Sol Dog Lodge and Training Center

We took our then 10 month old pup, Hazel, to Sol Dog for their 5 day board-and-train program. Hazel absolutely loved her trainer, Kim. Kim really listened to what our goals and problem areas were, and set the foundation for us to help Hazel learn to overcome her behavior obstacles. Kim showed the utmost patience and high skill for dog handling. I highly recommend her and the general training/boarding program they have at Sol dog. (I am a veterinarian, so I really look for trainers to have a good understanding of canine behavior/handling, and also ones who emphasize positive reinforcement along with promoting the replacement of undesired behaviors with desired ones)

Rolo loved his stay there recently. We boarded for 2 weeks and he loved the playgroups the most. He was in great shape when we got back, no losing or gained weight and his skin looks great! When I picked him up he kept going back and forth between the workers/volunteers for goodbyes…they really make sure that the dogs get along and that the lobby is safe when dogs come and go.. safety. To add to the safety, they have curbside pickup/drop off if needed. We”ll definitely will be back!

There is some confusion about the locations of Sol Dog. When I first signed up to board my dogs, I thought I was dealing with the people from Sol Dog on Prince Road. That statement is 1/2 right. Looks like the Sol Dog on Prince now has a new name and that owner used to be part of Sol Dog but is not anymore. My dogs were boarded in May 2026 for 4 days. All did not go well. I have spoken to Justin and Shelley from Sol Dog and BOTH of them have now said "that's not how we normally do things". When I spoke to Shelley today and told her that they had to say, "that's not normally how we do things", for 3 separate issues her reply made me want to do reviews so other people could see that the service I got was exactly how they normally do things. Issue 1- on our tour of the facility (beautiful facility) we were led to believe that we would be allowed to settle our dogs in their kennel. We were not. Shelley said, "that people are not allowed in the kennel area". When I told her that we were taken into the kennel area on our tour, she said "that's not normally how we do things". Issue 2- We gave written on paper instruction on how to feed our dogs. and put the instructions in their system. Not complicated. One dog gets dry and wet food. The other gets wet food only. The dog that got wet food only was fed dry food. Sol Dog sent me a text on day 2 that they were almost out of dry food. When I called and questioned how they were feeding my dogs, I was told they were feeding them correctly. It wasn't until I sent them an email that they admitted to feeding my dog incorrectly. Guess what I was told??? You guessed it "that's not how we normally do things". Issue 3- Communication. I was told that someone from Sol Dog would communicate with me and let me know how the dogs were doing a couple times a day. The evening I dropped them off I did hear from someone. The next day Nothing. The 3rd day I sent a text at 730am and did not hear back till 330pm. GUESS WHAT? "THATS NOT HOW WE NORMALLY DO THINGS". Some issues I brought up with Justin that I didn't bring up with Shelley. My dog blankets and toys were not dirty, had no dog hair and smelled like I just took them out of my dryer. I had a lot of treats left over and if they were given to the dogs like I was told they would be, there should not have been that much left. Sol Dog left such a bad taste that I told them I would never board with them again. Justin and Shelley both agree that since they were told I would never board with them again that there was not much they could do to fix the issue. I was not told they were sorry. I was not offered any refund, not that I would have taken it. They did have to pay the staff to feed my dogs wrong and not give them their toys, blankets or treats. All in all, I feel like the experience that I had with Sol Dog is EXACTLY HOW THEY NORMALLY DO THINGS. You replied with Do not kid yourself. You made two phone calls AFTER I emailed you with the issues. You did address my concerns by telling me that it was not normally how you did things. Thank you for letting me know that I am the exception, that everyone else that boards with you is singing songs about rainbows and lollypops. What resolution did you offer? Are you going to go back in time and feed my dogs correctly? Are you going to clean up my yard from 5 days of doggie diarrhea because of being fed the wrong food by your staff? By all means, stand behind your staff, commit to providing safe, compassionate care. You should trust that your staff is providing exceptional service, BUT VERIFY that it is given to every dog. Develop a training plan, do cross checks, monitor, be consistent. TRUST BUT VERIFY. Now leave me alone, don't force me to waist any more time with this.

When we vacation, we are gone for 1-2 weeks. In the past, we had taken Odin, Pit/German Shepherd, to other places and they really placed a stigma of him being a "bully" dog. Odin has had a few extended stays at Sol Dog. The team there are fantastic! They seem to embrace his exuberance and his loving heart. Daily walks and play sessions keep him busy. They also welcome his need for kisses. Never have they made me feel his needs are not being met because of his breed. We feel Odin is safe and well cared for while we're away.