An action shot from Lucky Dog Adventures in Northeast Wyoming. (Jim Zier/Courtesy)

There’s a method to the madness at Lucky Dog Adventures — a kennel-free, off-leash doggy daycare and boarding business. With just a few dogs they might stray away, but upwards of 20 pups pack tightly together while running around the 40 acres of secluded hills and draws outside of Sheridan, Wyoming.

“It happens pretty naturally, the pack acts as the glue,” Jim Zier said, who’s owned and operated Lucky Dog for eight years.

Jim Zier turns the camera on himself for a change, with a few lucky dogs. (Jim Zier/Courtesy)

“What makes this work is they have somebody to follow around,” Zier said. “They have me to follow, so that’s the other part of the equation.”

Zier, an endurance athlete, spends his days hiking, trail running and backcountry skiing with a gaggle of pups in tow, some of which are picked up and dropped off townside in the adventure van. Throughout the day, Zier makes a point to take lots of photos to send home to humans and to post on Instagram.

A group of pups pose for a photo mid-winter romp. (Jim Zier/Courtesy)

Most of his furry companions are there only for the day. For overnighters, an open-floor-plan greenhouse is a warm, cozy space to sleep off a long day of prairie romping. Either way, the idea being that a tuckered out, well-exercised dog is a content, relaxed dog.

Maggie Mullen reports on state government and politics. Before joining WyoFile in 2022, she spent five years at Wyoming Public Radio.

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  1. This is a glorious pick-me-up bit of news.
    Also, can I sign MYSELF up for this daycare? 🙂

    Reply

  2. Any dog would indeed be lucky to spend time with Jim. He’s great around all kinds of animals.

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  4. Fantastic ! I take shelter dogs out to an off leash trail to get them away from being in a kennel all day, and not one of them has ever run away from me. No better way to bond with a dog than let that dog be a dog.

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  5. Gee, wouldn’t it be nice if humans played well together like canines? Dogs can be great teachers.
    What an uplifting story in this upside-down messy state.

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  6. Reply