​The Dog House Doggie Daycare brings together years of experience and listens to what dogs really need. 

At The Dog House, we focus on the individual dog to find out what is right for them. 

Yes, hands up, our daycare is NOT right for every single dog. For those bigger dogs and those who are high energy, then sorry, we will help you look elsewhere to find a daycare that’s right for you. 

​

Which dogs are we right for? 

Well, let’s explore The Dog House doggie daycare to find out… 

Dawn, the owner of The Dog House used to work from alongside her home in Fernhill Heath offering grooming services. Dawn was constantly asked “can you have Benji all day for me whilst I go out” Unfortunately, Dawn didn’t have space until the business moved to 86H Blackpole, in 2017. 

With the move came the development of many new services, doggie daycare being the main one. Dawn is an international dog show judge, dog breeder, and exhibitor and has over 40 years of living with and being owned by dogs, particularly Cairn Terriers. 

​

Now, anyone who owns a Terrier will know they are bred to chase, and I am sorry to say, terriers are bred to kill rats, mice, and basically anything that moves! 

When it came to setting up the daycare service Dawn’s experience led her to a different kind of daycare… 

• A daycare based on the individual dog 

• a daycare based on caring for each dog's needs 

• a daycare based on providing a one-to-one service 

• a daycare based on routine so all the dogs know what is happening and when 

Most daycare centers have big group play areas where as many as 70 dogs all play together. The mere thought of this was too disturbing for Dawn; her terriers would have an absolute party chasing all the small fluffy dogs and no doubt terrorizing a few of the larger ones too! 

​

Working with Dr. Isla Fishburn, one of the UK’s leading alternative dog behaviourists, Dawn set up The Dog House Daycare based on one-to-one care. 

Dawn was also mentored by Beverley Courtney, another leading canine behaviourist who has written several books about dealing with everyday dog issues. 

Together with her own experience and advice gained from Isla and Beverley, Dawn “bucked the trend” and set up The Dog House daycare based on the principle of “give each dog their own space” 

  

Having their own space gives each dog the chance to choose what they want to do and gives those more nervous or young dogs the space to express themselves without having to tolerate the demands of other dogs who might want to play or be in their space. 

​

Things were very slow to start with only one dog joining us. This dog was Daisy. Daisy was displaying major issues with aggressive behaviour and had been labeled as “trouble” by her then daycare owners. Daisy’s Vet and another Behaviourist advised Daisey’s owners to find an alternative daycare. 

​

We don’t always see the world from our dog’s perspective but when we do, we can dramatically change our views and opinions, therefore dealing with our dog’s behaviour in a completely different way… Dawn Inett 2020 

​

Let’s talk about Daisy, this dog was labeled as being disruptive and aggressive. Daisy would attack dogs and walks were becoming almost impossible as Daisy would lurch and scream at any dog that she saw. 

Luckily for Daisy, her owners came to our Opening Day back in 2017. Forms were completed, assessments are undertaken, and Daisy joined us for a couple of days each week. 

After about 3 wks Daisy’s owners reported a change; they could see that Daisy was more settled, more social, and happier. Yes, these are applying human traits to a dog, but they genuinely believed that Daisy was changing for the better. 

After 3 months Daisy’s owners reported a massive change in her behaviour, she was no longer aggressive out on walks, she was more settled of an evening and was even happy to play with other dogs, no lurching and screaming now. 

Why did this change happen? 

Why was Daisy now happier and more settled? 

One simple thing made all the difference to Daisy, she had space. 

Daisy had her own room. 

Daisy was allowed to express herself in her own space. 

Daisy was allowed to sleep 

Daisy received care and walks from our experienced team in a safe environment with no other dogs around her. 

Daisy now felt safe and unthreatened 

​

We do daycare differently at The Dog House and we do it differently for a reason. 

Dogs need space to express themselves 

Dogs need a routine to thrive 

And dogs need at least 14 hours of sleep a day! 

We believe we have experienced, and we have been taught by our mentors that dogs thrive when they have space, routine and are allowed to sleep and relax. 

​

Our one-to-one daily routine ensures that your dog will receive 

• At least 3 outings each day (between 08:30 and 17:30) 

• Meaning your dog gets plenty of exercise in a safe and controlled manner 

• will be “partnered” with playmates to have an off-lead play session/s 

• receive plenty of one-to-one attention from our experienced team 

• have treats throughout the day (specific dietary requirements catered for) 

• have a quiet time for guaranteed rest and recuperation 

• safe socialisation situations for your dogs (no being bowled over in the park or off lead owners telling you “he will be fine” only to find their dog intimidates your dog/puppy) 

​

At The Dog House, your dog will have his or her own space 

At The Dog House, your dog will have downtime to snooze or sleep. 

At The Dog House, your dog will be attended to regularly by our team and most importantly they will be treated as if they are our own dogs. 

​

For more information and a guided tour of our daycare please attend our open day and Christmas Fayre on 13th December. We look forward to taking you around our facility, sharing with you our experience, and helping you to look after your dog. 

​

References - More about Dr. Isla Fishburn https://kachinacanine.com/