Nicola Clothier, 41, and Gary Clothier, 38, have opened Tyneside's first soft play for dogs. The Bark Barn, in Blaydon, Gateshead, welcomes owners and their pets to a farmyard-themed indoor space with multiple levels, a ball pool, a tunnel and two slides.
New experience for dog owners
Nicola said the venue offers something different for people in the area. She told ChronicleLive: "I think it's something fun to do with your dog. There's not that much to do with your dog. You take your kids to a soft play and for a lot of people their dogs are their kids."
She added: "The soft play is just amazing. Everything about it is farmyard theme. We're really pleased with how it's come out. We're putting some ramps in for smaller dogs. We have had really good reviews. Everybody has commented on how fresh and clean and how well presented it is. Everybody has absolutely loved it."
Family-run venture
The couple, from Lemington, Newcastle, have five sons between them and four dogs - a bulldog called Daisy and three Pomeranian puppies called Pepper, Pixie and Dottie. They already run two shops specialising in raw dog food - Daisy, Bonnie and Beau's in Newcastle and Jax's Raw Store in Sunderland.
Nicola said the soft play is an ideal place for owners to exercise their dogs during bad weather. She noted that many dogs dislike going out in the rain and that owners of fluffy and long-haired dogs face a lengthy drying process afterwards. She said: "My bull dog certainly doesn't like going out in the rain. Its somewhere else they can get a lot of exercise."
Opening and pricing
Nicola and Gary opened the venue last weekend. They have also opened a third shop, The Treat Barn, next to The Bark Barn, which will be open three days a week. Customers can pay £13 to hire the soft play for 25 minutes or £25 for 50 minutes, with the cost allowing them to bring up to three dogs.
Nicola said: "When customers have been coming in, they've been coming in in families and groups. We have had a couple of friends in with their autistic children and it's been like a safe space for them to play with their dogs. It's been absolutely brilliant. Everybody has been amazing for cleaning up after their dogs. They've got all the equipment there that they need. Every night me and my husband go in to deep clean it. There's a lot of time and effort going into it."
