Koa

My name is Koa and I'm a four year old pit bull/lab mix. I have three legs so I walk a little funny, but I can play with the best of them! I love coming to Dioji for my weekly play dates, I have so many friends (and a few special girlfriends) that I love to romp around with.

I know it's going to be a good day when my mommy and daddy ask me "Do you want to go to Dioji? Do you want to play with puppies?". My response is always the same, massive tail waggles and some extra excited prancing about until we finally get in the car. Dioji is extra special to me because one day, my mommy and daddy took me to a different doggy day care and the man there told me I was the wrong kind of dog and they wouldn't let me play. They really hurt my feelings and my parents were really upset too. They were mean to me just because of the way I look, even though I love other dogs and am as gentle as can be! The next day we went to Dioji and they welcomed me with open arms! I was so happy that I could never go anywhere else. Thank you to my Dioji family who I love very much! - Koa

Chai

My name is Chai and I'm going to be 3 this year. I have been a member of the Dioji Family since I was a baby and some of my most fondest memories are from being at daycare with my friends and Dioji Family. This is where I first learned to socialize, and broke my fear of getting into the water, it's also where I have met most of my siblings whom I have gotten to know and played with. I love and look forward to coming to the Dioji, sometimes I even get to vacation here for a few days, it's like my second home away from home. I love my human friends they know my name and welcome me with a huge smile and warmth and they play with me, feed me and make sure I don't get into any trouble, and when I leave in the evening, I am smothered with love and kisses from them. Everyone say's I'm so spoilt, but I think I'm blessed. Thanks to my Dioji Family for making my life extra special, you make my experience one of kind! - Chai

Camper

Dear Dioji: I decided it was time to give that darned UPS man a real scare so I jumped my yard fence and chased him. I've never gone AWOL from my house but hey, gotta mix it up every once in a while right? I ran at least a mile and was having fun exploring when a strange lady came along and wanted to say hi. Next thing I know, she got really friendly and put a leash on me! She said I was lost and needed to go home. It was getting close to dinner time so I didn't argue. First she called my home number but my parents were at work. So next she called the number on my Dioji club membership tag. The club staff told the lady they would come right away to get me. And they did! Mom was so upset I got loose and very grateful to the strange lady and Dioji for their help. Guess I gave my parents a real scare. Anyways, thank goodness for the responsive service at Dioji and note to all my club pals: wear your Dioji club tag! - Love, Camper

Oliver

Oliver loves Dioji! He will be one year old next month and has been a regular at Dioji since he was four months. What a relief it is know that Oliver is safe all day and having a great time playing with his pals. It has been an excellent way to socialize him with other dogs and people as well as to keep him out of trouble at home (he likes to eat everything). He comes home tuckered out from his day of swimming and wrestling so we are able to spend quiet time together cuddling. Oliver’s days are so much happier and full of fun and excitement, thanks to Dioji! - Oliver

Gracie Moorhead

This place is the best ever! It is suspected that everyone working there was a dog in a former life. They really care and understand us. On days when my bag of food and sunscreen (I have a special need which Dioji cares for) are placed on the table, I immediately go to the front window and watch for the transport. When it turns in my driveway, I am joyous and wiggle all over. I come home a happy girl whether I have been there for a play day or spent the night. Dioji gets extra treats! - Gracie Moorhead

Willie & Pearl

Willie and Pearl LOVE everything about DIOJI!!!

They named just a few of their favorite things....

• They LOVE us! (what's not to love?) We are cool dogs!
• Willie gets to swim and dive in the pool...extra points for that!!
• Pearl gets to hang with her peeps. The humans, who give great belly rubs, and offer a loving hand when she nudges them for attention. Pearl was a rescue dog, and not very social. After 3 years of visiting DIOJI, she is confident, no fear aggression, and a very playful, HAPPY dog. It has done wonders for her!
• While we were out of our home during the SB Tea Fire (6 months), we spent many days there, overnights, or just for play. They were very accommodating to many animals who had no where to go.
• When we come for overnights, or extended dog-cations, we sleep with HUMANS as well as our dog pals. Of course we do!!! And we love all of the humans that sleep over with us. Major snuggle time. Pearl usually likes her own bed. Willie sleeps around...
• When Willie had a boo boo, they took him to our Veterinarian who put a silly bandage on his tail!
• The TOYS!!! For Willie and Pearl, the lobby is like ToyLand. Pearl has a bit of a problem trying to steal the toys, but we are working on that. Mom is a sucker for the cool new toys, too!
• Clean, not smelly. DIOJI is sooooo good about keeping our areas very clean, and disinfected. Who needs cooties?
• The new delivery van is spacious and safe. They deliver us home in style! Door to door.
• Bath time. Although we pout when we get baths at home, we LOVE getting pampered at DIOJI. The furminator has given Pearly a very stylish look, and really cuts down on the shedding at home. Our mom loves that! (Pearl has a crush on Sam...)
• Our playmates! All of the dogs that we love to run with! Just look at our cool playground....!!!! There is always some tail-wagging action going on, though we secretly relish those rare moments when we all take a big nap!
• The webcam! So mom can peek in on us while she is away. She spends a LOT of time looking for us on the webcam when she is out of town!
• The FOOD. Willie's new favorite is the Honest Kitchen stuff that you mix with warm water. He loves it so much that he stole the box off of our kitchen counter, took it out in the yard and we ate most of the box!!! I like to blame Willie, but I couldn't hide my garlic burps. Pearl's Guilty garlic burps!
• We have found that DIOJI is our HOME, and we feel safe and secure.
• DIOJI is the happiest place on Earth.

Posto Boys

From left to right the boys pictured here are Jasper (Great Dane), Fritzy-Pants the Good Time Party Dog (Shepherd Mix) and Bogart (likely a Leonberger). They are all rescue dogs and they each had their individual issues to be dealt with when we first brought them home. Fritz was our first dog. He was found out on the street and had absolutely no training and almost no socialization when we got him. We needed help. So we signed him up for puppy classes at Dioji with Jaime. She did an amazing job of teaching us the tools we needed to start training our little wild one. Nine months later our 27 pound puppy is an 80 pound teenager (and still growing!) He's gone from pulling with all his might against a choke chain to walking with a loose leash with a Gentle Leader. From being chased around the back yard to coming in when he is called. And none of this would have been possible without all of the great advice we received and all of the hard work the staff at Dioji put into his training.

Bogart, just loves all the attention he gets from the staff at Dioji. He really is just a squishy faced cuddle bear. If he can't be with him Momma and Pappa then Dioji is where he wants to be! He loves to romp around and then lay in the shallow end of the Dioji pool! Jasper is our 120 lb and growing, he is just learning to be a puppy and canine. Dioji is helping him socialize and play with other dogs, we are just thrilled to see his progress in such a short amount of time.

Jasper will dip his paws in the pool and take a drink....we look forward to him hopefully swimming in the Dioji pool someday!

Having read through most of these testimonials I gather that this is supposed to be light-hearted and fun. But we wanted to take this opportunity to give a sincere thank you to all of the staff at Dioji and to Jaime in particular. You have made a huge difference in the lives of our dogs and thereby in our lives as well. We are so appreciative of all of the extra time you've spent with our boys getting them socialized and for the great facility you provide for our energetic Fritzy to run and swim and play. Come to think of it, the only time he pulls on leash now is when we are walking into Dioji. For our dogs its like going to Disneyland. - Carl & Melissa and of course the "Posto Boys" Fritz & Bogart & Jasper

Toby

Out of the mouth of Toby

ARFF! ARFF! BOW-BOW! HOLLOWWWWW! I love Dioji Athletic Club! It is the only place that my mom feels comfortable to bring me. She says the staff is well trained and that she can see me and all my friends when she leaves or comes to get me. She likes the way everyone knows my name, that they tell her who I played with, and how my day went. I love Dioji Athletic Club because I have fun, I make new friends, and I have great toys to play with.

Thank you, Toby Duensing

Rexter

Rexter says, “ArrrRRRauuUUuuu!!” which translates to: Dude, you guys rock, cuz of you – me and my homies can chill and do our snoop doggy dawg thang and have a hood to hang. Oh yeah and I let my mommy know I know when it’s Dioji-day by staring and following and staring and following her all morning until she takes me. - Rex Wu

Chloe & Sam

Waiting to go to Dioji!!! We are waiting for our Mom and Dad to go on vacation. When they leave we get to go see our friends at Dioji. They think we miss them but we can hardly wait until they leave. - Chloe and Sam

Charlie

Oh boy, oh boy, oh boy – that was so much fun. All those nice dogs who want to play with ME!!! My kitties say Thank You ‘cause I don’t have the energy to lick them all over and chase them like I usually do. Hope to see you and my new friends again soon! Sending lots of puppy kisses! - Charlie

Lizzie

Thank you so much for letting us come and play at your house. I enjoyed meeting the other dogs and making some new human friends, too. But mostly, thank you for entertaining my little brother all afternoon. He’s a handful! - Love ‘a’ licks Lizzie

Ted

We are so appreciative of the care that Ted receives at your resort. Ever since he has stayed with you he now knows how to approach dogs and quickly recognizes the happy, friendly ones and has learned to walk away from those who are not as social. We say he has gone from a 7 month old to a high schooler after one stay at Dioji. If only all education to be such a great value! We took advantage of the drop off transportation service and not only did he smell great, but he was sound asleep that evening when we arrived home. That's how we know that he thoroughly enjoyed his 3 day camp stay. Your service allowed us to relax and be rest assured so we had a wonderful time on our mini vacation. We look forward to our next adventure with you. And thank you again for your supreme services and caring attitude.

Barking loud and clear, Becky, Dexter and of course Ted

Cake

My name is Cake, yes Cake, that is so when people see me they smile and think of yummy cake and hopefully not scary bull terriers. I do tend to compound things because I bark at people sometimes. Going to Dioji has helped me to not be so fearful of people and I am barking less (even without my horrid bark collar). My life would not be the same without all my friends at Dioji (not to pick favorites but Gina you are my best friend). My friend Max passed away a few months ago and I miss him terribly but coming to Dioji has allowed me to make new friends and not feel so lonely (the cats just don't count). When my people went away for 10 days they were very worried that I would be depressed but being at Dioji I was too exhausted to be sad and I actually came home fit, and trim (watch out Target Dog!). My owner wants to say a few things so bye for now, I will be seeing you soon!

Thanks for being so wonderful, I wish all businesses would treat their customers like you do! Whenever I can bring Cake to Dioji it is like a treat to myself, I get so much joy from her excitement of being there and watching the dogs in that environment is the best entertainment around (I think about Jaxon jumping up to look through the window with his ears flying and I laugh all day!). - Marsha

Maximus

Hello my fellow Dioji members! My name is Maximus and I am a one year old boxer who has had a membership at Dioji since November 2008. When I was referred to Dioji by my cousin Allie I had no idea what to expect. The first couple of days were a bit overwhelming, but I quickly gained confidence in the dog bone shaped pool and made countless friends for life. Every experience that I have ever had at Dioji has been positive. My mom and dad never have to worry about me when I am spending the day at the athletic club because they are familiar with the facility and the staff. My parents even get a daily report card detailing my day.

Unlike the other doggie daycares that I have been to, Dioji allows me to play all day with a 100 percent cage free facility. The Dioji staff always makes sure that I get my lunch break and ensures that I am not late to my scheduled grooming and/or manicure-pedicure appointments on time. Honestly, I do not know what I would do without Dioji in my life. Dioji truly makes me a better dog.

In this doggie world it is all about treats and the friends you make along the way. Trigger, Ruckus, Roxy, Lily, Jenna, Allie and Bubba are just a few of my best buddies. I look forward to many more playful years with you at my home away from home, Dioji.

Your forever grateful member, Maximus Kolb-Ramirez

Shelby

Shelby was a rescue dog, and unfortunately, wasn’t very socialized when it came to fellow canines, and we would avoid the park if there was another dog playing. I was worried that something was wrong with her, but the staff at Dioji reassured me that Shelby simply needed ‘canine therapy’.

Sure enough, after just 2 sessions at Dioji, she was a different dog. Now, I relax when other dogs are around. Shelby can sense when a dog is friendly and she’ll approach them. The best: she ignores dogs that are unstable or out of control.

We drive up from Ventura for her to play and get a bath once a week…when we pass the Turnpike Road exit, she sits up because she knows we’re ‘close’. It’s so fun to see her run up to the counter to get hugs from all the staff when she comes in. It’s obvious that they genuinely care about her. My husband initially said that taking a dog to day-care was a luxury, but between the great grooming and the socialization, he now says it’s the best money we spend on Shelby. Besides, after a day at Dioji, her little paws move in her sleep and I know she’s ‘playing at Dioji’ in her dreams. Thanks, Dioji! - Deborah Hatchell

Brutus

I’m Brutus the Cat and this is my Meowimonial. I roam the neighborhood where Lucy, that stupid Puggle lives. Her master is Daniel. Lucy used to be my favorite dog in the area I own. I could tease and torment her from atop the backyard fence anytime I felt the urge to agitate. It was the highlight of my day, watching this so-called precious little princess bark, growl and get completely frustrated. But since she’s been going to Dioji, everything’s changed. No matter what I do, she just smiles and gestures for me to come play with her. PLAY WITH HER??

The folks who work at Dioji are just way too kind for humans. They treat those mutts like they’re something extra special, pampering and caring for ‘em like they were their own children. It’s ridiculous to see these employees smiling and actually enjoying their so-called work. It’s just not normal.

So it’s no big mystery why the dogs are so happy and content when they return home. After that kind of treatment, even I can’t get a rise out of them. So for the sake of me and my kind, leave your K9’s at home, preferably tethered to a stake. We need to return to the natural order of things. Pfffittt

Buster

My name is Buster and I have been a member of Dioji for a full year, now. Whenever I hear the word Dioji, I perk my ears in disbelief: I get to go again!! Then I jump for joy and race to the car. As we pull into the driveway, I am often seen standing on the car console, nose to the windshield, willing the car to get there faster. While running to the door to get to Playland, everyone welcomes me and greets me by name. I have enjoyed some great sleepovers and have even done some of my own shopping at the wonderful boutique (I just loved the squeaky caterpillar). I am lucky enough to be able to run, chase, wrestle, and just play every day to burn off my energy (or most of it - without Dioji, my owners and I can't imagine how I'd ever begin to get tired!). With the help of my canine and human friends here at Dioji I have learned to play catch, swim (with a vest), tug-of-war, and, well - just say Bubbles and watch out!

Fiona

My Fiona loves Dioji. I love Dioji. At five months, she is wonderfully socialized with other dogs. AND I can “socialize” when she returns home, all exercised, tired, and ready to relax. Now that’s value! A further value is that everyone at Dioji treats my dog AND me as special each time. We leave every time feeling adored. - Eleanor Winters

Abby

Abby started attending Dioji in late March. At that time she acted as if she were afraid of her own shadow. Or as Susan put it, like Chicken Little, fearing that “the sky is falling”. Her customary walking posture was GI Joe style hugging the ground and darting to the nearest shelter. Although she had progressed significantly from when she was first adopted it wasn’t until she started at Dioji that she discovered the joy of being a dog! Now she is more confident in all her daily activities, she’s relaxed when she walks (except from the car to Dioji... she is so eager to join her friends), she’s learned to swim and is better socialized with both humans and dogs. The staff at Dioji accepted her quirkiness yet coached and nurtured her to be the dog she really wanted to be. I still get goose bumps when I see her so happy and content, and proud of her accomplishments. Dioji has great staff, provides great care, and is extraordinary for the dog that needs a little (or a lot) of extra TLC... and when I pick up Abby from Dioji she’s exhausted and content from having so much FUN.- Kim Olson

Casey a.k.a Mr. SIlky

My name is Mr. Silky. Well, that's what my owners call me after I've been to see Ian at Dioji. My real name is Casey, but after seeing Ian, it becomes "Mr. Silky ". oh yeah. When you're a Lab-Golden mixture, you shed a lot, so my owners take me to Ian so they don't have to use the Dust Buster everyday! Ian is very thorough and checks me over very carefully and makes sure that my owners know about how I'm doing. Because it is Spring time, my owners had Ian give me the Furminator Treatment, which really gets into the undercoat. I'm in a win win situation because my owners can't keep their hands off of me and their house is so much cleaner too! - Casey aka Mr. Silky

Poca

We love taking our dog Poca to Dioji. Actually, I should say we love that Poca loves to go to Dioji. She started off shy and skittish when we first took her there--she's been that way about strangers and new places since we first got her. Now, due to the high level of engagement all the dogs have with staff and the fun environment they’ve created, she starts yelping and dancing as soon as we say “Let’s go to Dioji!” Her excitement continues all the way there where she becomes joy personified as she prances her way into the building. And she comes home a happy and very tired girl. Many thanks to the great folks at Dioji for taking excellent care of our girl! - Robb & Donna Coleman