Claire Fordham Interviews Randy Neece and Joe Timko of Canyon View Ranch, who have created dog heaven on earth
Deep in the canyon is a magical place where dogs come to have the time of their lives. They can stay just for the day or sleep over.
Randy Neece and Joe Kimko, a couple for 42 years, got the idea for Canyon View Ranch when they were visiting Disneyland, thinking: this, but for dogs. And that’s what they’ve built over decades. The ranch even has its own illustrated map, drawn by Nina Rae Vaughn, the same artist who illustrates Disneyland’s official park maps.
“We’ve created a place where people feel good about leaving their dogs, rather than guilty about it,” said Randy.
Boarders sleep in crates with birdsong and classical music piped throughout the day and night as they slumber in a doggie dormitory decorated with fake foliage and flowers. All perfectly tasteful, of course. Meanwhile, the temperature is set at a balmy 69 degrees.
If dogs don’t like sleeping in a crate or want to bed down with a sibling, there’s a mudroom, lounge and reception area where they can snooze on pillows. Pampered pooches can even be chauffeured to and from home for an extra fee. Clients love that. This has the added advantage of not clogging the road leading to the ranch with clients’ cars. The average number of dogs per day is 55, with room for 60.
Some clients are wealthy, but most are regular folk. All the clients have one thing in common—they love their dogs and treat them like family. When they go to work or on vacation, they want to know their dogs will be happy and well looked after.
There are two separate playgrounds: Adventureland for big dogs and Munchkinland for smaller breeds. Each has its own swimming pool, underground tunnels, and plenty of room to frolic.
However, it’s not all fun and games. Canyon View Ranch is also a training facility where wet-nosed family members learn the quiet command and where behavior issues are overcome.
“A lot of clients bring their dog for training because it’s a chronic barker. It barks at everything and won’t stop,” said Joe.
“I think most people can put up with a dog barking a little bit here and there. It’s when it goes on and on. Then the owner yells at the dog, and the dog has no idea what the owner is saying. It doesn’t understand the word quiet.
“So part one of our job as trainers is to get the dogs to understand the word quiet, then part two is to teach the owners how to give the command effectively, and part three is what to do if the dogs don’t get it.”
Walking around the ranch with Randy and Joe, we stopped at Munchkinland. One of the pups gave a little bark which was quickly nipped in the bud. The animal care specialist on duty put the dog on a leash and took it for a stroll away from the pack. A kind of pattern-interrupt. Saying “quiet” followed by a firmer “No. Quiet” if necessary usually does the trick, Joe tells me. If that doesn’t do it, they use a squirt bottle.
Talking of water, the dogs drink and play in filtered water, as the ranch has a reverse osmosis water system. If that runs out, the dogs drink bottled water.
Feeding time comes twice a day. They’ll provide house food, but prefer clients to bring their dogs’ regular food. “We like to keep the dogs on their usual diet, so it doesn’t upset their stomachs by switching food on them,” said Randy.
“It’s a lot more work for us, but it’s better for the dogs to give them their own food. And some are on supplements, vitamins and medication. We don’t charge extra for giving those out, as some places do.”
Every furry friend is offered a bath before they go home. “We like the dogs to go home smelling really good,” said Joe. “They’ve been out playing all day long, slobbering on each other.”
Randy and Joe’s dogs, Ellie, 9, and Sophie, 4, are Havanese. Do they have a favorite breed to recommend?
“Any kind of poodle mix — like a Goldendoodle or Labradoodle,” said Joe. “A poodle is a very smart dog. So you get the intelligence of a poodle and the personality of whatever the other mix is.”
Tibetan Mastiffs can be tricky, say Randy and Joe. But even pit bulls and Rottweilers, who have a reputation for being aggressive, can be sweet if they are trained properly and not bred to be fighting dogs. “We have Rottweilers and pit bulls who have been coming here since they were puppies, and they are perfectly behaved dogs,” said Randy.
“Labradors and Golden Retrievers are fun, but they can be very high energy. We’re careful about evaluating dogs before we take them.” And they have to be up to date with their shots.
If a dog gets a little too rambunctious with another pooch pal, it will be put on a leash and taken for a walk to calm down. “It’s not that we don’t want them to have fun,” said Joe, “but we don’t want it to escalate into something. We can tell whether a dog’s putting up with it or has had enough of another dog getting in its face.”
They avoid having balls for dogs to run after or toys to play with so they don’t get territorial over them. “They have enough fun playing with the other dogs, splashing in the pools and running around,” said Randy.
A number of clients lost their homes in the Palisades Fire. “We sent out a memo after we returned to the ranch following evacuation and told clients if you’ve lost your home, just bring your dog to us and we’ll take care of her for free until you get settled and figure out where you are going to live.”
When the call came to evacuate, clients (or emergency contacts) were called and told to meet at Ralph’s parking lot in Woodland Hills. They put the 45 dogs in their air-conditioned truck and waited until every dog was collected.
“We could see flames and smoke, and it was pretty scary. But we didn’t suffer any damage and all the dogs were safe,” said Randy. The spectacular landscape at Canyon View Ranch remains pristine.
Overnight stays are $100 ($120 during holidays). There are no hidden extra costs. This place is like a cross between Disneyland and a five-star hotel. There are discounts for multiple dogs per family. Just as well, because one regular client has a canine quintet. Training comes with an added charge.
Canyon View Ranch is a well-oiled machine with an average daily staff of 16 to 18 people, depending on how many dogs are in residence. They are open 24/7, so someone qualified is on duty at all times. People are welcome to go and look around—just make an appointment first.
Ranch manager David Barrios has worked there for 27 years. Most of the staff are also long-termers. Despite being in their 70s, Randy and Joe have no plans to retire, they love dogs and this place so much.
Randy and Joe have this advice for dog owners, especially for larger breeds: “It’s important to take dogs for walks or to a dog park. Get your dog moving, otherwise it will atrophy. Like people.”
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