Riddle me this: Which animal population is growing more rapidly in Boise and its environs, geese or dogs? If you answered “dogs,” then you’re right. Well, at least probably. Definitely maybe. Walk virtually anywhere downtown, on the Greenbelt and in residential neighborhoods, and you’re likely to spot a canine before you can count to three.
The benefits of owning a dog are commonly known. Chief among them, man’s best friend provides companionship to them like no other animal, which is immeasurably important. The general consensus was that, after COVID-19 ended, people would inevitably return to the social lives they enjoyed before government officials reluctantly implemented lockdown policies to stave off the spread of the pandemic.
For its own part, Boise is in many ways an ideal setting for the loyal companions. Idaho’s capital has an abundance of foliage and growth, hence its nickname as “The City of Trees.” Boise Parks and Recreation oversees seven off-leash parks scattered across the city. Off-leash hiking trails are galore in the city. Workplaces, restaurants and schools allow dogs more than other states do. Walk a mere three miles around town, and you (and your pooch) are bound to see a bowlful of water left by a kind-hearted resident.
Yet, despite those quintessential examples of “Boise Kind,” the city is still struggling to manage the dog-population explosion. The aforementioned seven dog parks are consistently full to capacity.
Enter Clubhound, a new destination for dogs that is so striking that the pets would swear they were in Disneyland (if they had the brain capacity to know what Disneyland is). Technically located in Garden City, it’s unlike any other place in the area where dogs can let down their hair (or fur) and revel in fun, meet-cutes, exercise and adventures. Located a hop, skip, and a jump off the Greenbelt’s 5-mile marker in Garden City, Clubhound is a mecca for dogs that live for hopping, skipping, and jumping as forms of play.
“I wanted to create a gathering place that had a multi-fold mission: to socialize dogs and let them have fun, to help combat the loneliness epidemic devastating people in every part of the country,” Whitlock said. “Another objective of mine is to encourage college students and young people who typically work from home to bring their laptops here and get work done while their dogs play. I call it a ‘third space.’ People have a place where they live and a place where they work … Clubhound is where dog owners can enjoy a respite from those other two places.”
The aesthetically awe-inspiring, 2.5-acre campus opened in early summer, after prolonged inspections and permitting, is located at the site of a former cement factory. Naysayers will bark and whine about gentrification, but in reality, the emergence of the dog kingdom is a reminder of how Boise can transform a filthy eyesore into a palatial facility that must be seen to be believed. It calls to mind how the resplendent Idaho Botanical Garden balances out the Old Idaho Penitentiary to which it is virtually attached.
Like the botanical garden, the membership-based Clubhound didn’t just magically appear. Boise native Jake Whitlock, its 20-something founder and managing owner, came up with the idea of a dog park — scratch that, a dog amusement park — six years back after visiting similarly innovative dog havens across the country. He pitched his idea to his mother, Julie Emerick, who was so sold on the idea that she became Clubhound’s managing owner.
Emerick oversees Clubhound’s impressively large staff of 37 employees whose duties rotate during the course of their work shift. Positions include dog “referees” who monitor their behavior, as well as greeters, roving attendants and bartenders. Yes, you read that right: Clubhound's indoor area features a beer and wine bar where dog owners can enjoy themselves while their dogs in the enclosed off-leash area can do the same.
“We want this to be a country club for your dog,” Emerick said. She’s brimming with ideas she is giddy to pursue. Dog yoga sessions, “Market Days” (essentially farmers markets for dogs) and “doggie speed dating” are just a few of the ideas she rattles off. Ninety percent of the 700-plus Clubhound members who signed up before the facility even opened are female.
The Clubhound crowd is bound to become diverse thanks to amenities including massive TVs behind the bar, food trucks, a new Alchemist Coffee location, misting stations, patio heaters and a mezzanine. General Manager Josh Muhlenkamp believes Clubhound will be especially appealing to college students, as the facility is open from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m., seven days a week. With that in mind, the number of Clubhound members will surely grow. Here’s the catch: It’s actually the dogs who become members, and they must be vaccinated and well-behaved in order to get cleared for membership.
A yearlong membership at Clubhound costs $44 a month, with an annual pass totaling $381. The price tag may be out of reach for some dog owners, but Whitlock and Emerick are quick to note that memberships guarantee the protection of dogs and humans alike at the facility. Clubhound implements a rigid behavioral policy akin to “three strikes, and you’re out.”
The mother and son are confident that the behavioral examination required to obtain membership will go a long way in curbing misbehavior. To bolster those efforts, they recently hired Rob Gust, a military veteran who served as a dog handler while in the service.
The lengths to which Clubhound's operators are going to guarantee safety, quality and fun speaks to the heart of the project and those who are running it.
"When I was a kid, I thought how cool it would be to have a huge playground for dogs," Whitlock said. "But Clubhound is beyond my wildest dreams — and beyond dogs' wildest dreams too."
“We want this to be a country club for your dog,” Clubhound Managing Owner Julie Emerick said of the fantastical facility she helped conceive and construct with her son Jake.