Swimming goes to the dogs at new Collierville Canine Club
It was Ella’s ninth birthday and she wanted to go swimming.
Each time the tennis ball hit the water, Ella went flying into the pool to retrieve it.
That’s because Ella is a 9-year-old Pembroke Welsh corgi.
Her owner, Mary Jane Forsythe, drove from her home in East Memphis to just west of the Piperton city limits to enjoy the area’s first swimming pool built exclusively for doggie paddling.
Forsythe took Ella to the pool for the first time a week before her birthday.
“I told her, ‘If you do a good job (at obedience class), I’ll take you swimming,’” Forsythe said. “I wanted to see if she liked it. She loved it.”
The pool is literally built for dogs: Atoka-based Advanced Pools Inc. custom-designed the saltwater pool to accommodate what often comes with dogs – a lot of hair – by installing two sand filters and four filtration baskets.
The pool is 5 feet deep, so dogs can bomb off the side without touching the bottom. They can also walk in through the sloped entry and paw at the water bubblers and fountains.
The pool is just one feature of Collierville Canine Club, a new dog facility that aims to create “dog joy” by upping the typical dog day care and boarding offerings with an on-site dog park and in-ground pool.
“Dogs need to be on real grass, sniff trees and be in the water,” said owner Annie Yoder. “I wanted to create a place where I would want my own dog to be and feel comfortable that he is here.”
Yoder has a black Labrador retriever named Jet who used to go to dog day care while she was at work. Now that is Yoder’s work, so naturally, Jet tags along each day.
After a 20-year career teaching English as a second language and serving as an ESL coach for Shelby County Schools, Yoder left her job at Peabody Elementary to pursue her passion – dogs.
“It was scary to leave a salary and secure benefits. I felt like I was jumping off the high dive, but nothing good will happen if you’re not willing to take a risk,” she said.
The road wasn’t easy. It took Yoder nearly two years to turn a forested lot off U.S. 72 into a spacious boarding facility where dogs can swim, play and stay.
“I was so naïve to not understand how long it takes to build a commercial building,” she said.
Yoder hit a snag when the soil on her property needed to undergo a series of compaction tests, stretching her once $800,000 investment to more than $1.2 million.
But the investment was worth it.
With the Collierville Canine Club located about a mile from Yoder's house, her days of sitting in an Interstate 240 traffic jam are over.
The site was a natural forest, so Yoder kept as many trees as she could. At the center of the 10,000-square-foot dog park is a 200-year-old tree that shades the play area in the summer.
The facility also includes 3,200 square feet of indoor play space divided by large and small breeds.
Yoder continued the theme of water throughout the space, with blue epoxy floors that are easy to clean thanks to built-in floor drains.
The boarding business kicked off during fall break when Yoder had 28 dogs. Day care and boarding services max out at 50 dogs.
“It was scary to leave a salary and secure benefits. I felt like I was jumping off the high dive, but nothing good will happen if you’re not willing to take a risk.”
Annie Yoder, Collierville Canine Club owner
Yoder currently has eight employees and is looking to hire another. They are responsible for monitoring play groups and maintaining cleanliness at the facility.
“They have to be fluid, constantly moving with the dogs and reassessing players by monitoring moods and emotions,” Yoder said. “It can be exhausting, but it’s exhilarating.”
Swimming is included in day care and boarding. Dogs can also drop in for open swim for $15 an hour or have unlimited swims with a $50 monthly membership. Discounts are available for multi-dog owners.
Ella could have invited her friends. For $150, the pool can be rented for two-hour birthday parties, including a cake, party favors and photo. Human guests may bring their own food and beverages.
The pool can accommodate up to 15 dogs.
When dogs come out of the pool soaked, the club also offers a dog wash and full grooming services.
Yoder was not interested in owning a franchised boarding facility. Instead, she wanted to create a fresh approach to dog day care and boarding, one built around exercise and play.
“I didn’t want to be told how to operate,” she said. “I wanted to create my own breed of care.”
Topics
Annie Yoder Collierville Canine Club Mary Jane ForsytheMichelle Corbet
Michelle Corbet covers business for The Daily Memphian. Prior to, she was a reporter at the Memphis Business Journal. A native Memphian and University of Memphis graduate, Michelle covered business in Conway, Arkansas after college. Michelle got her start covering business as an intern at The Commercial Appeal.
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