Tucker Pup's Dog Activity Center

Our Services > Boarding

Voted #1 in the City of Chicago - Best Boarding / Daycare Category

Tucker Pup's was voted as the #1 boarding/daycare facility in the City of Chicago, and Runner-Up for all of Chicagoland, in the 2010 Chicagoland Tails Readers' Choice Awards!

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Current Boarding Promotion:

Your first night of boarding here is free if you have not boarded here before and when you mention you saw this on our website (limit 1 dog, $40 max value).

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Talk with dog owners in any city and you'll hear common complaints about boarding services they have used: "The owner or manager was rude to me. My dog came home sick. He smelled really bad. He seemed very stressed and now is lethargic. The facility smelled bad and seemed dirty. It was really overcrowded with too many dogs and not enough handlers. They didn't follow my feeding or medicine instructions, and things seemed very disorganized. I had to come back early from my trip because I couldn't pick him up after 4 pm. The staff is very unprofessional and don't seem to know how to handle dogs."

Why would you settle for this? We built Tucker Pup's to eliminate these issues, raise the standards, and provide a much better experience for you and your dog. We represent the future of dog boarding, not the past.

We welcome you to come in for a tour and ask as many questions as you want. We'll give you straight answers and help you make the right decision for you and your dog.

Why Tucker Pup's Boarding?

All-Day Play™ Option. Unlike many other boarding businesses, dogs who stay with us have the option to be in daycare during the day, including on weekends. This helps reduce stress, eliminates boredom, and wears them out to help them sleep all night long. Unlike many facilities, our boarding dogs have the option to be in play for up 12 hours per day with no cages. Of course, you can request extra nap time, which can be especially important for puppies and older dogs.

Please note that we can only accept dogs for the All-Day Play™ option who won't bite or snarl at other dogs in the daycare environment. If you're not comfortable with your dog being in All-Day Play™, we can still provide boarding services with daily walks, potty breaks, and one-on-one cuddle time.

Play time done right. If you have chosen the All-Day Play™ option, rest assured that our playgroup setup is second to none, from our large activity room to our outdoor space featuring 2,000 square feet of canine grass, separation by size and temperament, pools and playground equipment, professional staff, and so forth. Click here to learn more.

Free trial daycare day. New customers who want the All-Day Play™ option get to schedule a free day of daycare with us prior to your boarding stay, so your dog can become familiar with our staff, our facility, and being around the other dogs. This is a significant benefit because your dog will be much more comfortable during her actual stay with us, and gives you the peace of mind about how she will do in your absence. This is much more desirable than arriving at 6 pm to a boarding facility right as you head out of town, dropping your dog into an unfamiliar kennel, and leaving for a week. Trust us on this one - it works really well.

Health Warranty Program. It is rare that a dog leaves here from boarding with an injury or illness. However, the risk does exist, as it does any time a group of dogs gets together (including at the dog park). Tucker Pup's offers a unique solution, our Health Warranty Program. For a nominal $5 fee per boarding stay, we will reimburse you for up to $250 in veterinary bills should the need arise. It's that simple. Click here to learn more about our Health Warranty Program.

Overnight security. Unlike the majority of boarding businesses across the country, we have a person who stays in the same building as the dogs all night long to provide security and peace of mind to you (and us!). If anything were to ever happen in the wee small hours of the morning, we can respond immediately and keep your dog safe and sound.

We're easy to reach. We have full-time receptionists who answer most calls when you dial us. If you leave a voicemail, we call you back very promptly. In addition, you can easily reach us on Sundays, including with urgent requests.

Professional staff, including with vet experience. We are very proud that all of our staff members are very professional, know how to properly handle dogs, and are very passionate about them. Several even have veterinary experience so they can recognize and handle medical issues quickly. If an issue arises, we'll call you and let you know, and we'll give you straight talk upon your dog's departure. You can rest assured that your furry friend is in good hands while in our care.

No nickel and diming. Our pricing is very straightforward, and we don't charge you a bunch of extras for things a boarding facility should be doing anyway.

Pay when you check out. Some places force you to put down a deposit in advance, even for non-holiday boarding. Change your dates or cancel your reservation, and they give you a store credit. Other places bill your card on a monthly basis, even if your dog hasn't been in while or is in the middle of a boarding stay. This is all hogwash in our opinion. We don't require a deposit or conduct monthly billing, and when you check out, you pay however you want for the amount that was actually incurred.

Open 365 days a year. Some places don't let you pick up your dog on certain days such as holidays or Sundays. This can be very inconvenient, cost you more money, and keep you away from your dog an extra night or two. Not only that, it begs the question as to whether they have enough staff present on those days to ensure the dogs are well cared for. We are open from 7am to 7pm, 365 days per year, with a full staff constantly present.

Open 7am to 7pm for pickup. You're at your brother's out-of-town wedding on a Sunday afternoon, when suddenly you remember that you need to get back to Chicago to pick up your dog from boarding. Other places make you get there in the early afternoon (including as early as 4 pm), or force you to be there between certain hours of the day. You would be forced to rush home and miss using all those techniques you learned in the "Wedding Crashers." At Tucker Pup's, when you're coming to pick up your dog (including on Saturdays and Sundays), you can come as early as 7 am, as late as 7 pm, and anywhere in between. Relax - stay and dance with the little kids in order to impress your new cousin-in-law. It'll be worth it.

Located right off the interstate, on the way to the airport. We're centrally located next to Downtown, and are right off the interstate. This makes it easy to drop off your dog on the way out of town, and pop over to pick him up when you arrive home. That makes one less hassle you need to worry about during your trip.

Large boarding suites. When you go to a hotel, you don't want your room to be cramped. Your dog feels the same way! That's why our boarding suites are very large and amply fit dogs of all sizes, including multiple dogs from the same household. Even our smaller suites are very spacious and allow your dog to "stretch her legs."

Suites feature industry-leading components. Our suites are raised off the floor and have a built-in system to automatically drain away any pee accidents that may occur in the middle of the night. This is much more sanitary than the typical concrete floor where your dog may be laying in its own urine, or worse, urine from other dogs that could otherwise seep in. We also supply raised beds to keep them off the floor within their suite. Plus, the walls are made of heavy-duty PVC material (not the typical chain-link fence), so the dogs can't see each other from side-to-side, which can lead to fence-fighting, anxiety, and excessive barking.

Bring your dog's own food. A lot of boarding businesses across the country won't let you bring your own food, and will only feed their own. This is not fun for anyone and will likely lead to an unhealthy situation, such as diarrhea, an upset stomach, weight loss, lethargy, and undue stress. When your dog stays with us, we strongly encourage you to bring your own food so he's as happy as a clam.

Bring your dog's own bed, chews, and toys. Everyone enjoys sleeping in their own bed, and dogs are no exception. We want to make your dog feel at home, so when she stays with us, you can bring her bed, blanket, chews, and toys (as long as they are non-squeaky and non-destructible, such as Kong). Have a puppy? You can even bring her crate if you want. Forgot your bed? We can add a cot at no additional charge. These are benefits not allowed by a lot of other boarding places.

Familiar surroundings. If your dog already comes to Tucker Pup's for other services such as daycare, she will already be very comfortable in her surroundings and with our staff. That is very important to help relieve your dog's stress while you're out of town and will help her stay be far more enjoyable.

Home sweet home. Our boarding area used to be an apartment, and it shows. From our brick walls, hardwood floors, fireplaces, designer kitchen, large windows, high ceilings, multiple bedrooms, and numerous other design elements, your dog will feel right at home.

Professional cleaning products. Our entire boarding area is thoroughly cleaned and sanitized on a daily basis. Unlike typical boarding businesses that use bleach, we use industry-leading cleaning products that are highly effective at killing canine-specific germs and viruses. They are less harsh than bleach and won't cause your dog to come home smelling like a swimming pool.

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Why Tucker Pup's Boarding?

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