Its A Dogs Life Day-Playcare

Never considered because greeted very coldly. Felt like an intruder, first impression

I don’t normally use a doggie day care but if this is what is to be expected I will pass on ever using one again. I needed a doogie day care for 2 days when I was out of town while my mother who was watching my dog was at work.
My mom arrived to drop my dog off 10 min before they were to open at 6:30 as she had to be at work shortly after and needed to be there on time. The owner arrived about 20 min late. No apologies and helped all the regular customers before my mother even though she had been there first and they had formed a line. I will admit my mother is not the type to speak up and say I was here first. When my mom picked the dog up that evening she asked about the owner being late and the worker just shrugged her shoulders and said she did not know anything about it and that she was usually on time.
The next day my mother was the only person waiting on that day but the owner was again late but this time only about 5 mins, so no big deal. That same day I was going to be late picking my dog up so I called ahead and the owner told me it would be a late fee of $ 1 per minute. I told her I was doing my best to get there as soon as possible and I would talk to her about the fee when I got there. When I arrived (11 min late) I then told the owner that we were even because she had been 20 min late the day before. She denied that she was ever late. I paid her less the late fee and left. I decided to never bring the dog there again. I mean if she will lie about that what else will she lie about.
After I tell my mother all about this, my mother who is too nice for her own good goes there the next day even though my dog is not in need of any daycare services for quite some time to talk to the owner thinking she will see her and remember oh yeah I was late and that lady waited for me. Instead she ends up paying the late fee, getting a lecture, and the owner tells her the dog can never come back.
I do not mind a strict late policy and paying a late fee when I am in the wrong but if you are going to have one you better make sure you are on time.

It’s a Dog’s Life is the most caring doggie daycare. I LOVE that they have a big open room with a giant window where you can see the dogs playing. The dogs also have a choice of going outside and lounging in the sun. My golden retriever loves going here and being with his buddies. :)

I’ve been taking my dog here since he was 9 months old. He’s a big pup with lots of energy and needs lots of social interaction with other dogs. We love it! I mainly use their services on rainy days, but as any Portlander knows, there are plenty of those. He has made lots of friends here and looks forward to every visit. He loves the staff and they have helped with improving his manners. About once a week I take him in for a full day and he comes home blissfully exhausted. That provides me with a peaceful evening. I don’t plan to use it as much in the summer months, but it is invaluable during our downpour days.

We’ve been bringing our boxers and American eskimo here when we go on vacations for a few years now. Despite only infrequent visitations, we’ve been treated like regular customers each and every time we’ve showed up. Linda and her crew run a great operation. From pre-​screening all the dogs that stay there to providing «report cards» for each day, the quality of care has been top notch. Our pups always come back happy and just the right amount of tired after several days of playing, playing, playing. I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend It’s a Dog’s Life to anyone looking for just a day of care or overnight boarding.

We’ve been taking our extremely, um, «active» puppy here at least once a week for almost a year now and I don’t have anything but good things to say about it. The filtered reviews about shock collars, etc are weird, but I’m going to assume they’re filtered for a reason. All I know is my dog runs in the door like a bat out of hell to get inside and play when we come here. She would let me know if anything unsavory was happening. No, there aren’t always a bunch of employees on the floor with the dogs at all times, but it is affordable, clean, and I 100% trust Linda, the owner, with my baby.

Our dogs have been going to DayCare with Linda for almost two years — Linda and her staff are so wonderful with our dogs and with us! Very caring and dedicated to exceptional dog care.
Linda has helped us with many behavior adjustments, helping our dogs and us to overcome challenges. One of our dogs used to be somewhat aggressive on walks and over time with Linda, she is now able to go for walks without giving people or other dogs a snarl or single raised hair!
We love Its a Dogs Life and the people who work there! I highly recommended them for anyone with dogs — big or small!

I’ve been using It’s a Dogs LIfe for 3 years now. I love it! Finally finding a place where my extremely anxious rat terrier mix enjoys going to was a big relief!
My second dog is a cattle dog mix and has been going to It’s a Dogs Life for since we got her (1.5yrs). My girl is very stubborn, but since going to see Linda twice a week she is a much better listener and more quickly responds to commands.
I’ve also had some puppy emergencies (due claws badly broken at the dog park), and since my vet office was closed went to Linda for help. She patched my little guy up, and comforted me. That is what I call above and beyond!
She also once let me borrow her own dog’s collar to see if it would work for my girl that likes to pull. I was to the point of not wanting to or being able to walk her effectively. After a couple hours with the borrowed collar I had my solution.
LInda has been a great help in the training and overall happiness for my pets and myself. She is always willing to listen and give advice when asked. She runs a fantastic business and continues to develop a very loyal following. I wouldn’t go anywhere else!

It’s A Dogs Life now carries my dogs food! This is an awesome new service they took on, and I’m able to get quality food without driving all over. And just when you thought it couldn’t get any better, IT’S A SAVINGS OVER THE PETCO CLUB PRICE even with the free bag calculated in. Thanks IADL!

I live in St. Johns so having a doggy day care here was so convenient. My dog has been going there 5 days a week for 5 mos. now. Today I came to pick him up early and found him with an orange shock collar on him. I was told he gets very rambunctious and needs to be calmed down. I was also told it wasn’t on him for very long. Needless to say I was horrified. My dog is 8 mos. old and is low key and easily trainable without using adverseness. Also, no one asked me if it was ok. I am so angry and sad. I wonder what else they did to him. I would not trust this place with your dog.

We’ve have taken our dogs to It’s a Dog’s Life ever since it opened and our dogs have always loved it there. Linda is a wonderful dog-«mom» and treats all of the pooches with the utmost care and concern. Not sure where these negative comments are coming from, but we have NEVER experienced any problems with the care our girls received. They always come home happy and tired from a day of enjoying their canine friends. We always recommend IADL to our friends and clients.

Been taking my dogs to this place for 6 years. I trust Linda without reservation with my girls. My dogs wag their tails and smile their doggy smiles when we arrive at ‘school’.
It’s a Dog’s Life is the best doggie day care in Portland. Again, I trust Linda with my dogs 100%.

Our dog loves this place. How do I know? He told me! This week in Portland has been so hot (107F) and since we don’t have air conditioning, we thought it would be a good idea to take our lil guy to daycare where he could play in a safe, cool environment. Normally when we walk him outside in the heat, he goes into revolt, and starts straining to go back in the house. But once he realized we were going to It’s a Dog’s Life, he started running towards the storefront. Obviously he loves it there! He gets so excited when we get near It’s a Dog’s Life, so he must be having a good time.
When we go to pick him up, he’s just busy running around and playing. We’ll call him over, and he will come over wag his tail madly at us, and then run off to keep playing until we almost have to drag him out. I think he likes it!

It most certainly does not smell of pee!!! The cleanliness has always impressed me. I have been a loyal customer for 3years and my wonderful 8year old German Shepherd loves Linda and her crew. They are dedicated to the care and welfare of all their charges.
They do an expert job taking care of a wide variety of well trained and not so well trained dogs + their parents.

This place reeks like dog pee. And the owner is less than friendly.

It’s an OK place in a pinch. But… the woman seemed to imply that we’d have a big problem if my dog relieved himself indoors. Um, OK. He’s never peed in the house before so what can I tell you. I don’t know why he’d pee in your place. Except maybe that the place totally reeks of dog pee. So, at pickup I was informed that my dog had been caught trying to pee inside. Subtle blame was cast… which is weird. And then when we got him home, the dog was acting strangely and kind of shivering for several days. He’s had all his shots. He showed no signs of being sick. My theory: He got seriously scolded and was traumatized. He normally loves hanging out with other dogs and comes home feeling great and ready for a nap. Not so with this place. So… it’s a long review, but I wanted to justify my cranky two stars. My suggestion: take your dog elsewhere if you have the option.