Francis the Flying Standard Poodle

Francis flies through the air at Woof Play & Stay Dog Boarding and daycare center in downtown Seattle.

Bedtime for Fido or Fidolina

Which is Better:              Cage Free boarding or a Private Sleep Suite?

Dog Boarding at a Daycare Facility

Most dog daycare centers in urban areas offer some form of overnight dog boarding.  Some offer a cage free "Dormitory" setting while others provide a private kennel.  A few have both options available, such as Woof! Play & Stay in downtown Seattle.

Which form of dog boarding is better; cage free or private suite?  The answer depends upon several factors, including the temperament of the dog.  In most cases my personal opinion leans toward the private suites.

For short stays of 1 or 2 nights, "Dorm" style dog boarding is usually an acceptable option and is typically $10 - $20 less expensive than a private suite or den.  Boarding for anything longer than a couple of days I believe a private suite (kennel) or private den (an extra large fancy crate) is usually better for most, but not all dogs.  Heres why:

Off-leash Group Play is Fun...And VERY Tiring 

Dogs boarded at a daycare facility typically spend the day totally cage free in an indoor dog park, off leash and hard at play.  Reputable daycare centers will provide dogs with "timeouts" for rest, water and/or food.  Still, most dogs are exhausted after a half day of dog daycare, even more after a full day.  Dogs typically go home from daycare much more mellow than they were going in. That's a real benefit to most busy urban dog owners as "a tired dog is a well behaved dog".

Overnight Dogs Don't Go Home

Dogs boarding at a dog daycare center don 't get to go home for for some chill time of rest and relaxation.  Thats why I believe that a private suite or den is the best alternative for the health and well being of the dog.  A private suite or den affords the four legged guest some alone time away from the pack.  They can enjoy a room service dinner and cuddle up in a blanket in their own personal space.  They can de-stress, have a moment of Zen and recharge for the next fun-filled indoor dog park play day.

Exceptions to Every Rule

All that said, there are, of course, exceptions to every rule.  For example, some dogs HATE confined spaces, no matter how comfy.  Others can't stand to be alone from either human or canine companionship. In these cases "Dorm" style cage free group boarding is likely the better option.  On the other hand, some dogs LOVE a cozy little private den or suite, especially those that have been crate trained.  These dogs get a sense of security and safety and need alone time in their own private enclosed space.

Woof Play and Stay is a luxury dog daycare and dog boarding facility in beautiful downtown Seattle. A fitness and dog activity center, Woof also offers dog training, walking and in-home pet care services.

Woof! Hosts Focus Pack of Undecided Voters

Canine Citizens Think 2016 Election has Gone to the Dogs

SEATTLE WA  Woof! Play and Stay, Seattle's luxury dog daycare and boarding center, borught together a diverse group breeds to watch the 3rd and final Presidential Debate and see if the proceedings might sway them to lift a leg towards a particular candidate.   It was a ruff night and there was a lot of drinking.  In the end many legs were lifted, even by a white female German Shepherd named Yuki.

The event was disrupted by a stray alley cat protesting Woof's dog only policy, but it was quickly eaten.  A 105 lb Akita was elected group leader, however Apollo, a Giant Schnauzer,  refused to accept the results of the packs election.  The group was loud and rowdy, erupting with barks and howls as the candidates engaged in the worst dog fight the pack had ever seen.  "Yeah, the fur was really flying" said Sam, a traditional Black Lab, "one of them was snorting like he just did a line of cocaine" he continued.

One pack member, a brainiac Australian Shepherd named Jasper, said with a disgusted look "I am sooo disappointed with the female and her lame email excuses, she's like saying 'the dog ate my  30,000 emails', still I'm going to vote for her because it's better than voting for a rabid dog". A lady mutt, who wants to remain anonymous, expressed an exact opposite point of view.  She said "I'm for the male all the way. You know that dog is god spelled backwards and god says females should be submissive."  Olive, a Feminist Labradoodle, overheard the submissive remark and quickly rolled the lady mutt firmly on her back and snarled.  While Woof! Play and Stay might agree with Olive, Woof! also believes in free speech so Olive was given a 10 minute time out.

At the end of the evening no consensus was reached and the entire pack was left scratching their ears.

Is Dog Daycare Right For All Dogs?

The short answer is no

The Benefits of Dog Daycare

Dog daycare can be an amazing experience for dogs with a compatible temperament. Moreover, it can offer lot of sweet benefits- for both dogs and their human owners. It provides dogs with boredom relief, a healthy outlet for pent-up energy, exercise, socialization and constructive interaction with humans.  Daycare can give busy human owners the peace of mind that comes with knowing their dog is well cared for while they are away at work or play.  Dog daycare can certainly provide relief from some of the many stresses that naturally come with urban dog ownership.

Good Dogs, Just Not Good For Daycare

Not all dogs, however, are good candidates for the doggy daycare scene. Some dogs simply don’t enjoy interacting with other dogs. Others may be too timid, fearful, or consistently exhibit behaviors that are not compatible with responsible off-leash group play. This does not, by any means, mean that they are “bad” dogs. It simply means that daycare is not a good idea for them.  Fortunately, there are other options for these dogs and their human owners, including home care services from Woof! Play & Stay, an urban dog resort in Seattle, Washington.

Temperament Tests and Trial Play Days

Reputable dog daycare centers screen all potential "guests" with some kind of Temperament Test. This provides a pretty good idea of whether or not the dog is a good candidate for doggy daycare, but is by no means definitive. That’s why new dogs should be carefully monitored as they interact with the daycare pack for the first time. The top priority for any dog daycare facility should be the safety, health, comfort and fun of all the dogs entrusted to their care. When it become apparent that off-leash group play isn’t working for a particular 4 legged guest, they should be separated them from the pack and provided individualized care. Depending upon the situation, this could be a short “time out” or for the rest of the day.  Dogs that misbehave often can even be "banned" from a daycare facility.

Alternatives to Dog Daycare - Paid Does Not Necessarily Equal Professional

If Dog Daycare in Seattle doesn't work out for your dog don't despair. Seattle has hundreds, and I literally mean hundreds, of dog walkers and home dog care services.  There are even technology companies that match dog owners with dog walkers and prices can vary wildly.  That said, great care should be given when selecting a dog walker or home care service.  If you want cheap, just about anyone can register with one of these tech companies and become a paid dog walker.  Notice I used the word paid, not professional.

Another option is On Demand Dog Care, Inc. which does business as Woof Play and Stay.  Located in beautiful downtown Seattle near the Space Needle, Woof offers truly professional dog walking services in addition to their dog daycare.  Not only does Woof play and Stay offer scheduled dog walking and home pet care, it offers these services On-demand 24/7/364.  The services are preformed by a trained uniformed professional that has passed a background check.

Investing in Dog Training

Is the ROI Worth it?

Proper training is essential for the fitness and well being of dogs.  It's even more important for the sanity of owners, especially when they live in the city.  Not only will training strengthen the human-dog bond, it will open up a world of opportunities not available to those with ill-mannered mutts.  Simply put, Urban dog owners with well behaved dogs have so much more fun.

Yes, we love all dogs, including ill-mannered mutts.  But why live with one if you don't have to?  With time, patience and proper training, almost any unruly four-legged devil can be transformed into a charming canine companion that you'd be proud to take anywhere.  To places like TEKU Tavern, a dog friendly establishment in Seattle (Denny Way @ Taylor Ave N) with over 50 beers on tap.

Seattle has over 200 dog friendly establishments and attractions, including bars, cafes, restaurants, parks and hotels.  Why miss out on them?  If you have an unmannered pup it seems to me that it would be well worth dropping some coin and time to invest in training.  You can buy a book or watch some online videos if you want to do it yourself.  Or you could get a little help from a professional trainer and speed up the process.

Many reputable dog trainers and businesses call Seattle home.  One such establishment is Woof Play and Stay.  And they have just brought on board a brand new Director of Dog Training and Behavior, Kelly Morrisroe.  While Kelly's going to keep her day job as a Research Scientist at the University of Washington, she is going to enhance, direct and administer Woof Play & Stay's Dog Training Program.

Kelly has been training animals professionally for over 25 years, including dogs and a variety of exotic species such as horses, monkeys and parrots. She lectures on the cognitive development of animals and holds a Bachelor of Science Degree as well as a Certificate of Animal Behavior from UW.

Kelly's passion has always been working with dogs and has competed in AKC and UKC obedience, agility and rally events earning multiple titles. In addition to competitive dog sports, she has also trained many dogs for service and therapy work.

Woof! is excited to have Kelly share her experience with Woof! Dog Club Members and help people develop happy snd dynamic relationships with their dog(s).

While Woof! currently offers basic obedience, agility and fitness training for dogs, we will launch our expanded services, including evening and weekend group classes, on November 15th 2016.  For reactive dogs and dogs with special issues, Woof! will offer a free consultation with Kelly and develop customized in-home training programs.

Woof! Play and Stay is an urban dog resort focused on the fitness and well being of dogs. In addition to offering premium dog daycare in downtown Seattle, Woof! also offers dog boarding, training and in-home pet care services available 24/7/365.

You're Invited!

Downtown Seattle
Indoor Dog Park Play Day- It's Free!

Stop by Woof! Play and Stay Saturday October 22nd anytime from 10am - 3pm and hang out with your four legged best friend at our ultra-clean and modern indoor dog park. Meet other dog lovers in the neighborhood while your VIP (Very Important Pooch) gets some exercise and quality play time.

Owners must accompany and supervise their dog(s) at all times (and clean up after them if necessary). Oh yeah, we will have free refreshments too. Like Mimosas for human guests over 21.

For the safety and health of all our guests, humans must complete and sign a membership application & agreement and provide proof their dog is current on all vaccinations. Dogs must pass a brief temperament check and have no history of attacking humans or other dogs.

Join Our Meet-up Group

Woof Play and Stay is sponsoring a monthly Meetup group.  On the first Saturday of every month from 10:00am - 3:00pm we will host an Indoor Dog Park Play Day exclusively for members of Cub Woof.  Free admission and free refreshments.  Check out our Meetup website page by clicking here.

Welcome to the first post of Brad's Dog Blog!

Storefront of Woof! Play & Stay

I am pleased to announce the opening of Woof! Play & Stay, an urban dog resort.  In addition to providing the best dog daycare, dog boarding, dog training and dog walking in Seattle, we also provide home care for pets 24/7/365,

This blog is about all things dogs, especially as they relate to the safety, health comfort and fun of our four legged best friends.  Welcome to our first post.