GURNEE -- Lulu does not like being left alone. When her mommy leaves, even for a bathroom break, Lulu whines and cries. And woe to her humans if they leave their demanding little girl home alone while they work: There is howling, mayhem, travail.
But Lulu's separation anxiety has all but ceased in the two months she has been trotting off to day care like so many other kids her age. The outgoing Min Pin -- miniature pinscher -- revels in her new home-away-from-home at Central Bark Doggy Day Care, 1519 St. Paul Ave., Gurnee.
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Sarah Miller (left) of Zion drops off her Miniature Pinscher, Lulu, to Cyndi Faulkner, co-owner of Central Bark Doggy Day Care in Gurnee.
(Thomas Delany, Jr./News-Sun)
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• Photos: Doggy day care
Central Bark
For more information on Central Bark Doggy Day Care in Gurnee, call (847) 263-2275 or visit
www.centralbarkusa.com .
"We love it and Lulu loves it," said Sarah Miller of Zion, Lulu's owner. "In the morning when I take her to school, she jumps out of the car, pulls on the leash straight for the door. She loves to see Cyndi. She's like 'Bye mom. See you later.'"
Joe and Cyndi Faulkner of Norway, Wis., opened the franchise in June. The commercial airline pilot and flight attendant expect to run a profitable business, despite the economic downturn, because American dog parents are indulging their fur kids to the tune of $40 billion a year.
"I'm a huge animal lover," Cyndi Faulkner, 40, said. "More and more, dogs and cats are almost like another child in the family. People who invest in doggy day care are looking for a fun, safe environment for their pets."
The lobby of the day care, located in a business park west of Delany Road, is tiled and painted in bright colors. A lunch cart holds favorite meals from home.
Through one door, leashes are neatly hung on hooks, and roomy crates are ready for nap time at noon.
Through another door, it's playgroup time. Big and little dogs frolic and run in separate, large, fenced-in playgrounds in air-conditioned comfort under the watchful eye of human handlers.
The Faulkners, who own four dogs, three of them rescued from shelters, received an intensive two-week training session from West Allis, Wis.-based Barkley Ventures Inc. on how to run their business. Dogs must pass muster in a behavior assessment, be neutered by six months and have up-to-date shot records.
Dogs get so much exercise at Central Bark that they are ready for a good night's sleep when they arrive home. New dogs wear green collars and are gradually introduced to playgroups.
"We're constantly monitoring how the dogs are reacting to each other," Faulkner said.
"I'm no animal behaviorist," said Joe Faulkner, 47. "But I've learned a lot watching the dogs play and how they interact. It's analogous to kids on a playground. Some dogs are best buddies. Some aren't."
"They have their own social etiquette," Cyndi Faulkner said.
The Faulkners chose Gurnee because it was an undeserved market and because "it's a neat village," Cyndi Faulkner said.
Clients of Central Bark pay $27 per day, with multiple dog and other discounts available. Owners can also enjoy photos of their pets having fun at the day care, posted on the business's Web site.
"I know Lulu's in fantastic hands," said her devoted mom. "So many times I wish I could go there with her and just play all day."
You people and your dogs. 
The reporter met Lu before she decided she wanted to interview me.
