If you’re a busy Atlanta dog parent trying to figure out who can actually be trusted with your dog while you’re at work or traveling, you’ve probably looked at a few options and felt the same way most people do: unsure. Daycare feels like a loud free-for-all. Apps hand your dog to a stranger you’ll never see again. None of it feels like something built around your dog specifically.
Praline’s Backyard Dog Services is a membership-based dog care company in Atlanta built around one idea: your dog deserves a consistent person who actually knows them, not just a rotating cast of walkers. We offer private walks with tailored enrichment, dog taxi service, overnight pet sitting, and Dog Field Trips, all delivered by a Canine Enrichment Specialist matched to your dog specifically.
Before any of that starts, every new dog goes through what we call the 12-Point Dog Lifestyle Assessment. If you’ve come across it while looking into us, you may have noticed it isn’t free, and wondered why you’d pay before even knowing if this is right for your dog. Here’s the honest answer.
You don’t have to pay to talk to us
If you have questions about your schedule, your dog, or whether any of this fits your life, book a free 15-minute phone consult first. No cost, no pressure, no commitment.
The $150 only comes in once we’re ready to actually meet your dog in person.
This is not a meet and greet. It’s a real assessment.
Two Canine Enrichment Specialists come to your home and spend about 60 minutes with your dog. We’re not just checking a box, we’re gathering real information across three areas:
About your dog: their energy level, leash manners, behavior at home, and which of 12 enrichment styles lights them up most.
About your life: how they do with strangers and other dogs, how many hours they’re home alone, what your home environment looks like, and what your current routine actually is.
Building your plan: how much mental stimulation they need, their physical exercise goals, what success looks like for your family, and a care plan design that ties it all together.
Most dogs are bored, not bad. During the assessment, we watch how your dog responds to 12 different types of enrichment, things like food and foraging games, scent work, problem-solving, social interaction, texture and tactile play, sound, new environments, and calm settle work, to see what excites them, what calms them, and what they need more of. That’s how we build a routine that actually works, for your dog and for your life.
Here’s what you walk away with
- A starter set of four enrichment toys, yours to keep, the same ones we use during the visit to find out what your dog loves most
- A Praline’s Backyard bandana to welcome your dog into the family
- A 20-minute walk with photos, video, GPS tracking, and a full visit report, so you can see exactly how we work
- A custom enrichment care plan for your dog, yours to keep and use with us or on your own
- If you join within 3 days of your assessment, a Dog Field Trip upgrade
And every assessment is backed by our Happy Home Guarantee. Our goal is to exceed your expectations in your first 30 days. If we don’t, you get a full refund, no questions asked. Your peace of mind is our priority.
That’s what makes it an investment instead of a cost
A cost is money spent and gone. An investment gives you something back. Here, you get a written care plan, a set of enrichment toys, and real insight into your dog, it yours to keep whether you join us or not.
If you do join, here’s where that $150 goes
For dog parents who move forward with a membership, the $150 is credited to your first month. You were already going to pay for that first month. The assessment is simply part of it, done early, so your dog’s plan is built before your first visit ever happens.
- Starter Membership ($450/month, 8 visits): first month is $300 after your credit.
- Balanced Membership ($1,499/month, unlimited visits, monthly enrichment toy, GPS tracking, daily report cards): first month is $1,349 after your credit.
- Concierge Membership ($5,000/month, unlimited visits, unlimited overnight sitting): first month is $4,850 after your credit.
You’re never locked in
Every membership is month to month. No annual contract, no cancellation fee. If your dog’s needs change or your schedule shifts, you can move between tiers whenever you need to.
If you’re traveling, your spot stays yours
If you know you’ll be away and want to keep your place on our schedule with your same Specialist, there’s a $50 inactivity fee for that month. It holds your exact spot and your dog’s routine, so nothing has to start over when you’re back.
Why we only take 10 new clients a month
Every new dog we take on gets a real transition. Your Specialist needs time to actually learn your dog, not just glance at a file. Capping new clients at 10 a month is how we protect our quality of service.
You can talk to us anytime. The $150 only comes in when we’re actually in your home, running a real 12-point assessment, and leaving your home with 4 enrichment toys, a bandana, a full care plan, and real insight into your dog, yours to keep either way. If you join us, that $150 becomes part of your first month.
Ready to see what your dog’s care plan looks like? Book your free 15-minute phone consult HERE.