It was a typical first birthday party. All of Frankie's friends were there—some with gifts and some without. There were games planned to keep everybody entertained, plus fun party favors for everyone to take home. Of course, there was a birthday cake for the birthday boy and his guests to share—but it was made with peanut butter and shaped like a giant bone.
 That's because Frankie is a dog, and he's celebrating his first birthday with a custom-planned party at Off the Leash Pet Boutique. This is a local business that celebrates our best friends and animal companions with healthy and fun foods, fascinating toys and a full range of pet services. Let's face it: pets are important members of the family. And no one believes that more than Jodie Ford and Aysha Ali, co-owners of Off the Leash Pet Boutique. They supply a home to a veritable menagerie of animals, including pugs Godiva and Roxy, Sushi the cat, a frog, fish and Kiwi the lovebird—who is the store's gregarious mascot. The friendly neighborhood spot welcomes both pets and pet lovers, offering a network of information and services such as classes, dog walking, grooming and yes, even pet party planning.
Both lifelong animal lovers and animal-related business owners, Aysha and Jodie met and decided to start their own dog walking and boarding business called The Dog Jog in 1998. Aysha was a professional pet photographer and dog walker who grew up on the 4800 block of Hoyne Avenue. Jodie grew up in an animal-loving family that bred boxers on their farm in Southern Illinois. Later, The Dog Jog evolved into an idea to open a pet boutique in their neighborhood. "There wasn't a pet store in the area," explains Jodie. "We talked to lots of people who kept telling us that they had to go outside the neighborhood to purchase supplies for their pets." So to meet these needs, Aysha and Jodie opened Off the Leash Pet Boutique in October of 2004. "People seem to feel really good about supporting us," says Aysha. "They come in all the time and say, 'We're so glad your here. I'd much rather support a small business.'"
One of the most important things for pet owners is making sure that they have a convenient supplier of food for their pets. The shop features a small selection of food for ferrets, birds and other small pets like hamsters and guinea pigs. But Off the Leash Pet Boutique specializes in super-premium, holistic and human grade foods for dogs and cats. "The protein source is the same as you'd get in your own food," explains Aysha. "There's no corn or wheat fillers and there is a high concentration of meat." Some of the brands of dog and cat food they carry include Wellness, Solid Gold, Steve's Real Food Frozen Diet, Abady, Four Star Canine Cuisine from Fromm, and Merrick, known for creative canned canine meals such as Cowboy Cookout, Wild Buffalo Grill and the ever-popular Turducken. Like us, our pets are what they eat. Dramatic results in improved health and behavior can happen just when you improve your companion animal's diet. "There was a man who had stopped in with his basset hound, who must have been about 11 or 12 years old," tells Jodie. "I gave the man a sample of some premium dog food, and he sort of rolled his eyes at me. Well, he ended up coming back—playing it really cool—to buy a 30 pound bag. He said that he thought I was crazy, but his dog was looking better than ever and even had the energy to go to the park again, which he hadn't been able to do in years." A better diet for dogs leads to improvements that can be seen in their coats and in their muscle mass. "You can see the benefits of feeding your dog premium foods in only about two weeks," explains Aysha. But there is a method to transforming your dog's diet. "You need to gradually introduce new foods," she says. Luckily, Off the Leash Pet Boutique gives away sample food packs to customers, so they can see if their dog likes a new brand or flavor of food.
 Once your dog gets his or her diet in order, then it's time for some treats from the Off the Leash Doggy Bakery. A glass counter at the back of the shop is filled with delicious-looking puppy pastries from Canine Cannoli to Poochie Pizzas. Several independent bakers make the treats, including a local pastry chef. Sold by the piece, half dozen or dozen, these treats are made with wholesome ingredients like whole wheat flour, organic peanut butter, yogurt or carob. Some have cinnamon or parsley, which aid the breath and digestion. "They're safe to eat for humans, too," laughs Aysha. "We've tried them." To beat the heat in the dog days of summer, Off the Leash Pet Boutique also sells Chilly Dawg, a frozen treat for your pets made from soy milk, fruit and vanilla in flavors like Puppy Nutter and Barkin' Apple.
Another staple service that's nice for pet owners to have in the neighborhood is grooming. Off the Leash Pet Boutique gives pet owners two options: take advantage of full service grooming or come in to use the self-wash facilities. "Some people prefer to come in and wash their own dog," says Aysha. "There's no clean up required—we take care of that for you. We also supply everything you need. There are 15 all natural shampoos, towels, brushes, you name it." Self-wash service is $12, while full grooming begins at $18 and depends on the size of the dog. They'll make sure your dog looks his or her best, after a full round of teeth cleaning, ear cleaning and nail trimming.
To reward your dog's good behavior during grooming, don't walk out of Off the Leash Pet Boutique without getting a toy or two. The shop has a really clever selection of toys from small suppliers like Earth Dog, West Paws, Ruff Dawg and Planet Dog. "We try to buy only from other small businesses," explains Aysha. "One of our suppliers runs a dog rescue in addition to running the business." Pup Culture makes a particularly fun selection of toys, such as one that looks like a giant tomato soup can that is called "Tomutto Soup" instead, or another that resembles a take-out coffee cup and says "Canine Caffiend." Merchandise is split 50-50 between items for dogs and cats, and includes collars, leashes, bowls, clothing, accessories and beds—among other items. "We try to make sure we have items for small dogs up to the stronger, chewing big dogs," says Aysha. "Many of our toys, especially those from Ruff Dawg, are super durable." Jodie and Aysha also invite local artists to sell and exhibit their pet-oriented work. Artist Julie Ray makes pet-related cards sold at the shop, while Brian Gregory hand-makes dog-shaped magnets from scrap metal.
Off the Leash Pet Boutique is a neighborhood hub for those seeking all types of pet-oriented services. Jodie and Aysha still offer dog walking to their customers who live in the surrounding neighborhood. If you live a bit farther away, they'll be glad to recommend another walker who's closer to home. "We are part of a great network of similar businesses," says Jodie. "We get all sorts of referrals and we give back to others by referring them." One special service that Off the Leash Pet Boutique offers is a series of classes taught by Mary Scheffke of Best Paw Forward Chicagoland. She's an experienced teacher who will work either one-on-one or in group classes to strengthen the human-canine bond while improving dog behavior. Classes range from a weekly puppy class at 4:30pm on Sundays, to a one-night workshop on how to pick the right dog for your lifestyle. Aysha and Jodie also host highly-attended events throughout the year like dog adoption nights. Give them a call to find out about what's coming up.
 And then, of course, there are the parties. Aysha works with pet owners to plan their dog's day. "The first birthday is usually the biggest," says Aysha. "Some people want to be closely involved in the planning, while others want you to take care of all the details for them. We welcome people to be as involved as they want to be." All events are custom-designed and may include party favor packages with toys, party hats for the dogs to wear, complimentary party photos and a birthday cake, which Aysha bakes herself into the shape of a bone, fire hydrant or whatever the canine guest of honor would like. "We'll do just about anything," says Aysha. "If you have something in mind, we'll cater to it. We're always open to new ideas." Just give them a call to make a reservation. If your dog doesn't receive a coveted invitation to a private party, Off the Leash Pet Boutique also hosts open holiday events where everyone is welcome, like its Happy Howl-oween costume party when humans get treated with caramel apples and dogs get special Halloween bakery items.
While it may be true that neighbors with pets are glad that Off the Leash Pet Boutique opened, both Aysha and Jodie are also glad to have such great customers of the two-legged and four-legged varieties. Their appreciation can be seen all around the shop. A special bulletin board holds a photo of the "Pet of The Week," who this week was Magdar, a fetching pooch kind enough to model a pair of "doggles" from the shop. "We love to take pictures of the pets who come in," says Aysha. "Usually there's an interesting story that comes up each week, like someone learning how to sit or a dog that's having a birthday. Those end up being the Pets of the Week." Aysha and Jodie have plans for allowing customers to submit their own pet photos through the Off the Leash website. But there's also another level of appreciation that Jodie and Aysha get from their customers. "We're able to solve a lot of problems for our customers," says Jodie. "There are a lot of things we sell that help customers who have pets with behavioral problems. There are products that really help animals deal with stress." So be sure to ask about what's available if your pet seems to be going through a difficult phase.
There's a reason why Off the Leash Pet Boutique can be so many things to so many people—and animals. It's because Aysha and Jodie truly care about what they do. "When you pursue your passion, it's easy to be excited about what you're doing," says Aysha. "The good ideas just keep on flowing." So make sure to come on two legs or four to Off the Leash Pet Boutique for food, supplies and fun.
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