About
The Owner
Melanie Miller opened Top Dog Country Club in 2005. Before that, she worked at three boarding/daycare facilities in Connecticut. Through that work, she saw what worked and what needed improvement, which provided the foundation for her desired facility. Melanie not only has experience in the boarding and daycare side of the dog industry but is also experienced in training and dog behavior and has an extensive history in the rescue world.
The Business
Through Melanie's 24 years of dog handling, she has brought on and trained several excellent employees that help her make Top Dog Country Club a success. One of the most beneficial bits of knowledge gained over time was that bigger doesn't always mean better. Melanie has kept her facility small, with 12 individual kennel runs for boarding and one singular daycare group. Keeping the environment lower on the numbers side allows for a more personal experience with each dog and their family. Top Dog does not have individual job titles. Whoever you meet at the desk upon check-in is the person who will be hands-on with your dog throughout their visit with us. The few members of Top Dog staff do it all. We will check you in; we will be exercising, feeding, administering required medication, and even doing poop duty. This program ensures that the person you speak with in the office or on the phone is one of 3 people who will meet your dog's needs while staying with us. We will have 1st hand knowledge of how your dog behaved, how much they ate, and if they acted abnormal in any way because we are the ones giving them our best. It's challenging to understand your dog's experience if you only get to speak to a receptionist and not with the "kennel attendant" or daycare "dog handler." You won't have that concern with us!