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Downtown Dogs, Inc.
Rating Details »
Categories: Pet Training, Pet Boarding/Pet Sitting
734 S 1st StSan Jose, CA 95113
(408) 287-2267
Free VIP Upgrade
New Clients - Mention Yelp when enrolling and receive a VIP upgrade (Personal Playtime and Treat Stuffed Kong) for your 1st overnight stay.
- Hours:
Mon-Sun. 7:00 a.m. - 7:00 p.m.
47 reviews for Downtown Dogs, Inc.
This business is a Yelp Sponsor
7/10/2009
11/3/2009
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10/27/2009
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Updated - 10/21/2009
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2/14/2008
One of the Business' Favorite Reviews What's This?
LOVE this place.
My dog has been going to Downtown Dogs since January 2008, and it has been the best thing I've done for him!
This place is clean, the staff is fantastic (all of them know and greet your dog by name), and there's a webcam that you can view during the day to see your dog at play! Truly, a great place to send your dog.
They have excellent customer service--on my dog's first visit, they filled out a little report card on how he did during the day. And every few months or so, they'll send a report card home to show how my dog is doing there. Yes, I realize if you're not a dog person, this sounds a little crazy, but if you are, you'll appreciate it.
They have flexible pick up hours (although they do charge an etra $10 if you pick up after 7 or so), which means on days I have to work late, I can leave him there without any guilt. Also, if you know you have plans for going out in the evening (dinner, sj giants game, bars, movies, etc), then this will be the perfect place to leave your pup during the day so that when leave him/her alone until the wee hours, you don't have to stress about him/her destroying stuff or peeing in the house or just being lonely.
I can't say enough about this place. Love it! Also, July is my dog's birthday month so when I picked him up a few days ago, the staff had prepared a small goody bag for him, with a signed card. Hilarious and oh, so thoughtful.
Are you looking for a great, reliable, honest, stable and knowledgeable dog trainer? Then look no further! I'm so impressed with the work that Kelly (The Alpha Trainer), Emily, Carol, Jen and even Mark, have been doing for my puppy. I highly recommend Downtown Dogs for all your dog training needs. Their fees are very reasonable and the services that they provide are priceless.
Unlike most Dog Trainers, who charge an "X" amount for six week sessions, Kelly/Downtown Dogs charges basically the same amount for 2 months of training and you can go multiple times per week. Miss a day, "No Problem" you learn at you and your dogs pace, not the pace of the instructor or other dogs.
Kelly also uses the clicker method (a reward based method) that my dog really responds to quickly. This also makes it really enjoyable to do my/our "homework" that Stacy gives, so it's never a chore and ends up being an enjoyable bonding experience with my dog.
There are quite a few different classes that she offers, including private sessions, group sessions, agility and weekly "Special Topics" session. The price is very reasonable, classes cost $179.00 for two months of unlimited training and every Tuesday she offers a "Special Topic" class, which is included and covers such sessions as Fun Tricks, Reliable Recalls, getting ready for the CGC and Stays.
She explains and demonstrates the techniques really well during class, so everyone can do them at home. She's funny and seems so happy all the time; it makes the 1 hour class go by super fast. Also, at the end of each session she hands out a sheet of paper with the lessons of that day so you can remember how to practice them outside of class - kind of like homework.
As a first time dog owner I've learned that training, obedience, socialization and general dog etiquette are but a few of the great benefits you and your dog will receive.
I took my girl Pickle to the Saturday Small Dog Social on Halloween. It was the first time I'd ever taken her to a social and the experience was great! The social is from 10:15am-12:15pm every Saturday and there's a $10 fee. There were about a dozen dogs there ranging from teeny tiny chihuahuas to larger dogs like my 15 lb. fluff ball (but all under 20 lbs). The trainers were really nice in helping us through our first time, giving treats, supervising play, and remembering all the dogs' names, their parents, and a little bit of info (personality, if they'd been there before, etc.). They also provided plenty of toys, water, and clean-up supplies for accidents.
The other dog parents were also great - very friendly to us and our baby. We had a great time and I definitely plan on bringing my girl back!
I love this place - we've been bringing our puppy here for a few months now (she's done daycare, overnight boarding, puppy socials, and puppy classes) and the staff is great - they always remember Biscuit, they know how to care for dogs, they're very professional, and they are no nonsense about making sure you treat your dogs well!
The facilities are usually pretty clean (though the dogs relieve themselves indoors, so at times it can be quite smelly) but they do a good job making sure they clean up messes right away and they keep the 'dirt' to a minimum.
My dog loves coming here so I think it's a sign the place is great!
If we were to move back to San Jose with our dog, one of the main reasons would be Downtown Dogs.
When we got our shiba puppy 3 years ago and were looking for a dog day and overnight care facility nearby so we could drop him off a day per week to allow him to socialize with other dogs and a safe & fun place for him for extended stays when we were out of town. We found Downtown Dogs from a Sunday puppy social event.
Things I love about Downtown Dogs and we have yet to find where we currently live:
- Online Reservation - You can make reservation 24/7 with the ability to view availability on the online calendar. When you are deciding whether you can take advantage of a flight deal while surfing on the net late at night, you can check immediately whether there is availability for your dog.
- Doggy Cams - They have video camera installed in every playroom so you can log on wherever you are to check on how your dog is and how he/she is getting along with other dogs. How great is that? Other places let you to call and say HI to your dogs on the phone. I think that's just plain stupid!
- Friendly Service - All the staff are friendly and knowledgeable with animal handling. Bobby was usually the first dog to arrive in the morning for daycare due to my work schedule and one of the staff always came outside to take Bobby in.
- Facilities - I am most impressed with the fact that the staff treat your dogs like dogs - not human. Dogs there play like dogs and are only put aside for short duration time-outs if they get too excited. They are only placed in their kennels for 2 hours in the afternoon during nap time and at night when they go to bed. Other than that, they play and rest and they please.
- Prices - They are not cheap but reasonable. You can buy multiple visit passes to cut down on per visit cost.
I miss this place!
If you love your dog and are looking for daycare or boarding in the San Jose area, then Downtown Dogs is the place for you... err, for your dog.
I have been bringing my puppy to Downtown Dogs for daycare each weekday for about five months now, and have had nothing but a positive experience. The staff is wonderful, and it's clear they all truly love working with animals. In all my time dropping off and picking up my pup, I have never once encountered a staff member having a "bad day"... or at least not one that shows it! They're really just that good. In particular, Kelly, Mark, Mary Lou, and LJ are awesome!
Another reviewer questioned the staff's attentiveness, but I've found that they always keep a good eye on all the dogs. This is obvious simply by watching the live webcam that's fixed on the playrooms. Even ignoring that, I can tell it's true when at the end of the day they easily rattle off what my puppy did and who he played with.
Once during playtime, my puppy got a small scratch under his eye, and sure enough, I got an "injury report" detailing where he was hurt and how it happened. It was such a minor injury, someone must have been paying close attention to notice it.
I have boarded my dog here a few times, and have been similarly happy with the service. The dog socials are great, too.
I really don't have anything bad to say about Downtown Dogs. It's clean. It's convenient. It's full of friendly, dog-loving people. My dog loves it. What more could I ask for?
Love the training classes...the instructors are great and really seem to care for you dog. I am looking forward to talking more classes soon.
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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8/4/2009
I took my 4 month old puppy to the Saturday puppy social and really liked it. He loves going to the… Read more »
Puppy had some good times here at the socials and daycare but he got seriously injured and sick.
First, he go a really bad cold or something. He had a runny nose, cough, and sneezing for a few weeks. Poor Puppy, he couldn't play with any other dogs for a month! We only found out he caught the virus from daycare because an employee told us there was a kennel cough outbreak when we called to cancel a daycare appointment because of illness. They didn't even send out a notice to the clients!
Then a few months later he got injured and had to have major surgery.
I am pretty sure the incident happened at daycare because the surgeon said Puppy's injury was caused by SEVERE trauma. I think I would have seen or heard something if that happened around me. None of the employees said they remember anything happening to my dog.
Me and Pups really liked this place. The owners are nice and the facility is the cleanest and prettiest of any dog daycare I've seen. They also have this cool flooring that's padded and my dog doesn't slip on it. Hmmm, maybe he just had bad luck or something here but I don't feel comfortable taking him to daycare now.
5 stars for the fun times + 1 star for all the pain and suffering = 3 stars
Comment from Mark H. of
Downtown Dogs, Inc.
9/1/2009
Dogs in group daycare can be exposed to communicable…
More »
We live a couple of blocks away from Downtown Dogs and thought it would be perfect for Bella to use their facilities. Initially, we were really interested in attending their small dog social on Saturdays because we were a bit hesitant taking her to dog parks without experienced supervision (Call it paranoia but I was still a rookie puppy mama at the time).
She attended two of their socials and although the staff was GREAT, we didn't find that Bella was getting very much exercise or positive interactions with the other pups. In fact, there were several high temperament pups there but the staff definitely addressed all behavior issues in a prompt fashion.
All in all, we weren't sure that it was the best use of our $10/social and time for her and found some great dog parks that are clean and well maintained (and Bella DEFINITELY gets a great workout there).
The perks of Downtown Dogs:
- Required temperament evaluation and 1 day use of Daycare before pups can board overnight. This is to ensure their safety and those of the other pups. That's great!
- Their boarding facilities are wonderful and much better suited for pups who aren't used to being crated.
Eh, they aren't cheap. Yes they're a bit pricey but I guess we can't really put a price tag on the health and well being of our pups!
I bring my pup here for the puppy social. The two biggest wins for me are the facility and the staff.
Facility
There are two large, spacious indoor spaces for dogs to run around -- the front one for smaller dogs, and the rear one for larger dogs.
Staff
Mark is friendly and knowledgeable. I gladly pay the small fee for supervised dog play with Mark. He praises the dogs when they play well. He reads the dog behavior, and steps in (nicely) to stop any undesirable behavior.
I love Downtown dogs. After visiting about 5 other dog kennels/daycare places in the Valley, Downtown dogs was #1 by a huge margin.
First off, the facilities are great. Very clean, organized and plenty of room for dogs. They have 4 rooms with separate rooms for large, small and older dogs. The rooms have a soft plastic floor, toys and cages for dogs that get too wild.
The overnight areas are very nice with each dog getting a raised sleeping mat. You can pay for a more expensive 'suite' if you feel like giving your dog a TV and a webcam.
The other great part of Downtown Dogs is the staff. They are all extremely friendly and knowledgeable. Every time I drop my dog off they recognize him immediately (even the second time!). They also make the dogs sit before entering the play area, which is really nice.
The staff plays with the dogs all day and monitors their behavior. At the end of the day you usually get a 'report card' for your dog that lets you know of any problems.
Another great part of Downtown Dogs is their webcams. They are on all day except during 'nap time'. Even if you think it's a gimmick, it shows that they are willing to publicly show how they manage dogs. There's a lot less of a chance of maltreatment if they're being watched :) . It's also nice to check in every now and then and see how your dog is doing.
A+, highly recommended. They are worth every penny.
This place is amazing. I can't believe there aren't millions of other places just like it - but it is unique. It TOTALLY takes care of everything you might want for your dog - really great daycare and overnight care with multiple options for treats, extra personal time and bathing. AND there's a web cam. AND you can make reservations for the services online!
The staff treat you and your dog like family from the first visit. You can tell they LOVE their jobs and I can't blame them.
The inlaws were coming into town and we knew that we needed to find a daycare/out of town facility for our puppy. We checked out a number of places in the area and I was very sketched out by the majority of them until we came to Downtown Dogs. Downtown Dogs is clean, and is staffed by capable and wonderful people.
In order for your dog to be allowed to participate in daycare you need to get evaluated to make sure your dog has a good temperament and is agreeable with both other dogs and people. I found this very reassuring that my dog wasn't going to be placed in a room with a bunch of awful canines.
There are a number of different rooms for dogs based on their size, age, etc.. and there is always one person in the room with the dogs cleaning up after them and making sure they don't get too rowdy (if they do, they are put in time out).
The other nice feature is the webcam. At first I thought it was a little gimicky but I actually appreciate Downtown Dogs more knowing the level of service they provide throughout the day when I am not there to monitor my pup.
As of right now I can only comment on the quality of their daycare but when we do finally board him overnight I will let everyone know what I think!
Alright, don't laugh guys.. But I threw a birthday party here over the weekend for my dog who just turned 1. My baby is no longer a pup. :(
He had a BLAST, him and 10 of his doggy friends. They all had a good time, got goodies, and a few won prizes. What I really enjoyed the most was the interaction the parents (us) had with our doggies during certain games; for instance, we played musical chairs. I know! Right!?!?! We had to march around the chairs with our doggy on leash while until, of course, the music stopped. Once the music stopped, we had to command our dog to sit, and then we were able to sit on a chair. It was pretty fun... and funny. There are several other games you can choose to play as well: cake walk, bobbing for hotdogs, bubble play, laser light play, agility fun to name a few. Another plus was that he had his own birthday cake. :) We all sang happy birthday to my baby boy which was pretty cool. He looked too cute while he was sitting patiently in front of his peanut butter cake. The only negative thing I have to say is that we didn't get a group photo as promised; although, they deducted $25 from our final bill in lieu of the picture, so that was good.
Overall, we all had a good time, especially my doggy. By the time we got back home, he was too pooped to do anything for the rest of the day.
I'm definitely thinking about bringing my doggy, Fatso (yes, that's his name), over here for daycare.
Btw - Staff was very very friendly. :)
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!
Nothing to complain about this place...the staff are all nice and knowledgeable.
I first took my dog here for puppy kindergarten, which is held once a week in the evenings. The class was perfectly paced and didn't try to pile on a lot of things in 6 weeks. I got away with a ton of useful tips and techniques for training my dachshund Rolo.
Rolo also goes here for the Saturday puppy social, which he loves completely! You're rest assured knowing that your dog is playing with other healthy dogs that have their shots current. I like how it is supervised, there are pans and mops to clean up after your dog, and you can also interact with other dog owners.
Their website is very helpful and you can pretty much get all the information you need from it. Glad I found this place!
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!
There are some solid canine daycares in the south bay so location is often the deciding factor for many but Downtown Dogs is a step ahead of the "pack."
Kelly and Mark 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 because t means they want the dogs to be safe at all times.
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.
Downtown Dogs also has a very wide offering of training classes and even events.
My dog LOVES downtown dogs! I have to admit... that I do too! They have rescued us when we've had to run out of town, on vacations, or just days when he needed to be worn down instead of hanging out by himself at the house. They're a little pricey, but compared to some of the other doggie daycares and overnight places, I think they're pretty reasonable. When he stays the night, I don't have to pay extra for him to get a half an hour walk... he gets to play ALL day with his buddies. And, if we're ever missing him, we can log onto their site and watch him at play. Generally when we leave him there for a couple of days, we come back to a nice report card detailing what a spaz he was and who he played with. It gives us some piece of mind. I think their reservation/cancellation system could use some tweaks... reminders of bookings, etc, but aside from that, they're great!
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 2 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.
BOARDING UPDATE FOR SUMMER 2008: My little guy just spent over 2 weeks at Downtown Dogs while I travelled. I love DD but I did wonder how Tuck would behave after being there for so long. Wonderful, wonderful, DD has plenty of options for the dog in boarding, training time, personal time = lots of petting and kong-stuffed treat options as well as the usual all you can play in a day fun.
All in all, when I picked the little guy up, he was delighted to come home but not frantic that I hadn't picked him up earlier.
DOGGY DAY CARE: 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 a year 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.
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.
I'm really happy with the daycare here for my Moo Shu. We adopted Moo Shu about a month ago and he has abandonment issue's. Mark did an evaluation and spent some time getting to know Moo Shu. He genuinely enjoys animals and is great with dogs. The staff is also just as attentive and I even saw them pick up Moo Shu and give him love and kisses! I feel less guilty now for days that my husband and I will be gone the whole day. Thanks DD!
First of all, I am extremely surprised by the negative comments. Seems unreasonable.
Let me tell you a little more about our story, we got Drake when he was 8 weeks, and he is a beautiful black lab that means the world to us.
I am someone that is extremely picky about customer service in general since that sets the tone for a place. I am very good at sensing someone that cares about my puppy and how we train him and this is definetly the place that does.
I have felt so at home DD, and after going to various different places for social classes I knew that this was the place to board Drake for a few weeks. Mark - the owner is truly someone who cares about your dog, and during the puppy social classes he works so hard to ensure that all dogs are happy.
As far as the negative posting below where it addresses 20 questions for a specific breed, I actually believe this is quite fair and actually protects every dog including the dog mentioned here.
At the end of the day, I just want everyone to know that Drake is more than a dog to us and is like a son, and to have the proper care and environment means everything to us and I am sure you can sympathize.
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!)
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...
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.
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!
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 :-)
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.
-- Update --
My pup has now been going to Downtown Dogs for several months. I love them more than ever! The owners Kelly and Mark and very nice and take incredibly good care of my dog. My Brittany spins in excitement when I tell him that we are going. When I pick him up he is tired out but in a great mood. I can't say enough good things :)
I took my dog to the puppy social here that they have on Saturdays. It was extremely stinky when I walked in. It reeked of dog pee and dog poop, which was different from A Dogs Life's puppy socials. There were not many dogs. It was alright. The person who worked there didn't watch the dogs or make sure they weren't fighting too agressively. Maybe I should come on another saturday =)
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.
Our pup Roxie has been going here for daycare for 2 months, she loves it. As soon as we get near the place her tail starts wagging and she can't wait to get out of the car. All the employees are very friendly and enthusiastic. We also bring Roxie to puppy socials on Saturdays morning, it's a ton of fun. I would highly recommend Downtown Dogs.
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 :)
I just started taking my pup here a month ago for day care & so far so great! You can tell the staff really enjoys the dogs which is a comforting feeling if your dog is your kid...like mine... :). A+++ on the doggie cams, though I find myself watching him play 1/2 the day and working the other 1/2 (when they turn the cam's off for naptime!). Hmmm... I also started training about 3 weeks ago. They are very well prepared and we have learned some useful techniques. I am going to try overnight care in a few weeks but am completely comfortable leaving my baby in DD's hands. Hopefully I will be able to pry myself away from the cam's in the doggie 'suites' enough to enjoy my vaca!!
I used to take "daughter" Mila (shih tzu) here for months when she was a puppy for Saturday social play with the other dogs. Unfortunatley, I don't have time to take her here anymore and sometimes Mila thinks shes too good for the other dogs and would rather play with the humans instead. The people that work here are great! They remember all the dogs names and they're very accomodating to all of the dogs' needs.
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.
I am a huge fan of downtown dogs. My puppy is almost 8 months old and has been attending downtown dogs since she got her rabies vaccine at 4ish months.
I started by taking Sophie to the puppy socials. They were great! Sophie was very timid the first few visits. Kelly helped coax her out of her shell and by our third visit she was very excited to be there and play with all the other puppies. Kelly and Mark were both really helpful in teaching me how to know when Sophie was being too domineering and how to correct her. Thanks to them she learned how to interact with other puppies in an appropriate manner.
Then we did puppy preschool and basics level 2. Kelly was the instructor for both classes. I am proud to say Sophie learned a lot and is well on her way to being well trained and eventually getting her CGC.
As I said before she attends daycare and loves it. She comes home exhausted and happy. I love being able to see her on the webcam. She is always having fun. The staff is terrific and alway willing to help. Sophie went through a bout of separation anxiety. They helped me work her through it. All of them willing to give her a treat when I asked them to. She got over it in a few weeks. Now she happily bounds out of the car and runs to her friends. She doesn't even look back.
Last but not least I have used their overnight services. I love the webcams in the room. I was worried to leave Sophie because she had never been away from me. Well I got to see her sleep peacefully on the webcam. She had no problem being away from home. The staff was great and gave her the meds she needed without any hassle.
I can not say enough good things about Downtown Dogs. Mark, Kelly and the entire staff are wonderful!
PS:the report cards from the daycare and boarding are always fun to read. :-)
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 :)
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!
