The tongues are out and the tails are wagging. There is a serious game of chase underway involving lots of different canine chums, both little and large, around some very colourful agility equipment which cannot fail to make you smile.
If there was a thermometer to measure doggo fun – the mercury would be off the charts as the pooches show off doggy daycare in action at Barks & Barns in Co Offaly.
Once an unused and overgrown part of a second farmyard, it is now an enclosed area home to slides, wooden ramps, agility equipment and paddling pools in the summer for his “canine colleagues”, as dog lover Paul McElduff dubs them, smiling broadly.
A traditional stone outbuilding which would have housed animals in the past now serves as separation areas for dogs who need a sleep or a break from the pack.
While doggy daycare is a concept that is relatively new to Ireland, it is one that is taking off, according to Paul, who opened Barks & Barns, just off the busy N80 road near Killeigh village, close to Tullamore last August.
“A lot of people said I was mad, and there were so many funny comments or whatever, but slowly but surely people have come around to the idea,” which can be summed up simply as pet play, exercise and care while you’re at work or away during the day.
“It varies a lot,” he replies when asked who a typical customer is. “Some people are commuting to Galway or Athlone, and they happen to be passing this road [and will leave their dogs in for the day]. Others come from as far away as Kinnitty [to bring their dogs to daycare]. There are many professional people, then there are elderly people who send their dog once a week, or there are others who come three or four times a week.”
Others who understand the idea just see it as “giving the dog a day out” socialising with other pets, Paul points out.
“Sometimes people take on a dog that is too active for them, but if they come to me, the dog will go home very tired. After a day in Barks & Barns they just sleep,” he jokes, adding that he opens his doors at 7.30am every morning until 5.30pm that evening.
“For many dogs they don’t do much exercise at home, and here is like a playground for them,” observes Paul, smiling as Duke, Teddy and Rosie are “having the craic” on a nearby agility ramp.
Paul McElduff pictured with some of his canine companions in Barks & Barns doggy daycare facility near Killeigh village, outside Tullamore, Co Offaly. \ Barry Cronin
Playground
With a rise in those commuting or more being brought back into the office, he says that some people don’t have as much time to give their dog attention and exercise or stimulation post-pandemic. That’s where his service can really help.
“Some people have very active dogs, and they’re busy. They don’t have time to be walking them or giving them what they need. We have some working dogs, hunting dogs coming here or sheepdogs with high energy.
If they come here twice a week, they are worn out. There is no hassle with them at home or no behavioural issues,” he explains.
Paul, whose parents John and Breda have 100 cattle on 80ac in the fields behind him, says he loves the work and enjoys getting to know the different personalities of the dogs he looks after.
“It’s great. When Shadow came, he was quite shy, and he didn’t really know how to play, and he just hid [from the other dogs]. Now, he’s learning and he’s finding his own little friends. It can take a little bit of time though,” he observes.
His customers tell him that their socialisation skills improve and the pooches are far less likely to react to other dogs on their walks after time in doggy daycare.
“Dogs are social and pack animals, so they enjoy being here for the day. The owners keep coming back saying that their dogs seem happier afterwards,” he adds.
The Offaly native sends pictures to his customers of their dog during the day, and he finds they are very invested in their welfare.
“Dogs are more and more a part of people’s lives and families,” observes Paul, than they were in the past. “For some people, their dogs are their kids,” and he knows the happiness a pet brings to people of all ages.
Paul McElduff pictured in his Barks & Barns doggy daycare facility near Killeigh, Co Offaly. \ Barry Cronin
Having studied hotel management in Shannon, Paul later spent seven years in London working in hospitality before moving back to Ireland. He later went into HR and spent several years working in recruitment before feeling the pull of home and the desire to work for himself.
The skills he picked up in those industries – dealing with people, organisation and customer care – ended up shaping the rural business he has now created.
Room with a view
It made sense to do it on the farm with fewer overheads and build what he could himself – from equipment to a social media presence – to keep his costs low, he recalls. Paul has no regrets in taking the leap to work for himself using the facilities that were already on his doorstep.
“It is a new concept, but I’ve seen it in Wicklow, Dublin and Kildare, and I just figured there are none in this area. It was a risk at the beginning but one that has paid off.
“It’s been brilliant so far. Considering I’m just open [for six months], I’m comfortably making a wage. Before I used to have to commute to Dublin and be on the M50. For me, I enjoy working with friendly dogs every day.
“I can also help Dad out too [on the farm]. He’s been integral to everything I’m doing here. He can build anything, really, and he has helped me loads to keep the show on the road. I’m very happy with it,” adds Paul.
He also pays tribute to his mother Breda and girlfriend Lauren for their support. The newest member of the family, baby Hollie, is just three weeks old, and he says it has been nice to be close by to help out at such a busy time.
It's a dog's life at Barks & Barns doggy daycare facility in Co Offlay as owner Paul McElduff looks on. \ Barry Cronin
Initially, when he opened, many people thought ‘daycare’ meant ‘kennels’, so he responded to that by kitting out an adjacent building for overnight stays.
That worked in his favour, Paul admits, because doggy daycare is included for the kennel customers, giving something different to a traditional kennel, many of whom come back and buy into the idea after they see how much the dogs enjoy it.
Kennel customers also get the benefit of two walks in the fields on the farm framed by scenic views of the Slieve Blooms for €20 a night. The same daily rate applies to doggy daycare.
Looking to the future, Paul plans to keep developing and improving his business with another daycare area in the offing and improvements to the interior areas. He is also starting a course shortly on obedience and search training, which he has already done with his two German Shepherds and also hopes to incorporate into his business in the future. “I think a trained dog is a happy dog and is a much better pet,” he underlines.
Bidding farewell to the tail-wagging excitement of the doggy daycare area, I can’t help but smile at Bear, a German Shepherd; Alfie, a Golden Poodle; Willow, a little Jack Russell; and all of their other canine companions as they swarm around Paul for more paw-some playtime. It’s a dog’s life for sure.
See barksandbarns.com
The tongues are out and the tails are wagging. There is a serious game of chase underway involving lots of different canine chums, both little and large, around some very colourful agility equipment which cannot fail to make you smile.
If there was a thermometer to measure doggo fun – the mercury would be off the charts as the pooches show off doggy daycare in action at Barks & Barns in Co Offaly.
Once an unused and overgrown part of a second farmyard, it is now an enclosed area home to slides, wooden ramps, agility equipment and paddling pools in the summer for his “canine colleagues”, as dog lover Paul McElduff dubs them, smiling broadly.
A traditional stone outbuilding which would have housed animals in the past now serves as separation areas for dogs who need a sleep or a break from the pack.
While doggy daycare is a concept that is relatively new to Ireland, it is one that is taking off, according to Paul, who opened Barks & Barns, just off the busy N80 road near Killeigh village, close to Tullamore last August.
“A lot of people said I was mad, and there were so many funny comments or whatever, but slowly but surely people have come around to the idea,” which can be summed up simply as pet play, exercise and care while you’re at work or away during the day.
“It varies a lot,” he replies when asked who a typical customer is. “Some people are commuting to Galway or Athlone, and they happen to be passing this road [and will leave their dogs in for the day]. Others come from as far away as Kinnitty [to bring their dogs to daycare]. There are many professional people, then there are elderly people who send their dog once a week, or there are others who come three or four times a week.”
Others who understand the idea just see it as “giving the dog a day out” socialising with other pets, Paul points out.
“Sometimes people take on a dog that is too active for them, but if they come to me, the dog will go home very tired. After a day in Barks & Barns they just sleep,” he jokes, adding that he opens his doors at 7.30am every morning until 5.30pm that evening.
“For many dogs they don’t do much exercise at home, and here is like a playground for them,” observes Paul, smiling as Duke, Teddy and Rosie are “having the craic” on a nearby agility ramp.
Paul McElduff pictured with some of his canine companions in Barks & Barns doggy daycare facility near Killeigh village, outside Tullamore, Co Offaly. \ Barry Cronin
Playground
With a rise in those commuting or more being brought back into the office, he says that some people don’t have as much time to give their dog attention and exercise or stimulation post-pandemic. That’s where his service can really help.
“Some people have very active dogs, and they’re busy. They don’t have time to be walking them or giving them what they need. We have some working dogs, hunting dogs coming here or sheepdogs with high energy.
If they come here twice a week, they are worn out. There is no hassle with them at home or no behavioural issues,” he explains.
Paul, whose parents John and Breda have 100 cattle on 80ac in the fields behind him, says he loves the work and enjoys getting to know the different personalities of the dogs he looks after.
“It’s great. When Shadow came, he was quite shy, and he didn’t really know how to play, and he just hid [from the other dogs]. Now, he’s learning and he’s finding his own little friends. It can take a little bit of time though,” he observes.
His customers tell him that their socialisation skills improve and the pooches are far less likely to react to other dogs on their walks after time in doggy daycare.
“Dogs are social and pack animals, so they enjoy being here for the day. The owners keep coming back saying that their dogs seem happier afterwards,” he adds.
The Offaly native sends pictures to his customers of their dog during the day, and he finds they are very invested in their welfare.
“Dogs are more and more a part of people’s lives and families,” observes Paul, than they were in the past. “For some people, their dogs are their kids,” and he knows the happiness a pet brings to people of all ages.
Paul McElduff pictured in his Barks & Barns doggy daycare facility near Killeigh, Co Offaly. \ Barry Cronin
Having studied hotel management in Shannon, Paul later spent seven years in London working in hospitality before moving back to Ireland. He later went into HR and spent several years working in recruitment before feeling the pull of home and the desire to work for himself.
The skills he picked up in those industries – dealing with people, organisation and customer care – ended up shaping the rural business he has now created.
Room with a view
It made sense to do it on the farm with fewer overheads and build what he could himself – from equipment to a social media presence – to keep his costs low, he recalls. Paul has no regrets in taking the leap to work for himself using the facilities that were already on his doorstep.
“It is a new concept, but I’ve seen it in Wicklow, Dublin and Kildare, and I just figured there are none in this area. It was a risk at the beginning but one that has paid off.
“It’s been brilliant so far. Considering I’m just open [for six months], I’m comfortably making a wage. Before I used to have to commute to Dublin and be on the M50. For me, I enjoy working with friendly dogs every day.
“I can also help Dad out too [on the farm]. He’s been integral to everything I’m doing here. He can build anything, really, and he has helped me loads to keep the show on the road. I’m very happy with it,” adds Paul.
He also pays tribute to his mother Breda and girlfriend Lauren for their support. The newest member of the family, baby Hollie, is just three weeks old, and he says it has been nice to be close by to help out at such a busy time.
It's a dog's life at Barks & Barns doggy daycare facility in Co Offlay as owner Paul McElduff looks on. \ Barry Cronin
Initially, when he opened, many people thought ‘daycare’ meant ‘kennels’, so he responded to that by kitting out an adjacent building for overnight stays.
That worked in his favour, Paul admits, because doggy daycare is included for the kennel customers, giving something different to a traditional kennel, many of whom come back and buy into the idea after they see how much the dogs enjoy it.
Kennel customers also get the benefit of two walks in the fields on the farm framed by scenic views of the Slieve Blooms for €20 a night. The same daily rate applies to doggy daycare.
Looking to the future, Paul plans to keep developing and improving his business with another daycare area in the offing and improvements to the interior areas. He is also starting a course shortly on obedience and search training, which he has already done with his two German Shepherds and also hopes to incorporate into his business in the future. “I think a trained dog is a happy dog and is a much better pet,” he underlines.
Bidding farewell to the tail-wagging excitement of the doggy daycare area, I can’t help but smile at Bear, a German Shepherd; Alfie, a Golden Poodle; Willow, a little Jack Russell; and all of their other canine companions as they swarm around Paul for more paw-some playtime. It’s a dog’s life for sure.
See barksandbarns.com
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