Canine Care

My boyfriend and I just came back from our trip to Vancouver last night and I am already writing our glowing review of Clara. Clara goes above and beyond the standard boarding facility. Even the best boarding place requires leaving your dog in an individual room or crate for most of the evening and night; no matter how you cut it, you would feel guilty being away.  On the other hand, Clara allows the dogs to roam around her house, couch, and even bed.  Instead of a gross "potty room," Clara allow the dogs to run free in her backyard where they can play and enjoy the outdoors. All of this was reassuring, but perhaps the most memorable part of our experience was her constant communication with us. Clara sent us a daily text with an update, picture, or even video of our dog. This reassured us that our puppy was in good hands and that he was also having a good time.All in all, if you are looking for a place to leave your dog that feels like a friend is watching your dog, this is it. This is actually even better because you don't have to feel guilty about leaving your friend with all of the responsibility. Clara's Canine Care is friendly, fair-priced, and accommodating. I highly recommend it! More...

Reviewed on Yelp

Clara is wonderful!! So much that is positive has been said about her and we couldn't agree more! My husband and I were very fortunate to be referred to her by our friends in Chicago. We were in town for several art installations and had a busy schedule. Clara was very accommodating, as we contacted her shortly before we arrived in town and we were able to work with her on the schedule, which we greatly appreciated!  Our meet and greet went very well and we felt very comfortable with Clara! We left Pancho, our Papillon with her for several overnights off and on and a few all day visits. We were able to see Pancho during our stay, which means a lot to us when we travel. We miss him terribly when we leave him in New York. I was amazed by his calm demeanor when we picked him up for the "in-between" times. I have never seen him so calm and relaxed after spending time away from us. He is usually beside himself when we pick him up. Also, I used to run my own pet sitting business, so I know the perspective from the other side -- Clara is an A plus plus! She knows dogs! She is warm! She is professional! Her house is extremely clean! And she has a nice, secure outdoor area. Her dachshund, Izzy is adorable and she really seems to enjoy getting to know her canine visitors! I couldn't recommend her highly enough and look forward to another visit to Chicago with Pancho. She truly contributed to our peace of mind as Pancho is our baby! More...

Reviewed on Yelp

Clara is the best caregiver a dog could have.  She is extremely trustworthy and loving. Clara has been caring for our dog over eight years. She has become like family to us. Our dog gets excited at the sound of her name.  He always has fun at Clara's. We wouldn't think of taking him to anyone else. There is no one better, period!  We use to live in Bucktown.  We moved downtown, but still go back to Clara. More...

Reviewed on Yelp

I could not agree more with the other happy clients of Clara's Canine Care. I am very relieved to have found her. The peace of mind that her friendliness, cleanliness, and integrity provide is unbeatable. I love the photos and text updates, and I think my dog likes her better than he likes me :-). More...

Reviewed on Yelp

I cannot speak more highly of Clara and the services she provides. I have had dogs for many years in a number of cities, and have found many wonderful people to watch them when I have to travel. However, I can safely say that Clara blew me out of the water. She was friendly, engaging, and responsive from the outset. We set up a meet and greet prior to my vacation, at which point I was thoroughly impressed by her gorgeous, spotless, and very dog proof home.  She has the rare combination of both professionalism and warmth, and I could tell right away how much she loves and understands dogs. She is also clearly a pro with all types - my little man was immediately comfortable, even with considerably larger dogs around. He got to sleep in the bed with her and had a better time than I did on my vacation. While I was gone, Clara provided lots of updates and even sent photos. I normally worry a lot when I leave my dog with anyone, but I felt completely safe and comfortable with her. I cannot recommend her enough! More...

Reviewed on Yelp

Clara is simply the best when it comes to watching our dogs. Her home is spotless and she has created a wonderful, cozy environment for the dogs. Our dogs feel at home whenever they are there--they get to roam around her home and sleep in her room. She even has an enclosed yard so the dogs can use the bathroom outside and get some fresh air.  She offers a pick-up and drop-off service which is especially helpful for us because we don't have a car.  She is quick to respond whenever I check in with her while we're away. We really couldn't be happier.Our dogs absolutely love her--they get so excited when she comes to pick them up, and one of our dogs cries when she gets dropped off and Clara leaves! We are so grateful that we found her! More...

Reviewed on Yelp

Finding Clara was probably one of my top 10 finds in Chicago.  After an awful experience at Tucker Pups, I read one of their reviews that suggested Clara and I gave her a try.  Clara is truly a dog lover.  We first met her for an initial interview and she was extremely thorough and trying to learn everything about our dogs.  She has a great set up where the dogs she watches at her home essentially live with her.  They aren't kenneled up, instead, they have free roam of her home.  She has aan enclosed yard for the dogs to run around.  She even sleeps with the dogs!  What more could I ask for?! When I brought my dogs back from her place, they were so happy and "normal."  I can definitely tell they had a great time. More...

Reviewed on Yelp

Clara really saved me in terms of providing me a last minute dog boarding solution that I felt completely comfortable and confident with.  I had been planning to take my dog to Tucker Pups, but I had never been there.  The weekend before I was supposed to leave, I took my dog to Tucker P's for a day of daycare, just to make sure I felt good about it. Nothing terrible happened while he was there, but I was left with a bad feeling about the place. Suddenly I was scrambling to find a better solution.  That's when I came across Clara's Canine Care.  I called and left a message. She called me back & I explained my situation and my limited time to find a place I felt comfortable with and she agreed to see my dog as soon as possible to be sure it was a good fit.  As soon as we met I felt I was leaving my dog in great place. Boarding your dog at Clara's is like leaving your dog with a relative.  Her place was very clean and Clara is clearly smart, honest, and a true dog-watching professional.  I live near Hyde Park and I don't have a car, so getting my dog to her place in Humboldt Park takes some doing, but for the peace of mind I get knowing my dog is in such a great place, it's absolutely worth it! More...

Reviewed on Yelp

We normally have my in-laws watch our Collie. Unfortunatly at the last minute, they were unable to. My husband called Clara literally 24 hours before we had to leave. She not only was able to take our dog in, but was super accomodating with us. Even though we were short on time, she took time to go over every aspect of our dog from when he likes to eat, where he likes to sleep, and his temperment to other animals. She took him in as if he was her own animal.She also made sure to text us while we were gone to give us updates to let us know that he was fine and enjoying his time. Our dog had an amazing time at her house and we were more then glad we decided to use Clara to take care of him. We have nothing but the best to say about her and will use her for all our future needs! More...

Reviewed on Yelp

Clara and her small business are an absolute rarity in this city. I'm also scared to talk about her too much, in case her demand gets so high I can't get her when I need her! Clara runs her business out of her home in Humboldt Park. When I first contacted her she was super flexible about when I could come in before having my dog boarded with her for a few days. I mistakenly did not bring my dog with me on the visit, but Clara was only disappointed because she was genuinely concerned with getting to know him prior to keeping him for a few days.I actually must have spent about 45 minutes in her home, just going over my dog's temperament, habits, sensitivities, diet, sleep schedule, sleep habit, potty habits, everything - she made sure he was vaccinated, meaning, looked through the records to verify them herself, which is very comforting. And otherwise, we spent time just chatting and adoring her own cute puppies.The fact that she boards dogs in her own home is something you really can't compare when you're thinking about the kennel in the neighborhood you think your dog likes. She has safety features to keep the dogs comfortable, a lovely yard for the puppies to play, and even her personally made accommodations for dachshunds if you have one (e.g. ramps to the window sill and her bed, adorable burrowing beds). While I was away, for only 3 days, Clara texted me a picture of my dog sun bathing by a window, and sent me a lengthy email updating me on how he'd been spending his time. On the morning I was supposed to pick him up, I had something come up, and Clara simply texted me a non-urgent message saying any time of the day would be fine. When I was only able to get him at 7PM, almost 12 hours later than I had originally told her, she charged me no over-stay fee that is typical of almost all boarding facilities in the city. I mean come on, she let my little one sleep in bed with her - you will not find anyone else that provides what Clara does in this city.Lastly, she has the two cutest little dachshunds, and one, Isabella, may be the friendliest one I've ever met - extra bonus points. I cannot recommend Clara's Canine Care enough. She is personal, but more professional than others I have dealt with, printing out for me even an itemized receipt when I returned. I've used Petsmart, Tucker Pup's, Mutt Hutt Inc., Chi-Town Dog House, Pooch Hotel, places that don't even exist anymore, and have had unsatisfactory luck with with K-9 U and Zen Dogs. I've never settled with one because... I've simply never been happy. Anyway, in sum my search has come to an end finally, and I'm happy to say I'll be using Clara whenever I go out of town in the future. More...

Reviewed on Yelp

We have had Clara watch our puppy 2 times now, and we couldn't be happier. Our dog loves to stay with her; he has so much fun at her place that he is almost sad to come home. Clara takes really good care of the dogs, and her place is perfectly customized for our furry friends. She also have a back yard that they can run around in. Clara has our best recommendation! More...

Reviewed on Yelp

Clara is the best in the city!  If you want to have a dog walker who actually take sthe time to walk your dog individually and spend quality time with him/her, Clara is your woman! As for boarding your dog, I have never seen such a clean, well-managed dog boarding operation in my whole life.  Clara boards the dogs in her home, and they are treated like VIP's from beginning to end.  All dogs that stay there get tons of exercize, sleep well in beds and have the time of their lives.I would recommend Clara to anyone who truly wants to pamper their dog at extremely reasonable prices! More...

Reviewed on Yelp

I have been using Clara since 2005. I regard my two dachshunds as my children, and Clara treats them that way. She is so in tune with the dogs. She has two dachshunds herself so she understands their unusual personalities, but she is great with every type of dog and has so many different breeds in her clientele. I have referred her to numerous family members and friends for dog walking, sitting, and cat sitting and they have all been very pleased. When I lived in Lakeview I used a much larger dog walking service. For about a year I had a regular dog walker. However, when she quit the company it was like a revolving door of walkers in and out of my house. 1) I don't want a bunch of strangers in my house and 2) I don't want a stranger to be responsible for my babies. Clara does ALL the walking and sitting herself so you know you will get her every time, which is a great comfort to me.When doing overnight dog-sitting, Clara is very careful about how many dogs she has in her home at any one time and is always certain the dogs are good with other dogs. Her house is very clean and her yard is securely fenced, though of course she never leaves the dogs unattended. When you first meet with Clara she has you fill out a detailed questionnaire about your dog so she can treat him/her exactly as she is treated in your home. We love it because our dogs sleep in bed with her just like they do with us! Clara is very easy going and nice to work with. I never worry a bit when they are in her care. If you love your dog, Clara will love him just as much when you're not able to be there to do it yourself! More...

Reviewed on Yelp

This is one of the oldest and most reputable dog walking services in the city. Lennox and his staff are great with communication, usually on time and awesome with the dogs. I would highly recommend Canine Care for vacation care or regular daily dog walking. More...

Reviewed on Insider Pages