“I’ve been doing doggie day care and Bed and Biscuit for quite a few years,” Roush said of the canine-focused enterprise she’s developed. “I just decided to expand into more of an upscale retreat-type thing so when people go on vacation, they can send their dog on vacation, too.”

The end of May, Roush launched the dog camp, adding it to the two other services she already offered: Bed and Biscuit, which provided overnight stays of one to four nights; and doggie day care, offering opportunities for dogs to socialize while their people are at work or away for the day.

All three options are based around Roush’s philosophy that “all dogs will have fun, meet new friends, get lots of exercise, eat organic foods and be rewarded for just being a dog.”

“The difference between what we normally do and what the camp entails is a guided chaperoned trip across the bay and hiking all day,” Roush said, adding that travel from one side of Kachemak Bay to the other is done with the help of Mako’s Water Taxi. “That’s the idea — to take the dogs out and really spend time with them.”

The camp has a five-dog maximum. If more humans are needed to balance the human-to-dog ratio, Roush has additional personnel standing in the wings.

The size or breed of dog doesn’t matter. What counts is the animal’s ability to behave.

“They have to be used to being in the house and can’t run amuck in here,” Roush said. “I don’t have a fenced-in yard, but walk the dogs and, with the owners’ permission, off the lead, but I always ask if the dogs will come to me if called.”

Part of the reason Roush is able to keep the animals close at hand while on walks is the treats she carries in her pocket. Each batch of the homemade goodies carries a four-pawed stamp of approval from an eager sample group that includes the four canines that live with Roush. Three are spaniels: OgDog, 13; Luce Goosey, 8; and Woody Boy, 7. The fourth is a basset: Zippy Zippety Do Dog, 3.

“I make peanut butter biscuits, cheese and liver bars and am always trying out new recipes on my canine friends,” she said. “It’s really funny because they sit in the kitchen and can smell it in the oven. It’s a howl.”

Overnight guests also enjoy a food supplement created by Roush. Ingredients include organic spinach, yams, parsley and either salmon or turkey. A food processor gives the combination a mush-like quality that Roush adds by the teaspoon to the animals’ regular food.

“The dogs absolutely love it,” she said.

In addition to all this pampering, Roush, whose canine photography has been the subject of art exhibits and calendars, provides each dog’s family with a photograph of the dog and a report of the dog’s time at camp.

Before accepting a camper, Roush interviews its human companions to make sure she understands and has what’s needed for each dog to be comfortable.

“If a dog is used to sleeping in a crate, then I say bring the crate. I want to keep it as much like homes as possible,” she said. “But they don’t have to bring food unless they are on a sensitive diet. Basically, for well-adjusted dogs, they don’t have to bring anything. Not even a tooth brush.”

For more information and rates for Tails-By-The-Bay Dog Camp, Bed and Biscuit and day care provided by Roush, visit the Web at www.tbtbdogcamp.com, or call 235-4819.