Dog Day Care - Viable Business?

[Preposterous_Ponies]

I’ve had the idea of opening a doggy day care facility in the back of my mind for a while - I’ve been researching, planning and considering possible locations. I am definitely still in the earliest of phases; that is, it is an idea which I hope will come to fruition. I need to raise more capital, so it will probably be another year or two before I could even consider opening. I do have people who would be willing to invest a significant amount of money, if needed.

My qualifications are, perhaps a bit lacking - I have a degree and a diploma in Media Studies, and have taken a large number of business courses. I am set on the business and marketing side of things. However, while I have a way with animals and am quite good at training dogs, I do not have any specific animal handling qualifications. I will remedy this before opening the business: would you rather use somebody who shadowed a well known trainer, or somebody with a certificate (animal handling or vet assistant)?

What would you like to see in a doggy day care? Specifically…
-Indoor, outdoor or a mix?
-Should dogs have alone time in (large) kennels?
-What rates would you be willing to pay?
-Does group size matter? Five dogs, ten dogs, 15 dogs? What would you be comfortable with?
-What additional services, if any, would you like to see? Training? Grooming? Boarding?
-I would like to offer a “dog park” after work, where vaccinated, approved dogs can come and play for an hour or two. Groups would be specific (older dogs, puppies, large dogs). It would be like going to the dog park, but without the risk. Owners would be able to have a coffee, sit and relax while their dogs play. Would you participate in something like this?
-Where would you find out about these services? Internet, newspapers, dog magazines?

I do have more questions, but I should probably end this novel now! I would love the hear your input on the above questions, as well as anything else you can think of.

Thanks in advance!

[clint]

For the first time ever, I had a dog in doggie day care for five days. I was so pleased, as my dog came home every day happy and tired, and he was eager to go in the morning. This doggie day care divides dogs by size; my dog is considered a large dog, and he isn’t in with small dogs. FWIW, he is eight months old, so considered a puppy, but he was in with all ages. They screen for temperament very carefully, so I wasn’t concerned about aggressive dogs. There is a small and a large play area with a cover over part of it. Dogs are brought in periodically, and each dog has their own crate with a bed. This place provides boarding, which I used several years ago. As far as I know there isn’t a training option, which is fine with me.

[Jumping31]

A family friend of mine recently opened their dog daycare facility last year and they have found immense success.
They invested quite a lot of money into a two-floor building but it is state of the art. They offer boarding, daycare, grooming (self-serve and professional), training, shuttle service, homemade treat bar, spa/bath. For play spaces, they have two large area outside and one floor is divided into multiple play areas.
But I think they’ve had so much success because of how open they are and how considerate they are of customer service. Many people worry about leaving their dog in a new place but they take the time to invite the customer to tour their facility one-on-one and explain their amenities and do aggression evaluations for free. They also give them a detailed report on how the dogs day went and if there were any problems. They’re also very active on social media (big exposure for new clients) and have webcams for boarders.

Of course, this facility was a huge investment made years in advance but you can definitely find huge success in this business with smaller-scale facilities.

[JesseC]

What would you like to see in a doggy day care? Specifically…
-Indoor, outdoor or a mix?
-Should dogs have alone time in (large) kennels?
-What rates would you be willing to pay?
-Does group size matter? Five dogs, ten dogs, 15 dogs? What would you be comfortable with?
-What additional services, if any, would you like to see? Training? Grooming? Boarding?
-I would like to offer a “dog park” after work, where vaccinated, approved dogs can come and play for an hour or two. Groups would be specific (older dogs, puppies, large dogs). It would be like going to the dog park, but without the risk. Owners would be able to have a coffee, sit and relax while their dogs play. Would you participate in something like this?
-Where would you find out about these services? Internet, newspapers, dog magazines?

I work with a lot of pet boarding facilities and dog daycares and here are my suggestions.
Answers:
I recommend indoor and outdoor
Depends on the history of the dog and how well it plays with others mixing large dogs and small dogs can be problematic sometimes
That depends more on the competition and services you provide. I would shop for local businesses around you to see their pricing.
The larger the place, the more dogs = more money
all of the above are good as long as you have professionals who do a good job.
People would love that
There are websites dog boarding magazines or petgroomers.com I would for others.
Don’t forget to get pet business insurance. Here is a great article all about Dog daycare insurance & pet boarding insurance and the company that insures nationwide.

There are many websites to advertise your business now and overall the biggest expense is start-up cost but after that, the overhead isn’t bad at all and should give you a good buffer to make a good profit.

[DawgLady]

IMO, based on nothing but observations and gut feelings, the pet market will continue to grow rapidly. People are increasingly looking at their dogs like children. God knows I do.

I spare no expense on my animals (#whyI’mpoor), and I really love the socialization and attention they get at daycare.

Let’s just say this: I’ve never seen a doggy daycare fail. I’m sure it’s possible under mismanagement, but it seems to me they mostly do well.

One important point is realizing that people like me are your target demo, and we’re a little neurotic. Plan on a lot of hands-on, personalized customer service. Give tours, do report cards, take pictures, install cameras, celebrate birthdays.

Good luck!

[Marla_100]

If you’re not in a low income area, these businesses can really thrive. Yes you want the people who’s pets are like their children.
they spare no expense to have happy, healthy dogs.
I follow one in Ct. that is really first class and has now opened a second location. They even have an outdoor pool with dock diving competitions in warm weather. They also have an indoor doggy park play area and a huge outdoor doggy park.
They hold doggy birthday parties as well as holiday parties all with an admission fee. They’re going gangbusters.
Look up Waggin Tails in Wolcott and West Hartford Ct.