After I left for college, my parents and younger sister filled the void with a Jack Russell Terrier. If you’re at all familiar with Jack Russell Terriers, you know that they’re high-energy, high-maintenance and highly intelligent. On days Sinatra doesn’t get to the dog park, she finds more destructive ways to exercise – namely, chewing drywall. Leaving her home alone for more than a few hours is a risky proposition and leaving her alone overnight is out of the question. Enter the dog spa.

We’re not exactly sure how Sinatra spends her time at Dogtopia – my sister suggests that the proprietors make all the dogs cobble shoes – but it always leaves the pup so tired that she sleeps the whole ride home. Let’s take a look at some of the other more, uh, unique, doggie daycare and boarding services available:

1. Stay: A Modern Dog Hotel – Chicago

Is your pup packing a few extra pounds after the holiday season? Then Chicago’s Stay might be the perfect remedy. The 30,000 square foot facility features an aquatic fitness center with a custom designed lap pool, which uses paddle-in-place currents to “effectively increase muscle strength and endurance.” All dogs wear life vests and receive a one-on-one workout, with a 25-minute session setting you back $20. You can also keep an eye on your dog while you’re away via one of Stay’s two Web cams.

2. Yankee Dog Retreat – Boston

I don’t know who thought it was a good idea to name an establishment in Boston after baseball’s Evil Empire – maybe it’s a not-so-veiled indication of what Red Sox fans think of their New York brethren – but the Yankee Dog Retreat boasts a lineup of amenities worthy of a champ. From purifying clay treatments and conditioning milk baths, to essential massages and emergency deskunkings, this place is guaranteed to pamper your pooch for the right price.

For the on-the-go dog looking for a trendy way to stay fit, 20-minute Doggy Yoga sessions provide an “indirect way to teach obedience and focus,” while aggressive or shy dogs might benefit from one of YDR’s Positive Energy sessions. Among the items for sale in the boutique, the dog house at the bottom of this page would make some celebrities blush:

3. America Dog & Cat Hotel – Las Vegas

What happens in Vegas, (sits and) stays in Vegas. This luxurious hotel boasts private suites for dogs and cats and “play pals” who look after your pets during the day. The large free range area features 32-inch color TVs, which play “doggy cartoons,” and, from the Web site: “pleasant soothing jazz music such as ENYA and SADE.” I think my dog’s partial to Snoop.

4. Ritzy Canine Carriage House – New York

Ever dropped $20 for room service that tastes like dog food? Well, at the Ritzy Canine Carriage House, the room service is dog food, including dishes made from organic meats, vegetables and basmati rice. While it also boasts deluxe accommodations, such as orthopedic bedding and a $175/night Presidential Suite replete with “a toy chest filled with all kinds of stimulating toys, a television, VCR and special selections from our video library,” the Ritzy Canine is perhaps best well known for its one of a kind boutique. I suppose there are worse ways to spend money on your pups.

5. Cha Cha’s Doggie Daycare – Sacramento

Cha Cha’s offers a wide variety of services and activities for your dog, including field trips, weight camp, and arts and crafts. Perhaps some particularly artistic former visitors were responsible for the facility’s Rainbow Brite-inspired walls. Cha Cha’s also hosts birthday parties with liver-flavored cake, a balloon chase, and, my personal favorite childhood game, bobbing for hot dogs. Mmmm. From their Web site: Cha Cha’s is like “a day at doggie Disneyland.” Pluto would be jealous.

6. Paradise Ranch Country Club – Sun Valley, Calif.

The artsy intro to the Paradise Ranch Web site says it all: “A resort so exclusive it doesn’t accept people.” People, after all, can’t legally request a “bed buddy” with the concierge. That’s right, with the largest staff to dog ratio on the West Coast, Paradise Ranch employees will actually “cuddle up and snooze the night away right next to your dog in order to bring them that much closer to home” for an extra $20 per night. That’s just one way that Paradise Ranch promises to make your dog, however shy he might be, feel a part of the family from the time he sets paw inside the country club’s secure gates.

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