by Kathy Hosler
Photos by Tailwagger Dog Photography and Elation Studio
hen Jackie and Luke Moord opened Nature of The Dog, a boarding and daycare facility in Ada, Michigan, they proved that you don’t have to have a huge facility to have a hugely successful business. In fact, their story is an example of how a lunch-hour dog walker and her husband have created a very successful family operation.
In 2011 Jackie Moord was the director of e-commerce for a ski shop in Grand Rapids, Michigan. “It was a desk job and I wanted to get a little exercise on my lunch hour,” says Jackie. “As a lifelong animal lover, dog walking seemed like a great way for me to accomplish that. So, I made a Facebook page to advertise my dog walking business. I started small, but there was a need for it in our area and it wasn’t long before I had a full schedule.”
The couple became so busy with dog walking and pet sitting that Luke left his job as a teacher and he and Jackie operated the business full time.
Jackie’s husband, Luke, was a teacher and he began helping Jackie as her dog walking business increased. At that point they decided to name their business “Nature of the Dog.”
“We chose that name with the idea of honoring the true nature of dogs by having a business that understands them and provides the care and socialization they need,” says Jackie. “Soon, we were also doing pet sitting in our house. We already had a relationship with the owners and their dogs so it just made sense to take care of them when the owners were away.”
“One of our most important decisions was how large we should make our facility and how many dogs should we plan to care for,” Jackie shares. “We wanted to be able to engage with each dog. When you have too many dogs, it can be overwhelming. We tried to find the ‘sweet spot’ that would be good for us and let us enjoy the job, and be the best for the dogs.”
From the construction of the rooms and play areas to how they care for their canine clients, everything is based on the dogs’ safety and well-being. There is a window in every room to provide natural lighting, and the rooms are situated so the dogs don’t face each other.
“Bigger is not always better,” Jackie says. “In our small facility, we can provide more individualized care tailored to the needs of each dog. There is less noise which really reduces the anxiety levels.
“The facility is on our property behind our house,” continues Jackie. “We sold the dog walking business and now we only do boarding and daycare. This choice fits well with our lifestyle. We have kids and we homeschool them, so having the business just steps away is ideal.
“Because we live on the property, it is very reassuring to the dogs’ owners. We have security cameras so we can monitor the dogs any time we are not in the building,” she adds.
In addition to Jackie and Luke’s close involvement with the business, Nature of the Dog has a well-trained, knowledgeable staff.
Their daycare operates Monday through Friday and they have four spacious play areas where the dogs are divided into small groups of eight or less according to their size, behavior and play style. Along with supervising the play groups, the staff assess the needs of each dog in the group and help them socialize properly using gentle handling techniques.
“Our website and social media is our main form of advertising,” Jackie says. “I post photos of our clients’ dogs on Facebook and Instagram, and they love seeing what their dogs were up to during the day. Some have enjoyed sharing the photos with family and friends.”
Jackie and Luke’s decision to construct and operate Nature of the Dog with the goal that everything they do will honor and support the true nature of the dog is what sets them apart from everyone else. And, the way they have structured their business allows them to enjoy the lifestyle they want.
By starting and staying small, Jackie and Luke Moord have found the “sweet spot”—for themselves and the dogs they care for.