recent experience left me concerned about trusting them with our dog again. The first time we boarded our 65 lb. dog, I was told we should put her in a "villa suite" because anything else would be too small. We did that, and so on the second visit I asked for a villa suite again and was told she would stay in that. When I picked up the dog and got the receipt, however, I noticed she had instead been put in a smaller kennel - not what I was promised and one I was previously told was too small for her. When I asked what happened, the person said she didn't know - she said there were plenty of villa suites available and they would've been better for my dog, so she was surprised she was put in a bungalow....surprised, yes, but didn't say she was sorry or concerned, which concerned me. It's strange dropping your dog off on the curb for a few days, then coming back and paying a bunch of money, totally clueless about what just happened or what you paid for. This oversight without any apparent concern has made it hard to trust them again. read more

When my dog was about 5 months old, I needed a place to board him for a week while I visited a friend in Seattle. Ruffin' It Resort was recommended to me by my vet (Lakeview) and based on its website, it seemed like a doggie palace -- a swank, overpriced place for neurotic dog parents to bring their pampered fur-kids. In other words, exactly what I was looking for. I chose to put my dog, Lenny, in the "Presidential Suite." At the time, this meant that Lenny would be living in the manager's office and have her companionship all day long. Because he was so young, and because he's always been the kind of dog who craves human attention, I figured this would be ideal. The price also included a couple of hours each day in a play group with other dogs. At first, the staff seemed genuinely concerned with getting to know Lenny and accommodating his individual needs during his stay. I filled out forms about his habits and personality. All the staff that I spoke to were very reassuring, as I'm sure they're trained to be, and as the day of my trip approached, I felt confident that they were going to follow through with these reassurances. I couldn't have been more wrong. Because Lenny was experiencing some gastrointestinal issues at the time, I gave the Ruffin' It staff members specific, written instructions about his food. He was to be given a bland diet and NO TREATS. Furthermore, because Lenny is a bit skittish around other dogs and much prefers human attention, the Ruffin' It staff and I agreed that he would have one trial daycare period and then determine whether he was too afraid to continue. Both of these thing are important to note in understanding why Ruffin' It only deserves two stars at best. The day after I dropped him off, I called Ruffin' It to check in, and was told that he had indeed acted scared in the play group. I asked them to cease bringing him to the play group and to substitute extra human playtime instead. I was told this was fine. However, the following day, I called back to check in and was told that Lenny was currently in a doggie play group! I told the staff member that I had instructed them yesterday to CEASE bringing him to those play groups, and was told that he had been brought to the group mistakenly and it wouldn't happen again. At this point, I started to get really nervous, but resolved to let it go and enjoy my vacation. A couple of days later, Ruffin' It called me to say that Lenny had developed a hot spot (an open lesion that is caused by the dog scratching, licking and otherwise irritating an area of its skin until that area is raw and weeping). What causes them? Could be allergies (to food or the environment), could be STRESS. I'll leave it to you, the reader, to determine which of these caused Lenny's hot spot. I should mention that Lenny had never had a hot spot before, nor has he had one since. The Ruffin' It staff member told me that my vet couldn't fit Lenny in, so he was brought to their vet (adjacent to the resort), who couldn't determine the cause of the hot spot, but prescribed antibiotics and an Elizabethan collar to keep him from continuing to chew it. At this point, between the play group incident and the fact that my puppy was clearly very unhappy, I'd had enough. I managed to convince a friend to go to Ruffin' It to pick Lenny up so that he wouldn't have to be in that stressful environment any longer. Here's the kicker: when my friend arrived at Ruffin' It, he tells me he found Lenny cowering under a bench in the manager's office. The manager then tried to lure him out with a treat, saying, "Oh, these are his favorite." As you'll remember, I specifically instructed them IN WRITING to withhold all treats. Clearly, they had disregarded these instructions, just as they had disregarded my instructions to stop bringing him to the play groups. To top it all off, Ruffin' It had the GALL to try to charge me for the remainder of his stay even though he was picked up four days early by my friend. True, their policy does clearly state that once the stay has been booked, you're responsible for paying the full price if you don't cancel within a particular time period, but don't you think that policy should be contingent on their actually doing their jobs and taking care of my dog per my instructions? To their credit, after I pointed this out to them, they decided not to charge me. Please take this review with a grain of salt. I understand that my dog is needier than most, and that I am more nervous than most. But that's exactly the point of a place like Ruffin' It: for spoiled dogs to get spoiled while their owners are away. Overall, I'd say if your dog loves other dogs and has an iron stomach, Ruffin' It is fine. But don't expect them to respect specific needs. read more

My dog and I are new to town. I had to travel for business and needed a place to board my 15 lb poodle mix. I was excited about Ruffin' It based on their brochure. I was still a little nervous about dropping my dog off in a new place. She stayed four nights. when I brought her home, I immediately noticed two large scabs on her breastbone. I was horrified going through the scenarios in my head of how they got there. The marks are most likely bite marks from another dog. I called Ruffin It back and left a voicemail asking what might have caused this injury. Four hours later I received a return voicemail from a manager. They obviously had no clue how the injuries were caused. I know stuff happens like this when dogs are around each other. I just can't believe no one on the staff knows what happened to my dog under their care. When it happened, there was probably a lot of noise and, judging by the scabs, there had to be bleeding.it probably happened during the two hours of day care she had each day. I used to take my dog to PetSmart for daycare in another state twice a week. Nothing like this ever happened. The staff was very diligent about watching for this kind of thing and if something happened, I'm pretty sure I would have received a report. I paid extra for my dog to be well taken care if during her first saty in a new place. This is not the first experience I was hoping for. I don't plan to return to Ruffin It. read more

The first time we boarded our dog, we brought her here. We did a visit, a sample day visit, and the staff was all very considerate and excited about her being there. We brought her for an overnight stay, and left specific instructions on her diet, her treats (and brought her food and treats for her) and paid for her to be in day care (out playing with other dogs instead of locked up.) We did everything we could to make it clear to the staff that this was her first time being boarded, and that she was a cuddle butt and would need to be with people and dogs. When we picked her up, instead of being out in daycare playing, she was in the back in a kennel. When we asked why, they said since she was overnight shed gotten put back in her kennel (even though she wasn't spending the night that night.) We got no report card, no photo, and were charged way more than we'd expected and been quoted (over $100 for an overnight stay with 2 days of daycare). The teenaged girls at the desk were unable to explain it to us, and didn't really seem to care to. Once we got home, though, I was unpacking her bag and found all of her food and treats in the bags I had sent them in. My husband called and asked them if that meant she'd been given the wrong food (that would consequently make her stomach upset) or if she hadn't been fed at all. They told us that someone had called in to work that day, so in the shuffle, she hadn't been fed. Her first time being boarded, she was kept in a kennel, not played with, and not even fed. They refunded all of our money, and gave us a gift card, and a letter saying how sorry they were. As a business, they did everything they could do to make it right, but as a place to care for my dog, they did everything wrong. She's totally antisocial now, and we haven't boarded her since. After thus experience, we're too scared and not willing to put her through that again. read more

What a complete difference from our first experience with a different boarding facility! We were dreading leaving our dog behind while we went on our honeymoon because she's old and sick. She's got her share of medical problems, so we were weary about leaving her again. After many of my friends shared their experiences with Ruffin' It Resort, we thought we'd forget the past and give this place a chance. As soon as we entered the place, we were all greeted cheerfully by staff. My husband and I immediately felt a sense of peace. They took the time to listen to our concerns and show us around, even assuring us that she would be given a plush bed to help her arthritis. While we were gone, we were able to catch her on the webcam roaming around and seemingly enjoying herself. The biggest surprise was when we picked her up. As soon as I brought her home, she was full of energy and didn't seem as weak as usual. You could tell she was genuinely loved and cared for by the staff. Her report card for her hotel stay even made us smile. This will definitely be the only place she will be staying at in the future, whether overnight or in daycare. Thanks for taking care of our baby! read more

I have always been nothing but impressed with Ruffin' It Resort. We have a very timid vizsla who needs daycare regularly to keep socialized. She is a very high-energy dog and we always know she will be exhausted after a day at Ruffin' It! Not only is it great for socialization, but it helps with the winter blues when it is hard to get your dog proper exercise. After 5 years of sending her to Ruffin' It, we are firm believers! The staff is nothing short of wonderful, calling all "regular" pups by name. They really do pay close attention to the needs of every dog while they are in their care. They've given my dog a jacket to wear on cold days (when I should have been more prepared) and they always give you a great "report card" as a recap of the day. I would recommend Ruffin' It to anyone and always do when talking with friends. read more

Previous review was filtered, but I encourage people to read it (scroll to bottom of page). For some reason, recent positive reviews all appear filtered. I absolutely love Ruffin' It Resort, and my lab loves it more. The quality of care she gets at her bi-weekly daycare visits is always outstanding. She plays hard, so a few bumps and scrapes here and there, but never anything serious. The dogs always look happy and the staff has been wonderful. Anyone in the area in need of daycare visits should definitely take the tour. read more

This is long overdue. My wife and I had a terrible experience at a different boarding facility for our dog, so I was hesitant when she wanted to bring our dog here while we were on our week-long honeymoon. To say that this place exceeded our expectations is downplaying it. They truly treated our dog like a queen (and she got used to it). The welcoming process went smoothly. Since she was switching rooms the last couple nights of her stay, they showed us where she would be sleeping. We told them about her arthritis and they provided her with not one, but two plush beds to sleep on and a rug in her kennel so she wouldn't slip and fall trying to get her balance. We got a chance to see her in the webcam while we were in Hawaii and my wife was so happy to see how our dog was being treated and making friends. When we picked her up and took her home, you can tell she had an amazing stay. She was very energetic so my wife played with her for a while in the backyard. She even had a glowing report card. I can't express how much we appreciate this place and how they treated our girl. read more

We have taken our chocolate Labs to Ruffin It Resort for the past six years. Before our current dogs, we took our elderly Black Lab to Ruffin It. It is, without question, the premier boarding facility in Madison. Our dogs run into Ruffin It Resort when we arrive. We have boarded them for up to two weeks at a time, and without exception they come home and settle back into their normal routine without missing a beat. The staff at Ruffin It Resort is exceptional. Renee (the owner) is a very caring person who takes the responsibility of caring for our dogs very seriously. I recommend Ruffin It Resort without reservation. read more

My dog was a regular at Ruffin It Resort in both the day care and boarding. This past May we took her to board when we went to Florida. She became very ill on the second day which was a Sunday. The staff immediately recognized how ill she was and took her immediately to the emergency vet and notified us. Unfortunately, our dog was very ill with cancer. We were not aware of her illness as she had not really demonstrated any symptoms. Amie, the general manager kept in touch with us as we tried to get home a quickly as possible. She cried right along with us. We made it home the next morning and we were able to see our baby girl before she passed. I strongly believe that without the staff of RIR being so on the ball, we would never have been able to say good bye to our girl. For that,I will forever be appreciative! We will get another dog someday and that dog will be a regular at RIR, too. read more

My dog went to daycare in this place last summer of 2018. When we picked him up and arrived home, we noticed he was breathing fast, lethargic and acting ill. My dog whined whenever he stood up and walked. We took him to the vet and the vet diagnosed him with heat exhaustion. The vet suspected that the staff LEFT my dog unattended in a VERY HOT summer afternoon outside for too long! This incident really breached my trust in this business. I'm very disgusted by the way they treated me and my dog. I called them and cancelled all our future reservations for boarding and daycare and will never come back. Our first time experience was horrible. I dont recommend anyone to this business, save your pet! read more

We recently left our two pugs Dexter and Diego with them for an extended stay of 9 days and I have to say my dogs loved it so much. They came home exhausted. I would highly recommend this place if you don't trust most people with your pet, I don't even trust some of my own family. But they take such good of our babies. They spoil and pamper them just as we would. One thing I loved is getting the emails thru our time away from them with pictures, very personally written telling us how they were, etc. Made us feel better, since I tend to get separation anxiety. I also love the remote camera access. This is our second time with them, first stay was five days. And we will be back to use their hotel again if the need arises. Thank you Ruffin it Resort. read more

Please be very wary of this place!!! We went for a tour here and were told that we could not look at where the dogs in doggy day care were kept. I told them I needed to use the restroom and went to look. There were several dogs. I was concerned by a king Charles cavalier standing on a wooden bench and shaking like a leaf and a corgi that was inside a little fenced ring the size of his body. The attendant was a man about 20 years old that was busy staring at his phone. When I asked the woman at the desk why the corgi was in there she got mad and, without looking into the room, said "he put himself in there!" Last time I checked, dogs don't have opposable thumbs but thanks for that explanation. Clearly you are aware that he is being put in there for whatever reason. When leaving, I excused myself for a drink and found him still in there. Aside from those gems...I was at a friends apartment complex's pool last fourth of July and overheard a very drunk lady tell her mother that she needed to go because she was on the overnight shift. My friend said she thought she was the new owner there. She seemed nice but I was disgusted! read more

Let me start by saying that I treat my 2 toy Miniature Schnauzers like my children. Lucy and Nemo (brother and sister) are almost 3 years old and they have been "vacationing" at Ruffin It over the last 2 years....and they LOVE IT! I also drive 235 miles (4 hours) to get them there (passing by other doggie boarding places along the way). Ruffin It was recommended to me by a Dog Communicator I took the puppies to when they were 8 months old (OK, I'm really not as weird as I sound). My husband and I were planning a 2 week trip to Europe and I was very worried about where the puppies would stay while we were gone and how they would handle it. The pups had never over-nighted with other people, been in a crate/kennel, or interacted with other dogs in a daycare setting. We drove to Madison to visit the facility and were thoroughly impressed by the staff and the setting. When we went to Europe, we ended up booking 2 rooms per day for Lucy and Nemo: the President's Suite (so they could be with the manager all day), and the Ambassador Suite (so they could sleep with the night manager). The only information I could share with staff was that Lucy seemed to LOVE all adults but wasn't so keen on other dogs. Nemo seemed to like other dogs, but was quite shy around strangers. Admittedly, I was crying when I left them there but once I got on my Smartphone and linked into their web cam in the Lil Yukon playroom, I could see how much fun Lucy and Nemo were having with the other small dogs (yes, even Lucy)! For the first few days, Amy and the staff emailed me updates and pictures. My fears and concerns disappeared and I had a wonderful vacation (as did my husband)! The pups just stayed there for 4 days about 3 weeks ago. We always try to book both Suites for them but sometimes only one of the rooms is available (the pups don't seem to notice whether its one of two rooms.....its really to make me happy...OK, maybe I AM a little weird). When we dropped them off they were still "kissing" all the staff as we left (yes, even Nemo)! It's a great feeling for me to know they are so well loved and treated when they are there. read more

It's near my house and I've heard good things. Brought my dog for a socialization assessment and was told he was growly with other dogs (I've only noticed this on leash when I first adopted him and he's much better now and he's in training courses to correct this behavior). He was allowed to do a trial day and then another trial day and now we're on a drop-in basis. I take him to the Saturday playgroups and he does amazing! Runs and plays with other dogs, I've never seen him get snappy. I've seen other dogs get snappy and no one seems to care about that. They have resort cameras and my family will check in while I'm at work if he's at daycare and they keep noticing that some of the staff brush my dog off as an annoyance to them. I know they need to be fair and some people pay for extra cuddles, but it seems like they go out of their way to ignore him (hopefully I don't sound like a crazy dog mom, I'm not!). I won't be bringing him here anymore for day care. They don't seem very interested in loving on my dog whereas he's gone to a few rover caretakers with other dogs in the home and they love him and take good care of him and he plays and comes home exhausted. The woman who is in charge was very pushy to my mom during the assessment (and I witnessed her behave this way to another client and while I talked to her on the phone about my dog's trial day), the girl at the front desk rolls her eyes at me, the only nice person there is David the asst mgr who should be running the place. read more

Although it is one of the higher priced pet boarding places in the area, I truly think it is worth what you pay for. Our pup always has SO much fun while she is there and comes back home exhausted after a long weekend. The staff are all very friendly and seem to really enjoy working there. Added bonus: They have cameras that you can access through their website to see the dogs playing during the day! This is the only place I trust that my dog will be happy and stay healthy when we have to be out of town without her. read more

Don't do it, just don't do it. Not if you love your dog as much as I do. My one year old lab mix (loves dogs, very well socialized, does GREAT at daycare at another place) just finished his third stay. Three strikes and you're out. The first stay, he returned home with a cut on his ear, which we were told was from some rough play that happened during daycare. Those things happen, so we let it slide and decided to book another stay due to another trip out of town. His second stay, my dog was returned without any registration tags or information, which we were not informed had been lost. After contacting Ruffin' It, we heard NOTHING for nearly a week, then all of a sudden all the tags were available again. Again, things can happen, so we gave it another chance. I wish we hadn't. His third stay ended Sunday. When we picked him up, we were told he was anxious, and had struggled during his stay. He came home sick, with extremely loose stool. He slept almost the entire day on Monday, only to immediately start acting strange and reserved. Upon inspection, we found A HALF INCH GASH on his side, something we were absolutely not informed about when we picked him up. He's mostly white, so the wound absolutely would've bled, and absolutely would've been noticeable. And yet, no mention. My wife was nervous, so she repeatedly checked the cameras available on Ruffin' It's website. Most of the time during group play, my dog was forced to wear a leash, which can cause stress and submission concerns when surrounded by dogs off leash. Basically, it's not worth the risk. Maybe your dog will come home fine, with no problems to speak of. But, my completely normal, dog and person loving well-trained lab struggled mightily with seemingly poor attention and care. He came home wounded, exhausted, and poorly fed, and we can only hope it doesn't affect him behaviorally. Don't do this to a member of your family. read more

I've been going to Ruffin' It for nearly two years, so I feel like I have a pretty good body of evidence to rate the service and the staff and both are great. My wife and I have two very high energy dogs, Daisy, a German Shorthair Pointer (2.5 years) and Jordy, an Australian Shepherd (10 months). My wife and I both work a lot and travel for work, so our two pups spend a lot of time at Ruffin' It in both daycare and the hotel. I'll start with the daycare. Daisy, my GSP, quickly "graduated" to Yosemite, the park for big, high energy dogs. She currently goes 5 days a week and I can't say enough about the daycare. Daisy has two modes - full speed and sleep. I can't even imagine what she would do to my home if she didn't get the chance to spend her energy all day at Ruffin' It. Daisy is also a little OCD and has issues with light and reflections. The caretakers do an excellent job of distracting her or redirecting her if she gets caught up chasing a reflection. She [obviously] has a short coat and is fairly skinny and they do a great job of bundling her up in the winter when necessary. Jordy, our Aussie, spends 2-3 days per week in the Yellowstone park. They keep our pups separate so they don't gang up on other dogs (which they would), but Jordy gets plenty of exercise and play in Yellowstone. Both of our dogs are zonked out in the back seat of my truck by the time I get onto the belt line. Now for the hotel. Our dogs may be the most frequent fliers in the hotel and they love going there and we love taking them there. The customer service is amazing. One time we didn't bring enough food for their stay, so they went to the store and got a bag of their brand and flavor of food. Another time we didn't have enough of Daisy's anxiety medication, and they had someone stop by our vet to pick up the prescription. They call us if there are any concerns with our dogs. I've never had an issue with the dogs getting fed the wrong food or the wrong amount (they keep the food you bring in your dog's kennel). I also love that they get a free bath when they stay three nights. It is so nice to pick up a clean, happy and tired dog at the end of a long week on the road. Ruffin' It isn't cheap, but I believe that you get what you pay for at Ruffin' It. The staff care about the dogs as their own (many bring their own dogs to the daycare). We went to another daycare and boarding facility when Ruffin' It was full. The dogs came back dirty and didn't seem happy when I picked them up. Daisy had lost about 5 pounds (she is a skinny dog and it is tough to keep her at a healthy weight), while Jordy was about 5 pounds heavier. They obviously did not follow our request to feed the dogs separately and at specific times. That would never be an issue at Ruffin' It. Renee, the owner, is great and does an excellent job with her pack leaders. You can see that she leads by example as she greets the dogs by name and with a pet when she is at the front desk. read more

Every time we have gone Ruffin It, they have been wonderful. You can tell that the staff really enjoys their job and they genuinely love dogs. When we were out of town and had our two in their hotel area, one of them had gotten sick and the manager actually took our girl to the vet himself in his own vehicle. Turns out she had separation anxiety and was anxious and it was making her sick. Without any additional charge, they upgraded our two dogs to the presidential suites so they would have more one-on-one time with staff and be away from the chaos and still be together. read more

My husband and I adopted our very first dog about a month and a half before we brought her to Ruffin' It for a playgroup. We had taken her to various dog parks and while she had a lot of fun and never physically attacked any dogs, we were concerned that she barked very aggressively and seemed toy possessive. None of the owners at the dog park seemed concerned about it (she's half lab, half beagle so she has a very loud "hound" bark) and had been very reassuring, but we wanted an expert's opinion just in case. That's what led us to Ruffin' It. When we arrived at the play group there were two other dogs there. Our dog picked one to play with and left the other, more skittish dog alone. Our dog did bark and tried to get the other dog to run around with her. We played a bit with the toys. So far, so good. The problems started when the play group supervisor showed up 10 minutes after the session began. My husband and I told her that our dog was newer and that we weren't sure if it was a problem but she seemed a bit bark-y and toy possessive. The supervisor said "Well we have toys at this play group so it's probably not the group for you." Then she led our dog out of the group. At no point did she observe the behaviors we had just spoken of. She literally showed up, we asked a question, and she led us out. My husband and I just stood there dumbfounded for a moment then followed her out. She did not offer any advice. When we prodded her for some she said to find a group with no toys (but couldn't tell us the name of any such group). Then we asked about how to correct the behavior and she handed us a card for a behaviorist. When we asked about how the behaviorist worked she couldn't tell us anything. Anything. At all. When we got outside we found the skittish dog from the group and her owner. The owner told us she had left because she had seen a dog who had twice bitten her dog entering the play group (and it seems weird to me that we had to leave because of potential behavior issues but they let in a dog who they know bites other dogs). We told her what happened to us and she asked if they had given us our money back, which is when we realized they hadn't. I realize it's only $4, but seriously? You show up 10 minutes late to the group, escort us out immediately just because we mentioned that there might be a behavior issue, and then keep our money? And I mean I didn't expect her to sit with us and train our dog, but we were hoping that as an "expert" she would at least observe the behavior for a moment and offer some kind of actual advice. I didn't get the impression at all that the supervisor was interested in her job. We were originally going to use this place as daycare twice a week for our dog because it's only a block from our house. Now though I'll be driving 20 minutes out of my way take my dog to a day care that cares about my dog and her issues. read more

We recently moved out of the area and are having a lot of trouble finding a daycare as good as Ruffin' It - they spoiled us! We switched to Ruffin' It after we found out that our old kennel didn't have someone on the premises from 6pm to 7am the next morning and because our dog had to be pulled into the doggy daycare there because they mixed him in with large dogs (he's 40 lbs and a wuss). Not a problem at Ruffin' It! They have someone on the premises 24/7 (night manager sleeps there) and our dog was always so excited to go there, instead of someone having to pull him into the daycare room, he'd pull them to get in there quicker! We really liked how the dogs were separated into 3 groups - small, large, and a third group for large and more active dogs. Our dog was in the small group (at 40lbs he was one of the largest) and his daycare room was indoors and outdoors. He loved the paddling pool in the summer! It was also great to be able to watch him on webcam (although he didn't always stay on-camera). We also kenneled our dog at Ruffin' It. Generally he stayed in the least expensive option and we provided his food. Our dog doesn't have special needs (dietary restrictions, health problems, etc.) and we never had any problems with kenneling him. He always came home happy and healthy. If he was is in the kennel for more than 3 days, they would bathe him and give him a cute bandanna. If he was in daycare on a holiday they would sometimes give him a bandanna too (American flag for 4th of July, shamrocks for St. Patrick's day, ghosts for Halloween, etc. all super cute!). We loved those extra touches. We loved the report cards that he'd get after each daycare and kennel stay. Kennel report cards were covered in pictures that they'd taken of our dog, obviously enjoying his stay. The staff were incredibly nice. They genuinely like dogs and were always very affectionate and loving with our dog. When we moved away they gave us a goodbye card signed by every member of the staff, all who wrote messages to our dog! Ruffin It is busy and we did have some problems with booking him in during busy periods like holidays, but we wouldn't have taken him anywhere else. Overall Ruffin' It is a great kennel and doggy daycare. Our favorite part was that we could go on vacation or get things done around the house without feeling any guilt - knowing that our baby was happy and being taken care of. Is Ruffin' It expensive? I used to think so, but now that I've moved to the East Coast I've seen a lot of inferior kennels and daycare for a lot more money. Is Ruffin' It worth it? Absolutely. read more

Our dog had never been to a kennel before and is a pretty neurotic dog in general. Because of this, I as worried. His very first kennel experience would be for an entire week, with no chance of easing him into it. When we first dropped him off, he was immediately scared and wanted to leave right away. I thought for sure this was going to be a terrible experience for him. However, the staff was very accommodating and asked lots of questions about our little guy's likes and dislikes. Because he'd never been around a lot of dogs at once, they said they would start off with a smaller group on the first day. They agreed to gradually introduced him into group play, and only later in the day when most of the boisterous dogs had tired themselves out. With the number of dogs that they watch over every day, all of them with their own quirks and restrictions, I was very pleased to find that they followed this plan to a T! We saw our little guy on their wonderful web cams a couple times throughout our vacation and noticed that they were giving our dog exactly the kind of attention he needed. By the end of the week, we saw him playing along great with all the other dogs. It was a huge relief and we were able to enjoy our vacation in peace knowing and seeing that he was in good hands. We called Ruffin' It once to check in on him and they were able to give us very detailed information on how he was doing. They had obviously taken the time to make sure our dog got acclimated and comfortable with his stay. When we picked him up, he seemed to be his normal, happy self. We especially enjoyed seeing all the pictures they had gathered of him during his stay. He looked happy and was enjoying his experience, something that I very much doubted before we brought him there. Overall, I was very impressed with how much individual attention our dog was given. They really go out of their way to understand the needs of each dog. We would definitely bring him back to Ruffin' It for future stays! read more

When our "baby' was just a few months old we had to go out of town unexpectedly. I called Ruffin' It and they didn't have any rooms available. I explained the situation and they asked us to come in. They kept her in the managers office so she was with someone 24/7. She absolutely loved it. I loved the report cards telling us what she did and the pictures of her getting lots of love. She had so much fun. We are going out of ton for a week and are completely confident in leaving her with them for a week this time. I HIGHLY recommend them to anyone. read more

I have a 1 year old, hyper lab which is why we choose to put him in daycare, he didn't pass their behavior test for daycare (although he's been at daycare in multiple facilities before) and they suggested expensive training to fix the behavior that they didn't explain to me. I also had called prior to my dog's first day in daycare to confirm that if he didn't pass the behavior test for daycare then he could still be boarded for the day, they confirmed this several times but didn't tell me it was an extra $15, so essentially I paid $45 for my dog to sit in a kennel all day. Waste of money, staff was rude and my dog got zero exercise. read more

We have been sending our dog to Ruffin' it since he was a puppy about 8 months old. He loves it and is delighted to go everytime. He comes back tired and happy at the end of the day. We love it. The use primarily/exclusively positive reinforcement, so it is great for the dogs and inculcates good behavior in them without creating stress. read more

I called Ruffin' It about two weeks ago, since I had just relocated to Madison, got a job and needed day care for my dog. I told them when I was supposed to start fulltime work, and they told me how to proceed with the application for day care. After spending $50 on an unneeded vet visit due to faulty wording in their 12-page agreement (they state that vaccinations must have taken place within the last 11 months, while in fact they just need to not be expired, which could mean anywhere from 1-3 years), we showed up for the 'socialization assessment'. Friendly staff who seemed to like dogs, although the two dogs I saw in the facility looked a little wistful. I was told there were 18 dogs to one caretaker, which I don't think is an ideal ratio. The daycare manager then took my dog away for an assessment, without offering to show me the facility. It seemed like they didn't want me to get any further than the reception, she hesitated when I asked to tour it and said that another tour was in process. While she was gone, I talked to the receptionist, who then informed me that they were fully booked and only worked on a waitlist/call basis! They would call me when they had openings! I couldn't believe it, as I had said clearly several times that I needed day care while I work. I asked to get my dog back, and told the manager when she came back that they had wasted my time and money by not telling me this up front. She apologized, but I didn't get the impression that they would change their routine, which is why I'm writing this review. Now I have 2 days to find day care for my dog. read more

We love Ruffin' It Resort! Our dog experienced some serious health issues (neck injury) just before we were to leave on a week long business trip. I left very detailed instructions regarding her care (vet instructions) and called every day to check on her. They followed all directions and were very patient with a worrisome mom! They are the best in my book! Thank you, Ruffin' It! read more

We've had two really poor experiences with Ruffin' It. We'll be going elsewhere next time we need a hotel stay for our dog. At the time of the one-night stay, our dog was in a cone and needed medication with his meals. When I made the reservation online, I left this in the notes section. We had an email interaction right after I made the reservation with the front desk, where they hadn't looked at the notes section and were unaware of his needs (I can let that slide). But then they called my wife several days later to confirm his stay. Again they were unaware of his cone, or his need for medication (strike two). Then when I dropped him off the morning of his stay, they once again were not aware of his needs. I don't understand how this can be overlooked, but my main concern is simply that he gets his meds. When I checked him in, I asked very specifically that they keep an eye on our dog to make sure he doesn't chew up his cone. He gets anxious and had chewed up his collar at a previous hotel stay at Ruffin' It where I suspect they weren't keeping an eye on him. After specifically asking that they watch him for this behavior, we go to pick him up the next morning, and he comes out from the hotel with no cone on at all. My wife indicated that he had a cone and asked where it was, and they came out from the back, not sure if it actually was our dog's cone (it was) or aware that he had one in the first place ("he had a cone?") and it was chewed to pieces. The front desk staff was unapologetic, and continued to charge us for a day and a half stay (he was there from Friday morning first thing to Saturday morning first thing), they also charged us for cuddle time (which should have been included with his private stay), and a special needs fee which wasn't previously mentioned to us (and he still destroyed his cone). I called back and spoke with the manager who seemed like he meant well. He offered to remove some of the charges for the stay, however we had to call him back 5 days later as he forgot to actually reverse the charges. This is not the first bad experience we've had here, but it's certainly the worst and definitely the last. read more

After having a last minute trip come up I decided to visit the Ruffin it resort to see if I could board my small dog for the 5 days I was away. I asked about the availability of the bungalow 'room' but they were full so it would have to be the next grade up at $5 a night more. I thought this was fine until I viewed the rooms and the only difference was that it had access to a patio, which would be sealed off due to the cold weather. Turns out that means there is no difference in the rooms at all. Due to lack of other options, I booked my dog in. When I booked her in I paid the $14 charge for 3 check in emails. For somewhere that claims to treat your animal like their own, it surprised me as most boarding places that I have been to, tend to just send pics without a fee to put the owners mind at ease anyway. The check ins that I got were ridiculous. What I expected as a concerned pet owner was a rundown of what my dog has been doing, has she been eating properly, going to the bathroom regularly, playing with other dogs well etc. What it turned out to be was a careless, blurry photo with an email written from the perspective of my dog that sounded like an advert for the resort. e.g. 'I miss you so much but I'm having a fabulous time at the Ruffin It resort, It feels like a home away from home. I love my spacious rooms and all of the staff are so wonderful, I'm so glad you booked me in here.' Really?? That's what I get for $14. Such a joke. When I picked her up I was happy that she was in one piece however she had a scrap of fabric tied around her neck as a cute gimmick whilst her harness was on the wrong way so it was far too tight, her flesh was bulging around it and she looked very uncomfortable - they also had not attached the leash properly even though I'd told them she was a bolting risk so checking that kind of thing is essential. Overall - far too many gimmicks and not enough care. They also charged me much more than their online pricing. read more

I had a horrible experience with this place. My dog was 4 years old, and occasionally I've sent him to the daycare there. One day, he was dull when I've picked him up and went home. After sometime at home, I've realized that he was bitten by another dog and was bleeding. The situation was handled so badly by the management, I get nightmares even to think about the place. read more

I used the place for 12+ weeks for my dogs playgroup Saturday. Was good... until last week. They do the playgroups every saturday, provide nice coffee + donuts. I moved over to them from Taby and Jack's which is very good but far from my new house. Out of 12+ weeks I went there, I and my dog had a good time, I was expecting the same last saturday but was just the opposite. There was a new lady managing the playgroup and she wanted to bring some new rules, such as "dog owners always watch dogs" , which I usually do, except when I have to step out into their hallway to grab a coffee. When I took off a few seconds and came back, this lady (she calls herself management) was standing there staring at me, and she almost shouted saying I needed to stay with the dog. I understood she is having a bad day, but decided to be compliant. My dog is a teddy bear pup named buttercup, he is 16lb does not hurt anyone (or cannot). But he loves to mingle. He was trying to get on top of another dog, owned by a pregnant woman (and I am asian Indian male) - just get on top, not for any other intentions. Usually, in such cases the people around (especially managers) gently pull the mounting dog so nobody is annoyed. And I always encourage them to do so. However, this person, who, for some reason (which I do not understand even now) , was already annoyed with me, says to me , "you need to keep your dog under control otherwise he needs to be on leach". This is the very first time my dog, out of 3 years he has been with us, received such a comment. Puzzled, I asked her, why? isn't this what many dogs do? (In fact there was another small dog always trying to mount my dog)? At this point, she escalated the altercation towards asking me to leave. She even offered me full refund, after I reminded that my dog is not violent to demand such an action and, also I earned the right to be there. The only reason she gave me was she wants to give the pregnant customer's dog a pleasant time. Which, I totally agree, but not by evicting a compliant customer like me! I decided to exercise my right to be there, rest of the hour and I stayed there with my dog. I made sure he does not mount the pregnant woman's dog. I in fact told that woman that she can feel free to let me know if there is a problem (and she was not really complaining to my knowledge) My dog has been there 12 weeks and has never been perceived as someone who needs a leach. And I never received such an invitation to leave the place for such compliant behavior. I am Mano Mohanram and can be reached at 608 886 7682, to validate the details. I intend to visit this place one more time test if this was a one-time thing, or if I need to need to take this legal. I was going to recommend this place, and also possibly hire them to board my dog this summer, but it may not happen due to last Saturday. I do not want people to like or appreciate me, but they had no right to ask me to leave. read more

I have two young golden doodles who love the Ruffin' It. When we pull into the parking lot they get SO excited. It is very reassuring to me that while I am at work, they guys are having a lot of fun and being well looked after. The care takers are excellent at bringing up any concerns they have so that we can work on things at home or just to inform me of things they are looking out for during play time. I appreciate their attention to working on skills with the guys while they are having fun. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend the Ruffin' It to friends. We love it! read more

We couldn't be more pleased or impressed with Ruffin' It Resort! The staff have all been very friendly and helpful, and it is very apparent that they care about the dogs in their care and that this is not "just a job" for them. It is also very apparent that they have a lot of experience and are very knowledgeable in training and working with dogs. They do not just stand there and watch them! They interact and work with them on basic commands, recall, and appropriate play. I toured 5 daycare facilities, and it was just as the owner of Ruffin' It Resort said on their website "you'll know the right place when you see it, and have the peace of mind that your furry friend is happy". Our pup can't get in the door fast enough when I bring her for daycare, and I feel SO HAPPY that she gets to go there and have so much fun playing with other dogs! She is a high energy breed and it's always so nice to see her blissfully exhausted after a day of play, having fun, and learning socialization skills to boot! We have not boarded her yet but will feel COMPLETELY comfortable leaving her with the caring, attentive staff at Ruffin' It and we know she will be comfortable, happy, and well cared for! We also just learned that Ruffin' It received the "Best of Madison Gold" for 2014 and we are not a bit surprised! Well deserved Ruffin' It! Well deserved! Thank you for your great staff and facility and for doing such a GREAT job in caring for our pup (and her humans)! read more