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Dog Day Care Services from Central Bark®
Dog Day Care. Reimagined.
There’s no bond like the one you share with your furry best friend. But our human lifestyles can make it challenging to fulfill all of our dogs’ needs to stay healthy and happy. This can lead to issues at home, from loneliness and boredom to weight gain, anxiety, and undesirable behaviors.
Central Bark’s Enrichment Dog Day Care gives your dog a place to play and learn in a safe and loving environment. With socialization, mental stimulation, and physical exercise, their minds and bodies need to stay healthy and happy for a lifetime.
Our focus on canine enrichment aims to enhance your dog’s overall quality of life. Through fun and rewarding activities that encourage them to use their senses to problem solve, learn new skills, and gain confidence. You can have peace of mind knowing that your dog is having a great day with all of their friends. Enrichment Dog Day Care is our specialty, and nobody does it quite like us.
Services, options, and prices vary by store. Visit your location for details.
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Available Services and Pricing
A Healthy, Balanced Day in Our Dog Day Care Center
Enrichment Dog Day Care provides a healthy balance of play, exercise, socialization, learning, rest, and TLC. We tailor each day to your dog’s individual needs and preferences. To nurture their bodies, minds, and senses so that you can enjoy a healthy, happy, calm, and well-rounded dog at home.
- Play, Exercise, and Socialization – Exercise helps your dog maintain a healthy weight and muscle tone. It helps to improve their mood and provide a healthy outlet for their physical and mental energy. This means they can be more relaxed at home. Positive experiences with new humans, new dogs, and new environments help create happy dogs who are well-rounded and well-socialized. We offer both small and large playgroups in indoor and outdoor play areas where your dog can enjoy the social environment that’s right for their age, personality, and comfort level.
- Rest – When dogs play and socialize, the opportunity to rest, relax, and recharge is vital for their physical, mental, and emotional health. Our daily schedule aims to help dogs avoid unhealthy overstimulation and achieve the right balance of rest, play, and learning.
- Learning – Dogs learn from humans and other dogs – along with our guidance, dogs are always teaching each other what is and isn’t appropriate social behavior. Our highly trained staff use positive training techniques to promote safe play and help your dog practice healthy social behaviors while at day care.
- Love – Your dog will become part of our family and get all the love and attention they need while you’re away. We develop a bond with your dog to help them feel comfortable and confident. With regular attendance, we get to know your dog’s personality, needs, and preferences. We are better able to recognize things that might otherwise go unnoticed, like moods, behavioral changes, or even health issues.
Commitment to Safety
Our #1 priority is the safety and well-being of our guests. As dog parents ourselves, we take great pride in treating every dog as our own. And we are committed to providing a healthy and safe environment for everyone that enters our facility.
Central Bark Dog Day Care Features
Small Group Play
Small and flexible playgroups allow us to match your dog with the social atmosphere and play schedule they can enjoy and benefit from most. This helps give them a healthy balance of play, rest, and learning and creates a safer social environment with a better quality of play. Our lower dog-to-staff ratios offer more individual attention, education, and love.
Group Play Skills
Interactive group activities and positive reinforcement help dogs practice important skills like name recall, and behaviors like group sit and calmly going in and out of doors and gates. These activities are fun and rewarding for your dog and help improve behavior and impulse control, prevent overstimulation, and create a safer social environment.
Rest Period Enrichment
Your dog gets to relax and recharge in their own private space with calming interactive toys and healthy food pairings tailored to their preferences and diet. It promotes physical and mental relaxation which can help them achieve a healthy balance of play, learning, and rest. It can also help them become more comfortable in crates by building positive associations.
One-on-One Enrichment
Personalized One-on-One Enrichment sessions give your dog the extra attention they love and the freedom to use their senses and safely explore their instincts through interactive toys, puzzles, and games. It’s fun and rewarding and exercise their bodies and minds and engage their senses. Add complexity with fitness and agility equipment.
Canine Cab Shuttle Service
Our Canine Cab shuttle service offers safe and convenient pick-up and drop-off services to help you get your dog to and from their day at day care. Also, we can make deliveries for market purchases. This service can be scheduled as part of your package or arranged on an as-needed basis.
*Available at participating locations.
Photo Gallery
Kristy M
Super friendly and professional. Highly recommended. Our pup had a fabulous first day!
Lynn. A
Ellie's recent stayover was the longest thus far, and I felt such a peace knowing that Ellie was in the best of hands!! I was comfortable mostly because I know how much she enjoys her daycare days. She loves it!! I'm so happy that Central Bark West Columbia is in [...]
Katie M.
Our sweet Leo absolutely loves his daycare days. The staff is always friendly and have been helpful with any questions I’ve had. We are so happy we found a place that’s safe for our pup when we can’t be with him.
Megan J.
Rosie had her first ever Spa Day! She smelled so good and she felt so soft after her bath! I can’t wait for her to go again. Elizabeth did a wonderful job!
Rachel I.
Central Bark is by far the best place to take your fur baby. The staff is friendly, knowledgeable, and love all the pets as their own. Thank you Central Bark!!!!
Alicia L
This is the only place we will leave our furbaby when traveling. It is very clean and our furbaby gets so excited when we pull up!
Sheila T. The staff is amazing, and Otto has a good time...he's always smiling in the pictures!
Lynn R. Central Bark staff work with your dog's personality to acclimate them to the environment. Our Maggie is very timid, and they worked with her so that now she plays with the other dogs. She is worn out for the evening and the next day. Thank you, Central Bark!
Jennifer F. This is an amazing place to send your furry friends! Our pup Mahogany (Huggy) gets so excited every time we pull in to the parking lot. He always comes home happy & pooped out! The staff is friendly and just as excited to see Huggy as he is to see [...]
Frequently Asked Questions
What’s a Behavior Assessment and why is it important?
As part of joining the Central Bark® family, our expert staff conducts a thorough behavior assessment at your local Central Bark store. These assessments help ensure that your dog is placed with a playgroup they’re comfortable with so they can play safely every day they’re with us.
This four-day evaluation, while your dog participates in our Enrichment Day Care, assesses your dog’s:
- Comfort and social skills with people
- Social skills and playstyle with other dogs to help determine the playgroup and play schedule they can benefit from the most
- Comfort in both indoor and outdoor play spaces
- Comfort in rest areas and a crate
- Ability to share resources like water and toys in social settings
- Level of comfort taking treats in social settings
This process gives us a chance to get to know you and your dog while your dog gets acquainted with their new favorite place away from home. Through the entire four days, your dog’s comfort and safety is our top priority.
Once your pup passes all the behavior assessment elements, you are welcome to sign up for any of our daycare services or a sleepover!
To schedule a Behavior Assessment for your dog, please contact your local store.
NOTE: Please bring all required signed forms, vaccination proof, and a collar and leash for your behavior assessment.
What are One-on-One Enrichment sessions?
Our One-on-One Enrichment sessions give your dog the freedom to safely explore their senses with an Enrichment Specialist. They’ll get the personal attention they love, supplemented with interactive toys, puzzles, and games that exercise their bodies and minds. They can also level up their skills with fitness training and agility exercises if they’re ready for more.
Did you know? 15 minutes of mental activity is equal to 30 minutes of physical exercise!
Do I need to bring bedding, toys, or treats for my dog?
Nope! We got you covered! Most dogs will not need any bedding for a single day of day care. If your dog is boarding with us, see our Sleepover Guidelines. As far as treats and toys, we have plenty! Please ask about which toy and treat products are available.
What should I bring to Doggy Day Care?
Once you have enrolled, we will need a copy of your dog’s vaccination records, which you can upload to your online account or bring with you on your scheduled first day. We also ask that your dog comes in on a regular 6-foot flat leash (no retractable or flexi-leads in the lobby) and a quick-release collar. Not sure what a quick-release collar is? No problem! We’ll be happy to show you on your first day. If your dog usually wears a harness while walking, you’re welcome to bring that as well.
If your dog typically eats a midday meal, you can bring it in an airtight container clearly labeled with your dog’s first and last names.
Central Bark Whole Dog Care
Our Whole Dog Care approach offers a full range of fun and personalized products and services to promote your dog’s physical, mental, and emotional health and happiness throughout their entire life.