good doggie daycare

I used to use Dog's Den but my girl kept picking up stomach viruses. And that webcam never worked.

Paws in Paradise on 5th ave at like 8th or so does daycare but on a much smaller scale which I think could be a good thing - no big huge groups of dogs, but enough to play with, and a better human to dog ratio so your pup won't be overlooked. I've never used them for daycare, but was thinking about it and went in for an interview and was shown the (pretty spacious) facility. They also have a small back yard, which is good for those calls of nature...

I think the right place depends on your dog. If you have a really rambunctious pooch that likes to rough house Dog's Den or Brooklyn Dog House (not as nice of a space, but cheaper) are probably good options. If your dog will get freaked out by large groups of dogs in small spaces, Paws is probably best (it's always really mellow in there plus they have the back yard area for the dogs).

If you're going to do daycare, make sure to set it up well before leaving town. Different ones have different requirements (shots, paperwork) with some even requiring a trial short visit, I think.

You could also consider dog walkers. There are a couple (I don't have numbers, but you could probably find them here on with some googling) that take a van full of dogs to a dog run and let them play for quite a while. Gunny (sp?) and Linda are the two I know of around here that do that. Eva's Play Pups might have something like that.

Dog Abby. Hands down the best. We've used 'em all.

Where is Glencadia?

Glencadia is near Albany. It isn't feasible for daycare, but they do boarding and pick up/deliver in NYC on (I think) Mondays and Thursdays.

Following up on my earlier comments about stomach viruses and Dog's Den - I do recognize that doggy daycare is like kindergarten in that dogs will sometimes get sick. For me it became an almost weekly occurrence (my theory being that my dog got cranky in the afternoons and was put in the "time out" crates which I suspect weren't cleaned between uses since they were just allegedly used for 5-10 mins at a time...). Weekly was just too much for me. I was up all night frequently and even had to call out sick from my job once after not getting any sleep because my dog was puking all night.

I talked to some friends who used Monster Mutt (in Boerum Hill) for daycare and they said that their dog almost never got sick and that dog owners were asked to notify the daycare if their dog got sick there so they could tell other owners what symptoms to be on the lookout for. Dogs were also required to be kept out of daycare for (I believe) 2 weeks after they had anything contagious.

I tried talking to the people at Dog's Den about my concerns but felt like I wasn't taken seriously. I really want to like them and use them, especially since they're so close to my house and I need a good place for overnight boarding should I try and escape the city one night, but I can't risk another $600 vet bill and more time off from work.

To appear a bit more balanced - the reason I ultimately decided not to go with Paws in Paradise for daycare either was that they didn't seem to know what to do with more energetic dogs. When I visited, they had 2 medium sized very calm dogs, two doggie adolescents and some lapdogs (maltese, yorkie, bichon, poodle mixes, etc. - I don't remember exact breeds, but it was a pretty small group). My girl is a more energetic adult and didn't seem to fit in with the vibe which seemed to be more chill - sit around and be petted. The owner almost seemed to be a bit timid with my 15 lb terrier. As someone above stated, Dog's Den is for sure the better choice for a more high-energy dog.

Also - my dog walker had some pretty negative things to say about Bark & Play on 20th Street.

I would NOT let my dog go with Eva's to Prospect Park for morning off-leash. PM me if you want details.

Toadette, that sounds rough! I was thinking kennel cough or a day of the runs. It sounds like dogs I know who just can't handle the dog beach water--get really sick every time they go back. I know at least one dog that goes to Dogs Den about 5 days a week and she is never sick, but I also think she's got a stomach of steal.

If my dog were not so human oriented, he would go to Glencadia when we go out of town or possibly Dog Abbey. Luckily we have found a sitter where he is the only dog in the home and he LOVES her, but it does limit my options for boarding.

eva's is great.. my pooch has been going there for several years and we've never had a problem.