About Us
“A Dog Spot” is owned and operated by Jill Kelly and Shalise Keating. As former owners and trainers of Paws Abilities Dog Training in Rochester, Minn., we knew first hand how difficult it was to find quality boarding for dogs so decided to offer people and dogs an alternative to traditional boarding. “A Dog Spot” is located in the lower level of our home, allowing us to provide round-the-clock care for our guests when needed.
Shalise Keating CPDT-KA has been involved with dogs her whole life. She is a former owner of Paws Abilities Dog Training and currently instructs at Paws Abilities in Rochester. She was one of the first people in Minnesota (and one of the first 250 in the nation) to become a Certified Professional Dog Trainer. She was Training Director for the Rochester Dog Obedience Club (RDOC) from 1999 through 2001 and was responsible for moving the Club from choke collar training to positive-reinforcement-based clicker training.
Jill Kelly is one of the former owners of Paws Abilities Dog Training. Jill grew up with dogs and has been involved professionally since 2004. She is our shy dog specialist. Jill worked in home and building maintenance before leaving her job to work full time on building our home and to later run “A Dog Spot”.
Our Facility
“A Dog Spot” is a small boarding facility that is all about dogs. The kennel is located in the lower walk out level of our home and has been designed with a dog’s comfort in mind.
We start with a home-like atmosphere. We have a large recreation/family room for dogs to enjoy, giving them a chance to get out of their kennel throughout the day. There is furniture for them to lounge on and big windows that look out into the yard. We painted the walls blue and yellow because dogs can see those colors. (We figured if it’s a place for dogs they should be able to see it too). There is a large fenced yard that can be used for running and playing or just strolling and sniffing. We have in-floor radiant heat through out the kennel area. The floor is non-slip for guests that need a little extra traction due to age, injury or disease.
“A Dog Spot” has been designed to minimize stress for our guests. We have three kennel runs in one room and seven runs in another. While in their kennels, dogs are not able to see one another unless someone is moving into or out of their kennel. We’ve kept it small again to help reduce some of the stress that may happen when kenneled with a large number of dogs.
We recognize that dog’s are individuals and will have different likes and dislikes and we will get to know our guests as individuals. Dogs who enjoy the company of other dogs will have supervised play times with other dogs staying at “A Dog Spot”. Dogs who need more personal space can be accommodated with private play yard and family room time.