The Barking Dog

We love the barking dog in Derry! The are so good to are dog! We use boarding, doggie daycare and grooming! All services are awesome!

I have taken my dogs that I have rescued, for many years, to the barking dog grooming facility, and have been very happy with Heather, who has worked there for many years.. She has always gone out of her way to help my dogs feel comfortable, being more scared than your average dog, because of their life experiences. I have always thanked her for her kindness and expertise over the years but would like to share those thoughts with others.

I was scheduled for an evaluation by Val «the trainer.“for my older dog and my newly acquired puppy, the older does not like the new puppy. When I arrived I went into the main entrance with the two dogs on leashes looking for Val. the «trainer» the waiting area was loud and seemingly chaotic. The women behind the desk was aggravated and did not want to help me with the two dogs.. When I pleated with her to take one of the dogs and escort me to the trainer she shot our from behind her greeting area and grab my older dog and literally dragged him outside down the walkway to the training room. My older dog was scared!
When I met Val «the trainer» for an professional evaluation, she had her two
untrained dogs tied on leashes 1 foot from where we were standing. One of her dogs was growling at my older dog stressing him even more. The trainer Val screamed at her smaller grouchy dog three times to «lay down.» I then asked her if she was an actual certified trainer and she at first said «yes» then admitted that she was not certified but Val thought of herself as being qualified because she has had dogs for years.
At one point she recommend that I let the dogs do what they have to do. I let her know I was not going to let the dogs hurt each other.
Recommendation: Use a certified trainer, anyone can hang a shingle!!!
Patricia K

My dog LOVED this place. I would ask him if he wanted to go on VACATION and he would run to the door because he knew he was going to see the staff at The Barking Dog. The grooming staff took excellent care of him and I have never been disappointed. He now lives on a ranch with a my family (who never travels) but if I went over to get him and tell him where he was going, he’d be thrilled.
He is a 125-​lb English Style Chocolate Lab. Big dogs are NO problem for them. :)

We were given a gift certificate for The Barking Dog and the first time we left our dog at this place he was attacked by another dog who ripped a hole in our dogs neck. We immediately took our dog to the vet and had him stitched up and treated. Our dog then ended up with an infection which had to be treated with antibiotics. The staff at the barking dog would not help in any way. They wouldn’t even give us the other dogs owner information and wouldn’t tell him/​her to contact us. Their position was pretty much Tough Luck and their attitude was extremely poor. IF YOU LOVE your pet I would recommend against this place. A much better place is Brookwood Pet Resort in Canterbury, NH

The first few times our dog stayed here, it seemed fine. Nothing major to report. We alerted the staff of his dietary concerns and made sure they were aware. He vomited once while he was there. They said he seemed fine otherwise. Fine, dogs vomit. He was rather skittish in the car and even when he got home. I had a bad feeling about it, but nothing concrete.
On our 5^th time using the Barking Dog for boarding (4 days total, this time), I felt like I should try another place, but went against my gut. Well, I won’t be taking my dog there again.
The last time, I picked him up and he seemed upset and anxious. We get outside and it was CLEAR that he had not been let out all day. The amount of urinating and pooping he did… no way they let him out regularly.
Our dog has pancreatitis and needs consistent bathroom breaks and to be fed his food only (no treats, changes to diet, etc). I’ve explained this to them, I always mentioned it when we would drop him off. When we checked his bag, they hadn’t fed him half of his food. I called and the staff person said that he was probably fed whatever stock food they had because a worker couldn’t locate his bag. Not cool.
Well, we got home and he had the worst diarrhea he’s had in years. Took him to the vet after a day because he wouldn’t eat or drink and was hiding under the bed and growling at us. He was sick for about a week and had to be given fluids and pain medication to help with his pancreas flare up.
We found another place in Bedford that’s great and the rate is higher, but he’s been fine ever since.

I have been to bad kennels and this is not one of them! I read the review about dogs barking all over the place, GOOD! I had my dogs at another place and I didn’t know it but it was a NO BARK kennel. They bark and were isolated for barking. They were always sick when I brought them home. I showed up early once because I wanted to find out what was up and found them in another area isolated. They LOVE the Barking dog! They get excited when we are driving into the parking lot and they are in a concrete cage overnight, but I feel that is safer that being in with all the dogs overnight.
They are always happy and clean when I pick them up. If you know your dogs you know their moods.
They Love the pets they take care of. I would reccommend them!

I boarded my Old English Sheepdog here one summer when we were on vacation. They asked me if I wanted him bathed when we picked him up, so I said «Yes». Well, when I picked him up, he was bathed, but they didn’t brush him before they gave him a bath. This is a long haired dog. YOU HAVE TO BRUSH THEM BEFORE YOU GIVE THEM A BATH!!! IDIOTS! NEVER AGAIN!

Love, love, love that they have open drop off policy for daycare. The outside area seems a little small but my dog sure looks happy enough. I also appreciate that he can have a bath while he’s at daycare. The staff are attentive and caring. I can’t figure out how they keep all those dogs straight! Kudos to them.

Nice people, clean facility.

I can only comment on grooming as I discovered the Derry location on a recommendation from the vet we were visiting at the time. The story of Coco is a sad one. She was abandoned for quite some time (living outside) & found with her collar stuck on a bush by a creek. Good samaritans brought her up from Virginia to our home in NH on Saturday. With not knowing how the vet appt would turn out, or what condition she was in, we couldn’t get her a «bath» until her rabies vaccination. And boy did she need one (and a complete shave). I made countless phone calls, and there were no groomers available & the vets had no time. We called the folks here and, with them taking a big leap of faith, they said to bring her in. This was at 3:30 (and they close at 5). The women there were SO KIND, they brought tears to my eyes. Darlene, the groomer on staff, went SO far above & beyond, that words cannot describe how much we thank her. My nephew was with us (the one who bonded with Coco) and they were so kind to him — showing him how to hold her, and take care of her. Even as I write this, my eyes are welling up. They could have easily turned us away — as others had done. This was a big job for any groomer — and I hope she knows just how much of a difference she’s made in the life of this little dog. Thank you, ladies. Merry Christmas.

My husband and I have been sending our miniature daschsund here, since he was 6 months old. He absolutely loves it here! He knows as soon as we have the keys in our hand in the morning, that he is going to what we call puppy camp. The anticipation he shows when we pull into the parking lot, and tugging at the leash the whole time we walk to the daycare door, just makes us so happy.
He knows exactly where to go, once he is in the door, and is so excited to see all the staff that work there. We actually appreciate the opportunity he has to take a rest after playing, since he is only 14 pounds, 40 minutes of non stop play is tiring, and a break is much needed.
While we haven’t used their boarding services to date, only because we are fortunate to have other arrangements.

Doggy Daycare at the Barking Dog has been wonderful. My dog knows right where we are when we pull into the parking lot, walks right in to the office and doesn’t even look back when we hand her over to the staff. By the time I pick her up she is EXHAUSTED, and I love that. The staff always give me a run down on how her day was, which dogs she played with, etc. I can tell she has a good time while she is here, I dont have to worry about her while I’m out, and the price is very reasonable since she only needs to go a few times per month.

I have previous experience working at one of these facilities. The owner has nothing but the utmost care & concern for the wellbeing of any pets staying at these facilities.
Just a quick note, on a previous review, not to defend anyone, but in all kennels dogs are kept in their runs over night. It’s the safest for them. Yes they may have to potty, but the runs are big enough that there is plenty of room if need be for them to potty & not have to be ‘near’ it.
If you’re boarding your dog these are the sacrifices you have to make :)
But these facilities are the best!

My dog absolutely loves doggie daycare here, it’s her favorite place.
(This is the first review I’ve written for Unilocal,I couldn’t stand that the only review for the Barking Dog was a bad one).
After my puppy’s first day of daycare here, they gave me a cute «report card» with a photo of her playing, a written description of how she did, and a list of the other dogs she played with.
For daycare they use a rotating schedule of 20 minutes (supervised) playtime outside (with other dogs their size/​temperament), 20 minutes playtime inside, and 20 minutes resting in a crate. Less expensive and more fun for the dog than a dog walker. Plus she gets lots of socialization with other dogs.
The staff is very caring and knowledgeable. Our dog considers all of them her best friends.
They also offer training classes at all levels, plus grooming. We have used both and had no problems. It’s convenient to pick my dog up in the evening with her nails trimmed and/​or just having had a bath.
I have not boarded my dog here, but I have boarded my cat. Everything went well and it was less expensive than boarding her at the vet.
I definitely recommend The Barking Dog for doggie daycare and training classes.

The reviewer who panned The Barking Dog should retract his statements, as they are inaccurate. We have boarded our dogs and cats here for many years, they love it. They have a daycare program where dogs can play with each other all day, they provide photos of it, and many people bring their dogs each day for just this reason. They also can provide one-​on-​one playtime with staff. They love our dogs, and keep our little poodle up front with them so he gets extra attention. This kennel also has branches in Hooksett (which we also used and loved) and in Exeter. We are very picky about where we kennel our animals, and I can say that the staff are great and the animals are well cared for.

Depressing place, impolite worker
We visited this place on a Sunday and the staff at the entrance told us immediately that they did not have time for us to get a tour of their facility (we were thinking of boarding a dog here).
They told us they were too busy and had just 2 staff members for all the dogs.
The woman working at the front desk led us about 20 feet away, opened a doorway, and showed us a depressing row of concrete cells for dogs. She did not wait for us to ask any questions. Within 10 seconds, she had closed the door and led us back to the entrance, given us some literature, and started helping the other customer there.
She had no time for our questions (and we are polite people), talking rapidly and trying to end the conversation as quickly as possible.
We asked to see the common area where dogs run and interact and she said they had one but could not show it because it was «currently in use and locked» This was nonsense because adog kennel business wants prospective customers to see the common area with happy dogs running around.
When we asked what she meant, she said «The kids are out there and he is throwing rocks for them.» I asked what any of that meant, she said «I mean he is throwing rocks for dogs, not kids.» When I asked still what any of this nonsensical sentence meant, she said that we should call another time to talk with staff; she was too busy.
The worker made it sound like it was our fault for not understanding her Alice In Wonderland nonsense sentences.
We won’t be calling again.
In fact, we will not be passing by here ever again.
Avoid this business.
Each dog appears to be held in an individual concrete cell. Dogs were barking everywhere, walking up to the gates in their cells looking for some attention. We were told that dogs get no interaction with humans and only interact with other dogs if the owner pays extra for a half hour of playtime every 2 days. A half hour every two days!!!
This is the polar opposite of other places we have seen, where the dogs were fully supervised in common areas, running around and having fun all day long. Those other places are the same price as this dog gulag.
In my opinion, this place looks like the kind of zoo or kennel that was popular before animal rights groups called them inhumane and forced changes.
If you have a vicious dog, put it here in solitary confinement.
If you have any other kind of dog, go elsewhere.