Why Choose Central Bark?

Our best friends deserve the best care

There’s no bond like the one we share with our furry best friends. We love our dogs and want to enrich their lives as much as they enrich ours. That’s why families trust Central Bark®, where dogs get the love and care to help them be healthy, happy, and well-rounded. When you bring your dog to Central Bark Charlotte-Matthews, you’ll have peace of mind knowing they’re having a great day with their friends in a safe and loving environment.

Central Bark welcomes all. We’re fully committed to providing an environment where all people and dogs feel safe, valued, respected, accepted, and loved. We will never waiver from this stance and always promote unconditional love and acceptance. We embrace every person and every dog that comes through our door, regardless of race, religion, country of origin, sexual orientation, gender, or breed. We will stand behind our promise to “Forever nurture, enrich, and inspire lives”.

The safety and well-being of our guests are our #1 priority. 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. Read more about our dog day care guidelines

*Jackie Jordan and Chris Gaba, Principals and Co-founders of Barkley Ventures Franchising, LLC. and the Central Bark franchise system*

Doggy Day Care pioneer and over 20 years of dog care experience

Central Bark, founded by Jackie Jordan and Chris Gaba, pioneered the concept of doggy day care. After more than 20 years as a leader in doggy day care, we continue to evolve. Still, our mission remains the same: To nurture, enrich, and inspire whole health, happiness, and unconditional love for each dog, family, and community we serve. We strive to give every dog and family the Central Bark experience. An experience that mirrors dogs’ unconditional love within our families and communities to create a happier, healthier, and more loving and peaceful world.

As dog parents ourselves, we know you want to give your dog the best life possible. Our whole dog care approach combines our decades of dog experience with the latest dog behavior science, so you can feel confident your dog is getting the very best care.

Whole Dog Care Mission & Philosophy

At Central Bark, we’re dog experts. Doggy day care is our specialty and nobody does it quite like us. Central Bark goes beyond a traditional doggy day care with our unique Whole Dog Care philosophy and enrichment focus. This personalized approach helps enrich your dog’s whole health and well-being throughout their entire life so you can enjoy a healthy, happy, and loving life together.

The heart of our whole dog care approach is our Enrichment Doggy Day Care program. We combine Central Bark’s industry-leading doggy day care expertise with the latest dog behavior science and positive training principles. Our mission is to enrich the lives of dogs and families in our communities. We give dogs fun, balanced days of play, exercise, socialization, learning, rest, and love. To help your dog be a healthy, happy, and well-rounded member of your family.

Central Bark offers exclusive options like:

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. And our lower dog-to-staff ratios offer more individual attention, education, and love.
Group Play Skills help dogs practice important life 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 creates a safer social environment.
Rest Period Enrichments help dogs 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 Sessions give dogs 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.
Training Tutor give dogs personalized one-on-one training during day care visits help your dog develop important skills and behaviors like name recall, sit, stay, down, wait, leave-it, door and gate control, and loose-leash walking. Excellent for your dog and easy for you! Your dog will come home tired and well-socialized, with the training and skills they need to be a well-behaved member of your family.

Joe H.

We had a great first day experience at Central Bark. From the "Welcome Grover" message board at check-in to the "report card" we received at check-out, we feel very fortunate to have found Central Bark for our mini-goldendoodle.

Kathy O.

My dog, Mini, is learning her social skills and meeting new dogs at Central Bark. I was really impressed with the report card I received on her behavior. Jennifer and her staff have gone above and beyond to integrate Mini in her environment. I love this place.

Nikki R.

We have used other places for our doggy needs in the past, but now that we've found Central Bark on Monroe, we'll be using them from now on! The staff was so helpful and interested in making our dog, Bailey, comfortable and happy when we dropped her off. The owner, [...]

Rhonda R.

My dog absolutely loves going to Central Bark in Matthews/Charlotte. The staff there is amazing and their facility is always very clean. The owner is very engaged with the pet owners as well as the dogs that visit there. I will be a longtime client for sure. I am very [...]

Leah M.

We love Central Bark from the moment they opened! They are tentative to Boone's needs and do such a great job pairing dogs together to enjoy a full fun day with each other. We go there every week for daycare and have even used their boarding services AND grooming! Boone [...]

Veronica M.

Everyone needs to go to Central Bark! A little back story- I was leaving for vacation for 3 days and had to board my little dog. I was so nervous and spent 3 days researching, calling, and reading reviews of places around Charlotte until I luckily found Central Bark on [...]

Alicia H.

Central Bark is close to my home, BUT I didn’t choose them just because of location. Jennifer and team truly cares about the welfare of each animal and they present a nurturing environment...I have two elderly pups that still possess quite a bit of energy and have very different personalities [...]

Katy P

We LOVE central bark!! Our high energy aussie gets all the physical and mental stimulation he needs here. I appreciate how attentive the staff is with each dog and their communication is wonderful. I can't recommend CB enough!!

Nancy K.

I cannot say enough wonderful things about Central Bark! Our Scottish Terrier has been there weekly since they opened. She literally runs toward the door and inside when we arrive there for "Fun Friday." Jennifer and staff operate a spotless, energetic environment where you can be assured your pup will [...]

Frequently Asked Questions

What does a dog groomer do?

Our expert groomers always aim to help your dog feel as calm and relaxed as possible during bathing and grooming, making it an experience they can enjoy and look forward to. At Central Bark, we offer a wide array of services customized to your dog, including: Dog bathsDog groomingDog ear cleaningDog […]

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 […]

What do dogs do at doggy day care?

Central Bark Enrichment Doggy Day Care combines our industry-leading doggy day care expertise with the latest science-based activities and techniques. We personalize your dog’s day with fun, healthy, and well-balanced activities that appeal to their instincts and enrich their bodies, minds, and senses. Each day at Central Bark® includes exclusive […]

What should I look for in a dog groomer?

An essential characteristic of a dog groomer is someone who makes you and your dog feel safe and comfortable. Other things to look for: Certifications – Groomers don’t need a license or certification to work. Still, these accreditations are often signs that the groomer has the necessary training and experience to […]

Read all FAQs

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.