The Dogfather

The Dogfather is an incredible service. Since they’ve opened in our apartment complex in Chelsea, they have been lifesavers for us. Rebeca, Dani, and Karen in particular are fantastic! They are reliable, responsible, and practically always are able to accommodate even last minute requests. Not to mention their prices are more than reasonable and they offer a wide variety of services like half days, walks, full days, and potty breaks which is super nice, since we don’t always need full days of daycare. Another thing that I feel like I should mention is that the staff at the Dogfather actually KNOW dogs (go figure) and many have dogs of their own, which surprisingly is not the case with all pet sitting services. If there’s a scuffle over a toy or what have you (which is bound to happen occasionally) they don’t overreact and try to sell you their $ 100/​hr obedience training, which past daycares have tried to do. Instead they simply deescalate the situation and move on… no harm… no foul. Best of all, my dogs come home exhausted! :) Anyway, if you’re nervous about leaving your dogs home alone, I (and my dogs Atticus and Vinny) highly recommend them. They truly are awesome!

The dogfather could not be a better organization. I am so glad I found them and can’t imagine sending my dog elsewhere. My Yorkie– Shih Tzu started going when he was a few months old and the staff eased my anxiety by sending me videos and photos during his first day (they still do!).
I can tell the staff genuinely cares for my dog and they always give me updates of what he did when I pick him up at the end of an 8-​hour day. I can text them whenever I want with any questions and/​or instructions and everyone I have encountered has been lovely. My dog starts to get incredibly excited as soon as we turn the corner onto the street where the dogfather is located and pulls me the rest of the way– what else could I want?

I have tried the Dogfather 3 times and have had 2 bad experiences.
I am not going to go into all of the details of my first bad experience, but this morning I tried to drop off my dog at 8AM and the door was locked. I waited a few minutes in the cold thinking my clock was fast and still nobody unlocked the door. I tried calling multiple times but their voicemail kept telling me that they were were closed on 2÷2÷15 (5 days ago). I tried calling the owners cell phone that was listed on the voicemail no answer. I checked their website and it said they opened M-​F at 8AM. I had to walk my dog all the way back home making me late for work. On my way to work 30 minutes later I tried calling them again and still no answer.
Extremely disappointed as I needed the assistance and I was late to work thanks to them either not opening on time or not opening at all.

I own a very rare pooch: A blue and tan, dapple-​piebald mini-​dachshund. I took her to The dogfather to have her nails clipped and when they brought her back out from the grooming room, they had cut all of the fur from her championship-​looking paws. The long and shaggy, freckled fur which was so striking and adorable was gone. Now her feet look like stubs and her look really is ruined. It will be months before that fur grows out and when it does, it wont be «shaggy» it’ll be straight across. The place is awful. Large dogs are in with small ones. 2 Labs were trying to «hump» a small dog. The barking was ear-​splitting. And they had to muzzle one «regular» who apparently is a problem because he attacks all of the new dogs. (I overheard 2 employees talking about it) The place is a 3^rd floor walkup and the employees sit in the doorway smoking, so you have to walk through a cloud of smoke just to get into the bldg

My dog had a great time at the Dogfather. Dino (I think that is the groomer’s name) took my dog a bath, cut his nails, and made sure his ears were completely dry so he wouldn’t get an ear infection. Afterwards my dog stayed for the play group which was perfect since I was still held up at work. When I picked my dog up he was clean and really tired!
This was the first time I’d ever taken him to the Dogfather. I definitely plan to bring him back since they did a great job with him and he had fun.

My dog is snoring away after spending the weekend at the dog father.

I am not sure why my experience was so bad, but everything went wrong. All I wanted was for my dog to get groomed. Arrive, check him in, tell the girl at the front desk what I want, tell her I am emailing her a picture and if she could give it to the groomer that would be great. She takes my dog and his leash. Fast forward several hours later, I get a call from the groomer. He’s ready, didnt take too much off, the girl told me you didn’t want a lot off. Odd– I was can you check the email I sent because I wouldn’t classify the haircut as ‘not a lot off’. Girl went home sick. He can’t get into email. I say forget it ill just come and get him, I’m sure it’s fine… Get there, place smells like bleach. like a LOT. Groomer proceeds to tell me he’s told their new helper guy to ease up on the bleach. Ok sounds good. Daycare is going on like normal. My dog comes out — POOOOF. 1. He looks horrible 2. I’m sure pretty sure they didn’t take anything off but rather brushes him out and POOF. .again, whatever fine. Guy offers to cut his hair again for free. Ok, but I have to come back again so I said I’ll deal with that later. At least he’s clean (?). Ok final straw… I dropped him off with his leash. Leash is no where to be found, he said did you put your name in your leash? No– silly me– not aware of your policies and superstar girl at front desk is obviously incapable. Great give me a new one. I get a huge thick old leash for my 20 lb dog. Awesome. Came back the following week for a ‘free’ haircut– basically stayed around until he was done. Dog got a buzz cut. At this point I’m just glad the POOF is gone. Still no leash. No offer for a new one. I bought a new one at a different store. Get some management at that place please. What a hot mess.

I love this place… but not as much as my puppy Chloe does. After going for the first time last week she literally RAN up the stairs today to play with her new friends. I have only done the all day puppy play groups but I am excited to try more of their services. I was nervous to leave my baby all day but when I came to pick her up my worries diminished when I saw her happily playing. They have a separate area for big dogs, and for smaller dogs, which makes me much more comfortable. Finally, I really love that the staff seem to know all of the pups by name and know their personalities, it seems like they really care about the Dogs.

Karen and her crew really are the best. They come grab my Danes three days a week and have them back home (EXHAUSTED) by the time I come home from work. When I take my dogs there myself, they literally howl and scamper around the car when we pull into the North End because they know it’s Dogfather day.
I’ve also used the Dogfather for overnights (both weekend and extensive stays). Karen takes them up to her huge place in NH that has three separate yards for playing. And even when she’s got 30+ dogs (and helping hands) staying overnight, each one gets treated like her own.
Highly recommend this for anyone who wants their dog to have amazing playgroups and homey, safe overnights!

great first time bath/​grooming experience, love that when the dogs are done they get to socialize with other dogs instead of just being thrown in a kennel. prices were right too!

I LOVE this place! So glad my boyfriend and I took a chance!
The fact that they don’t keep their dogs in kennels to wait for and after grooming is fantastic. Ace (the Golden Retriever) is totally the mediator! He doesn’t like it when dogs are too rowdy!
The grooming was fantastic! Bushi came back smelling great and tired from all the playing :)
Can’t wait to try the play groups! Their prices for a full day of puppy play group/​day care is only a bit more than having a walker come in for a 30 minute session!

I heart the dogfather!!!
I have been coming to this place for years and couldn’t be more satisfied. I am a student with a medium dog, and I rarely have time to walk Sir Elton John. Yes, my bf and I named our french bulldog Sir Elton, but that’s besides the point. Allison is the main girl we have walk our little boy. She is dependable, responsible, and soo freakin nice! Dogfather prices are the best in Boston. I highly recommend anyone to leave their dogs there!

While I go elsewhere for boarding and pet supplies, the groomer – Dino – does an awesome job for one of the more reasonable prices in the city. I have brought our huge Black Russian Terrier, Hank, there for his last few grooms and Dino does a great job following the specific groom for the breed, as well as our specific instructions. We are definitely new regulars!

I love The Dogfather, this place is great. Since moving to California I haven’t been able to find a place that even compares to the quality and service provided at the Dogfather. Awesome play group and the grooming is outstanding.
My only complaint is that they don’t have a location in Los Angeles. When are you going to expand out west Dogfather?

When my boyfriend and I made the decision to get a puppy, we knew we would need walking/​playgroup services since we both work full time and it wouldn’t be fair to her. We started Lulu, our French Bulldog, with «puppy walks» from the Dogfather when she was about 12 weeks old. The girls would come to our apartment and pick Lulu up twice a day for 15 – 20 min walks. If you are paranoid about your pup like me, leave a pad of paper out and they will leave you detailed notes about where they went, if she did her business, and anything else you may want to know. I also often got photos/​videos sent to my phone, which not only made me feel confident she was being well cared for, but always put a smile on my face. It’s a little expensive, at $ 22 a day, but for the convenience and quality, especially in the city, it’s worth it.
A couple of months ago, we decided to start sending her to playgroup, after hearing great things. She went 3 times a week and always came home happily exhausted. We also signed up for obedience training with John. Lulu’s a bulldog so training her has been… next to impossible, but the classes were good and we learned some helpful tips. We never took advantage of the overnight boarding but I would feel 100% comfortable sending her to Karen’s for an extended stay.
The Dogfather staff, specifically Allison, Eliot & Brooklynne are wonderful and I always got the impression they really cared about Lulu. We moved to Charlestown but since they do playgroup pickups here one day a week, we’ll continue to send Lulu to play with her «friends».

I was referred to the Dogfather by several sources. They love this place. I have had a very different and UNPLEASANT experience.
In trying to make arrangements for pet sitting services, there was limited to no follow up. When I called back to confirm, I expressed my concern over the limited follow up and was dismissed. As a pet owner wanting the best for my dog, an 8 yr old Yorkie who is prone to seizures and has special dietary needs, I no longer felt comfortable with using the Dogfather.
I then followed up with the people who had referred me and they convinced me that speaking to the owner would resolve any issues and remove any doubts. Upon getting in touch with the owner, I again expressed my concerns and told her distressed I felt that within 48 hours of my trip did not feel comfortable with how things had been handled to date. So far, I had very little confidence in the quality of service they might provide for my dog while I was away. Instead of reassuring me or even passing off the recent events as possible miscommunication, I was berated and yelled at for having the audacity to be mistrustful. She left me tears. I had to hang up will she was still yelling away.
You would think that a business of this type would want to go overboard assuring new clients of the quality of there service. CUSTOMER SERVICE IS LACKING.

Ever since Cooper, our french bulldog, joined our family last October the Dog Father has been an extremely important part of our life.
These guys & their services are THE BEST!!!
PLAYGROUP– They pickup Cooper from our home for playgroup 3 days a week and return him a few hours later, much happier and exhausted. Coop has so much fun playing with all of his friends in their great space (rubberized floors, murals, and LOTS of FUN toys).
GROOMING-​Their grooming service is top notch.
OVERNIGHT– I really think we would be at a loss without their wonderful overnight care at Karen’s home in NH. It allows my husband and I to get away from the city, relax, and not worry about the care our pup is receiving. We know that he is having fun on his own vacation in NH.
Cooper loves Danielle, Karen, and the entire Dogfather staff!

I took my dog here for the first time the other day to inquire about getting her groomed. Like most dog owners trying to do this in the bathroom of my own apartment is nearly impossible.
The girl whom I spoke with on that day, Saturday, was extremely helpful, she even re-​arranged so I could have my dog come in earlier than most do, and I got to pick him up after 5pm. Totally flexible with my work schedule. However pickup was another story.
Bailey looked great, clean, trimmed, smelling fresh, and very happy. When I walked in I got totally stampeded by dogs who were jumping and pretty much attacking me as I tried to greet my dog which I was totally fine with besides the fact that one dog was continually jumping and scratching my face, and the girl at the counter was completely clueless and did nothing to restrain him a bit until he calmed down.
It was impossible to get him to stop and finally I had to ask if someone could either grab him or leash him, but no luck. She also had no idea how my dog was during the day, or even what he had done. It may have been a fluke or a case of unexpected understaffing, but regardless she really could have used another staff member to work the register while customers came in to pick up their dogs.
As for quality of care and service, 5 stars! Customer service is where the afternoon shift is lacking.

when my boyfriend told me there was a pet shop called «the dogfather» in the north end (whose tagline is «a service your pet CANNOT refuse!») i thought it was hilarious. turns out, this place not only has a sense of humor but it’s a legitimately awesome pet shop! they offer both dog and cat food, at decent prices too. my boyfriend stopped in to pick up some canned food and they have both innova and wellness, both of which are great brands.
i can’t attest to the dog side of things, but he said they also offer a cat sitting service for i believe $ 15 a day!

Great place in the North End across the street from Pizzeria Regina. My wife and I stumbled onto this place a little over a year ago. We bring our 1 year old pomeranian to the Dogfather every Wednesday for her playgroup.
They also have grooming services and puppy training classes. Playgroups have helped our dog in developing essential socialization skills and also when we get home she is completely drained and goes right to sleep. Karen, the owner, is awesome. She really cares about all the dogs that walk through the door.
Just wish there were places for dogs to do their business in that neighborhood.