Urban Out Sitters

They say you can't teach an old dog new ticks. Not true for my guy. When he first started going to daycare he was very timid of all size breeds at UOS Lakeview. After only a few short months he began to act more confident. I could tell by our walks or to our favorite dog beach. The staff are great with Rusty and he actually smiles when he enters the daycare. I recommend them.

Posted 06/24/08

I brought my 2 dogs to Urban for an extended period of time. The dogs came home smelling wonderful and looked well rested. I was so worried about the dogs but the staff was really great and even called ME in the UK to tell me that my pups were doing fine. I loved that! I hope this place continues to do good and will do what I can to help this business grow! ***** (thats 5 stars!)

Pros: Nice/Friendly, Open Late Hours, Good Price

Cons: no

Posted 06/23/08

Our energetic lab has been going to UOS for almost a year and we couldn't be happier. When we drop her off in the morning she darts into the play area and doesn't glance back once. At pick-up time she is exhausted and shuffles home right into her bed!

The location is very convenient to the L at Belmont so you can drop off and pick up on your way to and from work. As for the staff, they are very low-key and friendly.

Thanks UOS!

Pros: friendly, clean, no appointments necessary

Cons: web camera not working

Posted 06/23/08

My dog, Coco, has been going to UOS Lakeview since she was 10 weeks old. The staff and service has been exceptional. They treat my dog as one of their own and I trust them completely. Each day, as Coco eagerly awaits by the door, UOS arrives at my door on time and with a cheerful attitude. My dog is well socialized and happy. I would recommend their service to anyone.

Posted 06/23/08

I am an employee of UOS. Let me write that I work full-time and absolutely love this place. The whole concept behind how the company statred is wonderful. I am a HUGE animal lover and bring my pup everyday, so I know what is right and wrong when is comes to the treatment of animals. We keep our routes short, so the dogs are not in our caravan for hours, And the dogs are totally cagefree. REally, we do not cage them. I laugh who much fun the doggies have each day. It feels like a family. Plus my co-workers are a hoot! Having worked in other nearby daycare centres and left to find the best....I found UOS and let me add UOS treats dogs right. Congrats guys.

Pros: Just FUN!!

Cons: should open a place in MIami. I'd be thr first to sign up.

Posted 06/23/08

We have taken our English Bulldog to Urban Out Sitters for a year, and we are very happy with the service. The employees are very nice and helpful, and we highly recommend Urban Out Sitters to anyone looking for day care or boarding services. Our dog loves it too. Whenever we say "Time to go to day care" in the morning, he sprints to the door to leave the house and gets very excited.

Pros: Nice and helpful staff, our dog loves it

Cons: None

Posted 06/22/08

Urban Outsitters is great! The staff is friendly and caring and they get to know each pet that they take care of. My dog started going to Urban when she was 10 weeks old and has been attending daycare for nearly 4 years. I trust them implicitly with her everyday. I know that Urban watches over her as if she is theirs.

Posted 06/22/08

I have been a customer for about 3 months now. I am very happy with the service. Everyone is very friendly and always in a great mood when greeting you. My dog loves going there and I can really tell a difference when she comes home; she is always in a great mood and has obviously been excercised all day. I highly recommend this to anyone!

Posted 06/22/08

We moved to Chicago a year or so ago. Our dog is really energetic and loved her dog daycare back in DC, so we were excited about all of the options in Lincoln Park. Unfortunately, the first couple places we tried were poor fits; at first she just wasn't excited to go, and after some time she refused to get into the car in the morning or to get out once we got there. (We also noticed that she wasn't as tired at the end of the day as she used to be and suspect that some of the Chicago services actually crate the dogs in the middle of the day despite advertising themselves as "cageless". If they won't let you stop in any time of day to check on your dog, ask why.)

In any case, we tried the Dayton St location of Urban Outsitters and in no time our dog was back to her usual, happy self. She bursts out of the car wagging like crazy when we arrive in the morning and comes home completely exhausted. Tommy and his staff are great with dogs and owners alike and have been unfailingly helpful when I've gotten stuck late at work or had to extend a business trip by a day or two and needed to extend our pup's boarding time. We also use UO's grooming services, which are a great convenience. I couldn't recommend UO more highly.

Posted 06/22/08

Jessie has been going to doggy daycare five days a week since May of 2006. She absolutely loves it and the team at Urban Outsitters is amazing. I would highly recommend their services to anyone thinking of daycare. Jessie is a Vizsla and she has a LOT of energy - when she comes home she is beat. It is a wonderful thing. Thank you Tommy and the crew at Urban Outsitters for taking such great care of Jessie!

Pros: friendly, timely in pickup and delivery, take wondeful care of Jessie

Cons: can't think of any

Posted 06/22/08

i've taken my extremely energetic boxer to urban for over 2 years and have had nothing but a great experience. they are accommodating, caring and treat each dog like one of their own. highly recommend.

Posted 06/22/08

Our pomeranian M. has been coming for about a year, since he was a little puppy, and just loves this place! Convenient access from the Belmont el, even more convenient pickup service from home. The staff really enjoys the dogs and creates a very positive place. Extremely safe- our five pound M. has been just fine. He has also stayed over a couple weekends at the Loop location and it is so nice not to have to worry about him when we are traveling!
If you want a happy, well-adjusted dog to greet you every day when you get home, send him to Urban OutSitters while you are at work! Best doggie decision you will ever make!

Pros: quality of service, location

Cons: none

Posted 06/22/08

Our dog Babe Ruth has been going to Urban Outsitters day care for over a year and a 1/2 now. We could not be happier with the results. He truly looks forward to going to daycare every Weds and Friday....all we have to say is "Babe are you ready for camp?" and he starts running around in circles he is so excited. He comes back from daycare happy and tuckered out. Also, the staff could not be more warm and friendly. They treat Babe Ruth like their own. We also use UOS's for boarding - we really like their cage free boarding environment. If you are looking for quality petcare and boarding in Chicago my husband and I HIGHLY recommend Urban Outsitters.

Posted 06/22/08

We started sending our lab Bode to Urban Outsitters in Lakeview back in 2005 when he was just a young puppy and we have been so pleased with the care that he gets from the team of caregivers at UO. We used to drop Bode off in the morning, and he was always so exicted that he would basically jump over us and pull us through the door just to get inside! Now we use the ultra convienent pick up/drop off "pet taxi" service to get him to and from daycare which is great as well. Tommy and Joseph and their team have always been completely trustworthy and it is obvious to me that they all really care about the animals that they care for during the day. Bode is always all wags when he goes to and comes home from daycare so we really couldn't be more pleased with the service. We looked at some other options back before we chose Urban but a lot of the other facilites were not as nice and clean, and it troubles me that some places don't let you check on your dog during the day if you would like. I highly recommend Urban Outsitters!

Pros: clean, friendly, trustworthy

Cons: n/a

Posted 06/22/08

After a day at Urban Outsitters day care, my dog Chance can barely drag himself off the couch to come say hi to me when I get home from work. It wears him out like nothing else can. He clearly LOVES going there. When the staff comes to pick him up, he's ecstatic. When I drop him off myself, he leaps out of the car and charges through the front doors.

I've been sending Chance to day care for almost a year. The staff genuinely cares about him and enjoys taking care of him. They call me when he has runny stool so I can get home from work before he makes a mess of my floor. When Chance was sick for a few days and unable to attend day care, they called to see how he was doing.

I've heard people express concerns about the fact the people are only allowed in the front/lobby portion of the UOS building and not in the back where the dogs play. I understand that this can be unsettling to people - it was to me at first as well. I don't know exactly why this is, although I speculate it has to do with safety concerns (for the people - if 30+ dogs get really excited it could be chaotic). What I do know, is that my dog has never exhibited anything but positive reactions when it comes to Urban Outsitters. He's never anxious or upset in the least. Ultimately, if my dog's happy with the service he's receiving, than I am too.

Posted 06/22/08

Thanks for all of your help. The place looks great, and the cats seem totally unfased that we were gone. We will definitely be using your services whenever we go out of town, and I have recommended you guys to all my cat/dog people!

Pros: Professional Services

Cons: None

Posted 01/13/08

I am very happy in the service my dog received while at Urban Out Sitters.
I was told that someone was in supervising the dogs at all times.
95% of the time that I or my daughter accessed the webcam there
was someone in the room with the dogs.

The female that worked there during the day came in and cleaned up the area. She would sit or play with the dogs.
The male that was in there, was in more often, but one
time he pulled in a chair in range of the camera and it appeared he was
watching because he would pet the dogs when they came up to him.

I believe your services were fantastic, and loved that I could watch my dog while away on vacation. I will use them again and
I or John will recommend anyone to use your services.

Pros: all hours supervsion

Posted 12/31/07

We have never had any problems with the alarm but we haven?t really used it that much either. Our sitter had an issue on the first visit but gave us a call straight away to resolve the problem. Also while we were away in Iceland our sitter had the option to call us using the country code, and then the number , but used Skype which is much cheaper. We were glad to hear our babies are doing well and that you?re all getting along. The smaller one is Hanna, the mother, and the bigger is her son Knockers. Thank you for the e-mails and all your good work.

Pros: Problem solving, Communication Overseas

Posted 12/26/07

Thank you for all you do for Mojo and for all other dogs at Urban Outsitters. My dog is well socialized , friendly, and your organization is the main reason for that. As a first time and single dog owner, it has been so helpful to have a service like yours to keep Mojo safe and well cared for. I appreciate all that you do. Your staff treks through all forms of weather and a set of stairs to pick Mojo up and drop him off. It does not go unnoticed. Thank you.

Pros: Well socialized, friendly and organized.

Posted 12/20/07

Thank you to everyone at Urban Out Sitters. You take great care of Gunner everyday, and we VERY much appreciate it!

Pros: Staff

Posted 12/18/07

I am writing this review of Urban Out Sitters (UOS) because I strongly believe that it is in your dog(s)? best interest to utilize their services. I have never written an online review of anything before but I am doing so now in the hopes that I can help others try the positive experiences I had with UOS. I utilized UOS for 1 month for dog walking and also boarded her there once for 4 days. Of all of the companies I considered, the UOS website was the most comprehensive, information and impressive. Based on their website, UOS appeared to be a reputable and well run business. Please do believe everything you read on their website as many of the things they state are simply TRUE. I found these statements to be completely consistent with my experience as follows: (1) 30 minute dog visit ? My dog walker told me that she her dog walks are 20-25 minutes, which the rest of the time is spent leaving fresh water and a note. (2) Cage free boarding in which I left my dog at UOS for 4 days. I was excited about the cage free boarding concept and had the expectation that my dog would be safe and happy under their care. I DO BOARD MY DOG HERE. But I must add that when my dog does get stressed when I board her at any length of anytime. When I picked up my dog, she had liquid stools (seriously, LIQUID), and still had an ear infection. To my gratification they told me about her liquid stools and ongoing infection. I encourage you to obtain services from UOS. They engage with the customer as to GO OUT OF THEIR WAY and are concerned about the care your dog!

Pros: GRATIFICATION, GO OUT OF THEIR WAY

Posted 12/18/07

I?ve been speaking to the staff over the past 2 weeks and received many calls back. They will allow you to view daily daycare and the back with use of monitors and web cams. Although they will not allow you in to the playgroup because it would cause craziness amongst the group. A friend of mine worked there a year ago and was simply moving away and sadly had to leave. The owner cares a lot about the dogs and their care and it always on the staff to contribute communication and give lots of attention to the dogs and cats. She was overjoyed when I told her I was bringing my bichon there. They have a great reputation. Bring your business. Your dog will be happy there!

Pros: It's pretty, positive attitudes, and very reasonable pricing.

Cons: Bad parking

Posted 12/18/07

I wanted to write and let you know that we were able to get through on the web cam. It was
Saturday afternoon and we were getting ready to pick Nigel up when my husband managed to get through the web cam on his work computer. Nigel was playing, playing, playing (as Michael would say) and being a dominant male dog. Nigel and a yellow lab were playing almost constantly except for the time when Nigel was "purposefully" (it looked on purpose to
me) peeing and pooping. We saw him 'talking back' to the staff when they asked him if he had just marked the wall where the staff member had just cleaned up someone else's mark. Then the
staff member must have said something like - "what are you going to do now? Poopy?" and sure
enough - he did! Nigel is trained to potty on command and I think he was just showing off for your staff. After all this smart-ass rottenness, your staff did a "sit-stay" training exercise with him! We were even told when we picked him up that he is a "cool dog" since he is helping the staff by bringing them the broom. It was so funny to find out that Nigel had added and new and helpful word to his vocabulary - "broom" - while on a play date!!
I knew we had chosen the right place for Nigel to play and stay overnight because of the way he acts when we drive to Urbanoutsitters, but seeing him playing on the web cam swept away that last 2%-5% of hesitation I had about going "away - away" on vacation in January. The only time Nigel and I are separated for more than a couple of hours is when he visits Urbanousitters and now I can feel completely at ease. Thank you.

Pros: Expanding his vocabulary.

Posted 12/18/07

Thank you for taking such great care of Gus.He loves coming to daycare and knowing that he's in such good hands means the world to us. Love - Monica, John and Gus

Pros: Good Hands, Loves Daycare

Posted 12/17/07

Marcus always had trouble with men approaching him in the past. I have seen a huge transformation in him since he has been attending Urban Out SItters. He is very happy with the care Urban Out Sitters has given him, he is always so excited to see the guys who pick him up, thanks so much, it makes me feel so much better!

Thanks!

Pros: Very Happy, Friendly Staff

Cons: None

Posted 12/17/07

As much as I hate to do it, with trying to sell our house and looking for houses in San Francisco, it's necessary to board Humphrey MUCH more than either my husband or I would care to. That being said, Humphrey loves your daycare/boarding, and we feel comfortable leaving him in your care, so we are thankful that we found a service like yours in Chicago and are spreading the word.

Pros: Comfortable.

Cons: Sad to sell house.

Posted 12/17/07

I just wanted to send a quick thank you note to Urban Outsitters. We recently relocated from Vermont, where our dog, Maxie, went to a day care that she absolutely loved. We took her to a different Chicago daycare after we moved here, but it quickly became obvious that she wasn't having the same experience: she wasn't excited to go, wasn't tired from playing at the end of the day, and eventually cried and refused to get out of the car when we arrived in the morning. Needing a change, we tried the Lakeview location of Urban Outfitters and noticed Maxie's immediate return to her normal bouncy, waggly self. Tommy and his group there seem to do an amazing job, and I'm so much happier during the day knowing that Maxie is in great hands. I'm recommending Urban Outsitters to everyone I know who has a dog, and we plan to be customers for years to come.

Pros: Immediate return to her normal bouncy, waggly self.

Posted 12/13/07