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Doggy DayCare

Doggy Day Care

Our daycare is the BEST in San Antonio. We combine group play group with group activities and small group enrichments. Your Sidekick will learn new tricks, practice manners like no jumping and sits at doors, while participating in mentally engaging activities and socializing with new friends. 

 

Monday – Friday 7a-6p

 

Since Pup Pup & Away is owned and operated by a certified canine behaviorist, we make enrichment and training the heart of everything we do, especially in our daycare program. Here’s why we’re a cut above the rest: 

Tailored Attention: We believe in quality over quantity. That’s why our daycare groups are deliberately smaller, with a maximum of 12 dogs per group. This ensures that each pup receives personalized attention, and our staff can manage the groups safely and effectively. 

Expertly Trained Staff: Our dedicated team undergoes an extensive hands-on training program, equipping them with a deep understanding of dog body language, play behavior, and group management skills. On top of that, all our employees hold a prestigious Dog Gurus certification. 

Personal Report Cards: Our clients love the personalized digital report cards sent at the end of the day. Our report cards fill you in on all the fantastic activities and enrichments your furry companion enjoys throughout the day. If there are any behavioral changes or specific training requirements, we’ll make sure to note them down, ensuring a progressive and tailored experience for your Sidekick. And let’s not forget the best part: cute pictures and videos!  

The Rotational Fun: Brace yourself for the best part! In our morning session (7 am – 11 am), we divide the dogs into even smaller groups of up to 6. This way, we can consider their size, age, and playstyle for the perfect match. Whether your pup loves rough and tumble play or prefers a calmer setting, we have them covered.  

Every 30 minutes, we switch up the group dynamics, alternating between freestyle play and structured group activities. From fun tricks to group sit stays, recall practice, and advanced place manners, we keep their minds engaged and their bodies energized. You’ll be amazed at how tired and content your pups are after an exciting day with us! 

Check out our video below to catch a glimpse of the tail-wagging fun at Pup Pup & Away! 

Memberships

**Packages renew the same day each month. Clients can find how many credits are left in their monthly package in the Gingr client portal. Clients will be responsible for paying the daily drop-in rate if all credits have been used before the monthly renewal date. 

FAQ’s

What is Orientation?

Our Orientation is a 4-day process. During this time, your Canine Sidekick will be paired with a trainer to work on socialization and acclimation into our daycare groups and to work on behaviors commonly used on the daycare floor like come, stepping back from gates and doors, sit-stays for exiting kennels, and getting acclimated to humans grabbing collars during play for redirection purposes. 

My dog goes to another daycare/dog parks so they should pass, right?

Not necessarily.

Dog parks provide a whole different atmosphere. While our daycare area is indoor and outdoor we don’t have as much nature as a dog park does. Daycare dogs also establish deeper connections and bonds with repeated friends allowing for a different play dynamic. The dog park is full of unfamilair dogs. You probably don’t act the exact same with your group of besties as you do a group of people you just met, right?

We also have a higher standard of what is acceptable play behavior than most daycares. Think of us as a “private school” for puppies!

What makes Pup Pup & Away’s daycare program special from the rest?

Welcome to San Antonio’s premier doggy daycare with a difference – Pup Pup & Away! As the city’s first and only training-based, enrichment-focused facility, we take playtime to a whole new level. While traditional daycares offer free-form play, we believe in adding a touch of learning to your pup’s day.

Led by the expertise of certified dog trainer, Stephanie Garza, CPDT-KA, CBCC-KA, our program is designed to provide consistency and growth for your Sidekick. We know you’ve put in the effort to teach them manners, and our daycare follows the same rules, reinforcing good choices and gently redirecting or ignoring naughty ones.

Our enrichment-focused approach means your furry friend will enjoy both group and individual activities, stimulating them mentally and leaving them extra tired (in the best way possible) when they return home.

The fun doesn’t stop there! With our rotational play system, every 30 minutes, your pup will experience different group dynamics. They’ll romp and play with their pals in a freestyle manner, then transition to a group training mindset. From fun games to mastering basic manners and essential daycare skills like waiting at gates or kenneling up on cue, they’ll thrive in this engaging environment.

We keep our morning groups small, with no more than 6 dogs, to allow for rotational play and group training. This personalized approach ensures a perfect match of size, age, and playstyle. Whether your pup is a Tenacious Teen or a Tiny Tot, they’ll find the ideal playmates for even better matched play that’s enjoyed by all! In the afternoon, since everyone is tired and calm, we combine groups based on size but never exceed more than 12 dogs per group. Smaller groups means safer groups!

At Pup Pup & Away, we blend play and learning to create a fulfilling and joyful experience for your furry companion. Join us and discover a daycare that goes beyond the ordinary, leaving tails wagging and hearts happy!

 

Why do you recommend a membership and X visits a week?

For safety reasons, memberships allow us to control our person:dog ratio a little easier.  

For training purposes, consistency is key to keeping good behaviors. We would like to eliminate (as much as possible) chunks of time your pup doesn’t visit. Long-term absences may lead your dog to “forget” some of the training and behaviors of daycare. 

Plus, it saves you money!!

What sort of enrichment activities are included?

Our activities and enrichments vary and will continue to develop! Dogs will be pulled from group play individually or as small groups (depending on the activity). We may do a Search-and-Seek treat game, work a puzzle toy, teach/walk on a treadmill, or teach simple manners. We can’t promise your dog will go home knowing brand new behaviors and tricks, we just want to work their brain. Your pup will enjoy two activities a day.

Make sure you subscribe to our monthly newsletter to keep up with what we are currently working on and videos on how you can continue training at home.  

Do I need to reserve a spot for the day ahead of time?

YES, reservations are mandatory! We are very strict with our person:dog ration. We don’t want more than 12 dogs per person. Reserving ahead of time can allow us to staff appropriately. Walk-in’s will not be accommodated. 

What is the daily schedule for daycare?

We offer daycare Monday-Friday. Drop off is 7am-9am and pick-up must be completed by 6:00pm. A $40 late pick-up fee will be charge after 6:10pm.

We do not accommodate daycare drop off’s after 9am. This allows the group to find it’s desired energy level and maintain that level for the rest of the morning. Pets dropped off after 9am will rest in a kennel until the afternoon sessions starts back up at 1pm.

7am-11am: Group play with 1 enrichment/dog and 1 group activity

11am-1pm: All pets rest with an optional owner-provided lunch to decompress and recharge

1pm-5pm: Group play with 1 enrichment/dog and 1 group activity

 

Why don’t you have a package that recommend 5 daycare visits a week?

For a couple of reasons!  

First, dogs are crepuscular animals, meaning they are naturally most active early in the morning and again in the evening. Left on their own, dogs will sleep much of the day. We don’t want daycare to mess with this natural circadian rhythm.  

Second, dogs SHOULD get used to being home alone. We don’t want to develop a co-dependency to needing attention all the time. 

Third, while physical and mental stimulation is a good thing, too much can lead to burn out or a compromised immune system. We want all of our Sidekicks healthy and in crime-fighting shape! 

Have a different question that we didn’t answer here? Please contact us through our Contact Us page or call us at (210) 899-1688.