When Jesse Sternberg joined the Viigo team approximately six years ago, "app" was still an abbreviation for the shrimp you ordered before dinner.

"The iPhone wasn’t even out yet, but Blackberry was very hot and we knew that that was where the future was going," he says, on why he decided to join in building the RSS application meant for use with the Blackberry.  Viigo became the number one third-party application and last March Research in Motion (RIM) acquired it for an undisclosed amount.

However, after the business deal, Sternberg had a revelation: his future wasn’t in phone applications, it was in the dog house. Fast forward three-quarters of a year and Sternberg is the owner of new doggy daycare Woof & Shloof.

"It was a spontaneous idea, and it sprouted very quickly," says Sternberg. "In my heart I knew what I needed to do with the rest of my life."

Sternberg says he takes a mind, body, spirit approach to the daycare. That means not only taking the dogs for plenty of walks, but playing games that stimulate their minds and ensuring the canines get plenty of affection.

He also says the daycare is designed from a dog’s perspective — for instance there’s a doggy door entrance, which dogs go through upon arrival.

"It allows them to leave their parents and to come into a pack, instead of a parent just leaving the dog," says Sternberg, who adds that this limits the amount of stress for the dog. So far, it seems Sternberg’s approach is working.

"My clients tell me that when their dogs walk by the store on a Sunday, the dogs will get excited and they’ll pull their owners to the door, even if we’re closed," he says. 

Woof & Shloof, 666 St. Clair Ave. W., 416-619-9212