Pampered Pooch Playground is one of the founding members of the Twin Cities Dog Daycare Association who will be sponsoring the Doggy Drag Show. Keith will also be one of the judges in the show!
Our friends from WCCO-TV and Chuck and Don’s stopped out to Pampered Pooch Playground to talk about dog park safety. You can watch the clips below.
6am Hour
5am Hour
Name: Jamie
Length of time working here: Since October 2009
Do you have any pets?
I have a Shepherd mix named Mika, a Husky mix named Victor and 2 cats named Aidan and Maya. Mika and Victor like to come with me to work and play in the Ruff House 
What do you like to do in your spare time?
I love hiking and camping with my soon-to-be-husband and my dogs, especially the Superior Hiking Trail!
What is your favorite part about working at PPP?
The best thing about working at PPP is working with so many unique dog breeds. It’s great to experience so many different personalities!
One thing I have noticed when talking with new customers about our doggy daycare is their surprise when we talk about how nice out outside area is. Outside we have about 3000 SQFT of space for dogs to run and play, all made up of recycled sports turf. The turf we used is from an old sports stadium in Arizona! We love the turf and we are able to keep it much cleaner than traditional grass (which gets muddy), woodchips (that always smell) and gravel (that flies everywhere when dogs run). We really did put much thought into what makes an AMAZING outside play area that can hold up to a Minneapolis winter. Now that the weather is warmer we have also turned out the outside webcam so you can check out all the fun. We take the dogs outside about every hour and they all love getting the fresh air! When we were looking for buildings, finding one that could handle a large outside play area was very important to us. I am so glad that we were able to create such an amazing space!
Have a great day!
Keith
Pampered Pooch Playground has teamed up with Lucky Dog Pet Care to present the Canine Carnival on Saturday, May 18th from 10-1 at Urban Eatery. Come hang out on the dog friendly patio right across from Lake Calhoun in Minneapolis and play games with your pooch!
Proceeds from carnival games and raffle benefit The Pet Project!
First-come first-serve dog-friendly patio seating
Fun carnival atmosphere – Carnival barker & Tarot card reader
Carnival games & prizes
Special adult Carnival Cocktail
Doggie Beer Bar
Free samples from Barkley’s Bistro (fresh and local – 98% locally sourced products)!
Free samples from Nutri-Source (high-quality pet foods that you can trust)
Raffle and Carnival Game proceeds benefit The Pet Project.
Saturday 18 May 2013
10 am – 1 pm
Location: Urban Eatery’s dog-friendly patio
On-leash dogs only please
This is a free event – suggested donations for raffle and carnival games benefit The Pet Project
No reservations required, seating is first come, first served. please watch the Pampered Pooch Playground Facebook page if weather looks like it will be an issue.
Name: Kelly
Length of time working here: Since August 2011
Do you have any pets?
I have a Chihuahua named Wilma, a Corgi named Hubble, a foster Japanese Chin named Panda and a Cat named Waffles! You will often see Hubble and Panda, in the lobby, greeting people in the evening
What do you like to do in your spare time?
Most of my spare time is spent being a foster care leader for Underdog Rescue which entails looking through applications for potential adopters and answering questions about the dogs they are interested in, along with conducting home visits and even doing transport to bring puppy mill dogs from Iowa to Minneapolis! I am also available to an assigned group of fosters for Underdog and they can ask me any questions or express concerns about their fosters and I help them out any way I can. Every weekend I attend adoption events and help run them along with other volunteers. I also recently signed up to help out with Chicken Run Rescue and am looking forward to getting more involved during the summer!
What is your favorite part about working at PPP?
My favorite part about working at PPP is, of course, the dogs and people I get to meet. I have really enjoyed getting to know different dog breeds and learning more about their personalities and play styles. When I meet a breed I never knew about, I like to do some research and read what they were originally bred for and see how that comes through in their individual personalities and the way they interact with other dogs!
Funniest/Favorite PPP moment:
In general, my favorite moments at pampered pooch are when the weather changes and we get to go outside. So when it first snows, the dogs go bonkers and run around and I love to throw snowballs for them. In the summer, I enjoy going outside and sitting in the sun. My favorite human moment is doing a tequila shot with my wonderful coworker, Lexi and my awesome boss, Keith at the last PPP powwow
We were proud to be chosen for the cover of the St Louis Park Magazine – Pet edition. Below you can read the article that featured Pampered Pooch Playground and Bubbly Paws.
Pampered Pooch Playground
Owners: Trycia and Keith Miller
Services: Dog day care, boarding
The tale:
Trycia and Keith Miller launched their dog day-care center five years ago. They initially opened it for their beloved Bernese mountain dog named Roxy. Today the Millers manage about 95 dogs per day at the Pampered Pooch Playground. They have three separate rooms for canine frolicking, including 11,000 square feet of climate-controlled indoor space and a 3,500-square-foot outdoor area. There are also luxury suites for the extremely pampered pooch.
“Minnesota is unregulated for doggie day care, so it’s a point of concern for dog owners,” Keith Miller says. “Someone could rent any old garage and put 60 dogs in it.” The Millers do everything they can to alleviate worry. Pampered Pooch is the first dog day care in the country to have iPhone, Android and Blackberry apps so owners can watch their pups at play, day and night. There are 11 live webcams streaming from the three playrooms and regular Facebook posts and tweets. The outside play area is made with recycled sports turf, which is ecologically appropriate and, unlike gravel or Astroturf, easy to clean.
“The St. Louis Park pet business network is really supportive,” Keith Miller says. “If someone had a fire or got sick, they could bring their dogs to us or I would go work at their place to help out.” Miller stays current on developments in the doggie care world and is a fan of the “busman’s holiday”: Whenever he travels, he stops by other pet care facilities to take notes on what they’re doing right and what he would like to avoid in his own establishment. “There’s a real difference in big-city day cares,” he notes, adding many have a less than fragrant smell. 7020 Walker St.; 952.922.8183; pamperedpoochplayground.com
Bubbly Paws
Owners: Trycia and Keith Miller
Services: Self-serve or full-service dog washing, grooming
Hangers-on: Roxy the Bernese mountain dog
The tale:
Bubbly Paws is the Millers’ laidback little brother to their high-maintenance big baby, the Pampered Pooch Playground. The Millers opened Bubbly Paws two years ago, mainly as place to wash their own Roxy, a 100-pound Bernese whose bulk and thick hair demand an elaborate bathing process. They nabbed a light and airy space in the busy Excelsior/Grand complex and outfitted it with five elevated step-in tubs with shower hoses, a grooming room and a drying room. Customers can bathe their dogs themselves or pay a bit more for a house shampoo.
The Millers are dedicated to the St. Louis Park community and even use a locally made shampoo, which is actually a reformulated horse shampoo. “I like it because it doesn’t smell fake or overpowering,” Keith says. “I mean, I’m a guy, so I couldn’t care less about smelling like flowers.” Nevertheless Bubbly Paws’ grooming services offer plenty of bling for their canine clients, including toenail polish and in one unusual case, a pink polka-dot dye job.
The couple loves the tight-knit animal owning community in St. Louis Park. “People know each others’ dog’s names. Everyone goes to the Dakota dog park and people recognize each other [from the dog park],” Keith Miller says. “I’ve seen love connections happen here. Seriously, if you were a single guy, why wouldn’t you get a dog?” Miller dreams about opening a pet rental business for hopeful single guys hanging around the dog park. In the meantime, “we just have fun here,” he says. “C’mon, it’s a dog wash!” Each month Bubbly Paws gives back to support a different pet rescue organization, donating $5 from each bath, and hosting creatively awesome occasions like doggie yoga and doggie happy hour. 3730 Grand Way; 952.657.5300; bubblypaws.com
Pet Friendly SLP
We also provided St Louis Park Magazine a list of some of the pet friendly businesses in St Louis Park:
Primp
Hosts fundraisers for a local pet rescue
1628 West End Blvd.; 952.303.3791; primpyourself.com
Lululemon
Stop in with your dog and get a treat
1639 West End Blvd.; 763.545.9069; lululemon.com
McCoy’s Public House
Dogs can hang out and get treats on the patio
3801 Grand Way; 952.224.9494; mccoyspublichouse.com
Yum!
Free house-made doggie treats
4000 Minnetonka Blvd.; 952.922.4000; yumkitchen.com
The Four Firkins
Browse the local beer selection with your discerning pooch
5630 W. 36th St.; 952.938.2847; thefourfirkins.com
Galaxy Drive-In
Bring your pooch while you enjoy a superb burger
3712 Quebec Ave S.; 952.277.7777; galaxy-drivein.com
Frattallone’s Ace Hardware
Great nosing around for dog and man (or woman)
5025 Excelsior Blvd.; 952.456.6630; frattallones.com
Filament Lighting
This business provided the lighting for Bubbly Paws
5007 Excelsior Blvd.; 952.926.5007; filamentlighting.com
I can’t tell you how excited I am for the 2013 season of Beer With Your Buddy to kick off! Join us this Saturday from 3-5:30 at the Nomad Pub in Minneapolis. You can buy tickets online by clicking here. Pampered Pooch Playground and Bubbly Paws are a sponsor of this great Minneapolis dog event powered by the K9-Connection.
Name: Julie
Length of time working here: Since March 2010
Do you have any pets?
I have a Mini Aussie named Duchess and a Boxer named Thor. They love to come and play each week!
What do you do in your spare time?
I am a full-time stylist at JB Cavour Salon + Spa. Doing hair is my passion; I love making people smile by the work I do. I also love being outside, going to dog parks, cooking for my husband and am addicted to many TV shows
What is your favorite part about working at PPP?
The dogs, of course! They all have such unique personalities and it’s fun to get to know them all! It’s a nice break from my full-time gig as a stylist. Also, my co-workers are awesome!
Funniest PPP moment:
I have an intense fear of spiders. One day, Sarah and I were in waggers and a spider continued to lower itself from the ceiling to taunt me. We moved the couch to the middle of the room and I held Sarah as she stood on the couch to grab the spider. She knocked it down and we both screamed. We turned around and Keith was video taping it on his phone. Whoever was watching the webcams that day, got some entertainment!
