About
A place built by someone who needed it first
The Doghouse didn’t start as a business plan. It started with a dog who couldn’t be left alone. In 2007, as a single woman, our owner brought home her first dog, a little brown merle cockapoo named Stella. Stella became her whole world, the constant through every hard season and every good one. But Stella struggled with separation anxiety, and leaving her for more than a few hours was genuinely difficult. Dog walkers, daycare programs, boarding facilities—none of them ever felt safe enough, natural enough, or kind enough. So instead, with help from family and friends, they built a routine that worked, and Stella never spent a night in a traditional commercial boarding kennel. That experience created a belief that dog care could be done differently—more patiently, more personally, more humanely.
Finding The Doghouse
Over the years, the family grew: a rescued kitten, a second cockapoo, and by 2019, a giant bernedoodle named Coco who arrived with her own separation anxiety and behavioral challenges. Franchise training programs and one daycare after another all came up short on the same things: compassion, patience, and individual attention.
Then, in the fall of 2019, came The Doghouse.
This was the place that finally understood a dog like Coco. They recognized her as an individual. They offered real, thoughtful care through training, daycare, and boarding. It quickly became Coco’s happy place, and a relief the whole family had been searching for for more than a decade.
Why we bought it
In May 2022, word came that The Doghouse was at risk of closing if the land and buildings weren’t purchased. After many long conversations, our owner and her husband made a life-changing decision: in July 2022, they bought the business—not as an investment, but so this unique, charming place could keep going for the dogs and families who relied on it.
Stella got to spend some of her final days here, as an office dog, before she passed in February 2024. She’s missed every single day and remains the original inspiration for the kind of care that treats every dog the way she always deserved to be treated.
How we’ve grown
In early 2025, our owner recognized she needed support to keep growing the business while also making time for a young toddler and family life at home. Later that year, Kevin Vlazny approached her about a partnership. In October 2025, the two officially became business partners, united by the same belief that drew everyone here in the first place and committed to building on this dream for many years to come.
Our philosophy
We take things slow. We get to know every dog as an individual. We build comfort before routine, and routine before we ever ask a dog to stay the night.
The Doghouse is not a drop-in facility, and it’s not meant to be. It’s a community where dogs know the staff, know the space, and know they’re safe. That trust isn’t built in a day. It’s built visit by visit, over weeks and months, until coming here feels less like being dropped off and more like coming home.
What that looks like day to day:
- Room to roam. Large outdoor play yards, a pond yard, and off-leash walks across 200 acres.
- Calm, balanced groups. Thoughtfully managed so every dog has positive experiences
- Structured play and rest. So dogs go home genuinely tired, not overstimulated.
- Individualized plans. Because no two dogs need the same thing.
- On-site overnight care. Real supervision, for real peace of mind.