Downtown Dog Lounge

I’m pretty bummed to have to write a one star review on DDL but their lack of accountability and responsibility made me feel that I have to let other aware of their poor service and professionalism. Here is the email I sent to the general info (12÷23÷15) and to manager Kyle (12÷26÷15).
Email:
«I had a reservation to drop off my dog Blaze this morning at 5am. I arrived at 445 with a note on the door, indicating to call the phone number 206.234.7166. I called this number, along with the Elliot Bay phone number, repeatedly for someone to answer the door. (See attached screen shot of phone log). After 30 minutes of calling and knocking, nobody answered and I had no choice but then to frantically leave and figure out my situation — as it was after 5am and i have a 7 am flight out of Seatac. I had to rush to find someone to come to my place, get my dog, and have this person attempt to drop my dog off at DDL… at 5 in the morning. If I hadnt found someone, I wouldve missed my flight to visit my parents for the holidays.
I have came to DDL many times over this past year and have had no issues with your services. I’m also thrilled to see that there will be DDL opening in SLU. But today was nearly a deal breaker for me, as i called the phone number listed on the door at 530am with no luck. So right after, I called the office line and a gal named Cynthia answered the phone. (Same name as the voice mail box of 206.234.7166). She apologized for not hearing her cell phone… that I had just called. a dozen times.»
As of today, nobody has responded acknowledging their mistake. I am only looking for an «I’m sorry this happened; we’ll try our best to not happen again»… but nothing. Isn’t this her responsibility to answer her cell phone for early drop-​off? Isn’t the point of making a reservation, indicating I will be dropping off my dog at 5am, so someone will be there to open and door or answer the early hours phone? Isn’t it courtesy to respond to an email, acknowledging that this employee made a mistake and they will remediate so it hopefully does not happen again? Considering I’ve spent ~$ 2,000 in 2015 to board my dog at DDL. I’ll have to find another place, even if it is inconvenient and more expensive because I NEED a reliable and respectable boarding place for my dog.

I felt like this place was being shady and trying to tack on extra costs all over the place. For that reason I’ll never bring my dogs back.
We needed boarding for one night for two dogs. When I called to make the reservation, the person simply told me it’d be $ 100. When I asked what I needed to bring, she just said «vaccine records and food.» We bring our dogs in the next day at 3:50pm. The gal informs us that one of our dogs needs to have an evaluation. Never mentioned on the phone, but okay. The girl walks around the place for 10 min, comes back and says our dog was nipping at the other dogs when she put her «in a pack of 5 bigger dogs» (shocking that she nipped and felt like she had to protect herself after just being dumped in a pack of 5 new dogs!) so she’d keep her up front — but if she wasn’t doing well, we could pay extra to isolate her in her own private area (smelling that forced up-​sell again.) She then admitted she’s not «trained to evaluate» but she will take the dogs and call us if they are not doing well… but first they have to get bordatella shots because my dogs hadn’t had them within the last 6 months (they had them within the last year), but luckily the lounge does that… for $ 25 each dog. Another thing we say yes to despite not having been told that on the phone.
When I ask the girl what time we need to pick them up the next day, she says «anytime before 7pm.» We show up the next day at 12pm (less than 24 hrs after dogs dropped off) and they had charged us for 2 hours of doggy daycare on top of the boarding fee. Luckily I questioned it, and they agreed to remove it once I told them my dogs were there less than 24 hours (even though the first girl never mentioned we’d be charged more for leaving them there til 7pm.) However, no manager was around to refund my credit card… so they offered me a credit with them. Not happening since I’ll never be back here again. I demanded the refund, but after 15 min of waiting for the manager who never showed, they took down my CC number and told me they’d credit me when he got back. They said the amount would be $ 22. When they called me to tell me they credited my CC card, she said they only put $ 18 back on it for some reason I wasn’t entirely sure about…
The whole thing just felt sketchy. What was supposed to be $ 100 turned into $ 155. They also told me they charged for evaluations, but that wasn’t on my receipt… so not sure if they do or not. Will not bring my dogs back.

These stars are for Barb. She is the best and shows true compassion for her clients and does an excellent job on our Shiba.
She is always responsive and a joy to work with.

I love going to see Jackey at DDL! I am super picky about how I like to have my shih tzu and schnoodle groomed and Jackey always makes sure I get everything I ask for. She focuses on the details and my babies look great! She is also super awesome with knowing my dogs limits as to what they are tolerant of and what they aren’t going to tolerate. Hands down Jackey is the best groomer in the biz!!!

We have a Yorkie and a Chihuahua Mix and have been taking them to see Jackey! When we found out that she was moving to DDL, we just had to follow.
Jackey always does an amazing job with our pups. She always takes her time to listen to us about our dogs’ needs and when she’s done, she sees to it that she gets to update us on what she’s done to the dogs.
It’s just wonderful to have a groomer who really shows how much she cares about our dogs’ welfare. Could not thank Jackey enough!!!
–Ardie, John, Kurt and Maya

DOG WAS INJURED (AGAIN) — I WAS NOT CONTACTED.
I logged on to see how my dog was doing on the web-​cam, and she was not in the playground with any other dogs.
I called to see if she was ok, and I was told that she was in isolation because she had been injured and was bleeding.
When asked why I wasn’t contacted, NOR my Emergency Contact — they didn’t know. So, they knew to separate her, they had her in isolation for a while — but failed to call me or ask me what I wanted to do, after she was injured. No call, no text, not even a picture of what had happened, while I was away.
I asked for a manager to return my call — still waiting to hear back… still, nothing.
This is the THIRD time my dog has been injured at the Downtown Dog Lounge on Elliot, and also the THIRD time I’ve had to find out on my own either by looking on the webcam, or seeing an injury upon pick-​up, with NO ONE CALLING ME to communicate that my dog was injured during boarding.
YOU HAVE ONE JOB — watch the dogs, report if anything happens IMMEDIATELY.
They have recently raised prices, but the quality of services still hasn’t improved. I’m sorely disappointed, as the dog does enjoy the doglounge, but the staff has yet to resolve critical injury issues in a professional manner.

This place is the worst I have ever been to. They don’t clean the kennels after a dog has left. The place is filthy. The dogs are put in tiny little kennels and yet they charge $ 53 a night. There is often 70 dogs per one person which means that if a fight breaks out everyone is screwed. The staff for the most part are extremely rude and condescending. They don’t care about the dogs well being, especially the managers and owner. The staff are treated like crap which is why so many people quit. Annalise especially is totally unqualified to be manager. To pay these high prices for a place like this is insane. I wouldn’t take my dog there if it was the only place that had room.

Jackey is the best groomer ever!!! I have 2 small dogs a Maltese Lhasa Apso and a Poodle Havanese. I have been going to Jackey for years and when I found out she was moving to DDL I had to follow!!! I love the relaxing atmosphere of DDL it’s very clean and open. I got a tour of the grooming area and it’s so nice! I love that they have comfy kennels where they can put brother and sister together while waiting for their mommy to get back. We drive from north Lynnwood and she’s worth the trip! My dogs love her! Every time they see her they go running and can’t get to her fast enough. You can tell she loves her job and loves my babies too! DDL has a gem on their hands and I will be bringing my dogs to Jackey forever! Her hair cuts are amazing and she has the patience of a saint! Thank you Jackey for all your amazing work!!! I can’t wait to see you again in a couple of weeks! We love you!
Lacey, Sophie, and Meeko

I took my American Eskimo in for grooming. He had terrible mats and would not let me try to get them out. He’s also unwilling for me to trim his nails. Abby worked wonders and he has never looked so good. She worked with him to keep him calm and I very much appreciate her patience. We will absolutely be back.

DO NOT GET YOUR DOG GROOMED HERE!
I took my sweet havanese puppy in for a BASIC grooming. Dropped him off and when I came to pick him up he looked HORRIBLE! All the groomer did was basically shave him! He’s a havanese! Why would I want all of his fur taken off!!! They clearly don’t know the specific cuts for each breed): there was absolutely no skill involved in this cut what so ever! I literally could have taken my roommates hairdresser clippers and done the same thing!
If the cut wasn’t disappointing enough, when I went to pay for it, they charged me $ 75!!! $ 15 more than what they said the MAX price would be (the guy on the phone told me anywhere from 50 – 60 dollars)! I was furious, but still polite. I asked why it was so much and they said it was because I got the «spa» package? I told them I clearly asked for the basic when I called and made the appointment, but they didn’t care. The girl at the cashier and the groomer acted as if it were my fault and still had me pay the full amount.
I just got home and I am very upset. I just paid the most I ever have for a grooming and they did the absolute worst job. I just feel like I was taken advantage of and ripped off. I will not be back.

Our dog just completed her fourth stay with DDL and we love this place! We have boarded our chihuahua mix (senior, she is 8) pup here four times: 1. 3 night stay in December, 2. 6 night stay in February, 3. 3 night stay in April and 4. 1 night stay in May. Our dog is more on the «chill» side so she qualified for the Zen Den. I highly recommend this area for anyone with non-​yappy, shy, or elderly pets. They take really great care of our dog and send us email updates with pictures of our dog cuddling with the other dogs. We usually have them do an exit bath before we pick her up and she’s always smelling great. The people who work here clearly love animals and it definitely shows!

What use to be a good option is no longer! I’ve been a customer for many years and will be taking my business elsewhere.

Barb does an awesome job at grooming our shih-​tzu/​bichon mix. Highly recommend her! My pup always smells amazing for days after and it grows out great.
I also have used daycare there for convenience. My dog usually seems fine (and tired as expected) after. Sometimes he is dirty though… which is a little strange since he’s inside all day. Area for smaller/​medium sized dogs also seems a bit small compared to other spaces I have seen.

Our Jovie Belle had a wonderful time. The staff are friendly, informative, accommodating, and LOVE dogs. This is the first place I have ever considered for boarding. So far, we have only done daycare. Very happy that an Emergency vet clinic is on site, and staff are on-​site 24/​7, 365 days. Web cam, you name it. Jovie received the cutest photo card ever on her first day. This is definitely a fun place with staff you and your dog can trust.

After our boarding plans for our boxer fell through 1 week before Christmas, Downtown Dog Lounge was able to get us in for an evaluation and board our sweet pup for the week we were gone over the holidays. From their meticulous cleaning schedule, to their daily reports on your pet, to their multiple activity options including walks, play time, outside time, etc, this place is the best! Our dog Jude loved every minute here and slept for 3 days straight when he got home because he had had so much fun! It was great to have the option to check in using the webcams while we were gone to make sure he was doing well and he was always having fun! I would highly recommend this place!

I’ve been taking my dog to Downtown Dog Lounge for the past 4 months or so and love their service! Not gonna lie, my favorite part is being able to quickly drop off my dog and run off to class without having to pay each time or wait in line to get my dog in. Right when I walk through the door, all the employees greet my pup and take her right into the back. Easy peasy! Parking is easy as well so from rolling in, dropping her off, driving off the lot, I’m there 2 to 3 minutes max. Perfect! I haven’t utilized their other services, but I’m glad that if I need her washed or need her claws clipped, I can just have that done while she’s in daycare. DTDL also has web cams so if you want to spy on your pup during the work day, you can.

Another fabulous experience with DDL. My Gabe is a regular at DDL, and always stays there when we travel! This last time was for two weeks the longest time I’ve ever spent away from him. I knew he would be in good hands with his regular crew. But it was so much more important this time because mom was getting married. Thank you DDL for making my trip to Maui so much better! For loving my quirky do and for taking such amazing care of him!

Awesome staff, everyone loves our dog. The evaluation fee was waved because we bought a month package.
Tip: you will need a quick-​release collar, but they sell them there, and have loaners. This is because if another dog in the pen gets caught in your dogs collar, they can quickly untangle.
They provide all kinds of services, like walks and grooming. Parking is easy in the gravel/​dirt lot on the side, and there’s a little bit of grass to potty on.
The web cams are awesome, but don’t cover the lobby/​isolation area, where our puppy is kept.
Highly recommend this place.

I had two dogs boarded here over the weekend and have had mixed feelings about all it had to offer, and in sum total have come to the following conclusions:
1) people in reviews seem unhappy with the grooming cuts; we didn’t get that done, just a bath and brush at the end of their stay. They were clean and happy when we picked them up and that was all we wanted.
2) People say this place stinks. Well it does, literally, smell not as good as it should, and here’s why. I watched a lot of webcam and made sure I checked on how the dogs were being cared for, and whether cleaning was being done. It was — and frequently — I kept seeing people coming and going with the mops and the cleaning fluid bottles. The problem is not the staff, but the facility itself. I really don’t feel that this building is ventilated enough. It needs to be improved. Also, the dog grooming area is central to the back area and open, instead of contained off to a particular part of the building, so the smell of wet dog and dampness seems more pervasive than it should. I checked the floors when I went before I dropped the dogs off and they do keep the floors clean. It’s just they really need better setup for this; perhaps with better outtake fan systems for starters.
3) The caretakers all seem kind and friendly and good with the animals, but need to be more mindful of what needs to happen with which dogs when. Granted it was Labor Day Weekend, very busy, lots of dogs, but for us there were a couple odd mistakes.
4) We asked that our two dogs be placed in the same space if possible. There were no large enough spaces to house our two dogs together — because we had a plastic airport carrier and a dog bed for the other dog that totaled too much space. We were told that couldn’t happen, but that they would crate the dogs next to each other. They didn’t. We found them with some other dog in between them for the night. Not a huge mistake, but not what we wanted.
5) The really weird thing that happened was that I saw another dog in our crate at a time when our dogs were out of the room. I could see not only that it was not my dog and it was my crate, but that the dog was too big for our crate. It was pacing and uncomfortable. That didn’t last long however, and soon a supervising guy came in and they put that dog in his right crate. Apparently it was just a mixup. I then was concerned that my dog’s blanket in the crate might have been peed on by some other dog. Well, it wasn’t in there! I saw them put the blanket in later. At least my dog had her proper crate and blanket by the time bedtime came.
6) When we came home, this blanket didn’t get put back in the crate, and we will have to go back again and get it. Very inconvenient. I hope it was because they washed it. Another small mistake.
7) What did annoy me though was the first night my elderly dog was in his crate in the night camera and I thought he had his cushion in there with him, as I’d asked them to do. In the morning, I found the cushion was not in there — he’d slept on the metal crate floor all night, perhaps because there was no crate space big enough for it. Just leaving him off any cushioning is not a solution I would have chosen as a staff member, as that’s important for older dogs’ joints.
8) The second night, I couldn’t see them. I don’t know where they were. Hm. Upper deck cam is really crap at night.
Regardless of the above, the dogs seemed cheerful while they hung out with the other dogs (I saw a lot of tail wagging on camera in the morning), and when they came home, they were not stressed or pulling their leashes to get out, or any other symptom that showed they didn’t like they place. They actually seemed normal and happy and pleased. They didn’t go bonkers with desperation when they saw us, it was just ‘Oh you’re back, are we going out? Yay!.’ So I think they were basically just fine.
Ultimately I think this: I like the people, they were dealing with a new computer program that was a challenge, and it was a really busy weekend. BUT: they need better spaces, bigger spaces, better ventilation, and more light in the spaces. I think what I really don’t like is the facility. Somebody give them some money to make improvements. And staff should make it clear what can and can’t be done to cater to owners’ particular wishes. Be completely up-​front.
For funky Seattle I think they’re doing an ok job. In LA, these mistakes would have created major negative buzz. Just know this and improve those points.

I started taking my one year old large dog to this facility about a month ago. At first I was impressed with how trendy the facility was and how friendly the staff was. However after bringing my dog here about 12 times for daycare, I realize that DTDL relies mainly on marketing and superficiality to attract customers rather than focusing on the actual care/​experience of the dogs.
The dogs are not let outside at all during the day. There are far too many dogs crowded into a small concrete room with no obstacles or toys (It’s just literally a concrete square). I would often check the WebCam for my dog and wouldn’t see her anywhere. I had to call twice to ask where she was. It seems she was being kept in a smaller place instead of in the pen with the other dogs. She often came home covered in pee, slobber, or cleaning product and smelled terrible. When I mentioned this they started dowsing her in baby powder before I picked her up.
The worst experience I had was that I believe my dog contracted Giardia at downtown dog lounge. When I took her to the vet and told them she goes to downtown dog lounge, the vet told me she likely has Giardia. Apparently this is one of the only doggie daycares is in the city that does not ask for fecal samples. Additionally they require Bordetella twice a year which is completely unnecessary. It’s only necessary to get Bordetella once a year, so this is superfluous.
The good things about DTDL are that they allow you to pick up late for only a small charge, they don’t require appointments, and they usually have some pretty cute pups in the entry way to ogle as you wait for your dog.