I feel that it’s important for you to know WHO is keeping your dogs and WHY I chose to open this business. Barkansas is a low-capacity dog kennel located basically in our front yard. We offer an environment that I hope makes your dog feel at home!
Our kennel building is heated and cooled. Dogs are housed in individual kennels with dividers in between to allow them privacy and to help them rest well.
I spend a lot of time in the kennel building working when we aren’t outside playing. There’s also a tv and some fans to give them a little background noise. I think noise (TV shows, movies, etc.) makes them feel more at home.
About me
I’m Annalisa (Daughety) Alliston, originally from McCrory, Arkansas. My husband, Johnny, and our youngest daughter, Abby, can often be found helping out with the dogs, so you may see and meet them when you come to our place. I have loved animals since I was a child. Currently, I have 3 dogs (Percy, Ruby, and Little Bit), 2 cats (Belle and Flynn), 2 goats (Andy and Helen), 1 rooster (Ernest T. Bass), and 30+ hens (I’ve learned the hard way not to name them!).
I spent 12 years working for a small non-profit, assisting transplant patients and their families. I was laid off due to COVID and when it came time to figure out what to do next, I knew following my dream of a dog boarding business was the thing I was meant to do.
I’m also an author–I have 20 published books with (hopefully) more to come. I mostly write under my maiden name, and if you’re a reader, you may be familiar with some of my work. Some of my novels include the Walk in the Park series (each book set in a different National Park), A Wedding to Remember, and a couple of Amish books that were on the bestseller list. One of those, Love Finds You in Charm, was made into a movie in 2016.
The reason I opted to start a dog boarding/daycare business (besides the fact that I love dogs) is because I know from experience how hard it is to leave your dog(s) behind while you travel. I want to give dog owners peace of mind that their dogs are safe and taken care of–and are having a fun time while their owner is away.
Our facility
Once your dog arrives to the kennel building, he or she will never be outside of a secure area. Our kennel building stays locked at all times, and the dogs exit our building into a locked and secured play yard. Dogs have their own individual kennel space with bedding (either brought from home or provided here), fresh water, food (provided from home), and any toys you might want to bring with them.
Playtime
Dogs are pack animals. Most enjoy group play and socialization very much. I match dogs for group play based on size and temperament. We play multiple times throughout the day (and night). When my dogs go outside, your dogs go outside! We typically start our day around 6 am with potty time, then come back inside the kennel building to wait on new arrivals for the day (or to get ready for departure, depending). Once all new dogs have arrived for the day, we head back out for play time.
Most mornings, we do 2-3 playtimes before lunch. Midday, the dogs come in for a rest and a lunch/snack break and then nap. In the afternoon we do 2-3 more playtimes before time for afternoon pick up/drop off.
When afternoon pick up/drop off is finished, we do another playtime, usually around 5:30 and again between 7-8. Between 9 and 10, we do individual potty time so I can be sure they’ve all had the chance to potty before bedtime. Lights out is usually around 10. I leave on lullaby music softly in the background in hopes that it will provide a soothing environment as they fall asleep.
I have multiple cameras in the kennel building so I can keep an eye on the dogs when I’m not out there.
Barkansas Dog Boarding 