As many of you know, I am a huge dog lover. My dog, Midge, is part of a long line of Labrador Retrievers that I have had over the years. Because Midge is such an important part of my life, I take a lot of time and care finding the right professionals and people to work with Midge and me.
Allegro Pet Services is at the top of that list! Owned by Hans Peterman, Allegro has been a mainstay of the Chicago dog scene for nearly a decade. Over the years Hans has grown the business from a dog walking business he started to support his music career, to a full-fledged business with a staff of eight with offerings including individualized dog walking services, social club and cage-free boarding. Midge attends social club two to three times per week and absolutely loves it!
I recently chatted with Hans about his unique business and what it offers Chicagoans.
Tell us a little bit about what makes your business so special.
Allegro is all about a personal and personalized experience for both dogs and their family. Our model from the very beginning has been less clients so we can do more for each. We have our core services, but we are also in a position to accommodate special requests from our clients as well.
Our core services involve three things. First, individual dog walking. We walk dogs from 8am - 10pm throughout the city. We find that our dogs love connecting with people beyond their family, and look forward to our walks. This is why we walk dogs individually.
Second, we offer Canine Social Club, which is a half day social group that we host in our 6500 square foot facility in Lakeview. Our dogs love Social Club! And lastly we offer cage-free boarding for anytime a family goes out of town. Our boarding is like a giant dog slumber party with every dog in their own dog bed.
Do you work with all dogs?
We only take clients by recommendation from existing clients. It is amazing how interconnected our clients are! After receiving the recommendation we go and meet the dog and make sure it is a good fit on both ends.
We are currently working with about 50 dogs, and are always looking for a few more good ones to work with.
Do you offer training?
We train our dogs through individualized work and socialization, but we do not use formalized training programs. We want our dogs to always feel they can share their personality, which some programs strip away from dogs. We believe dogs can be themselves and still be well-behaved.
Instead of trainers, we think of ourselves as occupational therapists for dogs and their families, helping to integrate the two with each other.
What is your favorite breed of dog?
A lot of people believe that the best dogs are purebred and that is just not the case. We offer a discount for rescue dogs because we love to support people adopting. Before bringing a dog home, I always recommend spending time with dogs before fully committing.
For more information about Allegro Pet Services please visit their website and fill out the contact form.
