Im seriously thinking about opening a doggie day care. Just as you would drop your kids off at daycare the same would be available for your beloved furry family member. There are going to be other services available like group training classes and do it yourself bathing stations ,so you dont have to clog up your own drains. So here is what i need , I need yes or no if you would use a service like this and where would the most convinient location be for you. I would appreciate any and all comments thoughts and suggestions. Im just testing the waters at this point.Thanks in advance ! Shane "Sally Said So" Professional Dog Training ..... and possible doggie daycare
I would definitely use a dog bathing station... I usually take my Great Pyrenees to the car wash (the bay with the hose, not automatic!) , but can't do that in the winter. I would love something like that.
Not to throw water on it, but didn't a doggy day care just open up in the last year? Are they still in existence?
I like the idea of a doggy day care as well,how about a 'pick up and drop off' service as a possible provided service?
there is a doggy daycare on 70 going towards garner. I was thinking more in the clayton area maybe main st ish..??? also i loooove the pick up service idea . thanks !!
At first I thought I was having Déjà vu, but this post was just very similar to this one: http://www.4042.com/4042forums/showthread.php?t=25872&highlight=doggie+daycare
You're not the only one that thought they'd seen this before, but this is the post I was thinking of: http://www.4042.com/4042forums/showthread.php?t=30835
We take our dog to Lucky Paws occasionally to keep her socialized. They're always busy- look on the webcam pretty much any day and there are 20-30 dogs there. Would love a comparable setup in the 4042 area. Not impressed with the one that's closer to the area. The hours (7am-7pm) of Lucky Paws is just one of many things that makes it a better option for us and also the fact that you don't have to have a reservation. The grooming option would be a nice, convenient touch.
I think I'd go with something a bit more centralized...perhaps in the 70/Shotwell area preferably in order to perhaps attract more initial customers. For drop offs, downtown might would be considered inconvenient for some. You might have to build some trust for a pick up service before pet owners will just turn over their furry friend to you. I'd definitely try to get in with the local animal hospitals, SPCAs, pet stores, etc. to get your name out into the public. Business cards on the bulletin boards and clicking "Like" on their Facebook pages with your own business name are freebies. Plus, keep your expenses down to begin with and build slowly. I'd advertise, as well, but not overdo it. You'd probably need some online ads, but don't forget the newspapers as well. If nothing else, keep a classified line ad in the papers with minimum lines/words. Consider a low-cost magnetic sign for your vehicle and by all means make sure the vehicle is a good representation of your business. I'd also try to plan a little gimmick that is uniquely yours, like maybe a take home goodie bag or something that is both thoughtful and memorable. Good luck.
I'd say the Smithfield or 210/40 area or somewhere in between. I'd definately use the self service dog wash (I really don't like other people handling my dog at groom shops, and I know groom shops can be noisy and stressful to my two girls). The day care would also be great for me to help with getting my next pup ready for service work by socializing him with other people and dogs. Keep it to the Smithfield/Benson/210 area and you'll probably see me a lot.
Thanks to everyone that has left their ideas.We really appreciate it ! They are all being taken into consideration and we will keep everyone updated on progress if we are able to actually open a place for business. Thanks again.
I believe you have to locate in a light industrial zone for a facility like that, but definitely doublecheck.
What ever you end up doing, please keep your prices reasonable!!! We do like Lucky Paws but their rates went up noticeably just in the first year of business. Last fall we dropped our two dogs off one Friday morning and picked them up around 5:00 Saturday. It was something like $85 (a night of board $50 + doggie day care since we didn't get them by noon). We didn't pay that much for our family's lodging for the night :lol: When we started going there they had a reasonable amount of dogs/kennels ... maybe 15-20 dogs. Now the room is crammed with kennels and they have A LOT of dogs. Their business increased AND they raised rates.
Pet Perfection just started doing doggie daycare. They are located right on 210 at Reddy Creek gas station. We have taken our dog's to Keri for grooming for years. Love her! Their number is 938-9341
I have been wanting a "Do-it-yourself" dog wash near 40-42 for a while now. I have 3 dogs 2 of the over 50 pounds and paying for a grooming for each of them is $$$. I would do it myself if I had the right equipment. I think a daycare/dog park would be a good idea for the area. We don't seem to have a place to take dogs and let them run and socialize in the area.
Dog Park is coming! There is a dog park under development in East Clayton near Caterpillar on Glen Laurel Road, across from the community park space. We're slated to open around late Spring this year. We've put some info on the Town's website: http://townofclaytonnc.org/Residents/Recreation_EastDogPark.aspx
