Sheila’s house has gone to the dogs. And that’s just the way she wants it. It’s the ultimate in doggie day care.

“I do take quite a few dogs for just the day. People just leave them here while they are at work or away from home,” Sheila Sanborn said.

Dogs are everywhere: On the coffee table, in the kitchen, on the deck or in the yard. “Dogs rule.”

Sheila’s Dog House, located in Harpswell off Route 24 and Cundy’s Harbor Road, has been in operation since 2004. She was encouraged to get her license to start the business by “MC” McAuley, who was a good friend and fellow dog lover, who passed away in late 2007.

On average,

Sanborn has about a dozen dogs per day in her residence. Most of her four-legged guests are there for only a few days, some for a week and others might stay for a longer stint.

“Guinness, the pug, has been here for about five weeks now, and that’s quite a long time. His owners should be coming home soon,” she said as she looked at the little black dog with the swirly tail. Regardless of length of stay, Sanborn’s goal is to make the humans as well as the dogs happy. “I encourage the person to call and then come by and see my place and meet me and my pets, before they decide to leave their pet here. I don’t want there to be expectations or misunderstandings. I want people to know how and where I will care for their dog,” Sanborn said.

At the Dog House there are not a whole lot of rules. If you are four-legged, you can be nearly anywhere, which means on the various dog beds spread around any available space on the floor, on the couch or one of the easy chairs, on the table or even on the house’s many beds.

“I just want the dogs to feel at ease and at home here. We let the dogs sleep wherever they are comfortable. Many owners don’t want their dogs to be on the furniture or up on the beds, so those dogs usually pick out a (dog) bed and sleep there. But others will come right up in the bed with us,” Sanborn said.

Out in the backyard, which has been reinforced for possible escape artists and diggers, there are lots of things for dogs to do. There are steps or a ramp to get down into the yard, a wooden deck to lay on for sunbathing or napping and in the yard, there are things to sniff, smell, scratch and yes, chew on.

Nor are the dogs bored when they are inside. In the corner of the living room there’s an entire wooden box filled with toys. “When we get low on toys, I go to the Salvation Army or Goodwill and buy the stuffed toys in a bag for $1. You can get a lot of mileage out of a Salvation Army toy,” Sanborn said.

If a dog has made a hole in a stuffed animal she removes the rest of the stuffing and gives the toy back to the dog. Similarly, she ensures no dog has access to a toy that uses beads for eyes, nor are they allowed to chew on the squeaker found inside some dog toys.

“This is someone’s pet I am being trusted to take care of and I am going to treat them exactly as my own. I mean I do, (as) my dogs are right here with all the others,” she said.

For more information or to schedule a visit, call 725-1201.

Doggie details

¦ Sheila’s Dog House Pet Sitting and Doggie
Day Care
Harpswell, ME
Telephone: 725-1201
Day care: $15 Overnight: $17
Discounts available for long-term boarding