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Sizable, soft mattresses. Tiled walls. Soundproof. And a TV constantly playing the kids TV show “Bluey.”
What sounds like a strange, yet comfortable, retreat is actually designed as a luxurious boarding program for dogs.
K9 Hideaway opened in 2024 and is already making plans to build a brand new, ground-up facility in Springfield, said owner James Craigmyle. The luxury dog boarding company also specializes in doggy day care. Craigmyle owns a separate company, housed in the same building, that specializes in dog training.
Craigmyle has capitalized on a growing trend across the country: Dog boarding facilities are increasingly turning to luxury amenities to appease owners, whom Craigmyle calls “parents.”
“More people are spending more money on their dogs than anything else,” Craigmyle said. “People would rather spend the money on their dogs now than they would on themselves.”
K9 Hideaway, located at 204 W. Farm Road 182, near the intersection of Plainview Road and Campbell Avenue, offers individual rooms Craigmyle calls “luxury calming suites.”
“It’s tiled walls, a real bed, real mattress, TV and it’s sound proof,” the business owner said.
Why are they constantly playing the hit children’s show, “Bluey” in every room? Craigmyle says the show only uses colors present in dogs’ color spectrum.
“All of the colors in this cartoon dogs can see,” the business owner said. “So, they’re not just bored in their rooms.”
K9 Hideaway has 12 luxury rooms for boarding, which can hold a family of up to four dogs, Craigmyle said. The dogs have to come from the same owners to share a suite. Those rooms run $65 per dog per night.
The boarding facility also offers six condos, which are large, individual cages. Condos run $55 dollars per dog per night and traditional kennels will cost $45 per dog per night. The 4,200 square foot building also has large sections, inside and out, designated for play and day care. It can hold roughly 60 dogs for day care, which costs $35 for a full day. There are packages for day care that reduce the cost.
There’s also a private suite called “Capone’s Hideout,” which is especially spacious. It’s the most luxurious suite in the whole facility, with private beds, a large TV and even a leather armchair (which one guest has already left his mark on). That room runs $110 per night, with an extra $45 per additional dog.
Craigmyle purchased the dog boarding business and property for $1.5 million in April 2024 and upgrades have run an additional $100,000. The property was originally built as a carwash, with car bays acting as sections of the dog boarding business. The business owner sees an even bigger building in the future and aims to be ready to break ground on that project within one year.
“This one is about 4,200 square feet,” Craigmyle said. “The new one is going to have to be at least double that. I’m looking anywhere from 8-to-10,000 square feet for the new one.”
Beyond that?
“The vision is to expand; we’ll open one in Branson eventually,” Craigmyle said. “I’ve got ideas that I want to do to take dog day care and dog boarding to the next level.”
Craigmyle is building an Ozarks-based business rooted in a service that is growing in demand nationwide.
In 2023, the pet boarding services industry generated $19.8 billion worldwide, according to a report from Global Market Insights. By 2032, the industry is expected to reach $29.5 billion. And luxury boarding facilities are expected to account for a growing share of the market in the next decade.
“The pet boarding service industry is moving towards greater luxury with specialized facilities, modern advancements, as well as a larger focus on wellness,” the report states. “Spas, fine dining, and custom play sessions that are luxurious in nature have become popular amidst pet owners.”
Luxurious add-ons are K9 Hideaway’s bread and butter. Baths and blowouts are available, with varying prices dependent on the size of the dog. The business offers additional cleaning, like nail trim, nail polish, ear cleaning and doggy facials. The business even has a signature doggy shampoo, manufactured just up the road in Nixa.
The nail polish, which costs $15 and comes in a marker-paint form, is in high demand, Craigmyle said.
“That is very popular for us,” the business owner said. “We do have quite a few parents that want their dogs’ toenails painted.”
There’s also an add-on for exercise. You can rent your dog some time on the doggy treadmill. It ranges in costs from $10 to $30, dependent on how long you want your dog to run. Dogs get to watch TV on the treadmill, just like their human-parents would do at the gym.
Craigmyle’s sister business, Craigmyle K9 Training, offers training services at K9 Hideaway. Before he started the business, Craigmyle traveled the country training dogs. Previously, he worked for Greene County Sheriff’s Office and worked with canines in that role.
The business owner has over a decade of experience in dog training, serving as a dual purpose K9 Handler for the sheriff’s office and SWAT. He says he can train all types of dogs, from small to big and every breed, for a variety of purposes. He trains dogs for law enforcement purposes all the way to personal dogs with an obedience problem.
Top-of-the-line luxury care is the top goal for K9 Hideaway and that comes in many forms, Craigmyle said. There’s a top-notch security system in place that alerts every worker’s phone when a problem occurs. The facility includes a double fence system, meaning it is very difficult for dogs to escape.
Another added layer of security: There are webcams in every bay and almost every room. With a self-titled app free to download, owners can look in and watch their dogs whenever they please.
K9 Hideaway provides one-on-one care with a dog, and the goal of the facility is to treat every dog with the same care that they have at home, Craigmyle said.
The facility sports turf throughout, meaning dogs stay cleaner than at other day care facilities that use mulch or dirt, the business owner said.
There’s also a feature that no doggy day care in Springfield has: A $55,000, giant playground that includes slides, bridges and all sorts of activities. Craigmyle custom designed the playground’s features, and it’s got all the bells and whistles. The playground was installed in March 2025 as an additional activity for the canine tenants.
“It gives the dogs something to have fun and play on while they’re here” and “it also builds dogs’ confidence,” Craigmyle said. “This is something that I wanted to do for the dogs that no one else has ever done that I’m aware of.”
Ryan Collins is the business and economic development reporter for the Springfield Daily Citizen. Collins graduated from Glendale High School in 2011 before studying journalism and economics at the University of Missouri-Columbia. He previously worked for Bloomberg News. Contact him at (417) 849-2570 or rcollins@sgfcitizen.org. More by Ryan Collins
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