Downtown Dogs, Inc.
- Hours:
Mon-Sun 7:00 a.m.-7:00 p.m.
25 Reviews for Downtown Dogs, Inc.
There are great daycares all over the south bay so location is a huge factor for many but there are some great things about DDDC.
Kelly and Mark seem to have the ability to find very qualified staff who really get to know the dogs. Also, Kelly just knows so much about canine behavior which you can really see during the evaluation session - big plus in my book.
I also really like how they do playroom management. My dog can be a very active player and the DDDC staff are always great about adding some limits to her activities which has made her a better dog for sure.
There is growing amount of competition in the doggy day care arena, but this place is the best. I love Mark and Kelly. They really know what they are doing. My dog loves coming here. When we drive up he forgets about me and trots right up to the door. You don't have to worry about your dog when you leave him here. They will not accept aggressive dogs and they can handle any tiffs that might break out. It is not uncommon, however, for your dog to return covered with lots of dog drool and other remnants from a day of hard play :)
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My beagle, Molly, has been going to Downtown Dogs since she was about 6 months old. (She'll be 2 in May!)
Daycare is great!! I'm a student and if I have class all day and my husband works a long day, I know that Molly will get plenty of exercise and play when we drop her off. Then when she comes home, she sleeps like a baby!! It's a lifesaver!
Molly goes to small dog social almost every Saturday. She usually finds at least one dog who will chase her around and wrestle with her. Kelly, Mark, and their staff are great! Someone is always supervising - something you don't get at dog parks. They are great at making sure all play behavior is appropriate for the dogs. I've learned a lot from the staff just from coming to social - and the dogs learn a lot too!
Molly attended a basic obedience course at DD, taught by Kelly. Despite being a bit of a stubborn beagle, Molly was able to benefit from this class! We were given a good amount of time to practice commands in class so that we could do them easily at home.
Last but not least...boarding!! We board Molly at DD quite often and it's great! The deluxe rooms cost a little extra than the standard rooms...but it's so worth it to be able to see your dog at night on the web cam! They get a little cot or toddler bed, but you can also send your dog's own bed so that they feel even more at home. I'm sure Molly hates when we leave her (I think I hate it even more!), but I know she is well taken care of and I don't have to worry. You get a detailed report card upon pick up, and she always has a great time!
Keep up the good work!
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Nacho loves DD!! He's been with them from when he was a pup.... he's attended several of their class offerings as well as daycare. I love the report cards and huge amounts of love and attention he receives while he's there. Keep up the good work :)
I called Downtown Dogs to try to board my puppy for the weekend. The lady who answered was really nice initially but when she found out that I own a "bully" breed, she grilled me with about 20 different questions. She basically lectured me on not having had enough off leash experiences with my dog and told me I had to do more of that before her boarding date.
Needless to say, I did not use Downtown Dogs. My dog is now going to daycare at Pawin Around in San Jose 3 times a week and she loves it. They didn't view her based on her breed but as a sweet tempered dog.
This is a second home to our little pup, and the team at DD are a second family to all of us.
If you board your dog at one of the 'prison camp' style kennels, then you're nuts!
We've starting bringing Ruby here in the new year, after being extremely unsatisfied with another local 'cage free' kennel and have been nothing but delighted with Downtown Dogs. We're only disappointed that we didn't bring her here sooner!
When we pull up outside, she paws at the windows trying to get out of the car and is like a kid in a candy shop when she gets inside. We even have some of the team come out to our cars to get the dogs, so we don't have to stop for too long on our way to work. Ruby runs straight in to see all of her 'pack leader' friends and trying to lead the way to 'Tiny Town' which is her designated play room.
We never see her as happy anywhere else as we do when she gets to 'Playschool' and she always has a doggy grin when we pick her up to go home.
DD have found a brilliant balance between the 'dogs must be treated like dogs' philosophy, but also remembering that our pets are our loved ones and we sometimes treat them like children. They spoil our dogs with love and fun times, while also maintaining a balanced and structured environment.
The boarding facilities are also a Doggie 5-Star, and its so nice to get a little report card after every stay to know how she went, who she played with, how much she ate and whether she slept soundly. We can go out of town and know people are 'caring' for our dog, not just shoving them in a 4x3 cage like its a zoo. The carers have real personalities and take the time to know your dog by name, and individually bond with every single dog. Its SO nice to see them take this kind of time.
You can check in on your pups on the streaming web-cams (not during nap time, of course!) and I've always been kindly received when I call to see how she is going.
They are also a damn lot cleaner than other kennels and boarding facilities in our area. We've had bad experiences of Ruby coming home crusted with poo and dirt, but NEVER at Downtown Dogs. They are really meticulous with hygiene and it shows - just the small things make the huge differences.
If there were more than 5-Stars, they would get more.
my 3 yr old JRT has been going to DD almost all her life. i seriously think she loves some of the staff (esp. Heather!) at DD more than me.
i use almost all of their services very frequently:
- daycare
- sat morning social
- boarding
i'm not sure what i would do without DD. the whole getting a JRT thing was not necessarily properly researched at the outset. ;)
i am always finding out from DD staff that my dog actually knows more tricks than i realize and that she can be a totally different dog when i am not around. they really go the extra mile to get to know your dog and to help her progress.
the following is perfect example of how awesome DD has been to me:
my father died last summer very suddenly. i had to catch a flight very early the next morning and be away for an undetermined length of time. i called up DD on a Sat evening and they took Bobo in at the last minute (10PM'ish) for boarding with no appt and no specified return date. i was so grateful that at least i would not have to worry about Bobo during that week.
so...what else can i say? DD rocks!
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My hyperactive dog has been going to Downtown Dogs for over a year and loves it! The staff has affectionately nicknamed him "Wild Man".
My dog attends doggie day care and boards there about once a month. He always has a wonderful experience at Downtown Dogs and comes home nice and tired.
The staff is wonderful and knows you and your dog by name.
Downtown Dogs is the best doggy day care for my wildly busy dog. He has learned alot there and I have been delighted to find this great caring facility. I have taken my dog to DD for about 6 months several times a week for day care. He has occasionally boarded too.
The owners are terrific. The trainer/caretakers are really sweet too with the dogs; and they try to get to know each dog's personality.
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We have used Downtown Dogs for birthday parties, not boarding or daycare...but they were wonderful. You pay a fee and you rent the facility for a Saturday or Sunday afternoon for 3-4 hours. They even bring in treats for the dogs AND the people.
We invited 10 of our pup's closest 'friends' and had a rousing good time. The owners are pretty strict about watching the dogs when they are all in the facility, because who knows what the different temperments will be like when everyone is together. They have little jungle gyms and agility things for the dogs to play with, and they play some games with everyone, and then bring out the treats and doggie hats (too cute) for everyone to partake of some yummy carob goodness. I think they get their treats from Gussied Up in Willow Glen, or they used to anyway when they were located over near Montgomery instead of 1st Street.
Some say doggie birthdays are totally cheesy, well YEAH they are, but they are super fun too. I think we had just as much fun as the pups did, if not more!
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Our 4 months old Boxer loves this place...;-) He just started doggy day care 2 to 3 times a week and can't wait to get out of the car! The staff is great and freindly. I'm sooo glad we found this place! If you have a puppy, we strongly recommend their puppy social every Saturday morning as well!
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I really like Downtown Dogs. It seems like they really care about your dog and not just faking it like other places. The facilities are clean and they have a good dog to staff ratio. It's a little pricey but you get what you pay for. We used to go to a cheaper place in Blossom Hill and they had 1 to 2 people watching about 80+ dogs! It wasnt a surprise when we took our lab home she got sick.
So if you want a good clean professional place, downtown dogs is the place to go...
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My Roscoe LOVES Downtown Dogs. He's been going there for almost three years. The staff is attentive and caring. We get so excited when we pick him up and the staff has a report card in hand! It's always nice to know what he's up to when we're not around. Roscoe's favorite human girlfriend works there, so he's in good hands. I've looked into a doggy daycare closer in proximity to where I live, but it just wasn't the same. I like that DD has seperate rooms for different size dogs and activetely levels, and maybe it's the uniform t-shirts, but they just seem way more professional than other daycares. Two paws up (or five stars) for Downtown Dogs.
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my dog used to enjoy going to his crate, but after going to downtown dogs he has become terrified of it. not good.
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My name is Spencer, and I'm a really kewl sheltie. My mom started me going to Downtown Dogs about a year ago and the very first day, I met a wonderful girl doggie and it was love at first site. So once a week I get to visit with other doggies and see my girlfiriend. My mom and dad periodically throughout the day 'check' on me via the webcams. The staff at Downtown Dogs, especially Kelly and Mark, the owners, are nice and treat me especially well. They come to my mom's car in the morning and pick me up to go into the facility. Then the fun begins. For my birthday last year, my parents had a birthday party for me and I had several of my closet doggie friends come and bring me presents and treats. It was very fun. Periodically my mom and dad board me for weekend trips and although I miss them, the staff takes very good care of me. If you are thinking of putting your dog in daycare, I give Downtown Dogs 4 paws way up!!!
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My dog Chloe has been going to Downtown Dogs since she was a teenager (1-year old) back in 2002. Mark and Kelly were always professional and I loved reading the doggie daycare report cards about her playing with her dog buddies.
Now Chloe is older and enjoys snuggles by the staff. She still goes for overnight boarding, and gets excited to enter the facility. She's always had a little separation anxiety when leaving Mom and Dad but I feel comfortable knowing she'll be looked after and she's in a familiar environment. I also like to see if I can find her on the dog cams.
Their new location on First Street is very nice and kept clean too.
I think you'll find Downtown Dogs cares about dogs and providing quality service to everyone who comes through their doors.
Mark, Kelly and all the staff are great with the dogs. They all take the time to know each individual dog, their personality, likes and dislikes, how they react to this and that, their pros and cons, etc. I would know, I used to work there! And let me tell you, there aren't 20 dogs, there are about 200 (if not more!), and every single staff knows every single dog and everything that makes them an individual. Sometimes there are some dogs that I'm worried about, and that's what holds me back from taking MY dog there on certain days (because I know those dogs are there on those days). Other than that, I love them. They are very good about telling owner's if their dog is acting up, and also how great their dog was, and that's another thing that makes them great. It isn't an "ok, here's your dog, bye!" thing. Everybody takes the time to tell you, the owner, about your dog's day. Oh! And just in case I put some worry into your mind, I want everybody to remember that it's a DOG daycare, and dogs will be dogs! Every day care is the same in the sense that there will always be a dog that is not so great. But the difference with THIS daycare is that ALL the staff actually care about the dogs (like, really, they care! I cried when I couple of dogs had to leave 'cause they moved) and are sure to let owners know what happened with their dog that day to make sure you and your dog are always happpy. I have had ex co-workers there that worked at other local daycares that told me horror stories about dogs being bit or mauled and the owners of the dog that attacked are NEVER told.
Also, Downtown dogs has a staff to dog ratio. They are good about making sure that there are enough staff there according to the number of dogs in a room. I know of other daycares that only have one (1) person in a room filled with 40+dogs, and as soon as a customer comes in to check out the place the managers make employees rush to the dog room to make it look as if they are staffed according to dogs. Let me assure you, people, in the year and a half of working there, that has NEVER happened! Even if it meant the Owners of Downtown Dogs working all day and staying the night. Literally 24/7. I promise that I am not exaggerating.
I work at a veterinary clinic and every time someone asks for a kennel or somewhere to board their dogs, or even a local trainer, I ALWAYS recommend DD first, and have gotten lots of great comments. I suggest them because the staff there know their stuff! They know and are trained to know the dog psyche. There are classes and videos for all the staff. I'm telling you, these people know their stuff. This isn't some Dog Whisper shit they use. It's proved facts supported by big name trainers and veterinarians.
CHECK THEM OUT!! You won't be disappointed
My dog Ginger just spent her first day at camp here... and she REALLY enjoyed herself! She's completely zonked out!
Anyway, what I really like about this place is that while they have classes, they expect the dogs to be well behaved during daycamp as well. Treats for good playing; timeouts for naughty playing or just when the dog needs a break from the action. And yes, they have the doggie cam for us dog parents to check up on our pup. (I spied on Ginger while she played, played a little too rough and got "corrected" by her new doggy friends, chased her new friends all over the playground, played a little too rough-again!- and got lead back for timeout by one of the staff... (Awww! That's Gingie for you! That crazy girl!)
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Downtown Dogs is a great place. I just started taking my Brittany there a month ago and he has been going twice a week ever since. When we get there he jumps out of the car and tries to run in. That is enough for me :) He loves it, I love it! The staff has always been very nice and willing to talk to me when I'm calling to check on my pup. It is very clean and they limit the number of dogs on any given day. I love that I can watch on the cameras - I'm a bit of a worrier so it is great that I can actually see that he is doing fine. Another huge plus is that they have crate available for the dogs who need a time out, or who want a time out. My dog can get tired and want a break. No problem. He just goes over and sits in a crate for a while. When he is ready, he comes back out to play. It is perfect for him.
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I love downtown dogs! Not that I go there but my baby goes there! Yes she is the spunky predominately black beagle baby!
She loves it there cuz she can see all her friends!
And my friend Brian says: "You can bet on dog fights" :P
Via the doggie cam!
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I've been taking my two year old beagle here for about a year. She loves it. They have done a great job of teaching dogs to be social with new environments and other dogs. They work with the dogs on simple commands and have a time out policy to keep dogs from getting over aggressive or over exhausted.
I love the little report card the staff writes. It tells me how she did and who she played with. There are a number of web cams to let pet owners get a peek of their dog at play. That is always a fun way to break up the work day :-)
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My pup has been going here for a year and she loves it. The staff treats her like a princess and shower her with lots of love and attention.
I must say the customer service here is top notch. When she stays here over night, I call like a mad woman and they're always very nice and accomodating. They took great care of my baby for 14 days.
And day care is great too, she enjoys playing with all her friends.
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Love the Saturday morning Toy Dog Social. It was great fun being with responsible pet owners and little dogs. People were very friendly. A staff person was making sure that everyone was playing nicely. People cleaned up after their pets. My dog had great fun making new friends that were his size. I enjoyed this 100% more than the dog park where I usually would go on Saturday morning. This is our new stop. It is only $10 for 2 hours of play.
Second visit, I downgraded my 5 stars to 4 stars based on this experience. We had great fun the first week on the second week, it seemed like more owners brought treats for their dogs. The treats were left in purses, backpacks and baggies on chairs. My dog is on a limited diet for allergies. We can go out and he can ignore one other dog's yummy treats, but this time with more owners with treats, plus treats that he has not had since the vet placed him on a limited diet and with Downtown Dogs still being new to him, I spent 45 minutes shooing him away from other owners treating their dogs and chairs with purses and baggies of food. It was not fun for me. If your dog is not effected by other dog's treats, I would recommend this place as it looked like the majority of folks where having fun. However, I doubt that I will go again.
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Downtown Dogs is a great place that offers training classes for dogs. Not only that but its also a good spot for your doggy to make new friends. And I think every Saturday they have this puppy social from 10 to noon. I haven't had a chance to bring Gizmo there yet but hopefully I get to this weekend. A classmate of mines said that its pretty cool and it would be good for your dog cuz they get to kick it with other dogs as well. This past Monday was Gizmo's last day of his Basic 1 training class. Kelly was our instructor and she definitely helped me and my bf out alot on how to properly train our dog. However Gizmo is still a bit easily distracted and sometimes doesn't listen to us, being that he's such a hyper active pom. But this class helped out alot with getting him to be more attentive and sharpened his skills when we tell him to do certain commands. Overall I would say this place is pretty good if you wanna get better at training your dog. Plus Gizmo looked so f*cken cute in his cap & gown. lol. sounds corny but you just had to be there to see it. And all the other dogs were just too cute.
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A couple friends of mine told me about this place when we first got our pooch and one of them said to me ..."A tried puppy is a good puppy." And you can be sure when you collect your dog at the end of the visit, he/she would be ready for food and head straight for bed (or just happy to cuddle quietly next to you).
My dog was not properly socialized when we first rescued him, which is why we decided to bring him to daycare. Because of the staff and all his friends at daycare, he is doing great. He gets so excited to see everyone that he never looks back to say good bye when we drop him off!
The staff there are wonderful -- always helpful and friendly. The place is always clean and well kept. There are extended hours for those that have longer work days. A temperament test is required before you are able to bring them in for play time.
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