Dude Ranch Pet Resort West

Today is first time I brought my dog, Pumpkin to groom here. Apparently there is a cut in her ear after I I got her home but the problem I have was it would be nice if they told me when I picked up my Pumpkin. By them not telling me they cut my dog, I would not trust to go back there.

My dog was mauled and almost killed at this place — his leg might never be the same. If you love your dogs, you won’t let them go near here.
My dog had been going to the Dude Ranch off and on since June 2014. All seemed well, although we noticed that he would come home and be so exhausted by the experience that he’d be sleepy for a solid day afterwards. In October 2015, my dog was viciously attacked and had to be rushed to the vet for emergency care. My dog was so badly injured he needed a tube placed in his chest and 28 stitches along his chest and hind leg. We were initially told that he had been attacked by 2 dogs. This made sense with the injuries as it appeared that he had been pinned on his back and one animal was biting his chest while another biting his leg. The vet specifically said, «Make no mistake, they were trying to kill him.» One of the owners seemed to think our half-​dead dog’s situation was funny and said, «He always gets into fights! The only difference is that this time he lost!» After we said we’d want them to pay his vet bill, the story changed and we were now told he was only attacked by 1 female dog and that the fight was my dog’s fault. They avoided our calls until they eventually sent an «incident report» from their corporate office in which they claimed that my dog tried to «pick a fight» (a term they used twice) and had a history of «instigating fights». This was news to us as we had never been made aware of our dog having any sort of aggressive behavior. Because they are blaming the victim for this incident, they won’t help with the $ 1,782 vet bill. Obviously, we’ll never subject our dogs to this sort of treatment ever again.
Lastly, I’ll share the last sentence of their incident report: «[dog who attacked my dog] and [Same owner’s other dog] have returned to regular attendance.»

We took our puppy to stay here for 12 days when we had to go out of the country unexpectedly. Before deciding on this place, I went and toured 6 others including the Holiday Barn which is supposedly nationally known. Dude Ranch was so much better than any facility I saw and felt extremely comfortable leaving our baby boy here. The staff here are amazing and you can tell extremely sincere. They really cater to your dog’s needs. When I picked my puppy up 12 days later he seemed happy, healthy and clean! Their facilities are very nice and very well taken care of. I will definitely be taking my puppy there again! Thank you so much!

Terrible, terrible, terrible customer service at the front desk. Taken my dog there twice and felt like the folks had zero compassion or give a hoot. I was questioned on why I was bringing my dog there to be babysat. Like it was completely out of the norm.
Looks like it used to be a reasonable place to take your pet but now is pretty run down.
Sorry Dude Ranch. Need to step it up to earn my business back.

BEWARE of the Dude Ranch! My dog can home with an EYE INJURY after being boarded for 1 week with no contact with other dogs and the staff didn’t notice or contact me! When I picked him up, I was immediately noticed some thing serious was wrong with his eye and asked the staff what happened — I was told the staff wiped his eye for discharge 3 days earlier and then they told me I should take him to the vet immediately! I rushed him to the vet — he had a HOLE in the center of his eye. He’s been in a cone and on 4 medicines for 3 weeks and it hasn’t healed. We called for weeks to complain and see if we could at least be reimbursed for the $ 200 boarding charge, but the manager didn’t return our calls. When we finally talked to her, she argued with us and said it was ALLERGIES! She said some things that were utterly stupid and rude… this person should not be running a business. I DO NOT TRUST THIS PLACE AND THE MANAGEMENT IS AWFUL. Please do not take your pets here.

We came here looking for training, which we reluctantly signed up for. But we also were looking for day care. And we couldn’t be happier with both! Our puppy is such a happy dog, he loves the ride up to the building (especially looking at the horses), he sees the trainers and the day care people and gets so excited!!! We’re going to be here for life!!!

I was just there last weekend and I didn’t leave very happy after checking in. This place have ZERO customer service, they don’t bother to give you a reason or explain you why they can’t take the dog’s blanket (I know my beagle didn’t appreciate the fact that I was leaving him behind, and not having his blanket with him with our scent must have been very difficult for him) or why you have to bag the food in different bags, when I’m providing a scoop with the perfect size for when he needs to be fed, and the lady at the front desk said NEXT TIME BRING THE FOOD LIKE I TOLD YOU OVER THE PHONE.
I asked them to give him a bath on Sunday before pick up and they replied NO, WE CAN’T. We’ll do it on Saturday. Their website said that if your dogs stay with them for boarding they give you a special price for grooming, I don’t think $ 35 dollars is a special price, that’s what I get charged anywhere else. And on top of, it looks like they only have him a bath, they didn’t brush him, he was shedding a lot when I pick him up.

Always board our dogs here. They come home clean and tired. Love the staff, they know our dogs and always have stories for us. The owners on the other hand I could do without, rude, yelling at each other in a different language in front of customers, interrupting, and throwing stuff to each other. If the staff didn’t make up for them, we’d go elsewhere

This place takes awesome care of our 2 dogs; they are helpful, remind us of upcoming shots that the puppies might need, and are a very fair price. Will only use them!

I wanted to review Dude Ranch to second the earlier review by Meredith W. I think that my dog was well cared for at Dude Ranch. She seemed happy and healthy when I picked her up. The employees all seem great and seem to really enjoy working with the dogs.
I have a couple of issues, though. A big one is that I really don’t like that they take your dog’s collar off when you drop them off and put on a yellow paper one. The yellow paper one is printed out with the dog’s name. I asked why they do this, and was told that they are «break away» collars so that the dog can’t get snagged on something by the owner’s collar. I have boarded my various dogs for 15 years and have NEVER had another kennel do this. If the dog were to get out and his paper collar breaks away, then your dog has no ID! I mentioned this to the front desk person, and she said, «I hope your dog doesn’t get out!» It just made me worry about my dog. I am really uncomfortable to drop off my dog and then have them hand me her collar.
My other issue is with the owners. They just do not have great people skills. At drop off, the wife was trying to help check-​in people and the husband was just sitting in a chair, barking orders at her and the other front desk clerk. The phone rang, and instead of answering it, he barked at his wife to answer it. She told him she was in the middle of checking people in. He answered it and actually put the caller on hold until the wife or front desk clerk could take the call even though he wasn’t doing anything except sitting there. I thought it was strange that a business owner wouldn’t help his own customers. There were a couple of other check-​in issues that made me dread pick-​up.
However, at pick-​up, the owners were mercifully not there, and it went quickly and smoothly.
Honestly, I’m not sure if we’ll go back. I think the dogs are well cared-​for, but the owners’ strangeness and the collar issue is enough to make me look elsewhere.

I have a 5 month old puppy and was quite apprehensive boarding him for a week. Like any good Mom, I visited a few boarding facilities and I had the best feeling about the Dude Ranch. As I toured the facility, I could not believe how shiny and clean the kennel area was. I also felt very comfortable with the staff as I saw them interact with the dogs and were very forthcoming with information. Once I decided to board my puppy, I decided to take him there for ½ day daycare to get him use to the enviroment. It turns out my puppy is extremely shy and not social with other dogs! No worries. the staff worked with him 1:1 to make him comfortable and less anxious. When it came time to board him, he had been to the ranch a few times and the staff knew him by name and were aware of his habits (knocking over his water bowl when anxious). Before leaving him, the front desk staff offered options to try with him to ensure he had a good visit. I left him on Friday, 8÷9÷13 checked in on him twice during vacation. The staffers were honest with telling me he wasn’t eating very well and that he did not like daycare or the cuddle service. After speaking with me the first time, they changed his feeding schedule and instead of the cuddle service and daycare, they took him on an extra walk each day which they said he enjoyed the best. I like the fact that the staffers did not give up and kept trying different methods until they found one that he responded to. I picked him up today, 8÷15÷13, and he was just as happy and healthy as when I dropped him off! He also got groomed while he was there and he looks so handsome! If you want a clean facility with caring and friendly staff members, take your beloved pet to the Dude Ranch! I also have him enrolled into their Puppy Star obidience class to continue to help with his socialization. Check out their website to see what training classes are available.

We have used this facility a few times now. There is only one person that truly cares for animals here, all the others are just in it for the money. The management team does not initiate any rapport with their clientele. Check-​in/​out is a nightmare; slowest process in the world. They check for fleas which leads me to believe they have had issues with fleas in the past. Also, my dogs always have a yellow tint around their necks after they place their collars on them. Sadly, there isn’t a decent kennel in town.

Let me start by saying the three stars has nothing to do with the care of my pet, he seems just as happy and healthy as when I dropped him off.
Now into the review:
Drop off and check in for the Dude Ranch was my worst experience with drop off and check in that I’ve ever had. It took abotu 25 minutes to drop off and about 15 minutes to pick up and this was largely due to the fact that the lady working the front counter never got off the phone. She continued to take call after call while people were standing and waiting to check in/​out.
That being said, they did do a flea check before they took my dog which made me feel good about the cleanliness of the facility and they don’t allow any outside blankets or toys (probably also to prevent fleas).
The property is beautiful out in the country, it was really just the reception that bothered me. If I dont’ feel greeted and welcomed, then it makes me worry about the attention my dog is receiving, especially when paying top dollar.

I went on a mission to find the best, most trustworthy, competent kennel in the Richmond area. I didn’t care how far I had to travel to board my dogs, I just knew I only wanted the best for them. I wanted confidence that when I leave my beloved pets in someone else’s care they would be extremely well taken care of. Dude Ranch was my answer. My two dogs absolutely love it here!
Here’s why it is my belief that Dude Ranch is the best of the best:
1) Amenities — 46 acres in the country for hikes and long walks, pools, outdoor yards, an immaculately clean facility, uniquely designed kennels to give your pup a sense of security and comfort, and so much more. The indoor kennels are set-​up so that if you have multiple dogs, they can be together. My two big dogs share an oversized run and love it. There are also private suites available with raised beds, TVs, shelves of toys, blankets, and everything a doggie could dream of for a vacation away from home. The suites are set-​up specifically for each canine guest depending on its preferences. Oh, and the best part, the «house» food is Canidae — the same holistic, all-​natural, top-​quality food I feed my dogs at home.
2) Staff — The staff is amazing. They take time to get to know you and your pet. They remember you each time you come back. They have genuine care and concern for the well-​being and safety of your pet during its stay at the Dude Ranch. My puppy goes into full wiggle mode when he sees one of his favorite staffers. It makes me very happy to know that he enjoys his time at the Dude Ranch and looks forward to each return visit.
3) Safety — Safety and security is paramount here. When you drop off your dog, you don’t leave anything with him — not a leash, not a collar, not a toy. They supply everything. All blankets, toys, leashes, collars, food, etc. are supplied by Dude Ranch. This prevents any outside parasites from unknowingly making their way into the kennel. Your dog is given its own ID collar with your name, his name, age, gender, and contact info. More importantly, they take so many precautions to make sure your pet will only receive the best care that they don’t have to ask you to sign a liability waiver in case anything happens during your pet’s stay at Dude Ranch (unlike some other kennels in the area). They know the exceptional level of care your pet will receive, they know that your pet will be safe and secure at all times, and therefore, they don’t need to ask you to waive anything. THIS is what let’s me sleep well at night.
4) Philosophy — Provides separate outdoor yards (rather than group yards) for outdoor playtime. While it’s true that socializing your dog is important to its development, it can be very stressful on your pup when the group is constantly changing the way it does in a kennel. Just when they figure out the hierarchy in their new pack, there’s a whole different collection of dogs and they’ve got to figure it out again. It’s stressful enough when a dog doesn’t have its pack (i.e. owners) and forcing them to constantly re-​establish a new pack while you are away makes it even more stressful. At Dude Ranch, there is a stress-​free, low-​key mentality. Here, everyone (human and canine) are relaxed and happy.
Bottom line: Dude Ranch is amazing! They are reasonably priced and provide top-​notch quality and service. I couldn’t ask for more. This is the ONLY kennel I would recommend in Richmond. They are just that good.