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.
Enrichment Dog Day Care
Central Bark® Enrichment Dog Day Care gives your dog a place to play and learn in a safe and loving environment.
Grooming
We offer everything you need to keep your dog clean and healthy at the Central Bark® Dog Salon & Spa.
Boarding
Dog Boarding at Central Bark® offer your dog a calm night in a comfortable environment that they know.
Products
Our retail market offers the highest quality food, treats, toys, training aids, dog lifestyle products, and apparel.
Training & Enrichment
Our dog training professionals use fun and positive techniques to help dogs of all ages develop important life skills.
Let’s get started
- Click Request Appointment
- Register Online
- We will contact you and schedule your first visit
Central Bark is easily the best daycare/boarding facility in Madison. They have been attentive and very hands on through my dog’s entire life!! He has been going for 4+ years on a variety of schedules and I have never had a single instance where I couldn’t book a day of daycare or boarding.
Flick is particular, to say the least. To start, he’s very suspicious of strangers and every single employee over the years has taken the time to get familiar with him instead of forcing him along on a leash.
He’s also a reactive dog and has a hard time on lead around strangers and other dogs. This can get difficult dropping off and picking up. However, the team knows him and knows he needs space, so every time multiple people come in behind me, they confirm with me that they’re going to help other pet parents and bring Flick out when it’s cleared out. It sounds simple, but that consideration is such a huge stress relief for me and for him.
When Flick first started daycare, he was rubbing his nose raw on the top of his crate during downtime. Once I noticed it, I called the same day. Ever since then, they’ve put Flick in one of the boarding areas so he doesn’t do it again. A quick fix was much appreciated.
Speaking of boarding, every boarding experience we’ve had at Central Bark has been wonderful. I’m always able to get in, even on short notice. Most times, we’ll even get a Report Card!
Flick has a chicken allergy, lactose intolerance, and IBS. This lead to a lot of diet trialing, medications, and supplements. Central Bark offers an enrichment toy for your pup during downtime, but they have yogurt in them, so Flick could not partake. I make our own frozen Kong’s at home and bring one in each week. Flick has it and CB is nice enough to even clean the Kong. Flick is on a medication where he can’t eat anything, even treats, after 4pm. I called CB and they had no issue accommodating. When we board, I send pre-measured food baggies with his supplements, his medications, and sticky note with his schedule. They’re able to get him taken care of without a problem! He also has separate treats for group because at the time they were using cheese based treats (not sure if that is still the case), so I bring a Tupperware full of ours and they let me know when they need a refill.
The staff are absolutely amazing. I have yet to come across someone who isn’t thrilled each Wednesday when we walk in the door. I don’t know a lot of staff names (unfortunately) but they all deserve recognition! He drags me to the door each Wednesday morning and gets the wiggles no matter who he sees!
Flick is signed up on a monthly package to get his nails done. It’s definitely worth it to me, and much easier than trying to do them ourselves.
However, I have to speak specifically of Alyssa. She LOVES Flick truly beyond measure. She spends so much time with him, shows me extra pics, and always makes sure he’s having a good day. I want to preface with saying Flick is not a cuddler. I picked him up from boarding one day and Alyssa told me she went into his boarding suite and he crawled into her lap!!!!! He has never done that with me or my partner, and I am truly jealous. He loves her just as much as she loves him.
Lastly, I want to talk about the play groups. Flick has gone through at least 2 groups over the last few years. When he was younger, he was always playing so hard that he would come home tired for 2+ days after. Over the last year or so, that has evolved. He’s an Australian Cattle Dog and has definitely grown into the “herding/supervising” role that the breed is known for. He might even look a little grouchy. I believe he now spends his days with the puppies or the older crowd, keeping his eye on them. He’s more into panhandling for his treats and getting some pets than he is into playing these days. He’ll hang out with the other dogs a bit for a photo op, but you’ll probably catch him on a bed in the sun!!
Odin hates having his nails done at home but Central Bark groomers have no issue, it’s such a relief and very convenient to have this service available to us.
Frequently Asked Questions
Whether you’re crate training, leash walking, or potty training your pup, consistency is key. It’s crucial to establish a routine, practice positive reinforcement, supervise your puppy (especially when potty training), and avoid punishing your puppy when mistakes happen.
Central Bark® offers everything you need to help you train your puppy. We offer expert training and classes so you and your puppy can learn and bond together.
Learn more about our training classes.
Visit our Dog Blog for more helpful tips.
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 care for your pup.
- Experience with different breeds – Look for a groomer with experience with a variety of breeds and coats and the standard haircut for your dog’s breed.
- Preparedness – A groomer should work with dogs of all ages and levels of experience with grooming. They should aim to help each dog feel as comfortable as possible with the grooming process. Suppose the dog or puppy becomes anxious or uncomfortable. In that case, the groomer should be able to suggest a plan for increasing their comfort over time with the use of a positive reward-based approach.
Make a reservation for your dog’s grooming session
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.
Our Training Tutor and Enrichment services are available as add-ons to your dog’s day care visit, and while single sessions are available, packages are also offered for your convenience. Please note that prepaid packages are nonrefundable, and all sales are final. We recommend speaking with an associate to determine the best option for your dog’s training needs.