Out & About in Dogedin: Posh by Lucky Puppies
Jennifer Elder is the proud owner of Posh By Lucky Puppies. She is on a mission to change people’s perceptions about dog day care; there is a difference!
Located at 463 Grant Street in Dunedin, Posh By Lucky Puppies is a cozy, well-appointed facility. And as the name states, it is very posh indeed. Owner Jennifer Elder put a lot of love and sweat into creating the perfect space for dogs in her care. It’s clear that she is passionate about not wanting to be like other dog daycares.
“Day cares are about more; they’re not about individual dogs,” Jennifer said. “Dog sitters are about individual dogs, but they often spend too much time traveling to different homes and not as much time with the dogs.”
Owner, Jennifer Elder, is surrounded by 11 curious dogs as she holds up a dog-friendly birthday cake.
Jennifer has set out to create the best experience for the dogs. She learns about these dogs, their responses to things, their personalities, behaviors, and what they like and don’t like. This is a second home to the dogs, and Jennifer is their second mom.
“I wake up in the morning and I get to change dogs’ lives. I get to offer the best kind of care for these beautiful animals and there’s nothing more important to me.”
The typical day is structured but relaxed. After drop-off time, Jennifer takes the dogs to the back yard to play. There’s a well-organized outdoor space with lots of shade, water bowls, plenty of toys and even a Minion-shaped poop container.
You won’t find any cages here.
Then they come inside to cool down. “Dogs don’t really know when to cool themselves down, so I guide them to their water bowl and have them be in the A/C,” she said. Every dog has his or her own cubby and refrigerator for keeping meals fresh.
She lets them all play together, big dogs and small; they tend to all get along. “It’s best to let them play with each other without me always being involved,” she said. “Teaching them to play with other dogs is part of their socialization. They are very good at figuring each other out.”
Jennifer also plans activities with the dogs. For instance, she has a cupcake tray on the counter that she fills with different colored balls. She shoots them from her gun and the dogs enjoy chasing after them, and of course there’s the large ball pit, pictured below, far left.
Then there’s the arts and crafts. This is really clever. Jennifer puts paper and paint inside a plastic bag and puts peanut butter on the outside. When the dogs start licking it paints a picture. See the three pictures above.
Time for a nap. Wait, do the dogs actually nap? “The dogs do nap, absolutely,” Jennifer said. “But, sometimes the puppies tend to not want to settle down, so they’ll just lay down for cuddles and quiet time but not actually sleeping.”
During nap time everyone goes into the Doggie Cave, by far the most famous room according to the dogs. Everyone gets water, and she puts soothing music on. This serves as chill time for Jennifer, too. “Honestly, I’m not sure if it’s for me or the dogs,” she laughs.
Even when it’s not nap time, many of the dogs will go into this room by themselves when they need a break or to lay down on their own throughout the day. It’s a great space for them to lounge and watch TV.
So many dogs! Jennifer keeps the dogs busy all day long, and she often gets pictures from clients whose dogs fall asleep once they get home. She especially likes to spoil them on their birthdays with special treats and even dog-safe cake!
Jennifer is quick to pull out a photo album filled with pictures of dogs she has spoiled through the years. Birthday parties – complete with dog-safe cake, labradoodles lounging on the couch, dogs all dressed up in fun costumes, purple ears, dogs in bow ties, goldendoodles acting silly, dogs in the ball pit, Valentine’s Day events and even beer for dogs (thanks to Woof Gang Bakery). There are packages available for sale if you’d like to plan a special day for your dog.
Jennifer holds the newest member of the pack. In the background is the newly installed “rose wall” that she will use for pictures with the dogs.
Hobby sitters may be well-intentioned, but they may not have the skills or training to handle the dogs. Large-scale dog care facilities may have too many dogs to care for at once, so they are kept in cages for the majority of the day. Even if they are offered a large room to themselves, dogs don’t know or care about the size of the room, they only know they are alone.
“When you’re dealing with dogs, having fun with them is not enough,” Jennifer said. “When you’re providing care, you need to know body language. When you’re hosting multiple dogs, I don’t care who you are, they can flip at any point. And you need to know when it’s happening and how to protect them and the other dogs around them.”
Jennifer’s dog/assistant, Bella, shows off her impressive skills.
Posh by Lucky Puppies has a ‘No Aggression Policy’. The dogs are not allowed to not get along. They all get behavioral assessments before they come to the day care. Dogs coming in have to be a good fit. If any dog shows aggression, even if they’ve been with Jennifer a long time, they can’t stay. Being the pack leader of this day care, Jen is protective of the dogs, so there is no tolerance for aggression. The maximum number of dogs Jennifer takes is 15. (Not including her dog, Bella, who is more like her assistant.)
Jen is trained in dog CPR and for seizure-prone dogs, and she can administer any shot, like insulin, or any form of medication. She has been trained for aggressive dogs and has extensive knowledge working with dogs who have separation anxiety.
“You can offer better care with quality over quantity,” she said. In fact, Jennifer wants this idea of smaller scale, VIP love and personal service to catch on and for more facilities to care for the dogs the way that she does.
Three adorable dogs looking over the door. What a greeting!
“There’s a lot that goes into this. The passion outweighs the work.”
Jennifer has been providing high-level boutique service for 10 years now. Her new location here in Dunedin has been open since February 1, 2021. She has several long-term clients but has room for a few more lucky puppies. Check out her website: www.poshbyluckypuppies.com and her Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/theluckypuppies/?ref=page_internal