As a pet parent, you want your dog or cat to be safe, happy and healthy above all else. At PetSuites Mason they promise to provide a personalized, safe and loving environment for your pets and memorable service for you.
“A lot of our pet parents are very happy to find out that we are owned and operated by National Veterinary Associates (NVA), so everything that we do is guided by veterinary directives,” explains PetSuites Mason General Manager, Carrie Downey.
PetsSuites began in Erlanger, Kentucky and the Mason location just celebrated their first anniversary. Their state-of-the-art resorts are colorful, inviting and sparkling clean, always ready for hours of enrichment with their pet guests.
The PetSuites resort experience offers many options including luxurious suites, double-level cat condos, grooming, training, and playtime with dog friends or one-on-one with Pet Pros. No matter your pet's temperament, there is a tailored boarding or daycare experience for everyone.
“One thing that sets us apart is that we’re all about enrichment for pets. We offer social play during their stay, but if your dog is not social they can still feel safe with us because we offer individual play options. What’s neat is individual play allows us to provide what your dog or cat tells us they want,” shares Carrie.
For new puppy parents or frisky fidos that need a little extra support, PetSuites Mason has a variety of training options and tips to share to promote safety and good dog manners.
Dog-Friendly Training
Carrie, who started her PetSuites career as a certified dog trainer, advises that you can never start training too early.
“I am a big believer in setting your dog up for success because then you’re setting yourself up for success,” she says.
Pups can start group training sessions at eight weeks with Puppy Kindergarten then move on to Good Dog Manners classes which are interactive group training sessions for pets and pet parents. After completing their training, dogs can test for the American Kennel Club Canine Good Citizen Certificate.
If your dog needs to brush up its skills or is picking up bad habits, you can try a one-on-one session with the trainer or add tutoring to your daycare or boarding stays.
“You can teach an old dog new tricks! It’s a matter of meeting them where they are and teaching them that training is fun,” Carrie describes.
The PetSuites company policy is to use only positive reinforcement, “It’s all about creating a positive connotation to the relationship between you and your pet. That sets a great precedent for good behavior and good recognition,” explains Carrie.
Katie New, PetSuites Mason’s full-time canine trainer, has five-plus years of experience training dogs and an Associate’s Degree in Veterinary Technology. She also offers seminars just for pet parents such as potty training tips and tricks. Some techniques are best learned in a classroom setting to help set the knowledge base so training practice can happen at home.
PetSuites Mason is open from 6:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. seven days a week for daycare and boarding, plus enrichment activities like play, grooming and training. Dropping off and picking up can happen anytime during business hours and there’s no difference in the price. They also don’t charge for the last day of boarding.
“We want pet parents to enjoy their time away and not worry about their pets or rush to get them picked up by a certain time,” explains Carrie.
It’s easy to book through their app and keep track of your dog or cat through features like “paw-gress” reports, photos and video snippet updates.
A new PetSuites resort is being built in Liberty Township with a tentative October opening. To learn more or book your furry pal’s first resort stay or service visit Mason.PetSuitesofAmerica.com.
Key Canine Commands
Look: The ‘look’ command is one of the best ways to teach your dog to avoid potentially dangerous situations. If they get away from you, using the ‘look’ command instantly focuses their attention. “That would be the very first thing to start teaching your dog. It teaches them that good things come from your human,” shares Carrie.
Place: PetSuites is partnering with local breweries like Cartridge and Sonder to teach dogs good ‘patio manners.’ “Our trainers visit dog-friendly patios and help reinforce good dog manners such as the ‘place’ command,” Carrie says. ‘Place’ helps your dog learn that good things happen when they go to a specific spot and stay. Their human can then sit with friends and enjoy a beer without their dog lunging or pulling.
Focus/Recall: If your dog learns good focus and recall, you can get them away from a busy street or a dog that may not be so friendly. “Training is beneficial for the dog and their human’s quality of life. Routine and regimen can build a dog’s confidence and help prevent dangerous situations,” explains Carrie.
“Training is beneficial for the dog and their human’s quality of life. Routine and regimen can build a dog’s confidence and help prevent dangerous situations."