Dog Town Club Pet Grooming and Pet Hotel

Although I've driven past Dog Town Pet Grooming many times and I've seen their posts on FB I've never really given them much thought since my little ankle biters don't need any pet grooming. However, last night Saem (the owner and groomer) messaged me and asked me to swing by and check it out. Since I had some free time I thought, "Why not?" I mean, I'm sure there there are lots of folks in the Pyeongtaek Restaurants & Things To Do Group have dogs with long hair and might need a recommendation. Plus, I'm just generally curious. I've seen FB posts for Dog Town and I've never been able to figure out what to think.

So, last night I grabbed my soy pumpkin spiced latte at 커피에 반하다 and headed over. The shop isn't huge and it's located maybe a 5 minute drive straight out of Camp Humphreys main gate just before Korea Mart. The shop is also only open by appointment. You can't just stop in and check it out.

When I arrived it was a little awkward at first. Saem is very reserved in English. It's difficult for him and he struggles through details with diligent efforts. It's very hard for him and I know how that feels. That is me on so many days in Korean. So after torturing him with questions in English for a little bit, I decided to switch to Korean so I could learn more and help him feel more comfortable. That's when he really came out of his shell and just started talking and talking and talking about his feelings concerning dogs, vets, grooming, customer service, etc.

Which brings me to something I want to talk about, language barriers. On FB and in person it can be VERY hard for Korean's to communicate their feelings, experience, and services. Sometimes it's hard to know if you are being taken advantage of, or if it's just an in ability to clearly understand each other's intentions. Which is why I try to speak to local business owners both in English and in Korean. It gives me a better idea of who they are, what their motivations are, where their passion comes from.  Even if I can't understand 100% of what they may tell me in Korean, I can learn a great deal from their manner and use of the language which tells me a lot about who they are as people. 

That said, here are my cliff notes from my visit with Saem:

• He is passionate about what he does and deeply cares about the animals. 
• He even pays attention to their skin and their coat and will let you know if there are allergies or health issues. 
• He works with clients from Camp Humphreys and Osan because he feels a connection with Americans and their priorities for their pets. 
• Dogs that stay with him (for the pet hotel services) stay in his home and he doesn't keep them kenneled the entire time, he lets them play and roam. 
• He doesn't want to rush through a cut, he wants to do it right. This isn't his job, it's his passion.
• His specialty is Cocker spaniel cuts. 
• Big dogs are no problem for him and what he does the most.
• He wants to be affordable and fair, but also needs to charge a reasonable price since he has 25 years of experience (Which I agree with. This isn't a chop shop. This guy knows what he is doing.)  
• A basic cut for a large dog is going to run 60,000W. As you know, more demanding and complicated requests will need to be negotiated, but Saem is reasonable and he isn't' just thinking about the dollar signs. He is trying to find a balance between quality and affordability.
• For this pet hotel services, it's 20,000 per day for small and medium dogs and 40,000 per day for big dogs.  This isn't just a "leave them in a cage until I get back" situation. Although I haven't been to his house, his no-sense attitude and passion for animals makes be believe he is going to do a good job.

Here are some questions that you need to ask so that there aren't any misunderstandings with ALL dog groomers:

• Will my dog be sedated? It's a common practice to sedate dogs who get upset during grooming in order to decrease their stress, protect the groomer. This is not unique to Korea. It's done in the states as well. However, in Korea they may not ask you first and so it might be a shock to you to learn about it after the fact since we are used to having these things cleared with us ahead of time.  If you DO NOT want you dog sedated you need to be clear about this up front.  You must be clear about your expectations on this.

• If there is a change in the price, will you contact me? Sometimes what groomers begin working on the dog they discover that there are more issues than they expected. You need to make sure the groomer understands not to do anything extra without checking with you. This is a complicated part of doing business outside your own language in a new culture. 

• What does the service include? Will the toenails be clipped? Ears cleaned? etc. Be sure to understand what services are being provided. Every groomer is different and you might expect something will be done, but it's not. You also might expect something else to be left alone, but the groomer includes it in their service. 

Is Saem all cuddles and rainbows when you meet him? No. He is intense and serious, but when he starts talk about dogs you see his sincerity and it feels deeply honest. If my dogs had long hair I would bring them here at least once to try it. Honestly, this guy is super passionate about animals and taking care of them. There is also a cultural and language barrier you will need to work through. Be patient and make sure all your needs and expectations are communicated.

If you don't feel comfortable there are always other options to try.

For a Reservation text or call 010-4000-9614

J. Dog Cafe

Over the summer we were going everywhere trying to find the perfect places to play with our doggies who spend far too much time inside. Although we found many wonderful options for summer, with winter on the way I knew we needed to find ones that might offer a big more warmth.

Which is how I found the fabulous J. Dog Cafe located near my favorite new area of Pyeongtaek. This cafe has everything you need to enjoy the long winter months with your fuzzy family members. The large spacious facility offers ample outside and inside space for puppies to play. Large and small dogs are welcome and all for the cost of one drink per human who accompanies the dogs. No fee per dog. The drinks are a little pricey - ranging from 7,000 and up - but considering it costs at least 20,000w for two humans and two dogs at the larger parks and THEN we have to spend another 10,000w on coffee, this is a great deal for us.

Also, what makes J. Dog different from other cafes is the fact that they have a huge yard for the doggies to play in so it's like a park and a cafe in one space. Also, the owners both spoke English and were very kind. We felt quite welcome.

The cafe isn't only for visiting, they also have boarding options as well if you are in need of a place to leave your beloved babies over the weekend or while you are traveling. We might try leaving our doggies there in the future.

Looking forward to running into all the local expat dog owners at J. Dog this winter. We can all hangout together while hugging our puppies and mochas.

*** This listing and all other restaurants reviewed by South of Seoul can be found in the South of Seoul app which can be downloaded from Google Play and the Apple App Store. ***

CLICK HERE FOR ADDRESS AND CONTACT INFO.

연암공원 Suwon Park

During a recent bike ride around Suwon we most likely broke many rules, despite the fact we were making our best effort to go by them. So I'm going to begin this recommendation by stating, I don't know if we were supposed to be riding our bikes here.  We had avoided going a few places that specifically said no bikes, but the trails we used to access this park didn't have signs that we noticed. We aren't saying they weren't there, we just didn't notice them.

Even though we are unsure if bike are allowed, we are sure dogs are allowed as long as they are on a leash and you pick up after them. BE SURE of those two things.  We saw quite a few owners out walking their little ankle biters so grab your fur baby and head outside.

One of the big reasons this park is perfect for you and your dog in the summer is that it is HEAVILY shaded. We were able to avoid direct sun throughout nearly the entire trek. A fact we greatly appreciated after stupidly not bringing water with us. A mistake we hope to never make again, but most likely will endlessly. There are also many napping areas along the way, so you will have plenty of chances to take a rest that are also out of the sun.

This particular park is great because it wanders along a ridge all the way to the lake park that we love. That means you can go jump in water features at the end of your long walk (or bike ride as was our case). That's a lovely end to any outdoor excursion. 

The pin that we dropped marks the beginning of the series of parks and green spaces that run all the way to the water. There are many different entrances and exits along the way.

CLICK HERE for a map and additional info on MollaKorea

ADDRESS: 경기도 수원시 팔달구 우만동 238

Four Seasons Theme Dog Park

While on the search for human swimming pools in Pyeongtaek I came across something I'd never thought to look for, dog theme parks. So, imagine my shock when one just happened to be located only 10 minutes from our house. Actually it was less shock and more complete disbelief. I mean, how could there be an awesome dog park minutes from my house and I not know? I research everything!!!!

Well, it's there and it's big and it's very well maintained. It's not cheap, but it's also not terribly expensive. Especially if you consider the package prices include very impressive self-dog washing areas that will make it super easy for you to take your fur babies home looking like royalty. 

There are three exorcise areas that are separated by dog size (although we did see some tiny dogs chilling in the big dog area) and two swimming pools for owners (also separated by size) and dogs to frolic in together.

Plus, there are plenty of shaded areas with picnic tables where you can hang out all day with your friends if you bring all your supplies.  If you don't bring your supplies you can also order BBQ from them and use their BBQ's or grab a snack for you and your fur friends at the cafe. We had a coffee and it was totally respectable.

If you like to practice agility training, they have all kinds of ramps and things to hop over, under and around. The spaces all appeared to be very well secured with tons of space for dogs to run.

Prices are based on 1) dog size 2) what facilities you plan to use 3) how many dogs you have 4) how many people are in your group. Since space is limited they can have you show up for a picnic with 20 friends and one dog and not charge for the entire group. It makes sense based on the business model. Price per person is 3,000 and price per dog ranges from 8,000 (small dog just chilling in the exorcise area) to 30,000 (giant dog using all the things).

We recommend coming here in an outfit that you want to get wet in and playing all day with your fur baby. Make a day of it. Get all your moneys worth and maker you doggy the happiest doggy in the world. 

*** This listing and all other restaurants reviewed by South of Seoul can be found in the South of Seoul app which can be downloaded from Google Play and the Apple App Store. ***

CLICK HERE for map and contact information in MollaKorea.

ADDRESS: 경기도 평택시 서탄면 마두리 43-17

Hiking Next to Pyeongtaek Lake

Recently our lives have calmed down and we have more time to explore. Our first lazy Sunday found us wandering through the woods in one of the pretties hike in the area. It's also a great area for walking your puppies. Not a lot of people, but plenty with little puppies of their own. (As always, remember to pick up after you puppies.)

The trail is a nice challenged, but not difficult. Simply a pleasant, meandering walk in the woods. There are plenty of benches and even a napping platform if you get knackered... or I guess I need to say tired.

Although there are many enterences to this little trail system, I've given the address to the area with the most parking if you drive.  There is also a bus that will take you here, although I don't know the number, or you can ride your bike.

Address: 경기도 평택시 현덕면 신왕리 산66
Naver Map: http://me2.do/xpx7saS6