Desperate Dogs

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Winder, GA
Desperate Dogs

All Inclusive Canine Hotel Resort & Doggy Day Care No one ever refuses a meal at DD! Separation anxiety? No problem!
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Desperate Dogs is a luxury dog boarding hotel, canine adventure daycamp and a place where troubled dogs come to shake off some of the world's stresses....
Run by experienced canine behavior counsellor Penny Miller, her husband Peter and Ranch Manager Kristen Snyder, the dogs have the most incredible off leash experience to be had anywhere in the state of Georgia! There are 8.5 gorgeous acres of se

curely fenced meadows, woodlands, streams, a natural swim hole, a swimming pool, a huge covered barn for wet weather indoor/outdoor play.....the fun just never stops! For resting and sleep time, the Desperate Dogs Ranch experience is unlike anywhere else your dog has ever stayed. There are couches everywhere, carpeted rooms and soft, plush dog beds for your precious baby to sink into, enjoying the deepest of sleeps. Mealtimes are a major gastronomic event with fresh succulent meats and vegetables cooked daily and to each dogs' unique requirements by our 'doggy chefs' for our eager guests. DD is the perfect choice if your dog is thunder phobic; not only are our staff incredibly skilled with thunder phobia cases and have years of handling experience, the construction of the house, in sturdy 1960's block and brick with a buried basement, means that we have the perfect noise-muffling environment for the most thunder phobic dog. Our unique phased-integration and relationship-building protocols mean your dog will feel at home, comfortable and part of a new family in no time. Our whole ethos is to let a dog be a dog.....to explore, to breathe, to move freely and to exercise all of the natural drives that dogs have. This, coupled with all of the touches of home, create an atmosphere of relaxation and comfort that bring about a state of mind where learning can take place, social skills can be learned and stresses can be cast off. Dogs always return home calmer, happier and more able to cope with life at home....and they often sleep for three days straight! We use no shock collars, pinch collars, choke chains or any other torture techniques; we do not engage with clients who use such devices unless they throw them in our trash.....all of our work is relationship based, kind and gentle. Think of us as kindly aunts and uncles who love your dog as much as you do, and who will go to untold lengths to achieve his or her happiness. Pooch Paradise exists.......and its right here in Winder, Georgia.

09/01/2025

We interrupt Aunty Kris' Monday tip post for a very important announcement.
SHEEEEEEEE'S BAAAAAACK!
Yup, Aunty Pen here this week with 'Dick of the Week' and I'm gonna dive right in because I need to get it off my chest.
Last Friday Aunty Kris got a phone call from a lady, and I'm going to call her 'Karen' for reasons which will become evident shortly, telling her that she'd heard great things about Desperate Dogs, it seemed like just what she was looking for, and she wondered could she come and have a look around the facility, but without her dog, just to make sure it would be a fit?
Now, to some of you, that might not seem like an odd question, and it's one we field every now and again, but our answer is always the same.
"We can only do one evaluation a day, because we are a very small team and we have to fit evaluations in between the lengthy walks we do with the guest dogs we have staying. We have a wait list of evaluations, and so we only do evaluations when all the boxes are ticked, application is filled in, background work is done, and we feel there's a pretty good chance a dog is going to be a fit". This saves both our time and the clients' time and money so the policy has worked well for 16 years.
On this occasion, Kris introduced herself as managing partner at DD, told Karen that she'd be happy to answer any questions she might have but that she must first fill out the application online as it would give us a good idea about her dog, and its' needs, then she'd be happy to chat with her on the phone to explain what we do and go over any concerns.
Simple, right?
Yeah...you'd think.
But alas, not quite good enough for our Karen, who then texted my number, the other number listed on the website, and asked if she could arrange a tour of the facility without her dog as she is a very 'concerned pet parent'. I don't quite know how she felt that she was going to get a different answer from me, when she'd already spoken to the managing partner, but hey-ho, girlfriend fancied her chances, quite clearly.
I explained that we require an application form to be filled out before we do anything, and that we don't do tours of the facility without the dog present, because we need to meet the dog; once we have the application form we can go over any queries she might have, but first we need to know what we're dealing with in writing.
No disrespects to anyone who has a completely untrained aggressive 200 pound Presa Canario with a penchant for eating small dogs, cats and unsuspecting passers-by, you knock yourselves out if that's the kind of dog you want to have.....but we are a little more selective and don't want dogs like that around here. The application form tells us everything we need to know about the breed, dog's history, and how they react with other dogs in certain, clearly explained pin-pointed situations, giving us a chance to say 'no thanks' if we need to.
And the truth is, very often we do need to say 'no thanks' after reading the application form.
Five times last week, in fact.
Some dogs aren't ready for the off leash freedom, large play groups and natural environment of DD. Some dogs can't mix socially in the kind of play structure we have; they might be fine with certain dogs in a backyard setting or walking by other dogs on leash in the park, but that doesn't mean they'll be perfect gentlemen when that squirrel zips past at 50 miles an hour and the whole pack decide to go hell for leather after it.
Added to this, we occasionally get people cheekily asking if they can have a tour of the facility just to see what we do, simply because they're looking to open up their own place and want to steal our ideas. The lazy ba$tards can't be bothered to put themselves through years of school, learn the trade and go through the years of working pro-bono with rescues like we both did, all of which gives us a foundation of knowledge that allows us to handle dogs the way we do. Far easier to see what we've built, how we operate and then go home and try to copy it. Nope, they can bog off too, we don't entertain them either, and the application form helps us to discern the time wasters from the genuine dog loving parents who want to join the program.
And then lastly, you have the fact that we are a women-owned business operating from our home. Are we gonna let any old person in through the gates, just because they say they are prospective clients?
Nope. We want to verify their address, we check them out on their social media pictures to make sure they're not using a shock collar and then we use various other means to make sure that they are who they say they are. Only then, once we are satisfied, do we invite them for an evaluation.
Are we squirrelly about people? Yep we are, but these are crazy times and believe me, Kris and I are gonna let unchecked people into this place just as eagerly as you would let some dodgy geezer wearing a balaclava in through your own front door.
Safety first in all things, not just for us, but for the multitude of beautiful dogs we have in our care at any one time.
Genuine clients take comfort from all of the above, and tell us that our due diligence is what brings them here all the way from neighboring states.
The protocols we have for vetting new clients, the application form and getting clear, written answers to every question therein, are a non-negotiable.
It's a written account, in your own hand, (no room for misunderstanding like with a conversation where you can interrupt, sidetrack or fluff your way through the answers) of who your dog is and how he behaves, with plenty of space for you to explain any further information. We keep the application form for the life of the dog once they're in the program, it helps us to refer back to it constantly so that we can be always serving the dogs best interests, obviously.
Not quite good enough for Karen though, who told me that the questions on our application form were too 'situational' and she preferred to talk to someone.
Yep Karen, that's kinda the point. They're designed to give us the answers we need to see how your dog would be in THIS SITUATION. Fill out the application form, please.
"But my dog is a rescue and I'm worried he'll regress if the environment is wrong...he's made so much progress and I want to see DD and talk about my dog before I bring him."
"Karen, here's how it works...we get the form, we read it through very carefully, then we call you to discuss what you put on the form and ask deeper questions about any red flags we might have picked up on, and we go through any queries you might have. Then if it's a fit, we invite you for the evaluation. It's the way we do it for the safety of our client dogs. We have a strict policy and we stick to it ".
" WAAAAAAH WAAAAH WAAAH, but I don't want to fill out the form which would take me thirty minutes. Instead, I want to send you a load of really long texts, argue about it with you for the whole weekend and bitch unendingly about why you won't just do as I ask. I want it all my way, I demand it, and I'm going to scream louder and louder and throw all my toys out of the stroller until you do as I say".
Okay, okay, you got me.
She never actually said that last bit, but by the time I received the last 10,000 word text, that's what it felt like she was saying, and I was looking for a nearby gas oven to stick my head in. The sadder thing is, Kris and I can clearly see which dogs would have problems simply by the owners behavior. I'm guessing that poor Great Pyrenees of hers is trying to jump her fence 24/7.
The final text I got from her told me that my customer service skills were awful because I wouldn't do exactly as she wanted, when she wanted it. Well, it's true, my people customer service skills might be lacking when I'm dealing with entitled a$$holes, but you see, for one thing, life's too short for me to deal with anyone I don't want to deal with. We didn't start this business so we could let anyone else dictate the terms of our operation, or insist on us doing things that don't align with our safety considerations.
And two, the DOGS are our clients, and they pretty much adore us, so ya know, there's that.
I'm desolate to inform you that, because Karen didn't get the grovelling, subservient acquiescence she demanded, she decided to have nothing further to do with us. She was going to take her demands somewhere else. Both Kris and I have been crying non-stop since yesterday. Can someone pass the tissues, please?

Karen was last seen in Macys explaining how she wanted her their store credit policy totally restructured to suit her individual needs and asking why they wouldn't open at 4am so that she could fit her shopping around visits to the gym.
She was very loudly demanding to 'speak to the manager'.🤣🤣🤣

08/29/2025

Ready for a fun filled weekend at the DD Ranch!! Happy Friday everyone!

08/26/2025

Tuesday Teefies with Traveller

08/25/2025

Good morning and happy Monday!
Aunty Kris here!
Here is another tip of the week to help some of you with easily fixable, common dog problems.
Today I want to chat to you about a**l glands. I was shocked this week when a prospective client told me on the phone that her dog needs it's a**l glands expressed every couple of weeks!
Every couple of weeks?????? Whaaaat?
I asked her what her dog eats and she proudly told me that she 'pays a fortune' for the 'best food' Science Diet (ummmm...we'd disagree, there, Missy) and she only gives him this food dry.
Now, I'm not here today to bash Science Diet, although we at DD hate the stuff, she can feed what she wants to her dog, at least she's well-meaning and is making sure he gets fed.
But let's talk about about how life could be so much better for this poor little Bichon.
Firstly, no dog should be at the vet every two weeks with a**l glands. There's only one culprit, and that's the food.
I have an intolerance to some dairy, every time I eat ice cream I get an upset tummy....so you know what? I don't eat more than one spoonful before I cut myself off! Logic, right?
If the food you're feeding does this to your dog, change it!
A**l glands are a sign of not enough fiber in the diet, or not getting enough water, and sometimes not enough physical exercise.
If your dog suffers from a**l gland issues, try adding psyllium husk to their meals. It's a pretty benign powder that you can buy at the pharmacy or grocery store (just make sure it's pure, nothing added.)It's barely noticed by the dog and makes a huge improvement very quickly.
We actually use it at the Ranch when a dog has runny stool, or constipation, it helps with both.
If you don't want to use Psyllium, you can mix in a spoon of pure pumpkin puree, or even mashed sweet potato into the food. Fiber like this is easily digested and almost always does the trick with a**l glands. It solidifies the p**p, makes sure it goes on its way in good time and those are key factors with a**l gland issues.
If you aren't feeding fresh or canned food, chances are that you are not hydrating the kibble, please make sure you do. You know how a cup of coffee or hot tea does the trick to 'get you moving' in the mornings? Well, dogs need liquid to ensure good motility too. Don't go getting them a coffee or anything, that's not safe for dogs, they just need plenty of pure fresh water in their diet to keep everything flushing well and moving through.
Lastly, walk your dog! Walked dogs have better motility than dogs who laze around all day.
Hope this is helpful...if it is, drop us a comment and let us know it's worth us posting these tips out.
No one likes talking to an empty room!🤣

08/22/2025

Friday’s beautiful faces!

08/21/2025

Ellie P was helping me in the kitchen tonight with sous chef duties and I sent her mom a pic and her daughter put a little twist on it and sent it back. I’m cracking up! Look at Sous Chef Ellie! I couldn’t do it without her 😍

08/18/2025

Good morning and happy Monday!
Aunty Kristen here with your weekly top tip.

This week's tip is specifically for those of you who feed raw.
I cannot tell you the amount of times we have people come to us for evaluations who notice we cook all the dog's food and then proudly tell us that their dogs eat completely raw food, even their veggies, as if that's better than cooked.
Weeelllll, raw meat is absolutely better for your dog, it is true. We only cook the meat for our guests and residents here because a) the smell of cooked meat is way more enticing to dogs, and we want to encourage them to eat when they're away from home. And b) because with the sheer amount of dogs we feed, it is safer for us to ensure it's properly cooked simply from a food hygiene perspective. We do think however, that raw meat is best for dogs.
But veggies? Not so much.
Veggies should be lightly cooked even when they accompany raw meat.
If you feed raw veggies to your dog, even when they are in a pre-mixed log, they will come back out the other end pretty much exactly as they went in. Whole, undigested and they'll show up really quick!
We have a client who says "You only rent corn"...this is what he's talking about🤣🤣🤣.
Gentle cooking of vegetables breaks down the cell wall allowing the fullness of the nutrients to disperse in the system and make for a much healthier meal for your dog.
You can gently steam them, that's fine, you can boil them or even sauté them for a couple minutes too, just make sure they retain their full color. You want to just 'open the cell wall' not crucify them.
Alternatively, you could purée any veg down very fine, that also breaks down the cell wall, freeing all the nutrients. Think baby food consistency as opposed to Succotash.
We advocate for everyone to feed their dogs fresh, whether cooked (some dogs just prefer it that way) or raw. If you need help with switching to this healthier, more nutritious diet for your dog, we are always here to help.
Have a great week!

08/16/2025

It’s the freakin weekend, baby, imma bout to have me some fun 🎶

08/14/2025

Beautiful play between friends

08/13/2025

As many of you know by now, I had a stroke 10 weeks ago.
I was in the hospital for a spell and then I was sent to a rehabilitation center to relearn motor skills and recover.
Having a stroke is really scary and you're all of a sudden faced, as an adult, with a body that won't do as you tell it, and you're stumbling around like a toddler. For someone that's always been manically active and sets high achievement goals for myself that was a bit of a shake-up, I can tell you.
But that was actually not the most upsetting thing for me in the rehabilitation center.
Not by far....
I spent my days in the company of some wonderful people, one of whom was a previously capable and bendy 50 year old yoga teacher, another was a 55 year old store manager and mum to 4 kids, and another was a woman in her late sixties who'd been walking five miles a day and minding her grandchildren when the stroke 'got her'.
They had a few things in common...not one of them thought this could ever happen to them, they were all relatively young, all pretty fit, all had happy, fulfilling lives and didn't abuse alcohol or smoke....and they all had pets.
And not one of them had someone sorted to take their pets if tragedy struck.
While they were trying to come to turns with not being able to even get themselves to the toilet, they were panicking far, far more about who would feed the cat, who would walk and take care of the dogs and how they were going to afford long term care for them. One woman had been in the hospital for six months already and wasn't confident of being out by Christmas. She was continually distraught at trying to find new care solutions every few weeks, so much so that she was put on anxiety meds.
We all think "It's not going to happen to me".
I did too.
Yes, I'm a fat blob with (previously) high blood pressure, but I don't smoke, don't hardly drink, eat only whole foods and I walk miles a day, so I thought I'd dodge it, and didn't think to make a plan. Luckily for me, I have a husband and family to support me and take care of any pets in a crisis so I was covered.
But these women didn't and it was the most worrying thing throughout their recovery; the stress of it actually hindered their progress, dramatically.
Hospitals are filled with patients in this situation. To the brim.
My plea to you all today is 'make a plan'.
Chat to a neighbor to see if you can be each other's 'pet buddy', make arrangements with family, check out house-sitter agencies who have people on their books who would stay in your house for free and take care of your pets (trusted housesitters.com is one agency I have heard of) and if neither of those options is possible, start looking for a pet sitter who does long term care and will take your animals into their home while you are in hospital.
And once you have a plan, put a back up plan in place, because people change their minds or go away on vacation, or have unexpected medical issues, so make two back up plans if you can.
The one thing in life we can expect is the unexpected.
It hits us, never at a good time, and never when we have all our ducks in a row.
We pay car insurance, house insurance, we stock our pantries for a possible zombie apocalypse but rarely do we think "what happens to my dogs if I have a heart attack/ stroke/ break my hip in a nasty fall?"
Yes we have all heard feel good stories where the nurse in someone's hospital ward takes care of the patients pet so they wont have to go to the shelter, but trust me, those are once in a lifetime occurrences, they rarely happen.
You would be surprised how many people just assumed that family would care for their dogs and cats. Take it from me, my Frankie and Andy's Place inbox is saturated every week with emails from family members who don't want to care for Dad's three dogs, Mum's Shih-Tzu or Grandma's Chihuahua. It seems one hand is always poised to grab the inheritance, the other hand is trying to throw the leash at a stranger.
We are always disgusted that they're not helping their parents in their time of need, but we are no longer surprised.
"It could happen to you' unfortunately doesn't just refer to winning the lottery, so don't assume it'll just be okay, it likely won't.
Make a plan and make it fast.

08/11/2025

Good morning and Happy Monday!
We wanted to give you a useful little tip about what to do if your dog suffers from gas.
Firstly, too many sugary carbs from poor quality processed food can cause stinky farts and all manner of other issues so always make sure your dogs food is not laden with corn, beets, rice, brewers rice, wheatmeal etc.
However, even dogs fed a high quality fresh, protein rich diet can get stinky farts, or worse, bloated tummies from ingredients that don't suit them and that's where CARBO VEGETABILIS comes in.
This tiny little pellet, around $8 from Amazon, can work wonders in a very short time.
No, its not the answer if your dog is suffering from suspected bloating, that condition needs a vet and FAST, but a little tummy discomfort can be alleviated really quick with a pellet on the gum, followed by one maybe an hour or so later.
If you gently massage your dogs' flanks, that can help alleviate painful gas too.
Hope you found this helpful, drop us a line in the comments if you did. It just helps us to know if you guys are reading this, in which case, we'll keep 'em coming!
Have a great day!

08/09/2025

What a great group at the DD Ranch this weekend!

Address

653 Gainesville Highway
Winder, GA
30680

Telephone

+16788232512

Website

http://www.desperatedogsusa.com/

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Our Story

Desperate Dogs is a luxury dog boarding hotel and a specialist residential rehabilitation center for dogs with issues like socialisation, fear, aggression and separation anxiety, to name but a few... Run by experienced canine behaviourist Penny Miller and her husband Peter, the dogs enjoy hours of off leash activity in the three acre fenced meadow and the swimming pool; they sleep, as all dogs should do, on a couch!!! Decorated just like home, the Desperate Dogs experience is unlike anywhere else in the Southern States...no concrete runs, no kennels, no cages unless we are potty training, dogs here quickly get to feel at home and to feel very relaxed. This relaxation and comfort bring about a state of mind where learning can take place, and so dogs always return home calmer, happier and more able to cope with life at home. We use no shock collars, pinch collars, choke chains or any other torture techniques and do not work with people who do....all of our work is relationship based and instills trust in the dog so that he will not fear humans ever. So, whether you have a problem dog, or you just want your dog to have the time of his life while youre away so you can have a guilt free vacation, give us a call and arrange a visit. Penny Miller took her first foray into the world of dog behavior eighteen years ago while living in Trinidad and Tobago where she and her family rescued and fed street dogs to teach her children value and compassion for all living things. Upon the family's return to Britain, after an introduction to dog behavior through British behaviorist Kendall Shepherd, she formally studied dog behavior and earned professional diplomas in Canine Behavior and Psychology, studied canine nutrition, wolf behavior, worked with British obedience and hunting dog trainers and studied the Amichien Dog Listener methods under Jan Fennell and Tony Knight. She has continued her education with distance learning of international dog behaviorists and attending seminars and workshops both here in the US and the UK. This provided the foundation of the work she does today, but nothing impacted her knowledge as much as the hands on work that she has done with shelter and rescue dogs. To date, Penny has worked with literally thousands of dogs, many of them last chance dogs that the shelters had deemed unadoptable, unmanageable and unplaceable. It was with these dogs that her most intense learning took place, and continues to do so. To date, she and husband Peter have fostered over 120 'problem' dogs, each of them with unique issues and thus a wealth of learning opportunities. Over the last seven years in the US, Penny has worked with countless rescues, including Alcovy Pet Rescue, Gracie's Place, Atlanta Lab, Gwinnett Humane Society, Hall County Humane Society to name but a few, and all pro bono........ Desperate Dogs gives a minimum of 20% of its time, talent or treasures every year to local and international dog charities and it is the goal to continue this mission that drives this unique business. Last year, Penny was approached by the Gwinnett County Sheriffs Department to work with their incredibly successful Jail Dogs Program, to work hands on with some of their aggression and fear cases. She now advises regularly at the jail on their problem dogs and provides free rehabilitation work on an ongoing basis. Penny is not a dog trainer, and doesn't pretend to be....her speciality is seeing life from the dogs perspective and solving dog problems using the dog's unique psychology and drives. This work is completely instinctual and differs from dog to dog, as no two cases, just like no two dogs, are ever alike. Whether she is working with a 120 pound German Shepherd with severe aggression issues or a tiny Maltese with fear issues, she works every case herself, hands on. Her belief is that if she can't handle your dog, then how can a client trust her to fix the problem? Plain speaking, to the point and with a very British sense of humour interwoven into everything she does, Penny has become well known for fixing the cases that others can't.....the Desperate Dogs Ranch has successfully rehabilitated hundreds upon hundreds of dogs that were otherwise destined for rehoming or euthanasia. This is achieved by a combination of instinctual dog handling and the building of close relationships with both the owners and dogs that continue long after the consult has ended or the dog has left the facility. The Desperate Dogs mission is to find simple solutions that are workable for both the human client as well as the dog, as continuing compliance with any methodology is only going to be achieved if the human client can find time and enthusiasm to follow it. Instinctual Dog Handling is a completely different approach....it's hands off, gentle and does not require mountains of food to be administered to the dog every second to get the required result. It does not allow for choke chains, shock collars or pinch collars and does not require dogs to be so called 'calm submissive'. It's about empowering the dog to find confidence and happiness within itself, and setting the dog free from the its own pain and fear.