ABOUT US

It's hard to believe that 12 years have passed since my Dad saw a small change in a local zoning ordinance and encouraged us to start our own dog boarding business.

He recognized potential in us that we couldn't see ourselves and urged us to step out of our comfort zones and embrace the risk. Using his expertise in construction and conducting thorough industry research, we decided to start small and test the waters. Our objective was to offer a unique boarding experience unlike traditional facilities - to give the dogs their own vacation!

In May 2012, we launched Canine Cabins Luxury Dog Retreat, a boutique dog boarding facility situated on the same property as our home just north of Pittsburgh, PA. Starting with just three spacious luxury indoor-outdoor suites, we took care of the dogs before and after working full-time jobs. What began as a side hustle gradually grew each year by word of mouth.

After five years and several expansions, we were both able to leave our day jobs and pursue our passion full-time. Our facility now boasts 16 suites, accommodating 20 dogs at a time, and we could not do this without the help of our dedicated staff. Abbie, Lindsay, Kenzi, Grace, Tatty and Gracie help us keep these dogs happy and safe every day.

OUR SUITES

We designed our suites for an English Mastiff (or two golden retrievers) to move around comfortably, so they have lots of space! More like a bedroom than a crate, each suite has tile, french doors, and a doggie door that leads to it’s own private patio the same size. Each building has heat and air conditioning.

THE YARDS (and Pond!)

This past summer we installed Forever Lawn K9 Grass Elite, synthetic turf designed specifically for dogs. The knitted, flow through backing allows liquids to immediately leave the surface, making it easier to sanitize and rinse.

We have 5,000 square foot of play area, divided into three separate yards. Our groups are typically 10-12 dogs and we have plenty of room so the dogs can do what they love most, whether that’s just having a good sniff and explore, wrestling with friends, or playing fetch or tetherball. There is always a Canine Coach in the yard with them making sure everyone’s playing fair.

We play outside year-round as we believe dogs (and people for that matter!) need time outside. The dogs absolutely love it! We do have an area under roof when it’s raining or snowing, as the dogs are always ready to run.

Their favorite part of the yard is definitely the pond - many of them stand at the gate barking at us until we open it up! It’s got a gradual slope in - great for dogs that are curious, but it’s also deep enough for those labs that are ready to jump right in!

JULIE + BILL - OWNERS

Graduates of Avonworth, Julie and Bill built their home just down the road from where Julie grew up. Both total dog people, they decided to skip having kids and have a house full of animals instead. They currently have 3 dogs and 3 cats but Julie is always looking online to rescue more senior pups. (Bill is just as bad though and will open his heart to any animal in need.)

While owning a business together (at our home!) has proved to be challenging at times, it’s part of who we are now. I can’t imagine doing anything else!

ABBIE - CANINE COACH + GROOMER

Abbie celebrated three years with us in July! She grew up in McCandless with a lot of dogs (two boxers, a yellow lab, beagle mix and a bichon-shih tzu) and was always the designated dog person and dog walker in the family. 

She’s got two kittens at home - Meep and Regina - and when she’s not playing with them she enjoys cooking and doing arts and crafts with her sister. She loves being outside when the weather is nice but in winter she’s most comfortable at home under a blanket. She loves to juggle but says she’s rusty - she likes to practice in the yard because the dogs fetch all the balls she drops! 

She got her first job in the industry as a doggy daycare attendant and loved being surrounded by dogs all day long. She knows they help her just as much as she helps them and says, “they always have love to give and are truly the best emotional support group you could have”. 

Abbie is a graduate of the Pampered Pet grooming school. She hopes to continue her grooming education and get into more creative grooming, but she can also see herself pursuing training or even going to school as a vet tech. 

Abbie radiates friendliness and warmth - she’s always got a big smile on her face and is so patient and caring with the dogs. They love her and so do we! Thanks for everything you do to keep these pups safe and happy, Abbie!

LINDSAY - CANINE COACH

Lindsay celebrated two years with us in May! Lindsay grew up in the city and loves all animals. At home she has three dogs (a lab, a shihpoo and a terrier mix) and two cats. When it’s time for her to get a dog of her own, it will be a golden retriever. (We wholeheartedly agree that is the perfect breed for her personality! She’s pictured here with our friend, Gino.)

Her favorite thing about working with dogs is that it’s different every day since they have such distinct personalities. She loves watching all the funny things they do and she’s great at sharing them on our Instagram stories! 

When’s she’s not at work or playing with her own dogs she enjoys shopping, watching movies and tv shows, and hanging out with friends and her boyfriend. She also loves to sing and thinks she has a pretty good voice. (Sounds like we need a Canine Cabins karaoke night to hear her in action!) 

Her secret superpower is organizing and she always comes to work in a good mood. She’s got a smile that will light up a room and a great laugh, and she’s a natural with the dogs. She’s kind and caring but also quite observant to changes in their behaviors. She’s also got a competitive streak that showed when we went ax throwing and she quickly went from last place to first! She would like to either become a police officer with a K9 or train police dogs.

In the meantime, we’re sure grateful to have her here! Thanks for all you do, @linnnzay!

KENZI - CANINE COACH

This November Kenzi will be celebrating 2 years with us! Kenzi grew up in Cambridge Springs near Erie and graduated from Slippery Rock with a degree in Public Health. 

Ever since she was a little girl she’s always wanted to work with animals, and it shows! She’s wonderful with the dogs! She’s quick to notice when something is off with one of the dogs or there is medical concern and she’s great at reading dog body language. She’s a hustler and is always on time, rarely misses work and has an eye for the details. 

Her favorite thing about working with the dogs is how connected you get to them and how much they enjoy seeing you when you come into work. 

When it’s time for her to get her own dog she think it will be a dachshund or a golden, although if she was a dog she thinks she’d be an Australian Shephard! (I agree wholeheartedly as they are a very smart and active breed!) 

She’s got an identical twin, a cat named Stiles and four adopted cousins. She’s an avid reader and also enjoys working out and sleeping. She’s also loves shooting pool and says she’s pretty good at it! 

She’s still deciding her next career path so we’re grateful to have her here as long as we can. Thanks for loving the dogs as much as we do, Kenz!

Grace - GROOMER + SWISS ARMY KNIFE

Born and raised right here in Ohio Township, we are thrilled to have an Avonworth graduate on our team. 

Grace started with us in 2021 and left once she finished her bachelors in Marketing from Slippery Rock. We were so happy for her but terribly sad to see her go. She quickly realized that desk jobs aren’t her thing and took a grooming apprenticeship. She finished up her grooming certificate from JKL grooming academy and earlier this summer we convinced her to come back and work with us again! 

She’s been animal-obsessed since she was little and can’t believe she’s already been working with dogs for 10 years. She’s a corgi lover - forever and always - and her corgi is a 1.5 year old named Daphne. She also has two guinea pigs, Mark and MoMo.

She said if she was a dog she’d probably be a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel due to their fun, loyal and laid back nature and I whole-heartedly agree! 

Her favorite thing about working with dogs is seeing the nervous/fearful dogs come out of their shell and build trust with her over time. 

I think of her as our swiss-army knife - she’s a canine coach, groomer, and is also learning all of the back-end work that goes into running this business. You will get to know Grace more as well as she’s helping with the customer service side of our business handling the phone and reservation requests a few days a week. 

Grace is the kind of employee that everyone wants on their team - always in a good mood, ready to learn and always ready to jump right in. A problem solver and forward thinker - Grace is going to help us provide the best service possible.  

She is interested in learning more creative grooming, expanding her knowledge of boarding and grooming management and creating content on social media. 

When she’s not working with dogs she loves riding/showing horses, going to the gym, shopping, and going to concerts and music festivals. A surprising fact about her is that she loves listening to true crime podcasts. 

She’s so patient and kind with the dogs and with me and all my crazy ideas! We are so happy to have you here, Grace! Thanks for all that you do! 

Tatty grew up in Crafton and started with us this summer.

TATTY - CANINE COACH

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GRACIE - CANINE COACH

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