Funnybones for Dogs

I had the same experience as myangelj . I have not had my dog here for quite some time so maybe they have addressed their issues. I am guessing that at any facility for dogs that at any given time you could find a dog that is having a good time and getting extra dirty, or an aggressive dog that had not been dealt with appropriately yet. Also, employees everywhere become disgruntled from time to time. However, during the time I used Funnybones, these problems seemed to be constant rather than random. The older male that myangelj speaks of is likely the same one with whom I had friction. If so, he is the owners father and possibly a co-owner. I also witnessed friction between she and her father on several occasions. Due to having mentally ill parents myself, I understand far more about mental illness than I would like to. I believe that the instability I experienced at Funnybones has to do with mental illness. I sincerely hope that if mental instability is the problem that they will find help to better cope. For the past two years I have used a facility called Camp Bow Wow in Duluth. It is more of a drive for me, but well worth it. The cost is about the same. Aggressive dogs are not tolerated, not even mildly aggressive ones. Dog owners are allowed to see what is going on behind the scenes with no accusations of being overly involved. Also, owners may monitor their dog 24/7 by way of the many on site cameras at Camp Bow Wow. I feel that the temperature both inside the luxury cabins provided for the dogs, as well as the indoor play areas is better controlled for the comfort of the dogs at Camp Bow Wow than it was at Funnybones. I have never seen Camp Bow Wow understaffed for the number of dogs present. It seemed understaffed at times at Funnybones. I don't know if there is an industry standard for staff to dog ratio. I feel that Funnybones would be perfect for someone who has a mildly aggressive dog that won't be tolerated elsewhere. That is, of course, if you don't mind dealing with overly aggressive staff who can not and will not accept constructive feedback. more

The first few times that I picked up my dog, he was happy to be there. After a while, I started to worry because he was afraid to go to one of the older males who works there. He actually acted fearful. When I dropped him off the last time, he was clean. I came back earlier than they expected and he was filthy and smelled really bad. After I bathed him, I discovered that he had a scab on his chest that was not there when I dropped him off. I have found some of the staff to be very rude as well. I will never take my dog there again. You might think they love your dog, while you are there to observe, but you do not know what goes on when you are gone. My dog's fear of this person says something. You can not talk to the owner or staff. They can do NO WRONG and in fact, get upset if you ask them to do anything special. I agree with the other reviewer on here, that if they had better management skills"", they would realize that the ""customer is always right"" The Last time I needed boarding for my dog, I took them to the Pet Lodge, which is in the same general area of town. They have a completely different attitude towards thier customers and dogs! more

I bring my dogs here at least once a week. All the dogs are welcomed by name when they walk in the door, which is awesome. I don't know how they keep all the names straight. Every dog I've seen there gets so excited they make a beeline for the outdoor play area and leave their owners in the dust! Mine try and jump in the car with me every morning hoping it will be a funnybones day. The staff are all really nice and they sincerely care about dogs. I'm always hearing about dogs that they rescued, so I know that my dogs are in good hands when I leave them at Funnybones. Funnybones is also an excellent alternative to standard kennel or vet boarding. Before I discovered Funnybones I left my dogs at the vet when I had to go out of town. When I got back they just weren't right after being left in a cage for days at a time. At Funnybones you know that your dogs are able to play outside and get exercise with other dogs. I have total peace of mind when I go out of town and have to leave my dogs at Funnybones. I know they'd rather be there than wherever I'm going! The special events are also totally awesome, especially the Poo-au (luau for dogs). On some holidays the dogs even do art projects that you get to keep! Pros: dogs love it Cons: your dogs won't want to come home! more

Funnybones is a lifesaver for us. We have a year-old Lab mix and no fence, so Sirius is an inside dog who goes to the dog park almost daily and goes on walks, but whenever I'm going to be busy or out of town, off he goes to Funnybones. Sirius started off in the small dog area as a five-month-old puppy, then ""graduated"" to the big dog area when I found that the little ones didn't tire him out any more. Kenya, her father Kenny, and their staff really know their clients. They have been flexible during an emergency, when I needed to leave Sirius overnight unexpectedly. He knows the people, knows the dogs, knows the routine, and loves being there. We are about to move and will really miss Funnybones. Kenya does rescue as well, and she is keeping an eye out for us for a ""sister"" for Sirius, to keep him company when he has a backyard with a fence. Pros: great staff, indoor/outdoor play areas, lots of playtime more

If you had told me a year ago I'd be eagerly racing out the door in the morning so I could take my dog to ""doggie day care"", I'd have laughed......but we LOVE Funnybones!!! The owner is wonderful -- giving personal attention to both owner and pooch, and knowing each and every dog at a glance from the first day. My dog now LOVES riding in the car, because -- as often as not -- that means she gets to go to Funnybones! She is growing up into exactly what I wished for from her ""doggie daycare"" experience -- a well-adjusted social animal, who gets along well with humans and other animals. She is thoroughly self-confident and happy-go-lucky, and I strongly believe it's largely due to the great care and stimulation she and her ""friends"" get at Funnybones. I've already recommended Funnybones to several freinds and will continue to do so every chance we get...we've been at least a couple dozen times and not ONCE has there been an even slightly ""bad note"" in any way. Mom and dog are completely satisfied! Pros: Staff, Facility, Hours, Location, Cost Cons: None!! more

Funnybones is a wonderfully caring place to take your four-legged family member. Kenya and her staff care about each dog. My dog, who is a rescue dog and VERY shy, will race around the house in excitement if I say any of the staff's names or ""day care"". They know about Gracie's shyness and work, not only to make her comfortable and happy, but more social with people and other dogs. When she comes home, she is happy and tired and her tail won't stop wagging. I drive 25 miles out of my way to take her here, although there are closer chain play places on the way to work. Pros: Caring staff, outdoor and indoor play spaces, great value more

I've been using Funnybones for several years now and can only comment that they operate with perfection. This is not a naive evaluation, but one made after using over 5 other centers. All of the areas of customer service are given attention - value, convenience, courtesy, cleanliness, friendliness, professionalism, knowledge of animals/dogs, creative and attentive staff, flexibility, and most of all a dog who comes home happy and ready to go back. I hate to admit it, but I believe they actually provide better care to my pup than I do! Great job! Great place! Pros: Clean, professional, knowledgeable, fun! more

We can't think of a better place to leave our 2 1/2 year old golden retriever, Maximus, when we need to leave home without him! I like the fact that I can call Kenya, the Funnybones owner, to check in anytime and when she can't answer, I hear from her right away. I love the fact that this business is family run and when we drop Max off, he can hardly contain himself when we turn off the Indian Trail exit. But what I love about it most, is that Maxie is smiling and exhausted from playing with his buddies when we pick him up! Funnybones is not the easiest place from us to travel to from Smyrna but the peace of mind is worth the ATL traffic! more

My two very, very energetic labs have been going to FunnyBones on a regular basis for over a year and a half. They love FunnyBones, and nearly break the door down to get in! When I pick them up they are happy and tired (a good thing), and sleep all the way back home on our 45 minute drive. Kenya, the owner, and her staff are incredibly caring and ever-watchful. We have boarded our dogs at FunnyBones several times while out of town. I love the fact that they get to run and have fun with the other dogs all day while they are boarding, instead of being cooped up in a kennel as at other boarding facilities. I always have peace of mind knowing I have left my dogs in the best of care while I am at work, or while we are on vacation. Pros: Great hours for late nights at the office, caring owner and staff more

While we no longer take our ""kids"" to Kenya at Funnybones, it is not that we don't want to. We took our kids to funny bones for 6 months which included an 8 week boarding situation. Everyday that we brought the kids home from ""school"", they were exhausted. Our Yellow Lab would get so excited to ""go to school"" that once we were about a mile away, he knew where we were going and would start to cry to be let out of the car. Kenya and her staff have always been great. Pros: Open area, large kennels, friendly knowledgible staff Cons: Web cams more

My family just moved here in July and we have a very high energy english pointer named Pinky. She can definitly be a handful. When she comes home from her day play at funnybones she sleeps for almost two days straight and with a baby on the way it couldnt make things any better for us. I love everyone that works at funnybones its amazing how well they know every dog. I know that I can count on funnybones and wouldnt leave my dog anywhere else. We haven't boarded her yet but we are in a few weeks. Its nice to know you can go away and know your dog is in good hands and having a blast! more

I was new to the area and needed a place to board my 13 year old miniature schnauzer Henry while I traveled for my job. I happende to drive by Funny Bones and stopped by without calling first. I was given the tour and was so impressed with the cleanliness and level of care the dogs were receiving that I decided to give it a try. Pros: Cleanliness, price, services, location more

FunnyBones is the only place I'll leave my boys if we go out of town. We live in Dacula and have no problem driving to FunnyBones to drop them off. They get to roam around and see their 4 legged friends. It's great socialization for them and they don't even realize mom & dad are gone. At night, they retire together in their own spacious crate that could easily fit 2 grown humans. When we pick them up, they're bathed & clean and they sleep the entire trip back home. We love FunnyBones! Pros: the dogs get to play outside all day, dogs get treats & special attention more

Kenya and her crew over at Funnybones are the best! They know and treat each dog as their own. Our 11-year-old Westie Cosmo absolutely loves and the place and gets excited each time we take him there. When we pick him up, he's always exhausted from a day of running around and playing. Now I understand why some people who live 30 miles away bring their dogs here. It's the best! Pros: Lots of running around time outside with other dogs. Cons: Wish they had a webcam so I could watch my dog. more

Our doggie son, Kiper, has stayed at Funnybones several times while we were off on vacation. There is never any guilt on leaving him behind, as he seems to take it as his vacation as well. He is always excited to see the building when we drive him there, and he cannot wait to go inside to start ""his"" fun time. Kenya is wonderful with the dogs, and we are so very thankful that we have found someone that cares as much for our pet as we do. Being a Border Collie, Kiper is full of energy. Keeping him in a cage all day, was not an option for us. We appreciate Funnybones, and will highly recommend them to everyone. Pros: Cage Free, Activities, Hours, Rates more

My name is Cassidy and I am a cockapoo. I have been going to funnybones for over a year. My mom and dad take me to funnybones twice a week for day play and they let me stay there whenever they go on vacation. I LOVE FUNNYBONES! There is plenty of room for me to run around with my friends. My mom says that kenya (the owner) is a truly special person with a unique wisdom about animals and a special love for them. Kenya and her staff take very good care of me. They play with me and have fabulous parties a few times a year. The halloween party is my favorite! I give funnybones two paws up and I hope to see you all there soon! Pros: Management is exceptional. Staff members are caring and have a love for animals. more

We have used several different kennels/daycare services in the area and nothing compares to Funnybones. The staff is so caring and my dog, who is usually hesitant around people, can't get in the door fast enough. They keep the number of dogs very manageable and not overwhelming. Funnybones is 45 minutes from my home and, without a doubt, worth the drive. Pros: Very reasonable prices and a wonderful, professional staff. Cons: It is a bit of a drive to Lilburn, but definitely worth it! more

My dog Jackson has been going to Funnybones for a year now once a week. The care and concern here is great. Kenya the owner is very involved and hands on. You can tell she really loves dogs. All the dogs have temperment tests before being allowed in. There are always fun parties for the dogs at holiday times. Pros: Hours, price, owner involvement more

I was suprised to read the previous review entitled ""poor care and service."" I have been taking my two year old retiever mix Marley to Funnybones a few days a week for two years and it has always been a wonderful experience. When I drop him off he's so excited that he drags me inside and when I pick him up he's not ready to go. Sure he has the occasional scrape from a day of hard play, but that's to be expected. They're dogs. They play rough. There is always someone outside watching the dogs so there's nothing to worry about. The owner, Kenya, has never been anything but friendly and kind and I can tell how much she cares about Marley and all of the other dogs. Funnybones has been a dream come true! I can work all day without feeling guilty about leaving Marley all alone! Pros: Great Price, Friendly Service, Convenient Hours more

In my opinion the owner shows poor judgement in her ""socialization"" of dogs. Breeds with reputations for aggression will be mixed throughout. In our situation our dog suffered a minor laceration to the face from a bite from one of the aforementioned dogs. This may have been prevented if better judgement had been used and the aggressive dog hadn't been put into the pen by the owners direct orders to staff. This would not have been such a huge deal if the owner had given even a half hearted apology. She not only failed to apologize, but she attempted to blame the owners for being in the area, and of ""hovering"". My recommendation is KEEP YOUR DOG SAFE AND USE ANOTHER FACILITY with better management that might at least play the game that the customer is always right. more