Life of Riley

I never ever write reviews… but 2 great interactions in one weekend has me typing. The team did a great job grooming Sandy (our 8 year old golden) on Friday… she looks great-​puppy cut, smells great and came home in a few hours totally relaxed and happy. All for the cost of a bath ONLY at Petco where she is returned to us stressed, panting and wetting herself after a 4+ hour visit. Then they took on Lorenzo (2 year old dachshund mix). Lorenzo went to daycare, had a bath and stayed overnight. Again returned to us relaxed and happy. We are thrilled with our LoR experiences to date and look forward to them caring for our dogs for years to come.

Life of Riley came highly recommended by both our vet and our trainer. Nearly six months later, we’re happy to report that the chauffeur service, daycare, hotel, and grooming have all been fantastic! Friends compliment us on our dog’s excellent manners around both people and other dogs, and we know that Life of Riley has played a strong part in that. We only wish that Life of Riley had been around for our three previous dogs… we trust that we’d have an even longer and happier story to tell!

Our dog absolutely loves Life of Riley. Each morning, he gets picked up by the Life of Riley van and he greets the driver with a wagging tail and lots of licking (I wish my 2 legged children got this excited when they went to school!). He gets tons of love from the terrific folks who work there, and he comes home tired from playing all day with his furry friends — just perfect for my very energetic one year old dog. I love their chauffeur service, and I greatly appreciate how incredibly organized the staff are. I’m frequently making changes to my dog’s daycare schedule and they accommodate without a hiccup. I could not be more impressed with or thankful for Life Of Riley.

If I can wish one thing, it would be that more places like this gem existed. A place where your pet comes first EVERY time. They are the most genuine group of people I have ever met and the love they show your pet is unbelievable. Your pet is their pet. I encourage you to form your own opinion beyond the reviews and can almost say with certainty you will not regret it. Not to mention the amazing luxury the dogs stay and play in. Bottom line, the place is immaculate, high end, the folks love your dog, and will do anything to make them and you happy. I highly recommend Life of Riley. You ALL are amazing at Life of Riley. From grooming, to boarding to daycare. Keep doing what you guys do! We thank you and my dog’s wiggling happy butt, thanks you. you guys always have our loyalty!

We took our two tiny toy poodle puppies for boarding at Life of Riley but only one came home. Our beautiful puppy, Peanut, was attacked and killed while in their care. Like so many of the people who gave Life of Riley five-​star reviews, we were fooled by the posh suites and friendly people. When it came to keeping our puppies safe, Life of Riley completely failed.
We visited LOR prior to deciding to board our puppies there during an upcoming vacation. We were greeted by Laura Abbott, who showed us where our puppies would be staying, and showed us the separate play areas for small and large dogs. I told her that Peanut was very afraid of big dogs and she assured me that our dogs would always be kept separate from the large dogs. When we dropped off our puppies for boarding a few weeks later, we met Paul Abbott. We repeated our concern that our small dogs be kept separate from the large dogs and he too assured us they would be. Two nights later we received a call from Paul Abbott telling us Peanut had been attacked and killed by a bullmastiff.
The Abbotts told us our dogs would be kept separate from large dogs, but then repeatedly released them into the same area with large, aggressive dogs «to do their business.» They told Chris Gordon of NBC News they would do everything in their power to make things right, but they have done nothing to take responsibility for Peanut’s death. They have not even reimbursed us for Peanut’s cremation or the prepaid boarding fees.
Unfortunately, we were fooled by the 5-​star reviews, fancy kennels and the Abbotts’ blatant misrepresentations into entrusting our puppies lives to people that do not appear to have even a basic understanding of canine behavior.

Our sweet puppy, Peanut, was attacked and killed by a 100-​lb. bullmastiff nearly 20x her size while in the care of Life of Riley. NBC4 and WUSA9 reported the story.

We visited Life of Riley and met with Laura Abbott before deciding to leave our 5 lb. purebred tiny toy poodles, Peanut and Pumpkin, for boarding on an upcoming vacation. During that visit we were impressed with the nice people and cozy suites, and were given assurances that small dogs are always kept separated from the large dogs, which was consistent with the claims on their website. When we dropped off our puppies for boarding, Paul Abbott also assured us small and large dogs are kept separated, and showed us the separate areas. However, those assurances proved to be false. Two days later, Peanut was attacked and killed. As Paul Abbott admitted when we came to pick up our surviving dog, Pumpkin, and Sarah Pope’s statement to the Rockville Police Department confirmed, our puppies were released, largely unsupervised, into the same area as the large dogs to relieve themselves, and it was during that time that Peanut was attacked and killed. Don’t be fooled by the fancy suites and smiling faces. Life of Riley’s negligence and false representations cost our beautiful puppy her life.

Thank you so much for the lovely cut! We just moved to this area and we are so happy with her cut and care that she received from Life of Riley! Andrea and staff from Riley’s made us feel comfortable to leave our little one in for grooming. Tofu was in and out in no time and Andrea gave text in advance with how she is doing and that made us feel so relieved from all the anxiousness we had about trying out a new groomer! Cant wait for Tofu to try their lovely hotel rooms. Thank you!

About a year ago, we moved out of DC and were in desperate need of a dogwalker for our lab pup, Lily. Upon a recommendation from a friend, we contacted Life of Riley. From the start, Laura was incredibly professional and responsive to any questions or concerns we had.
Within the past six months, we have transitioned Lily to doggie daycare and she absolutely loves it! She gets visibly excited, wagging her tail uncontrollably, when she sees the LoR van pull up. The chauffeur service is extremely convenient and worth the extra charge. Caitlin, in the front office, is always great about working with us to find a schedule that meets our needs. Lily really enjoys her time at daycare in a safe environment under the watchful supervision of Stewart and Ian, and it is great for us to be able check in on her via their webcams. She comes home happy and tired.
Despite having a few other options in our neighborhood, we have stuck with LoR because of their consistent reliability and competitive price. They provide us with peace of mind knowing Lily is in good hands while we are away at work. Thanks LoR Team!

I have nothing but positive things to say about this place! My husband and I were left short of a dog sitter and needed a quick solution for our 6 month old puppy one weekend. I looked and decided to give this place a try, and I’m glad I did! We dropped Dobby off and the staff was more than helpful with what to bring with him. I love my fur baby, so I was able to watch him get associated with other dogs. I watched the staff give all the dogs extra attention, and my dog looked like he was having fun! The next morning we received two pictures of Dobby playing with all his new doggie friends, and same with the last morning. When we came to get him, Caitlin helped us retrieve his stuff. She even gave us a report on how Dobby had done. I couldn’t be more happy! Thanks again!

What can I tell you about Life Of Riley… we love them!
When we got our new puppy Clover Maxwell, a Maltese fluff ball, we needed a place for him to stay while I am at work… and LoR is the place!
The staff are amazing… and I would say the key word which describes them would be love. They love the animals as much as we do.
The pet suites are amazing. The play areas are awesome. The grooming team is epic. You won’t go wrong here. Period. They work with you… around you and make it possible for your four legged little ones to love life while you are busy working — or taking a break to holiday… Clover loves it.
Microphone… dropped.

Can’t say enough amazing things about LoR! Boarded our senior Parson Russell Terrier for 5 days:
— Picked up my dog happy and exhausted (always a good sign)
— Was able to see him online via their live stream cam
— AND staff sent daily pics to ease my crazy dog mom mind!
— LOVE that this place does not keep him cooped up in his kennel ²⁴⁄₇ (he was allowed to roam freely in their more quiet/​low energy office/​room with other low energy dogs) & only put in his kennel for bedtime after 10pm
— Everything is all inclusive (no extra charge for feeding him his own food, playtime/​walks, etc)
— Staff was very friendly and very responsive
— Very clean facility
— Entire process from dropping off our dog, picking him up & payment was streamlined and VERY easy
— They even offer pickup/​dropoff! (like über for your pup!)
— They also offered after hours pickup if needed since there was a staff member on site overnight (loved that!!!)
My only concern is that the kennel area does not have A/​C (BUT each individual kennel is outfitted with its own fan) — just wanted to put that out there so there are no surprises if you decide to board your dog here. (We boarded our terrier in August and he seemed fine.)
MY DOG & I HIGHLY RECOMMEND LIFE OF RILEY — just wish they were open years ago!!!

New to the area. Took both my babies to Andrea at Life of Riley. Andrea was very professional and nice. It shows she truly cares for our 4 legged children. They smell and look great! Not to mention there pricing is very competitive and the staff are amazing! I will definitely be taking them back. Thanks Andrea!!!

Aside from the beautiful facility and caring staff, i knew this place was a gem after seeing my dog’s face light up each and every time. The indoor/​outdoor play facility and boarding rooms that look better than a human hotel are immaculate! You can see that the team truly cares for the well being of your dog. This isnt a business to them, it is their passion and way of life. I highly recommend Life of Riley, and so does my dog. Thank you to the wonderful staff!!!

Our PTSD rescue dog needs individualized attention and time with a caring person to develop trust. Everyone at LoR understood and honored that. When we picked him up after his first time he was clearly relaxed and comfortable. He may never be enthusiastic about grooming, but we know he will be treated with genuine concern and kind patience here. Here it’s personal and not just a business transaction. Andrea was observant of our dog’s limits and worked with us to complete his grooming over 3 sessions, reducing charges accordingly. We’re going back on a frequent basis to increase his trust with Andrea and the rest of the staff. We recommend LoR without hesitation of any kind!

My jack russell LOVES going to Life of Riley for doggy daycare, and I back him up 100%. My dog goes here M-​F for 6 – 8 hours a day. The staff play with them all day, and there is always someone watching over them. The facility is unlike any others, as the dogs are not crated, and they get to enjoy playing inside AND outside all day. I am very picky when it comes to leaving my dog somewhere, and I feel comfortable every time I drop off my pup and he is super excited the moment he gets here. I definitely recommend Life of Riley!

We boarded our dog here for the first time and had an overall great experience.
Pros:
— Clean facility
— Super cute hotel like suites for each dog
— Extensive play time/​non suite time. Dogs are out from 7 am to 10 pm daily
— Webcam so that you can check in on your dog
— Friendly staff and responsive owner
— Indoor and outdoor play
Cons:
— Staff not really knowledgeable about the program. When I went for a tour they were unable to answer specific questions and kept deferring me to the owners. Didn’t leave feeling that they knew what the facility offered or the schedule for boarded dogs
— No airconditioned play area. During high summer temps only have large fans to cool the dogs. Could be concerning.

Andrea did a great job with my girls. I appreciated her taking the time to understand my needs for my dogs an she delivered. I will go back again.

Andrea is the absolute best! She will absolutely take care of business, worth every penny and then some!

My doxie mix piper got 15 min daily walks from Life of Riley while we were in Rockville for a few months and it was absolutely great. Laura and Paul were super responsive and helpful. Both of our walkers Jenn and Monica were terrific and we couldn’t have been more pleased. Got a pic via text/​email every day after the walk which was a really nice plus! They were also great with two overnight stays that we needed — including one over a holiday — everything from scheduling to getting updates worked really well. The best part was always how responsive everyone was — always heard back in less than a day. If we’re ever back in the area we’ll know where to go.

My dog Monti absolutely loves his Life of Riley playgroup! It’s his favorite 2 hours of the day. The staff take such good care of him too. We are very happy to have found such a wonderful and caring outdoor playgroup near our home in Potomac.