Barnaby stayed with Dogsitting by Ally while we went to Las Vegas for Christmas. This is our paw-approved review of that experience — what Ally’s setup offers for a large dog, how he actually did, and whether it’s the right call for families taking a trip and needing real dog care instead of a kennel.
A Real Social Schedule
Instead of sitting in a crate watching the clock, Barnaby spent the days with other dogs — wrestling matches and playful paw-swats around 10:00 AM, group naps around 2:00 PM, and what Ally calls a sunset “howl session” that apparently gets the whole group going. Regular social time like that matters for a dog’s mental state as much as the physical exercise does.
Sticking to His Diet
Barnaby’s on a grain-free diet, and Ally followed his meal plan exactly — not a paw out of place — down to the routine around it. PetMD notes that keeping a dog’s diet consistent while traveling matters for avoiding stomach issues, and that consistency was one of the things that stood out most about the stay.
Coming Home Clean, Paw Prints and All
On his last day, before we picked him up, Ally took him to a professional groomer — bath, blow-dry, paw trim, ear cleaning, the works. We walked in from a long drive back from Vegas expecting the usual smell of a dog who’s been outside for a week, and instead got a genuinely clean, calm Goldendoodle. The Human Animal Bond Research Institute (HABRI) has published research on how physical touch with a pet lowers stress in their owners, and coming home to a freshly groomed dog instead of a matted one made that drive-in a lot more pleasant.
Would We Use Ally Again? A Paw-sitive Verdict
Yes — paw-approved, no question. It costs more than a standard kennel, but between the social time, the diet consistency, and the grooming before pickup, it’s worth the difference if you’re leaving your dog for more than a night or two.
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