There’s a growing trend among dog owners in the US, doggy day camp.  More and more pet owners are putting Fluffy or Fido in day camp to keep them from being lonely during the day when no one is around. Only five years ago you would have been hard pressed to find one of these camps, now it’ turning into a booming industry.

“It’s a recent phenomenon, and it’s grown so quickly that we’re just beginning to track it,” said Joe Lyman, chief executive officer of Pet Care Services Association, formerly known as the American Boarding Kennel Association in Colorado Springs, Colo. The recent name change came about because even the term “kennel” has gone out of fashion.  More pet owners seek lodging that comes with more amenities.

Going to camp doesn’t come cheap, with an average price of $25 a day or $40 for an overnight stay.  Statistics show more people are putting off having children which may lead to an increased amount of spending on their dogs.  Or, are more people treating their dogs like children?

Amy Popp, 31, lives in Warren but works in Novi as a marketing expert, and she worries that her four-legged children will be bored or lonely without her. She admits the camps might sound overly indulgent. She also uses a webcam the camp provides to keep an eye on her dogs during the day, when she is at her desk.

“Before I got my first dog, I would have said, ‘Are you kidding me?’ ” she said. But in the three years she has been using Camp Bow Wow, first in Troy and now in Commerce, “I have never second-guessed my decision. They will be coming here as long as they are able.”

Perhaps the reason behind the trend is simply that people love their dogs and consider them part of the family.  I know that’s how Lisa and I feel about Bo, Copper, and Logan.

Outside Detroit, MI in the Commerce Township camp Bow Wow opened in late July and is the second facility for owners Ann and Bob Roth; they also operate Camp Bow Wow in Troy, where as many as 40 or 50 dogs come to play each day.

“We have a lot of dual-income families, with people working longer hours in this economy,” said Ann Roth, as 15-year-old Nick, a long-haired dachshund, followed her about the main office. He is a “special needs” dog because of his age so he’s been given the run of the office. “People love their dogs, and they see them as part of the family and want to treat them that way.”

What do you think of doggy day camp, is it a  trend or here to stay?  If you’ve sent your dog to camp we’d love to hear about your experience. Give me a bark back.

After we got our precious girl Copper many years ago, we noticed she had a peculiar little habit.  Food was disappearing off the coffee table or any other surface snout high. We thought it surely couldn’t be Copper, for she was so good about everything else. An angel sent from heaven as my wife says. But then we took the blinders off.

The first episode happened right around that first Christmas.  A friend had brought over a plate of cookies which my wife innocently placed on the coffee table for guests to help themselves.  We went into the dining room for dinner and when we walked back into the living room Copper was standing there, her face covered in powered sugar and not a cookie to be seen. Her innocent expression just said, “Got milk?”

Summertime was no different. Sitting in the living room having grilled hot dogs and hamburgers on a tray, we never ate in the kitchen . After a bite, I got up to get a glass of water, foolishly putting my tray down on the couch. When I returned seconds later, there was Copper with a little bit of ketchup on her snout. Her innocent expression just said, “Got sauerkraut?”

This all comes up now because last night my wife was asking me to quit kidding around, and to give the blackened chicken (blackened on purpose, I think) she had made for dinner back to her.  She pointed to a very clean plate on the tray by the couch and just said, “Very funny honey. Just give me my dinner back.”

I admit I may have hidden a few meals throughout the years just to have some fun, but I didn’t know what she was talking about this time. What I do know is that Copper had the worst case of gas last night that almost forced me to sleep in the guest room. I’m now sure what happened to that meal.  When I woke up this morning I looked at Copper with her innocent expression that said, “Got Beano?”

Yes, she was a “counter surfer”.  We found out that Rhodesian’s are known for swiping food off of tables although I suspect it isn’t necessarily breed specific. She is a master counter surfer…nothing is spared and she is fast.

I’m sure there’s some funny stories out there about your own surfers. Don’t be shy, share them with the group!!