Greylock Canine Club Owner: More Dogs, Please
Owner Pete Umbrianna and manager Molly Smith outside the facility.
"The owners pull up, open their doors and these dogs got out running," Umbrianna said. "They don't waste time. They're so excited to get in to see their friends. They bomb into that welcome shed. They know the drill."
Umbrianna, a lifelong dog lover, said he wants to turn the Greylock Canine Club, which is tucked away on 1099 New Ashford Road, into the premier dog destination for all things dog.
"The location is fantastic," he said. "We've got 17 acres of land. So we've got room to grow, but what I've quickly done is turn us into the actual ultimate destination …Yeah, so I wanted to be the one-stop shop, so to speak, for your dogs."
Umbrianna said the club offers day-care services as well as overnight boarding. After the recent renovation of one of the campus's bunk houses, he has added grooming. In the near future he hopes to add dog training.
Charlene Lambert started the Greylock Canine Club in 2014 and Umbrianna purchased the business last October.
"She did a really great job starting this business … I will put a ton of money into this, I want to do that, and I commend her for what she has done here and how she has done it. I want to expand on it."
Umbrianna said after moving to Williamstown around four years ago he started looking for different investments. He said his girlfriend's dog attended Greylock Canine Club and after a few visits he realized how special the compound was.
When the Canine Club came up for sale, he jumped at the opportunity.
"I'm an entrepreneur by trade, by heart, and I wanted to find a business to have fun with when I retire," he said. "And this place presented itself. I would drop the dog off here, and I really got to know the staff. Then it came up for sale. I made an offer, she accepted and the rest is history, as they say."
Umbrianna said the Greylock Canine Club is different from a lot of similar businesses. For one, the dogs aren't separated.
"You got a little tiny Chihuahuas with big great danes, and they all get along. So it's truly a family. I've never seen anything like it. I looked in at one point and there were like 40 dogs, all running around playing with each other, no issue," he said.
Umbrianna said part of the reason the club was so special was the staff who all stayed on after the sale.
"They know every dog's personality; it is unbelievable," he said. "The entire staff all have animal shelter experience and that is the hardest of the hard. You never know what you are getting."
That being said, the club staff know when dogs may need to be separated. Umbrianna said, just like people, dogs are capable of having bad days but his staff are proactive and handle all situations with care and respect.
"If a dog is having a bad day they go into time out. They go rest and then come back in," he said.
Umbrianna said although the club offers boarding, he stressed that a dog can't just walk in and join the pack.
"If someone says they are coming up to the Williamstown Theatre Festival or they want to visit the college and they want to leave their dog the answer has always been no," he said. "We won't mix them with our dogs. For health reasons and we don't know the dog."
But those interested in joining the pack are welcomed to a trial.
"It is a trial day, and it doesn't cost you a thing. We put the dog with the rest of the dogs and keep a close eye on them. We want to see how they do socially," he said. "If it all goes well and they have a good second day you are in, welcome to the family."
The club has had to turn dogs away in the past but the staff knows what sort of training to recommend to owners. He said after proper training, dogs have been able to join.
Umbrianna said he offers traditional boarding with a newly renovated boarding kennel that does keep dogs separated. The air-conditioned cabin has 6-by-8-foot kennels with individual 32-foot runs that have roofs to keep the dogs out of the sun and rain. He added that they have a separate side yard for these dogs to run around in, too.
The pack itself is about 40 dogs strong on any given day. They have a large fenced area to run about in with toys, sticks, pools, and other dog essentials.
When bad weather hits, they have a large garage area where the dogs can continue playing or resting.
"We say, tongue and cheek, you can eat off this floor because we keep it so clean," he said.
He said eventually he plans to install luxury dog suites in the garage, "pretty much hotel rooms for dogs with beds, recessed lighting, and TV."
The facility is always staffed and cameras monitor all the dogs all of the time. The only time the dogs are left on their own is overnight but the staff are often at the facility late and back bright and early.
He felt that much of the facility's success is because of his manager Molly Smith, an assistant veterinary technician, who has the expertise to keep things ticking.
"She just knows how to handle a lot of things, and I am blessed to have her as a manager and the rest of the staff," Umbrianna said.
A new addition is the "Bow Wow Bus," a refurbished school bus designed to transport dogs. Umbrianna said the seats are fastened with special hooks to keep the dogs stable but allow them the flexibility to look out the window. There are even beds in the back if the dogs need a rest. He was especially excited with the working "dogs loading sign" that flips off the side of the bus.
He said the plan is to implement pickup and drop-offs but also take doggy field trips. This is something his clientele asked for, he said, speaking to a larger point that the club often surveys the dog owners to inform changes that can be made to the business.
Umbrianna has continued traditions from the previous owner, like celebrating birthdays with photoshoots and a special doggy cake, seasonal events with doggy ugly sweater parties, and Halloween costume contests, among other things.
Umbrianna said he is always thinking of new ideas and wants to keep expanding.
"I love it. Me, I say 100 — I want 100 dogs," he said. "I want to have as many as possible but I want the staff to be comfortable. We will always hire enough people."
To learn more or inquire about the club's services visit the website.
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