The Willow Glen Resident Photograph by Skye Dunlap All Dogs Go To Heaven: Lemon, a yellow lab, and Nana, a sheepdog, only recently met, but they are getting along famously. Dogs enjoy new digs and the social scene at Willow Glen's Camp K-9 Natives set up doggie day camp to help out working pet owners By Mary Spicuzza Logan has struggled with behavioral problems in the past. But today, the feisty 4-year old is running around the lime-green gymnasium, sharing his toys and playing nicely with his 2-year old friend, Xena. At nap time both wait patiently for their treats before curling up on their favorite "Quiet Zone" cushions. Logan no longer gets in trouble at home, and has even learned how to use the doggie potty. Two weeks ago the husband and wife team of Mark Helsing and Kelly Alves-Helsing opened Camp K-9, the area's first day camp for dogs. The brightly colored blue and green building on San Carlos Street now opens its doors five days a week, 12 hours a day, to offer tender loving care for canines whose owners don't want to abandon their pets at home all day. The cageless camp's mission statement is to provide "a place where a dog can just be a dog," with an emphasis on helping the critters--which are natural pack animals--develop social skills and find a positive outlet for pent-up energy. Inspiration for the camp came from Alves-Helsing's own troublemaking pooch, Logan. As a puppy, Logan was fond of chewing walls, furniture and whatever he could get his paws on. He was a classic case of puppy hyperactivity. "We were looking for something to help him calm down, and couldn't find anything that worked," Kelly, a self-proclaimed eternal dog lover, says. "We realized he needed to get out of the house more often." Logan needed day care. Running past a small jungle gym, play tube and doggie potty, Logan playfully tussles over a rubber toy with his four-footed friend--occasionally looking up innocently toward his human. "Now he gets home and just flops down on the couch. It's great. I never feel guilty or worry that he's not getting enough exercise," Alves-Helsing says. After considering the dog camp concept for years, the couple got serious about opening the camp this spring. They toured several similar facilities in San Francisco and visited the SPCA, where they picked up a packet on setting up doggie daycare. "The SPCA really encourages people to set up dog day camps," Alves-Helsing says. "So many people have trouble because they can't spend enough time with their dogs. That's really the main reason so many dogs end up in the SPCA." Similar dog camps have cropped up in New York, San Francisco and other big cities where fast-paced lifestyles and small yards often make being a responsible dog owner a challenge. Alves-Helsing says the idea is taking off in smaller cities as well, adding that since her husband set up Camp K-9's Web site they've gotten calls from people across the country interested in setting up their own camps. The first client to discover the camp was a Willow Glen resident named Lemon. The yellow lab's owner, Sue Evans, can't stop raving about her pooch's new-found paradise. "He had a ball," Evans says. "He played with the other dogs all day. The owners really seem to know and love dogs." The spacious camp is open to any dog who is more than 5 months old, fixed (if they're more than 7 months old), friendly, healthy and current on all vaccinations. Activities include daily walks (weather permitting), supervised group play, one-on-one time with staff, playing on the multicolored jungle gym and agility equipment and practicing commands. Camp K-9 also offers doggie massage and the ever-popular nap time. If it sounds suspiciously similar to day camps for kids, that's probably because Kelly has extensive experience in the child care field. A Presentation High School graduate, Alves-Helsing has worked for numerous day care centers and is studying child development at San Jose State. Realizing that canines have special needs, she and her husband are also taking classes in dog behavior. And, of course, both are certified in dog and cat first aid and CPR. The busy couple is now working on the outdoor play area, and building new agility equipment for dog skills development. Stacy's Wag 'N' Train, a professional dog training school, will soon offer dog and puppy classes on evenings and weekends. The school specializes in positive teaching methods based on "Clicker Training," techniques adapted from dolphin trainers. "Best of all," Kelly says, "at the end of the day, you can rest assured that your dog was safe, had fun, and never even thought about chomping on your chair." For more information call Camp K-9 at 287-CAMP. Or check out its Web site. [ Back to Contents Page | Willow Glen Resident Home Page | Archives ] This article appeared in the Willow Glen Resident, November 25, 1998. ©1998 Metro Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved.