Downtown Dogs

"Downtown Dogs is amazing in every way! Their staff really does a good job at getting to know your dog. They clean them up after a long play session and give you little tidbits on how their day went and who and what dog they befriended that day. I’ll recommend them to anyone looking for dog daycare and boarding."

"This daycare is for very high-energy dogs with an amazing tolerance for noise and chaos. My 10-lb rescue pup, who hadn't had much socialization in his previous home, is fine with my other two dogs and does well at dog parks with other small dogs. At the DD meet and greet, he was overwhelmed - resisted being led on his leash and, according to DD, barked and bared his teeth at dogs trying to engage in "appropriate play." He was moved into a kennel for the rest of the day, came home scared and positively filthy. DD suggested that, if I bring him back, he should spend one hour playing during the day, spend the rest of the day in a kennel, and gradually increase his time in the play area as he becomes more comfortable. I'm no dog whisperer but kenneling a dog alone for hours a day and then putting him back in the same environment that made him fearful for longer and longer periods, hoping he'll learn to enjoy it without any targeted behavioral training, is bonkers. I felt so bad about how the day went, I almost cancelled the meet and greet I had scheduled the next day at another doggy daycare. I'm glad I didn't because the difference was like night and day. In contrast to DD, the reception area at the other daycare is calm and quiet. The daycare has four different size groups, including small and very small. Size matters for small dogs (if for no other reason than to avoid being inadvertently trampled underfoot). Dogs in the outdoor enclosure were playing and exploring with nary a bark to be heard. The space wasn't overcrowded with rowdy dogs. My dog trotted right back into the daycare on his leash without looking back. When I picked him up, he was happy and clean. The employees said he wasn't super playful, but he liked to sniff, observe, did not bark, and was friendly toward the other dogs. That's exactly what I was hoping for - positive, low-key interactions with other dogs to build his social skills. He's excited to go and I know he's in good hands. Not every daycare dog wants to wrestle or be surrounded by wrestling dogs all day. If DD can't accommodate dogs like mine, they should recognize that fact and suggest a different daycare, not offer to kennel dogs alone for most of the day as a solution to an untenable situation. Oh, and the other daycare hosted my dog for the meet and greet free of charge (standard for every doggy daycare I've been to prior to DD). DD charged me their highest one-day rate ($38.89) even though I couldn't drop my dog off until 10:30am and had to take time off work to accommodate the late morning appointment. A very expensive, disappointing experience."

"I am very thankful for Downtown Dogs and all of the people who care for my pup there! I love the detailed daily notes about highlights of our sweet pup's day. Just a snapshot: our dog is terrified of thunder and fireworks, as a lot of dogs are, however I knew there was going to be a huge storm in the area, so I called just in case there was something they could do for her. I was given great detail about the old brick building that provides a measure of sound insulation, however if dogs are still bothered, they have protocols in place to turn on the fans, and if that doesn't work, they can put on music... This person knew all of this on the fly and I am thankful that they care so well for all of the dogs there, not just mine! Thank you, everyone at DD!!"

"Downtown Dogs has been absolutely wonderful for our dogs - we've been taking one special dog there for 10 years, and our younger dog has been going for about 4 years. We use the freeplay boarding a lot, and have also boarded our dogs overnight. DD always gives compassionate and individual care and we appreciate you so much!"

"I have brought my Golden Doodle to Downtown Dogs for daycare, boarding, and grooming. He LOVES it, and gets crazy excited when we drop him off. I have always had a great experience and pick up a tired dog from playing all day :) He also always looks great after grooming and they give him a bow tie!"