Klub K9 Play Center
Categories: Pet Groomers, Dog Walkers, Pet Boarding/Pet Sitting [Edit]
174 Commercial StSunnyvale, CA 94086 (408) 736-7102
San Leandro, CA
"Stacey, Shasta and the Woofwalks staff have been a complete blessing to our little family. We found Woofwalks through here and are so…" read more »
16 Reviews for Klub K9 Play Center
We took Mochi for an Eval today we want to do boarding in May.
When you first walk in, it's really true. There is absolutely no smell!! the place is very clean! No feces urine smell like "a Dog's Life"
Mike was very welcoming and through. The temperament eval went very well, he checks how your dog will react to other dogs when the bark ect. and how they do when they are left alone. He very much reminds me of Cesura Milan Ala training but better. He does the pack leader stuff.
I can't wait to have Mochi attend daycare!
I will defiantly give and update when we do!!
I love Klub K9. Mike and his staff are awesome. I never worry about my dog when she's at the Klub. They have enough staff to supervise the dogs at all times. My dog isn't dirty when I pick her up. I think this is because they're always cleaning the facility. You can see on their webcam how they're always right there to clean up pee and they're always mopping and vacuuming.
My dog is always excited and happy when we drive up to the klub and she's tired and happy on the way home.
I've tried You Lucky Dogz for daycare and have gone to many puppy play classes at the Sunnyvale Run em Ragged and also Planet Pooch in Redwood city. I think that Klub K9 is absolutely the best and none of these other places come close. (By the way, I wanted to try daycare at the Sunnyvale Run em Ragged and left them 2 messages but they never called me back. So I guess they don't want my business!)
We initially had great reports from friends about this place, and upon our first visits had wonderful experiences. I think Klub K9 is a great place to send your dog if their personality fits into the overall mentality of the facility, but it inevitably wasn't for us.
We received some bad reports about our dogs behavior after a few visits (yes, we KNOW our dog isn't perfect) and was rather aggressively blamed for turning her into a bad dog. What was funny though is once we stopped bringing her to this facility, the negative behavior stopped almost straight away. For a facility that prides itself on being able to deal with dogs with problems, we were concerned that our dog's minor problems were painted as such a drama. We have a dog that is essentially a 'lap dog' and is a real affection seeker, so when she was in an environment where the affection was cut off and it was more of a boot camp she just didn't cope very well.
She apparently wouldn't sleep and got very whingey trying to get the 'carers' attention. This, we were told, was the warning signs of a very badly behaved dog trying to be an alpha and we needed one-on-one training. (more money?? hmmm....)
No toys, no blankets, no treats... it was all too 'Boot Camp' for our liking.
We also picked her up after a week and her overall condition was distressing. She was crusted with dirt and feces, had dropped about 20% of her body weight and was very sick with a severe cold. Her eyes were seriously crusted over with gunk and dirt and we had to soak her face with warm water to get the crap off! She had dreadlocks all over her 2" long coat and her coat was now stained yellow/brown, not white. It took 2 months to grow it out again.
We were never contacted to be told she hadn't eaten the whole time we were gone, or that she had got very sick. It took us a month of vet visits cremes, and antibiotics to get rid of her conjunctivitis and bronchitis, running nose and cough - and you can't tell me that in a week you wouldn't notice a dog crusted with grime, weeping at the eyes, coughing like a seal, sneezing and not eating?? She hadn't been in contact with any dogs apart from at K9, so there was nowhere else she could have got sick. There was little point in arguing our position as I think the damage was already done but we know what to look for in the future.
I'd like to think this was a one-time occurrence, and I'm confident in their abilities to provide care to more robust and independent dogs but I'd ask those with dogs of a more delicate physical and mental disposition to really look at your options before leaving them for a long period of time at Klub K9.
Bookmark Send to a Friend Link to This Review
People thought this was:
Useful (1)
My greyhounds love coming here! It's clean, well-maintained, and very professional. Mike and his staff really care about the dogs, and we trust them 100% with our dogs. Plus, Mike gives great tips on behavior training. Lots of greyhound owners board their dogs here so greyhounds have lots of friends to play with!
Bookmark Send to a Friend Link to This Review
People thought this was:
Cool (1)
Cesar Milan is nothing compared to Mike and the Crew.
A fellow Yelper Elizabeth recommended KKPC, so we decided to try it. We've had our troubles with doggy day care and Klub K9 was sort of our last shot. (See http://www.yelp.com/bi...). I'm happy to say our dog now has a great 2nd home.
The first thing you notice about KKPC is that there isn't a scent. It doesn't smell like chemicals or urine or dog. In fact, the place is really clean in the lobby and out in the play areas. I think Mike is probably a closet OCD, but that's fine by us.
The screening process is meticulous. Our dog was a question mark, based on the screening because she showed some level of possible aggression. Mike recommended we do 2 half-days, in case a full day would make her batty. She passed both with flying colors.
What initially struck us was how disciplined Mike is about the dogs and process. It feels like a cross between boot camp and Montessori school. You know he really loves the dogs, but at the same time, they are under his complete control.
Our dog comes home tired and often sleeps for two days straight. She's better behaved, listens more, and doesn't act up as much. Mike and his team are obviously reinforcing good behaviors throughout the day. It's like getting training on top of day care.
No toys, no food, no fighting. If dogs start getting ornery, there is an immediate stop. When they eliminate inside, there's a pit crew to clean it up fast. And when there was even just a threat of kennel cough, they went into HAZMAT mode and disinfected the entire building. Military strike style -- nice!
We also boarded her for 9 straight days -- the longest we've ever had to, and other than a few chew marks (she's kind of nose when she shouldn't be especially when overtired), she was extremely tired, way more attentive, and loves going to her crate by herself. She's also less window aggressive and responds to correction quicker.
And this place is less than 5 minutes from both our jobs. I know that might not mean much to you, but for us, it makes dropping off and picking up very easy.
I wish there was another star I could tack on for how satisfied we are.
Bookmark Send to a Friend Link to This Review
People thought this was:
Useful (1)
I found this day care after seeing a big board in Lawrence Expressway on the way home after visiting Run'em Ragged. I was not too satisfied with my visit in the Run'em Ragged and decided to check out another day care. Then, I read all the reviews in yelp which said nothing, but great things about this center. I am so glad that I found Mike Musso and his Klub K9 Play Center. Poochy went through the temperament evaluation as Friedrich explained in his review. Mike definitely knows a lot about dog psychology and behaviors. I drop Poochy off once a week and only after two visits, I noticed a better behavior. He's a one year old Puggle and boy, he has tons of energy. However, every time I picked him up from day care, he would be all tired and just wanted to get home to his bed.
We also hired Mike to do private training sessions for us. I strongly recommend him. He's worth all the money and he always looks what best for the dogs while giving them discipline. His principle which is training the dog without using pain/harm aligned with what we believe in.
Oh..Mike is also strict about letting dogs in his care. In my first visit, Poochy had his first kennel cough (which I didn't know). 5 minutes after dropping him off, he called me that I needed to pick him up and he could not come back until 10 days. This showed how much caring he has for the dogs. He runs a business, but it's not just about making money. And yup, I brought Poochy to the vet and he was right on! He was diagnosed with kennel cough. It was a good thing that Mike caught it early. Otherwise, we would hear the sound of choking for days.
I am very grateful that I have found this place! Every time I leave Poochy there, I feel that he's in the care of the best hand (besides our hands of course! :)
I have always been an animal lover but was always hesitant to get my own dog as I know how much responsibility is required. Needless to say, I finally gave in after much begging and pleading by my children. Our puppy quickly became my 3rd child and I love her as much as my human children, especially because she never talks back to me! However, when it came time for our annual month long trip, my heart sank. Who would be as kind to her as we were? Who would care if she got enough exercise and not keep her locked in a cage or "hotel room" as some places like to call them? We all know a tired dog is a happy dog.
Coincidentally my friend had just been referred to a place to board her dog in Sunnyvale and that's how I came to know Klub K9 and Mike. During the interview process and the tour of the facility I noticed so many positive things. Just to name a few...there was no unpleasant odor, the dogs that were there were happily playing or lounging around together and most important to me was there were no cages! The staff was very attentive and in tune to the dogs and the dogs had a respect for them as well.
Mike and his staff are extremely knowledgeable about dogs and their behavior. My dog was a bit shy and always very submissive to other dogs. Mike told me that she would be much more confident after a stay at Klub K9. He was right! After her first stay, she did come back with much more confidence but was still just as kind and sweet.
I now board her there every time we go out of town. Whether it's for a weekend or 4 weeks. Every time we arrive at the building she practically pulls me inside. She cheerfully greets Mike and then bounds toward the play area, tail wagging. It is such a relief to me to know that she is safe and happy while we (her family) are away.
Our rescue dog LOVES going here. She practically drags me in the door to play with her friends. Mike, the owner is very attentive to the dogs needs.
Bookmark Send to a Friend Link to This Review
People thought this was:
Useful (1)
Cool (2)
Jean Grey (our dog) absolutely loves this place! We rescued her about a year ago from the Silicon Valley Humane Society; when we rescued her she was under socialized, had no training and was kept mostly outdoors. Neither of us (my husband or I) had owned a dog in our adult life so we really needed someone to talk to, to answer all of our questions and to help train and socialize our dog.
Klub K-9 was referred to us by one of my husband's co-workers and has truly been a blessing!! Mike, the owner, is extremely patient and very knowledgeable (25 years in the industry). The facility is *very* clean, the staff is great with the dogs (Mike spends a lot of time training the staff), the facility is entirely cage less (even when boarding) and its a great all-in-one place (training, boarding and daycare). Lastly, and I know not many local dog facilities can say this, they've gone the entire year without one dog fight!
It puts us at ease knowing that our dog is in a safe environment not only for daycare, but also when we travel. We can't say enough great things about Klub K-9 (and neither can Jean Grey)!
Imagine this: you are going on vacation and boarding your dog for the duration. You drive to the boarding facility and your dog's tail starts wagging when you pull into the parking lot. When you walk through the front door she's greeted by name and becomes genuinely excited. When they call her to the back room, she voluntarily trots off -- tail wagging -- without being cowering or being dragged away.
Sound familiar? No? I had no idea this was possible until I discovered Klub K9 here on Yelp a few months ago. Not for lack of trying, either: I've used many different boarders (both caged and uncaged) over 9 years of dog ownership (20+ years if you include past dogs) and K9 is by leaps and bounds the best boarder I've ever come in contact with.
Mike & his staff are very in-tune with dog behavior. What strikes you immediately is how very seriously they take the job. Part of it is that there are some rules here that I've never come across. For example, when dropping off your dog, you need to be there by 10:00 am in order to let your dog become part of the "pack hierarchy" as it forms early in the day, as Mike explained it; Bordatella is recommended every 6 months; flea meds are required; no peeing in the bushes outside (you *or* your dog :). There is also a fairly extensive interview process before you can board here, and it's not a walk in the park: it runs several pages and your dog will be "tested" for aggression by one of Mike's alpha dogs. The good thing: the interview and these rules make you feel pretty good about your dog's care. And they're easily worth following.
Be aware K9 will not board all dogs: namely, if your dog is too aggressive or isn't properly socialized or trained, you'll need to go somewhere else, or get him trained first. That's for the safety of the other dogs and the staff, since the dogs roam free in the large indoor/outdoor pens. Although I haven't used his training services, Mike is an incredibly experienced dog trainer and I would hire him in a heartbeat just to have access to his boarding services. There are also day-boarding and grooming services, though I haven't used those either.
Finally, I love K9's hours and their pricing for overnight boarding. At the time of this writing, pricing is $40 per-night. This means you could drop off Saturday morning and pick up late Sunday for a total of $40, whereas most other places would get you for two or more days. I say "or more" because unlike any other place I've used, they're open 7 days a week, 10-12 hours a day (7am-7pm) and you can arrange for pickups even later than that. Quite awesome, if you ask me.
This review might sound gushing in its praise or unrealistic in the expectations it sets, but it's not. I really love what they do here. And as my dog has gotten older, it has gotten harder and harder to board her since it normally creates a lot of stress for her. But K9 has a separate room for "elderly" for older dogs, so as she slows down she has the ability to retire from play and sleep, as she increasingly does these days. That kind of treatment means a lot.
The best thing (for me) is that I no longer feel that little twinge of guilt when I need to board my dog. When we're traveling and people ask where Shalako is, we used to say, jokingly, "in jail"; now we say, quite seriously, "at doggy camp."
I came here based off the recommendation of my brother, and although this has been the only dog day care center I have been to, I am very impressed with Mike, his team, and facilities. I like how Mike performed a rather thorough temperament evaluation with Sake before she could first attend to ensure that she could socialize well with the other dogs. He also seemed to have a great understanding of dogs and their personalties. It made me feel much more comfortable that she would be playing with other friendly dogs that had been through similar personality evaluations.
Although the facilities do not have toys, I am totally fine with it as Sake prefers to just chase dogs and people around. Toys are inconsequential if there's another pup to be tormented =) The web cam is slightly difficult to view, and I have had difficulty identifying Sake some times, but I have figured that if I put on a brightly colored collar, she is much easier to spot. Also, Klub K9 comes in a bit cheaper than the other places, which definitely helps in the long term. At the end of the day, I'm happy because Sake is happy......and tired.
Bookmark Send to a Friend Link to This Review
People thought this was:
Useful (1)
I started coming here after being recommended by two volunteers with Furry Friends Rescue (where my last two dogs were adopted from). Mike/Klub K9 also helps Furry Friends Rescue with fostering dogs. When Morgan first started going, he wouldn't want to go in, but once he was in, he did great. Mike really understands dog behavior and helps them become better and more confident dogs. After boarding Morgan for 10 days there, he came back more confident and very well taken care of. I can feel that Klub K9 cares for him like it was their own pup. After the boarding, Morgan gets super excited everytime we go and hardly waits for his leash to come off so he can go play.
Klub K9 came recommended by our greyhound rescue adoption agency. We've boarded our dog there a few times now (once while we were on a two week vacation) and as guilty as I felt leaving our dog for that long, it was a great peace of mind to know he'd be happy and safe while we were gone. They really care about the dogs and will adjust eating, sleeping, play, etc., arrangements to suit each dog's unique personality.
One thing to note - they prefer that you drop your dog off in the morning. I would have preferred to drop our dog off the evening before our very early flight. However, they want you to drop off in the morning so they can ensure that the dog gets plenty of exercise during the day and, more importantly, will be tired come bedtime.
I must say that I was very nervous about leaving our puppy behind for our 9 day trip during the holidays. Most boarding places in the area won't even take a dog that is under 5 months old and our dog is 4 months, so were concerned that we would be stuck. Luckily, for us, we found K9. We were first struck by how large and clean the facilities were are K9. We are training in at another daycare facility in the area that smells like urine when you walk in and the room is not very large. The K9 facilities were the exact opposite. Prior to accepting our dog for boarding, K9 took asked to meet our pup to ensure he was well socialized, which made me feel better about the other pups that would be staying with him while he was away. Once we were away, I was so glad to find a webcam on the K9 website. After a few days, I noticed that our dog wasn't showing up on the webcam so I called to check in on him. Mike and his staff informed us that our dog was not himself and they took him to the vet who diagnosed him with an URI. They immediately got him on meds, separated him from the other dogs, and nursed him to health in our absence. It was such a relief to know he was well taken care of! Overall, I am very pleased with Mike & his staff and will be going back for DayCare and am considering using them for future training courses. Highly recommended!
Bookmark Send to a Friend Link to This Review
People thought this was:
Cool (1)
Just took BB here today for a temperament evaluation and the owner, Mike, was extremely nice. He started Run 'Em Ragged and has moved on to start this new place.
The staff seems knowledgeable and very comfortable around dogs of all types. The temperament evaluation was actually much more detailed and intensive than others that BB has taken, making me much more comfortable with leaving BB at their facilities. I like their focus on positive reinforcement and pack emulation to control all the dogs rather than squirt guns. They also restrict the toys available for the dogs to play to help discourage fighting. Part of me thinks that the dogs will be bored, but hey, they're dogs. I'm sure they can figure something out to entertain themselves, especially a whole warehouse full of them.
The lobby and the dog play area is very clean and organized, which I liked, and the prices are all in line with others in the area. I know there's lots of daycare and boarding facilities for dogs, but I like the idea of cageless daycare and boarding. It lets the dogs socialize and romp around - tired dogs are good dogs ;). Out of all the places I've taken BB too (it's a lot, I've switched jobs a couple times and I keep looking for ones close to my work), Spots was a little dirty, Run 'Em Ragged was nice, but always out of the way, but I have a very good feeling about Klub K9.
BB better like it too. That's one spoiled ass dog.
Bookmark Send to a Friend Link to This Review
People thought this was:
Useful (3)
Cool (4)
After reading a review I brought my dog to Mike for an evaluation for boarding. He was very professional and extremely knowledgeable about dog behavior. He also seems to really love working with dogs.
I left my little dog with him and could not have been happier! The evaluation was great and taught me about dog psychology. So after he was approved I started leaving him for day care and overnight service. Mr. T appears happy and very clean every time I pick him up. Many other places I have left him he has been very stinky when I picked him up but not at K9! They keep the place very clean and all the staff appear very capable and good with all kinds of dogs.
I also signed up for private training for Mr. T which has helped so much! He is so much calmer with people and did not bite my step father even once this past Christmas. Thank goodness for that! If you have to leave your furry child or need some training Mike and K9 are the right ones for the job!
Bookmark Send to a Friend Link to This Review
People thought this was:
Useful (2)
People Who Viewed This Also Viewed...
Related Lists
-
Gone to the Dogs
I'd take my dog everywhere if I could, but I…
Hot and New
- New Kapadokia
65 reviews
Redwood City, CA
- Slider's Burgers
66 reviews
San Jose, CA
- Blu Cocoon Med Spa
32 reviews
San Jose, CA
- St. John's Bar & Grill
160 reviews
Sunnyvale, CA
- Kappo Nami Nami
111 reviews
Mountain View, CA
