Central Bark Cares

At Central Bark®, it’s our mission to nurture, enrich, and inspire lives. Bringing whole health, happiness, and unconditional love to each dog, family, and community, we serve to create a happier, healthier, more loving, and peaceful world.

That’s why we’re dedicated to supporting community. For over 20 years, the Central Bark franchise system has supported local dog rescue, fostering, and adoption organizations and charities in cities throughout the country. We also provide community education through our Central Bark Bite Prevention School Program and responsible pet care and positive canine development. Central Bark franchise locations are independently owned and operated. As small business owners ourselves, we’re committed to supporting independently owned small local businesses that bring us together and help our community thrive.

“It is in our DNA to give back to the community. Passion, compassion, respect, and integrity are our core values and guiding principles. Being active in our community is part of that.”

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

Yellow paw Kristy M
Super friendly and professional. Highly recommended. Our pup had a fabulous first day!
Yellow paw 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 [...]
Yellow paw 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.
Yellow paw 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!
Yellow paw 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!!!!
Yellow paw 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 is positive reward-based dog training?

Positive reward-based techniques help puppies and dogs develop essential life skills and behaviors that will enrich their lives at home and day care. These methods set dogs up to succeed and reward them for performing desired behaviors. Rewards are tailored to the dog’s preferences and can include food treats, time to play with a favorite toy, or verbal praise. 

After decades of experience using reward-based training, we know it’s the most humane and effective way of training dogs and addressing unwanted behaviors. It’s the best way to build a loving, trusting bond that enhances your relationship between you and your dog for a lifetime of happiness together.

At Central Bark®, our focus on positive reinforcement has never wavered. We continuously update our skills and policies to stay at the forefront of new advances in behavioral science and positive reinforcement techniques.

Learn more about our training classes.

Visit our Dog Blog for more helpful tips

Can I stay with my dog at the groomers?

You do not need to stay with your dog during their grooming appointment. Our expert groomers always aim to help your dog feel as calm and relaxed as possible during their bathing and grooming experience. If your pup is feeling a little unsure, ask our training team about ways to enrich their experience and help create positive associations by using positive reward-based training methods.

Make a reservation for your grooming session today.

How do I Request a Reservation for a Day Care or Sleepover service in my online account?

Step 1: Login

  1. Click the “Client Login” option found at the bottom of all pages on our website. 
  2. Enter either your email address or phone number that you signed up with 
  3. Click “continue logging in”
  4. Then enter your password and click “Sign In”

Step 2: Request Services

You will now see the page below. From this page you can do a number of things along with requesting a reservation from the drop downs including editing your information, editing your pet’s info, adding/removing pets, checking your package credits, purchasing package credits, and adding/editing/changing photos.

  1. Click the blue “request services” button 
  2. In the popup window, click the “Book Day Care or Sleepover Now!” button 

Step 3:  Select a Service Type

  1. Scroll down past the notes (after you have read them) until you get to the “Details” section. 
  2. Click on the drop-down in the “Type” row and choose your reservation type. 
  3. Note: Grooming requests cannot be made through the customer portal. Please call to schedule an appointment.

Step 4: Make Your Reservation Request

  1. Choose the pet or pets you would like to add to this reservation 
  2. Choose the date you are looking for 
  3. You may edit the drop-off and pick-up time from within our open hours, if you know those approximations 
  • You can set up “recurring dates” for the same day/days each week for a timeframe 
  • You can add additional reservations for other days at the same time. 

Step 5: Add-on Services and Notes

  1. You may add any additional services (such as enrichment training, training tutor, special meals (outside of lunch), salon and spa services, etc, to their reservation. 
  2. You may add any notes that you would like us to see in the notes box 
  3. You may run an estimate for the total cost of your reservation request (please note that the charges for “additional services” such as salon and spa, may vary from the default that shows in the estimate) 
  4. Once you have added everything you want, click “Save” in the lower right corner 

Your Done!

You should see the page below if everything went through correctly. You will get an email confirmation when your reservation has been accepted and confirmed, if you are added to a waitlist, or if it is denied. 

What are flexible playgroups?

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.

Learn more about Enrichment Doggy Day Care.

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.