The Barker Lounge

I am a huge fan of The Barker Lounge. The staff is friendly and genuinely cares about the dogs.
For new pets being boarded (clients), there is a mandatory interview process. Though many kennels state a preliminary interview is required, they don’t actually follow through and will accept any dog with shot records. The Barker Lounge actually does enforce the interview process. This gives you reassurance that your dog won’t be bullied by other kenneled dogs that are aggressive. I can’t tell you how many times my dogs will come home with swollen eyes or scratches from other kennels.
Also, the facility is extremely clean and doesn’t have that doggy paw smell to it. To me, dog paws smell like Fritos.
The location is not very convenient; therefore, one star was deducted. I wish Unilocal had half stars…

I realize this place has many 5 star reviews… and I rarely even feel the need to leave reviews, but I have to this time. I recently moved to the area and took my mini labradoodle here for a groom. I was quoted $ 50 since he is only a 28 pound dog and has no issues with matting or anything (we keep his grooming up to date). When I arrived, I wrote exactly what I wanted done — nothing froo froo… just a nice short cut for the summer — pretty even all over. Because the groomer was running late — I even waited so I could meet her and show her pictures of his last grooming so she knew exactly what I wanted. She said no problem.
Fast forward 3 and a half hours later… my husband picked my dog up and it was shocking. They basically took a shaver to him and did it all over… except the tail which they left as a pom pom! This is a MALE dog. And not a poodle. He is also a lab! My husband had them take our dog back and fix the tail… and my dog clearly did NOT want to go back in there again. Seriously, my dog is unrecognizable. He looks like a rat. Granted, it’s just hair… and it’ll grow… but the staff didn’t seem to have any concern or remorse for our feelings. Furthermore, he doesn’t smell like he had a bath at all. Zero shampoo scent anywhere on him. Then they tried to charge us $ 60…after being quoted $ 50. Unreal. I’m guessing the good reviews are for day care? This was the worst grooming job I’ve ever seen for this type of breed. Also– the lack of care for our feelings was extremely disappointing. Just be careful before leaving your precious dog here.

Sorry, but I am going to have to give only 1 star. We took our dog here over the fourth if July weekend. When we picked him up, everything seemed fine. However, shortly after he became sick and just wasn’t himself. We took him to the vet to find out he had the dog flu. Shortly after, we received an email from one of our friends whose vet sent out an email stating that the Barker Lounge had recently had an outbreak of the dog flu, but was not informing clients.
So basically, our dog came down with the flu because of staying at the barker lounge. The barker lounge did not inform clients. When I contacted the owner, Kelly, she admitted to an outbreak of the flu, but said the outbreak did not happen until after our dog stayed there. We will not be using them again. I hope this post helps in your decision making when trying to decide on a boarder.

I bring my girl, Emma here when I travel or just when I think she needs a day of playing. She loves it here. She tells me how much fun she has and that all of the other dogs are super nice. She likes the staff because they know her and let her go swimming whenever she wants to. They do a great job keeping the place clean and shiny. I highly recommend it.

Our two dogs stay here anytime we are out of town and when we just won’t be home for the day. They do a wonderful job and we feel great about dropping them off. They can never wait to get inside. Staff is friendly. They let them play all day so they aren’t cooped up in a crate all day. Definitely recommend.

When we first moved to this area, we tried a couple of boarding/​daycare providers. Our dogs loved the Barker Lounge; the only disappointment I’ve ever experienced with them is when they were full and didn’t have room. We were going on vacation, and I’d waited too long to make their reservation, so we had to go with another local boarding facility. When we picked them up from this other place, our dogs were trembling, tails tucked under and skittish. One of them had picked up a bad cough and the other one came back with fleas.
We have never had anything but perfectly delightful experiences with the Barker Lounge. Our dogs (a rescue beagle and a dachshund) are practically vibrating with joy when we pull into the parking lot, and they dash in as fast as they can to see their friends. When it’s time to pick them up, they are cheerful and happy — and they sleep really well after a great time at camp.
We will never ever EVER go anywhere other than The Barker Lounge going forward — and may I always remember to make our reservations early to guarantee them a spot!

This is the greatest place in the world.
My labs would rather be here than at home.
As soon As we turn into the shopping center the dogs are going crazy. The just can’t wait to get inside and play! I know my dogs are a handful, but they are welcomed by name and I feel they are truly loved here. We use Kelly and crew for both week long vacation stays and for daycare too. They have even helped us out during family emergencies.
Our labs don’t like to be apart, so they are
Allowed to share a kennel so they won’t get upset. Nicki & Bear give them 5 paws too!

I bring my chwippet Zelda to the Barker Lounge for day care once or twice a week. She LOVEs it! The staff is awesome, friendly and quick to accept and retrieve your dog. I also recently boarded Zelda there for first time and she came home in fine shape.
The facility is clean and modern. The crew are clearly pet lovers and it’s nice to see the same faces month after month which leads me to believe it’s a nice place to work! And, I appreciate the daily posts on their Facebook page! I highly recommend!

I want to first off say that I found this place because of Unilocal’s reviews. Next, because I am very influenced and motivated by positive feedback, I find it only fair to review the true feelings of my business with this Dog Groomer.
I have been struggling to find a great groomer in the Cumming area for a few months now.
With that said, I had high hopes that this would be our new home to take our babies for their monthly grooms.
Unfortunately, that is not going to be the case.
I have 2 labradoodles and they are high maintenance grooms. One had very matted hair because she has so much of it and like I said before, we are in a transition in finding a new «home groomer».
With that, I was totally prepared for the shave down that most likely needed to take place and did. I was not excited about the part where she literally still had wax build up around and on her ear and that the hair around her ear shaft was dirty (I kid you not… the young man took my dog back as I waited for them to correct this problem, which was not even that great of a job!)
Next, my other baby is also the same labradoodle breed, but with a very fine coat. I kid you not, they shaved down to the bare skin under his ear all the way down to his chin and it looks God awful!
I cannot even believe that LIndsey, the groomer, would consider this a «hot spot» place when she didn’t even (what looks like a lack of any attempt) brush his coat under and on his chest!
He even smells like fish! I am in no way over exaggerating here.
I will say that I did not pay for this lack of service. That is the only great customer service that I did experience today with this business.
Also, my female dog did not even receive the sanitary part of her «groom».
UNBELIEVABLE!
I left there and I was trembling through my hands and I was crying! I did not know whether or not to be sad, angry, mad… I was just in shock.
While, to most people, this may not seem like a BIG deal through the bigger scheme of life, I want you all to know that I do not have human children so these fur babies ARE MY CHILDREN. And, when I pick them up from a Groomer and I get them returned in a less than satisfactory condition, that tilts my being.
I cannot imagine dropping off my kids AND having them returned to me in worse condition (one of them) than when I had left.
Thanks.

Great place! I recently left my 5 month old puppy there for boarding and both my dog and myself had a very positive experience. It was one of the first times my dog was without me for an extended period of time, but he had no problem adjusting to his new home for the weekend. The staff gave him a lot of individual attention, which I really enjoyed. They also kept me updated with phone calls and also facebook posts about him. I also like that they keep him with dogs of similar size, I had a bad experience when I left my dog at a different place for an evening and he had been trampled by a much larger dog and hurt his paw.
I would never consider going anywhere else when boarding my dog.

We take Daisy to the Barker Lounge for overnight boarding as well as doggie day care on a regular basis. She absolutely loves being there and is always excited with her tail wagging like crazy the moment we step out of the car to check in. I’ve tried other dog boarding places and this is by far the best one!

**The short version:
Barker Lounge is honestly the most AMAZING doggie daycare & boarding facility — ever. It is incredibly clean (and always smells fresh!), the décor is great, the spaces for the dogs are truly superior, and the staff is wonderful. My pup LOVES going to daycare here, he can’t get in the door fast enough and when he comes home he is a joy — too tired to cause trouble!
I would not take my dog anywhere else and I am now going to tell everyone (even strangers) about The Barker Lounge — it’s that good.
What a relief to find a place I can feel good about leaving my fur child!
The long:
My first visit to The Barker Lounge was at the very end of the day, just right before closing time. I stopped in to check out the place and have my pup assessed before his first day. Even though it was basically closing time, everyone was super friendly and did not rush me or my dog. I was given a very thorough tour, all the perks and policies were explained at length, and my dog Koda received a full 10 minute temperament assessment. The place is so beautiful, modern, clean, and just all around fun.
Prior to Koda’s assessment, Lauren took the time to ask me about Koda and all his habits and idiosyncrasies. Afterward, she explained what she observed and what she recommends for his boundless (and sometimes problematic) energy. She was so friendly and knowledgeable. I noticed how she interacted with Koda — she reinforced good habits, gently corrected the wrong ones (he’s a puppy), and she was so sweet with him.
Fast forward to his first day at The Barker Lounge — he basically ripped my arm off trying to get in the door. He remembered the place from the night before and was so excited that his entire body was wagging! I handed him off and he did not even hesitate or look back, he was a happy boy. When I picked him up he was still hyper in the facility because he was just so happy — but as soon as his little speckled butt hit the backseat of the car, he was passed out. The staff filled me in on how his first day went and I know he can’t wait to go back.
The Barker Lounge is amazing. I am shocked their prices are so reasonable — especially given the high quality of care your dog is receiving. Koda is definitely going to be a regular and he will never go anywhere else.