Dog Daycare: Providing Playtime for Dogs

Our primary mission at Central Bark is to provide a safe environment for dogs to have fun: the dogs are well-supervised to protect the dogs from each other, the facility is secure to prevent escape and kept clean to protect the dogs from disease.

We love having your dog visit us. You may have noticed that Doggie Daycare is a new and growing industry. It's growing because dog owners such as yourself have found how beneficial playtime for their dogs can be. The Central Bark staff will provide care and love for your dog during the day while you're at work (or out of town on vacation).

Our new facility will be undergoing major improvements over the next few months. We just opened at this location in May 2010 and there is still alot of work to be done. Coming soon: outdoor play areas and webcams.

Our staff has a wide variety of backgrounds in animal care: former dog daycare experience, agility competitors, obedience competitiors and instructors, rescue organization volunteers, show dog handlers and breeders, equestrians, zookeeper and veterinary technician students. We are all dedicated to providing TLC for your dog!

Typical Day at Central Bark

First Day: The first time your dog visits is on an "Intro" basis. Your dog is checked in and given his own peg where his name goes for his collar and leash. If you have not already done so, you will complete our paperwork which includes a Personality Profile for your dog. Your dog will hang out for awhile in a holding area so he can take stock of his new surroundings. The staff gradually begins introducing him to his new playmates. We prefer to do this after you have left, so we have his full attention. Also, we don't want him to feel the need to be protective of you. We closely monitor how he reacts with other dogs. We do not immediately let a new dog simply run into the playroom - it is a gradual process. Every introduction is different. If your dog is too afraid to have fun on his first day, we'll give him a second free day. Please note that FREE introductory days are only available on weekdays (Monday thru Friday). We can do introductions on Saturday and Sunday, but our weekend daycare fee ($10 per dog) will apply.

Schedule: We are open from 6:30am-9:00pm Monday-Friday. On weekdays, playtime usually begins before 7:00 am. The dogs play until 12:30 pm. Naptime is 12:30-3:00 pm. This keeps the dogs calmer during the warmer part of the day in the summer. Dogs may also be fed lunch during this time. The dogs then play from 3:00-6:00pm. At 6:00 pm, all the dogs are kenneled so the boarding dogs can be fed dinner. Dogs usually resume play at 6:30 pm and play until 8:30 pm. Daycare dogs picked up by 7:00 pm incur no additional charge; there is an extra fee to pickup daycare dogs between 7-9 pm: $5 per pickup (not per dog) , or if you expect to frequently be picking up after 7pm you may purchase one of our premium daycare packages with the late pickup fees built in. See our Boarding page for details on the weekend schedule, which is slightly different.

What to Bring for Daycare: Most people just bring their dog and a leash. However, you are welcome to bring a lunch for your dog.

Playroom: We have a large open indoor area that we have divided into multiple play areas. See the FAQs for more details.

Activities: Much of the day is unstructured, so the activities depend on who's here. Some dogs really keep things lively! Others are more mellow. Some of our regular daycare dogs actually recognize their favorite playmates immediately when dropped off, and some even pout when they realize their best buddy is not present. Generally the dogs are more active in the morning. The dogs play with each other and interact with the staff. Sometimes the staff blows bubbles for the dogs to chase, and sometimes tennis balls are tossed around. Usually there are plenty of nylabones for dogs in the mood to chew. Even when just "milling around" the dogs get alot of exercise. Every day is different, which keeps things interesting!

Rest Time:On summer weekdays, naptime starts at 12:30 am and ends at 3:00 pm. The dogs also rest after their meals. On weekends and holidays, naptime is longer, from 10:00 am - 3:00 pm.