Running With the Pack: Inside a Day Care for Dogs

When you first arrive at in Frazer, you might think you entered the vibrant world of a children’s daycare. There is colorful equipment—slides, ramps and brightly colored toy buildings.

And like a day care, there's never a dull moment. As many as 60 dogs might come through the doors on a given day.

"With dogs arriving and departing throughout the day, the dynamics change hourly,” manager Tammy Clapper said.

According to owner Karen Walton, some aspects of dog daycare programs are indeed similar to those of a pre-school. There are snacks, naps and recess—mostly recess. In the summer, Karen and her staff fill up the kiddy pools and flip on fans and engage the dogs in water play with a hose to keep them cool.

The cold-weather equipment, including awnings and fans, is less for the dogs than the humans.

“Everyone thinks we put them up for the dogs, but most dogs don’t care–they have fur coats to keep their body temperature stable. The frills are for the employees who remain outside with the dogs at all times,” Walton said.

When Karen’s K9 Care opened in 2000, it was among the first dog day care program in Chester County. Group pet sitting was a new concept back then. Karen started with a dozen dogs, her own beloved Baxter included, and some of her original clients are still there.

There are dogs of all sizes and breeds in the yards together, and it's up to staff members Eric Schmeid and Cody Rogers to maintain order. Schmeid controlled the back yard the morning we visited, and gave plenty of hugs and praise, while Rogers controlled the pack in the front yard.

Like children, dogs form cliques, according to the staff. Some bond with a buddy for the day and are inseparable. Others run around with several friends, and still others play the role of roaming loner.

In the grooming center, Stephanie Burruss was busy with the nail clippers, shampoo bottle and blow dryer.

"If a day care dog needs a haircut and bath, it is scheduled for the afternoon so the owner picks up a clean, sweet-smelling dog in the evening,” Burruss said.

Individual and group training is a conducted on-site through Vicki Wooters of Wooters Dog Training.

"If a dog has a pulse, we can train him," Wooters said.