A golden retriever belly flopped enthusiastically into the swimming pool at Doggie Dude Ranch and O’Cat Corral, paddling hard for its tennis ball. Seconds after, a horde of Labrador retrievers and German shepherds splashed into the water excitedly, barking and diving for toys in the water. Doggie Dude Ranch’s owner, Laurie Mattke, watched her happy customers romp and play under the sun. “Crazy Dog Lady” was spelled out on her gray T-shirt —now wet from the pool party — in hot pink letters.
Mattke’s Doggie Dude Ranch provides Colorado residents with a very necessary service, especially during the summer — dog and cat boarding. This November marks its 10th anniversary, and the kennel has never been busier. When Mattke opened the reservations for Thanksgiving and Christmas vacations this year on April 1, the 85 spots for dogs were claimed immediately. Now, she has extensive wait lists for those times and summer weekends.
Mattke bought 20 acres of flat farmland east of Denver in Watkins in 1996, after working as a flight attendant. The owner of seven dogs, she worried about them constantly when she traveled.
“Thatap why I built this place,” she said. “I know how hard it was to find somewhere to board your dog without a family member to help you.”
Eventually, Mattke decided that she wanted to open a facility that provided top-notch care for dogs and cats. She spent time on her layovers touring other kennels and worked with an architect to customize her space, installing proper ventilation systems and powerful dryers for the dogs’ blankets and towels.
“I expected to have a small and quiet kennel, but it picked up,” she said. “I never dreamed that it would grow to be this successful. I knew it was going to be busy, but not to the point of having wait lists.”Most dogs board at Doggie Dude Ranch for a week or longer when their humans are on vacation. They sleep in air-conditioned rooms with raised beds, snack on fresh home-baked dog treats, play outside in one of the ranch’s three fenced-in dog parks and receive a bath and brush session if their stay exceeds five nights. They even get sent home with a goody basket of extra treats and toys. Feline boarders receive air-conditioned condos of their own and unlimited playtime. Doggie Dude Ranch also offers a daycare service for locals. Mattke has five vans for pickup and drop-off service around the Denver area, and travelers can easily drop their furry family members with one of her employees near the airport.
Mattke said she and her 25 employees focus on giving each dog the individualized attention they need. When Mattke was on the road, she always asked a friend to come over and take care of her dogs. “There wasn’t anywhere in Denver I would have left my dog,” she said. “I think the whole issue is that if you want it run the way you want it run, you have to be there. And if you’re going to run something really special and upscale and like a boutique-type niche, you have to be there because when the owner is gone, you can just tell things change.”
Catherine Dews Edwards, who often travels internationally for the dog treat company she owns, has been sending her Weimaraner, Bodhi, to Doggie Dude Ranch for more than four years. The caretakers there have the alarm codes to her house and spare keys for when they drop Bodhi off.
“It’s the most amazing place I’ve ever seen. Every time they come to pick up my dog, he goes ballistic,” she said. “The first time I sent him there was for a weekend with a friend’s Weimaraner, just to test it out. I was very nervous, but he came back happy.”
Edwards said once her dog recognized one of the ranch’s employees at a pet store and went crazy, jumping up on her and giving her kisses.
While the best part about running Doggie Dude Ranch is being able to work with the dogs all day long, Mattke said many of her clients are also incredibly generous. One of them owns a country club on the west side of town and provides the kennel with tennis balls.
Despite the kennel’s success, Mattke has no plans for expansion. She said quality control is extremely important to her, and with more than 85 dogs, she’s not sure she could provide the highest level of care for them. Meanwhile, happy barks outside make it clear that all the dogs at the kennel are enjoying their vacations immensely.
“We’re still hoping that Peyton Manning will bring his dog in sometime,” Mattke said with a laugh. “If he has one.”
Boarding your dog at Doggie Dude Ranch costs $39/night for your first dog, $35/night for your second dog and $30/night for your third dog. Daycare costs $22/day for your first dog and $15/day for your second dog. Boarding your cat costs $15/night for your first cat and $11/night for your second cat.
Doggie Dude Ranch is located at 1600 S. Quail Run Road in Watkins. Call 303-366-2498 or go to .
