Meet Perry and Kathy Olshein of Markay’s Castle of the Dogs

Today we’d like to introduce you to Perry and Kathy Olshein.

Thanks for sharing your story with us Perry and Kathy. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
This all started 15 years ago when my wife and I bought this little 5 acre farm in Indiana as a weekend getaway. She was the #1 dog trainer in Chicago and I owned Perry’s Deli in the loop.

After a year of spending our weekends on the farm, it became harder and harder to come back to the city. So….one Monday morning we looked at each other and said, “Let’s do it!” We both sold our businesses, combined our forces and open up The Castle. Kathy had been operating Markay Dog Training since 1984 so she had a ready-made base of clients that were always asking her to watch their dogs when they traveled.

Since we lived in the city in a residential neighborhood, we could only house the dogs that were coming to our home for training.

After getting approval from the zoning board, we hired an architect and contractor and built The Castle. It opened almost exactly one year from the day we decided to do it.

That was Spring of 2004. If you look for us in the Yellow pages you won’t find us because we only take clients by referral. It’s not that we are snobby, (“well maybe a little bit!) but we get the kind of clients whose primary concern is the quality of care and or training their dog will get while they are here. We do not advertise. We get calls all the time from companies trying to enhance our internet presence. They don’t believe me when I tell them we don’t want people going to our web site, it’s only there for us to send new clients to see our facility and get info.

We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
The biggest challenge we face is not financial. Keeping the dogs safe and healthy is always our top priority. So no matter how hard you try just like at their home, sometimes they will get sick or injured. We always tell our new clients upfront, “We will do what’s in your dog’s best interest first, not what’s convenient for us, or what’s cheapest for you. That’s what you pay us for!”

So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the Markay’s Castle of the Dogs story. Tell us more about the business.
When we first opened up, our local clients couldn’t understand why would people from Chicago send their dogs 120 miles to board their dogs here. Weren’t there any kennels in Chicago? Of course, there are. There are several reasons. #1. They don’t have Kathy who is a dog expert. She started out as a groomer then went on to become a vet tech and then a trainer. She has shown dogs in conformation, obedience, and has co-founded two dog therapy organizations.

We are proud of our customer service. We get back to our customers on the day they call. The newsletters we send to our clients go out on linen paper not email. They are from us, not some kennel association. We treat our clients with respect. We don’t insult their intelligence by saying ridiculous things like “this is just like your home.” It’s not! It’s a kennel. There are many great things about it and I am proud of what we can do but your dog does not get to sleep in bed with my wife and me. It’s the same thing when companies tell you your call is important and put you on hold forever. How can that call be important?

An example of doing what’s best for your dog is to keep him on the same diet, so we encourage all our clients to send the food that their dog normally eats. Yes, it takes a long time for us to feed. This is what is best for your dog. If we see that a dog has an ear infection, if there is enough time before his or her return, we will take them to our vet for treatment instead of just telling the client about it. That is customer service.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.markaydog.com

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