Doggy Day Care

[sallyellis]

Hi, I am in the process of setting up a business at the moment with my OH and have thought upon expanding it to include dog day care, so I am just wondering how many of you would be willing to use such a service, we would if there was enough interest in it be willing to provide a pick up and drop off service...So what do you all think and what would you expect to pay for such a service PM me if you prefer. Sally

 

[sloulou]

I would be interested if there was one near me. But there isn't - so mine has a dog walker come in for an hour twice a day.

Not sure what I would pay... would depend on what was being offered? And what they would do during the day - training? How much exercise?

I guess I would expect it to cost about £100 a week for weekdays?

 

[ihatework]

I use a dog care company to walk my dog - she charges £6 per half hour walk / £10 an hour walk or £15 for up to 24 hours at her house.
Luckily I am friends with my dogs breeder so the days I am away overnight she has him for £10 a day

 

[CAYLA]

I actually do a pet sitting service.....so basically look after them for their owners holidays......I have literally been inundated with calls

I also do rescue though.....and when we re-home I take them back for the owners holidays......and by word of mouth I have been swamped with calls.....so Im I am expanding

PM me if there is any thing I can help u with

I did not origionally intend to do this a s abusiness.....it was OH that persuaded me to take it further.

I have also had to up my prices cos I was charging way to low

 

[prose]

I board my dog with a well-known dog trainer here and it costs $65 a night or $100 a night with intensive training. My dog gets to hang out, play and walk with the trainer's three Dobermans and she comes back freshly bathed, with a couple of pictures and a "free" toy.

The cost would concern me less than the services and expertise offered. I would expect my dog to get one long walk (or playtime/fetch with other dogs if the person had a huge back garden), and I wouldn't want more than, say, five dogs being boarded at once, unless you had someone to help out.

 

[CAYLA]

I have a HUGE garden.

.....and when I am supervising the dogs are allowed to mix and play......I also take them over to my horses.....cos its all enclosed and let them play there too.......I even take them to work with me

....esp the new ones.....as I work in a big veterinary hospital by myself.....so they can come in with me....esp the younger ones.

I also have facilities to keep them seperate....when I am not here to supervise.......

sometimes they dont want to go back home.....cos theres no doggies to play with

and they are always happy to come back.

 

[sloulou]

In case useful - my dog walker charges £6 per hour.

 

[at work]

I think I'd prefer a dog walker to come to my home than send my dog to a day care for dogs. Other than kenneling them what facilities could you offer that would mean the dogs were safe and supervised? My dog may as well be at home as in a kennel and I don't see how you could keep a group roaming together as a pack, what would you do if, for example, fights occurred between dogs?

My issue with dog walkers though, is that I don't know how you ensure they actually do turn up at a specified time and take the dog for a proper walk. How well does it work for people that use such a service?