Profile of Success

The Bark Yard. Play. Train. Rest.
Rustic reception area with a wooden desk and barn-themed decor.
CREATING HAPPY DOGS & HAPPY "HOOMANS"

By Kathy Hosler
Photos provided by The Bark Yard

Golden retriever carrying a large branch through a wooden gate, with a person holding the leash in the background.
Two corgi dogs in a pool of colorful plastic balls.
When Britt Bolnick and her husband, Todd “Sully” Sullivan, decided to open The Bark Yard in South Portland, Maine, they were no strangers to the pet care industry. They have owned and operated Pittie Posse Dog Rescue for about nine years, so they knew the focus would be on the wellbeing of the dogs in their care when planning out the construction and operations of The Bark Yard.

“We used our insider knowledge from the rescue and dog-care community to build our ideal doggy care environment; based on everything we’ve learned about what makes dogs happy and keeps them safe,” says Britt.

“When we were in the planning stages, we heard a podcast with Allison Jacobs of Scout’s Honor Pet Retreat,” she continues. “We were originally going to go with a traditional daycare, but we were so impressed with what we heard, we redid our model to focus on enrichment because we understood what a difference enrichment makes for most dogs and we wanted to make it as widely available as possible.”

Row of wooden horse stalls with semicircular windows and white signs.
A group of six dogs in a fenced yard on artificial grass.
Our 11,000-sq.-ft. facility can handle an average of 60-70 dogs a day at our day camp and 40-50 per night in boarding.
– Britt Bolnick, co-owner of The Bark Yard
That decision became the basic foundation for everything at The Bark Yard—from its construction and amenities to its policies and operation.

“It took us about three years from conception to opening the doors,” Britt shares. “Our 11,000-sq.-ft. facility can handle an average of 60-70 dogs a day at our day camp and 40-50 per night in boarding. We are continuing to build and expand as we go.

“My husband and I have a great division of labor,” continues Britt. “Sully was incredibly instrumental in the financial and physical planning. He designed the entire layout of the building and did a lot of the construction himself.”

At The Bark Yard, they put not just the physical wellbeing of the dogs as their highest priority, but also their emotional wellbeing. Their enrichment-based camp (daycare) focuses on small groups of about 10-12 dogs in each, and balances play and enrichment activities, which are provided by highly trained camp counselors.

Each dog must undergo an evaluation before being accepted for daycare. The evaluation gives The Bark Yard a chance to meet the dog and sit down with the parents to learn about the dog and its history, current needs, play style, etc.

“We are very careful about putting groups of dogs together,” explains Britt. “After the evaluation, the dog goes with one of our counselors and has a meet and greet with a couple of other dogs to see how they do together. We want to make sure that they will enjoy being in a group and feel safe.”

Person sitting on grass, holding a relaxed dog in their lap.
Four dogs on a grassy surface, with a blue kiddie pool in the background.
Their enrichment-based camp (daycare) focuses on small groups of about 10-12 dogs in each, and balances play and enrichment activities, which are provided by highly trained camp counselors.
If a dog is not comfortable with all-day play, The Bark Yard has other choices, such as their solo dog play (one-on-one dog play or being strictly with their counselor) or their hybrid program (a half day of group play and a half day of mental enrichment curated for each dog). Pet owners also receive a daily Pupdate (report card) that includes a picture of the dog and notes about all the fun they had and the activities they participated in that day.

The Bark Yard has a unique policy for their overnight guests, which has proven to work really well.

“We require that everyone who boards with us attend daycare at least once a month,” Britt shares. “That helps them become familiar with the faculty and staff, which lowers the stress of boarding for them. We want this to be a place where they come and have fun with their friends, enjoy treats, and have a sleepover once in a while, verses a place they only come to be left.”

The Bark Yard offers boarding packages and options that go from no frills to pampering extras, such as daily mental enrichment activities, treats like their Barkcuterie Board, bedtime stories and VIP lodging.

In order to keep everything running smoothly, it takes a top-notch team, and Britt says that their staff is everything.

“Through training and continuing education, we have built a fabulous team,” she proclaims. “We start with a two-week training period, during which they learn all the procedures and policies, and basic dog body language. They shadow with our top trainers and learn hands-on dog handling, how to interact with the pet parents, altercation protocol, and more.

A brown dog licking a paper plate on a red checkered tablecloth outdoors, with a patterned bowl beside it.
Stylized illustration of a dog in blue with a wooden fence post background.
We require that everyone who boards with us attend daycare at least once a month. That helps them become familiar with the faculty and staff, which lowers the stress of boarding for them.
– Britt Bolnick, co-owner of The Bark Yard
“We do continuing education with all of our people and offer them lots of options,” continues Britt. “We are building in a yearly stipend of $500 to $1,000 per year to go towards something they want to learn. We care about them and their development and we want opportunities for them. We offer 401k, are just starting health insurance, and we keep the kitchen stocked with their favorite foods, drinks, and snacks.”

In addition to their daycare and boarding services, The Bark Yard also offers “Happy Dog/Happy Hooman School” training programs, which pet parents have eagerly embraced. The options include day training, board-and-train programs, private training with the parents and small group classes.

“We are so proud of our training programs,” Britt says. “From our work in the rescue field we know that most dogs get surrendered because of behavior issues that are fixable. Not training them during the valuable adolescent months can create lifelong issues.

“Our training programs help dog parents understand how to communicate in a healthy, effective way with their dogs, and how to teach their dogs a common language so they can communicate with each other,” she continues. “We are fear and force free. We believe in positive reinforcement and redirection to help dogs make better choices, which boosts their confidence and lowers their anxiety levels.

“The science is there,” Britt adds. “We know the more stressed the brain is, the less it can learn and absorb information.”

Educating people has always been important to Britt. And one way she is able to do that is through the blogs she writes and posts on their website, www.thebarkyard.me.

In addition to their daycare and boarding services, The Bark Yard also offers “Happy Dog/Happy Hooman School” training programs, which pet parents have eagerly embraced.
“Blogs fulfill two missions,” explains Britt. “I post on a variety of topics that help owners and their dogs live a more fulfilling life. I have a background in education and I love helping people learn more. Also, anything you put out that drives traffic to your website is a great idea—and it helps keep your website fresh.”

Britt and Sully’s dream is to scale The Bark Yard and create templates and information for other people who really want to duplicate their success.

“We definitely see a second and third Bark Yard in the near future—filled with happy dogs and happy ‘hoomans,’” Britt concludes.