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Dog Day Care, Boarding Center Officially Opens In Pittsfield Township

WASHTENAW COUNTY, MI -- Dog owners now have another place to take their pups in Washtenaw County.

Pup City Daycare recently opened in a former Zap Zone location at 4177 Carpenter Road in Pittsfield Township. The new business, located between Ann Arbor and Ypsilanti, offers dog owners a new option for boarding and a dog day care.

Read more: 'Where furry friends unite': Dog day care and boarding center to open in Pittsfield Township

Owner Matthew Golowic decided to start Pup City Daycare after noticing other dog day cares were missing certain amenities. He said his love for dogs and desire to bring another dog day care and boarding option to the area made Pup City come to life.

"I'm taking the typical doggy day care script and amplifying it," he said.

"I want to be an option that people choose because they like the transparency, the communication, the services, the people, the relationships and everything that we have to offer. I don't want to be an option that people choose just because there's vacancy."

Pup City Daycare offers dogs a 10,300-square-foot building along with outdoor play spaces with multi-story play structures. Golowic said the space plans to host 85 dogs at a time in the future, which is less than the building's maximum capacity of 125.

Golowic said dogs will have more access to outdoor spaces during the day, and owners will be able to watch webcams live streaming Pup City's operations.

"I'm looking to make everything as convenient for people as possible," he said. "I don't have all these extra add-ons and stuff. All that stuff should already be included in just the standard daycare and boarding services. You shouldn't have to pay for extra belly rubs and extra exercise time."

Owners interested in Pup City must register their dogs and also have their canines complete a temperament test, which essentially gives staff members a chance to get to know the pet a little better while letting the dog acclimate to the facility.

Pup City will also offer grooming options in the future, Golowic said, adding that "if everything goes as planned" these may be available by the end of the year.

As he thinks more about the future, Golowic said he hopes customers can give their feedback to continue to shape Pup City Daycare into what it will become. He added he is most excited to continue to build not only relationships with the facility's pups, but their owners as well.

"I find it super interesting and comforting when I meet people who have the same amount of love for dogs as I do," he said. "I love new relationships and I love cultivating relationships and getting to know people."

Golowic said he is already thinking about more amenities he can offer. He said one idea involves possibly creating a doggy splash pad and pool at the back of the business, if Pittsfield Township were to allow it.

"I would love to be the type of owner that doesn't just put money in their pocket, but they funnel it back into the building whether it's through facility upgrades or additional employee perks. I don't want to be that owner who just takes everything," he said.

Pup City Daycare is open 7 a.M. To 7 p.M. Monday through Friday and 10 a.M. To 5 p.M. Saturday and Sunday, with no day care options on the weekend. Golowic recommends anyone interested in checking out the facility during the week to stop by for a tour between 11 a.M. And 3 p.M.

Find the business online, on social media or by phone at 734-221-5526.

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Trainer Shares Three Reasons Your Dog Pulls On Their Leash, And How To Fix It

Dog trying to pull person holding leash

Does your dog drag you around the block on your daily walks? Do they lunge at other dogs? Are they wanting to say hello to every person they meet? If you answered yes to any of the above, rest assured, you're not alone!

Figuring out how to stop a dog pulling on a leash is a top priority for many pet parents who find their walks with their dog to be more stress-inducing than stress-relieving.

There are several common loose leash walking mistakes we can make that result in pulling and Carolyn, the founder and head trainer at Good Dog Training, has shared three of these in a helpful Instagram post.

You can check out everything she has to say in her post below, or read on for a summary of her main points — including her top tips on some easy things you can do to improve your dog's loose leash walking once and for all.

When it comes to your dog pulling on their leash, Carolyn says there tends to be three main reasons for this behavior:

1. You walk slow: "Compared to our dogs, humans have a much slower walking pace," explains Carolyn. "To match our pace, dogs have to walk slower than they naturally would."

2. They want to get to something: "The fun part of walks for dogs is the sniffing. When they smell something past the reach of their leash, they'll pull to try and reach that tantalizing smell. Dogs will also pull to reach another person, another dog, or maybe a fun squirrel."

3. There's no value in walking with you: "All the good stuff is out there!," Carolyn says. "Walking near you means they miss out, so be sure to teach your dog that walking by you is actually super rewarding."

While pulling on the leash can be incredibly frustrating, you'll be pleased to learn there is a solution!

In a separate post shared to Instagram, Carolyn shares her top tips on how to put a stop to this behavior. These include:

Rewarding proximity to you

Rewarding paying attention to you

Letting your dog know that pulling stops the walk

Using a longer, non-retractable leash

Exercising your dog before you take them walking

Walking in lower distraction areas

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"Even though we often walk for different reasons and in very different ways than our dogs, we can still teach our dogs to stop pulling so we can have more harmonious walks," Carolyn explains.

If you find you've been consistently working on your dog's loose leash walking and you're not seeing the progress that you'd like, we recommend reaching out to a professional trainer for some 1:1 support.

Looking for more helpful canine content? Then be sure to check out our guide to three reasons why your dog's recall isn't reliable (and what you can do about it).

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