Top Dog is owned and operated by Jean Beuning, bringing 14 years of expertise in hospitality lodging with Marriott, to the world of dogs. “I guess you could say that I was in the business of ‘boarding people’ for 14 years . . . now I am spending my life taking care of dogs.” My husband, Curt, and I had four wonderful Shelties, Jazz, Mckenna, Picasso & Kiwi . . . the loves of our lives. We would not kennel them, so we hired dog sitters, or traveled separately. But in 1993, a dog sitter backed out last minute and we decided to try a kennel. It was a very bad experience. After that “the wheels in my entrepreneurial head” started turning, and I decided that someday I would build a place where dogs love to visit and don’t want to leave.

Top Dog Country Club is truly a vacation club for dogs where they have human and dog playtime and interaction from 6 am – 9 pm, 7 days a week. It is best described as a “Club Med” for dogs. While I developed the idea for Top Dog, I continued my career with Marriott. The last 4 years, as a vice president for the Midwest Region, I would get on an airplane every Monday morning and return Friday evening, visiting 3-5 cities, working 80-hour weeks. I woke one morning and said to myself, “this is crazy, life is too short and I am not going to spend the rest of it like this.” The education I received with the very best lodging company in the world was a tremendous asset in building the Top Dog experience. I operate this facility with the same quality, service level and attention to detail of my Marriott hotels. It’s just that my guests are much more fun! About leaving my big corporate title, position and salary, “I cannot think of any greater success than to take my business expertise, combine it with my passion in life . . . caring for dogs, and make that my life’s work."