Businesses that center on dogs have come a long way from putting the family pet...

[Global Paw]

Businesses that center on dogs have come a long way from putting the family pet in a kennel and then picking up a thankful animal that thought it had been left forever.

Dedicated to a love of animals and a desire to find a way for owners and dogs to enjoy each other as companions, Pat and Carol Yarnold are developing the 48-acre Dog Star Ranch, located at 4200 Whitehall Road, one mile south of Michigan's Adventure Park in Dalton Township.
Part of the concept was Carol's dream to design a place that centered on dogs' needs and personalities.
"I would find strays and realized how helpless and unattached they were to the necessary human world. Pat and I are fortunate that we have acreage where we can enjoy our dogs and they have a large enough run. When we were ready for a change from our other business, we bought this property that had enough acreage to fulfill our dream."
That dream is a completely fenced and secured Dog Star Ranch that consists of Wag-On-Inn and five parks specifically designed for dog-oriented purposes, education and training, grooming, boarding and a day care concept that moves dog care into a whole new dimension.
The parks are designed for the strengthening of education and companionship between the dog and owner, so owners must stay with their dogs.
To insure dog safety, a Dog Star Ranch training certificate is necessary for known aggressive dogs.
The Small Dog Park is for those animals 30 pounds or less. The Active Dog Park is a large area for running any size dogs trained to come on recall. The Large Park refers to its size for running and interaction of all-size dogs that can mingle with others with the added advantage of a pond for swimming. The fifth, the Agility Park, has equipment for playing as well as training for course running and event competition. This park will also be available for organizations sponsoring event competitions.
Carol stresses that these parks are, in addition to socializing areas, educational places.
"We will have a full time educational director who will work with owners and dogs on agility, temperament, obedience, training, and healer/therapy dog training. The parks will be more than just letting a dog run; they are to expand you and your dog's total abilities."
Dog Star Ranch has 24 individual boarding cabins with outside runs, and escorted play times. Each has waste drains, and are painted with specially mixed paint to prevent bacteria growth. For owners who desire more comfort for their dogs, there are two luxury suites for the pets, with carpeting, TV, couches and Buddy Play Time.
The dog Day Care Program is difficult to distinguish from a human day care program. There is an interactive activity schedule that includes field trips throughout the park, socializing with other dogs, learning good behavior, even a story hour. Day Care dogs must take a temperament test to evaluate social skills for safety reasons.
And for the humans on staff and special dog diets, there is a beautiful kitchen.
New dogs and owners enter through the Wag-On-Inn. The registration is critical to future use. The paper work covers the dog's profile and the proposed usage. Owners must have a veterinarian, and all health documentation.
The Yarnolds' research has not found another dog facility in any reasonable distance with all the amenities and schedules as offered by Dog Star Ranch. Carol's concern for the property was "we have retained the golf greens as part of the design and to be a memory reminder for those who loved this course. We want Dog Star Ranch to be an important part of the community and the dogs that are here. We constantly keep up on the latest developments in dog education, health, and dog kennel care."