Doggie day care available at All Paws on Deck

All Paws on Deck is a full-service grooming business for your four-legged friends and overnight boarding is available. But the business also offers something that isn’t as well-known – a doggie day care.

“I started day care honestly because I wanted to play with dogs all day. We started out slow only one day a week. We are now up to four days a week,” said owner Haley Vickers. “I had a few dogs that were coming, and they were little stinkers.  You couldn’t walk them on a leash. They wouldn’t listen but had a blast playing.”

“As the days went on, I got so much feedback from my clients saying what a difference they have seen in their dogs. One lady even said she was thinking of rehoming her dog until he started coming to day care. We work on socializing, basic obedience, leash walking.”

A typical day care day is very similar to a day for preschoolers. The dogs are dropped off between 8 and 9 in the morning and they play together. “We work on individual work with them, too. They do crafts and get to paint. They play outside.” The day care has a sandbox, small pool, and lots of toys for the dogs to play with. “They play for hours.”

After play time, staff reads a story to the dogs and then they take a short break for rest and a snack. “After that, we bring them back out to play again. By the time they go home, they are exhausted.” Dogs need to be picked up by 4 p.m.

Vickers has another project started that she is very excited about. “I saw a Tik-Tok of a bus full of dogs and I thought ‘That’s so me.’ I had about 15 friends tag me in the post, and I just knew I had to get one and when something gets in my head, it just doesn’t go away. Ask my husband – I drive him nuts. So off on a bus hunt I went. And I found one.”

She plans on getting the bus painted and a logo put on it. “I purchased seat belts that will securely hold the dogs in their seats. My goal is to be able to pick up my day care dogs, and I have so many events scheduled. Such as dog parks I want to take them to, field trips to the dairy and the Indians do a dog event. So many things are rolling through my head.”

Vickers said about 14 dogs attend day care now. “They are my clients’ children, so they have no problem with them having fun and attending whatever events we have going on. They trust us full heartedly with their dogs and that means a lot.”

She hopes to have the bus ready in the next four to six weeks. It needs to pass inspections and be painted before she can start using it. “I have clients in different towns that want us to pick up their dogs. I can’t wait to see their little heads fluttering in the wind with the goggles I purchased for them.”

All Paws on Deck offers cat and dog grooming and boarding is $30 per night for the first dog and $25 for additional dogs. Their Facebook page is updated often with pictures of the fun at doggie day care. They can be reached at 740-227-0105.

Category: Business