About | CJ's Canine Country Club

Our Story

CJ’s Canine Country Club, formerly Howl-a-Day Inn, is committed to providing the best possible care for your fur baby. In 2019, we remodeled to upgrade our indoor and outdoor doggie daycare spaces, added more bedrooms for overnight lodging, and set up live cameras. We also installed specialized canine grass in our back yard which our pack loves! The canine grass was installed to keep everyone as clean and safe as possible.

NEW CUSTOMER FREE FIRST NIGHT

We can’t wait to welcome your pup to their home-away-from-home.
Try us and get your first night free!

Discount subject to availability and cannot be combined with other offers.
Lodging discount applies to first-time customers only and is valid for any lodging accommodation selected.

Minimum of 3-night stay required

Call Us: (419) 423-4695

Highly-trained staff

Another thing that sets us apart at CJ’s Canine Country Club is our highly-trained staff. Continuing education is very important to us. All of our pack leaders are trained in Dog Language, Group Play, Dog Evaluations, Pet First Aid and CPR. We also complete ongoing continuing education training such as problem behavior management, vaccines and illnesses, basic obedience, and more.

New Facility Coming

We are excited to announce that we are working on opening a brand new facility! The new facility will be located at 900 E Bigelow. Phase 1 of this exciting project will include a 2400 sq. ft. training and grooming facility and a 6000 sq. ft. play space including indoor and outdoor play areas, valet drop-off and pick up, and as well as our most talked about feature… an in-ground heated swimming pool for our guests!

Meet Our Team

Cynthia Jaqua

Owner

My name is Cynthia Jaqua and I am honored and blessed to introduce myself as the owner of CJ’s Canine Country Club. Transparency, safety, and the well-being of your four legged family member is top priority while in our care. That will never change!

Tina Sawyer

Manager

Hello, My name is Tina and I want to introduce myself to you all. I am the Manager at CJ’s. I started working for CJ in February 2020. We have known each other since I moved here with my family from England in 2003. I’ve got two rescued pups called Zeke and Annie. I was given the opportunity to become the Manager of CJ’s in the summer of 2023. I’ve enjoyed meeting the clients and their pups since my first day. Working with all the staff is both fun and challenging as they certainly keep me on my toes. In my spare time I enjoy spending time with my Grandchild, my pups or volunteering doing home visits for the rescue my pups came from.

Something special about CJ’s is every pup is welcomed through the door as if they are our own. Some pups are nervous to start with, and when you see them come back each time you see the confidence build, as they run from the car to the office. We like to make your pups stay at CJ’s stress free and make sure you have a great trip away. Our unique services ensure that your pup is going to have fun from day one. Whether it be for lodging, daycare, grooming or training.

Olivia Kempher

Groomer/Pack Leader

Hello, my name is Olivia. I started at CJ’s in early 2022. I’ve gotten to know all your pups and it’s been a pleasure getting to know every single one of them! Every dog has a different personality and that’s what I love so much about my job. I was lucky enough to be sent to groom school to become a certified groomer in 2023. My favorite part about working at CJ’s is getting to create these wonderful relationships with your pups. Not only do I get to make your pups look beautiful, I also get to provide them with a fun experience. I look forward to growing as a groomer with all the dogs I know and love, and the new friends I’ve yet to meet.

Alexa Chester, CCDT, FFCP

Trainer/Pack Leader

When I lost my best friend and father 9 years ago, I was devastated. My dog Stormy entered my life shortly after and changed everything. She had experience as a service dog and the two of us were inseparable. Stormy has since passed, but she inspired me to become a dog trainer, with the ultimate goal of training helper dogs as special as her.

Over the past few years, I have graduated from CATCH Canine Trainers Academy’s Master program. I am also a Fear Free Certified Professional, and I am studying to be a certified service dog trainer as well (expected to finish this December, 2023!) My training style is focused on teaching dogs what behaviors we want to see more of using positive reinforcement, rather than punishing away unwanted behavior. The success of my training clients means a lot to me, and I’m always looking for fun new ways to teach!

In the mornings, I also work in the daycare pack, and I absolutely love it! I’ve learned so much over the years about canine communication, and I’ve been so fortunate to be able to bring my two dogs, Boba and Aurra, into work with me from time to time. I enjoy being so involved at CJ’s, and I always get so excited when I see my doggie friends out in public! I’m always happy to talk about dogs and training, so if you have any questions, feel free to flag me down! 🙂

Annalee Phillips

Groomer/Pack Leader

Hi, my name is Annalee. I started working at CJ’s in 2019. I was a pack leader with the dogs for a long time, then got the opportunity to train as a groomer. I am now an established groomer here at CJs. I have 3 dogs of my own, Cooper, Essie Clair and Quinton.

I enjoy my job because I get to work with so many adorable pups and meet so many great pup parents. My Job as a groomer allows me special time to pamper and bond with the pups. I love making them feel extra special. During my day as a pack leader, I get to spend time enjoying group play and individual play with so many different breeds and personalities of our guests.

Credentials

The Dog Gurus

The Dog Gurus provide pet care professionals with the resources and knowledge they need to successfully launch, grow, and profit in the industry. With a focus on the safety and well-being of dogs, owners, and professionals, especially in the off-leash, group-play environment, members of the Dog Gurus community have access to the latest industry trends and ongoing learning tools that help promote a better understanding of an animal’s needs and the best way to effectively care for them.

The Dog Gurus – Dog Evaluations Certified

Understanding how to properly screen and evaluate dogs for daycare and playgroups is critical to providing safe off-leash play services and reducing possible injuries in the dogs in your care. If you have a formal evaluation process you are much less likely to have staff or dog injuries, and will spend more time playing with the dogs and less time worrying about them. This course will help you create the safest possible evaluation process. CJ’s Canine Country Club is proud to stay ahead of the curve with a Dog Evaluations Certification.

The Dog Gurus – Off Leash Dog Play

CJ’s Canine Country Club is proud to hold the Off Leash Dog Play certification. This designation allows us to understand the safe way to interact with dogs without a leash.

The Dog Gurus – The 4 E’s of Excellent

With The 4 E’s of Excellent Certification, CJ’s Canine Country Club was able to learn to identify steps required to move our center operations to the next level in each section, create an action plan of policy and procedure changes to improve our operations, gain confidence in knowing what it takes to be an Excellent off-leash play provider, obtained the information we really needed to understand the “whys” behind the content in each section, and to market our center as an off-leash environment that exceeds industry minimum care standards and invests in professional education to achieve Excellence!

The Dog Gurus – Knowing Dogs 101

Knowing Dogs 101 (Dog Language) provides all dog handlers in any dog related industry (daycare workers, groomers, walkers, vet techs, kennel staff, dog trainers, etc.) with a fundamental understanding of canine body language to help your employees understand what message the dog is conveying and to keep dogs less stressed and safe.

The Dog Gurus – Knowing Dogs 102

Knowing Dogs 201 (Group Play) builds upon the foundation of knowledge introduced in 101 providing dog daycare employees with a deeper understanding of canine body language when dogs are in group play, how human leadership impacts dogs, dog aggression, and greetings.

Outstanding Pet Care Learning Center Certified

Overdog Digital provides expert training on dog bahavior and handling specifically for pet businesses. The course teaches how to best understand and communicate with dogs, as well as how to properly manage and work with dogs in a daycare and boarding setting.