Daycare, the PUPS Way

Your dog must be healthy, friendly, and up to date on required vaccinations before attending daycare or boarding services. Required vaccinations include:

• Rabies
  
• Distemper/Parvo
  
• Bordetella (commonly referred to as “kennel cough”)
  
• Canine Influenza (recommended but not required)
  

We also require a negative fecal test every 6 months. Dogs over 8 months old must be spayed or neutered to continue participating in daycare and should wear a soft collar with a visible ID tag.

Before booking services, you’ll need to create an account, provide your veterinarian’s information, and keep a valid card on file.

Yes, the introduction day is free for local residents and is required before participating in daycare, overnight boarding, or pet sitting services.

During the visit, your dog will join a supervised playgroup so our team can get to know their personality, comfort level, and play style. This gradual introduction helps dogs adjust to the daycare environment in a safe and comfortable way. The introduction includes a full day of daycare during normal business hours, and we highly recommend scheduling it on a Monday or Friday.

After the visit, we’ll provide feedback on how your dog did and confirm whether daycare is the right fit. If daycare may not be the best match, we’ll gladly discuss training, enrichment, or alternative care options that better support your dog’s individual needs.

Every dog begins with an introduction visit to ensure a safe and gradual transition into daycare. After the visit, we’ll follow up with feedback on how your dog adjusted and recommend the best next steps.

To help your dog feel comfortable and confident, we also recommend maintaining consistent drop-off and pick-up times whenever possible. Starting on slower days—especially Mondays and Fridays—is highly encouraged to help ease your pup into the daycare experience.

Dogs are primarily grouped by size, while temperament and play style are also carefully considered to promote safe and positive interactions. All playgroups are actively supervised by trained staff to encourage healthy socialization and maintain a safe daycare environment. Our Daycare Attendants receive ongoing training in dog behavior and group dynamics from certified dog trainers.

Each daycare day is thoughtfully balanced with supervised play, enrichment activities, mental stimulation, and rest periods to help dogs stay happy, engaged, and well-regulated throughout the day.

Safety is always our top priority. Dogs may be redirected, given breaks, or separated when needed to maintain a safe and positive environment. During the introduction day, we’ll ensure your pup is comfortable being handled on a leash, entering and exiting a crate, being touched or picked up by staff, and interacting appropriately with other dogs.

If daycare is not the right fit—either during the introduction process or at any point afterward—we’ll follow up with you to discuss our observations and recommend training, enrichment, or alternative care options that may better support your dog’s needs.

We'll assess the situation immediately and contact
you right away. Your dog may be separated from the group for their own comfort
as well as the safety of the other dogs. If needed, we'll reach out to your vet
or arrange care based on your account authorization. Basic first aid can also
be provided if needed by one of our trained pet care professionals.

Yes—packages are available for convenience and savings.

Standard packages expire 10 weeks from purchase 

Promotions may have specific terms 

Not sure what’s best? Our team is happy to help you choose.

We do not provide lunch for dogs over 8 months old, as most adult dogs do well with two meals per day. For pups who would enjoy a midday treat, a frozen Pumpkin Peanut Butter Kong can be added to their daycare visit.

We’re also happy to accommodate medical or dietary needs with instructions or documentation from your veterinarian.

We offer convenient door-to-door transportation for daycare dogs within our designated service areas. Please visit your preferred club’s page for specific transportation radius information.

Transportation pricing is:

• $12 one-way
  
• $20 round-trip
  

You do not need to be home during pickup or drop-off. Simply provide access instructions, and our team will do our best to accommodate any special requests. Your dog’s safety and comfort are always our top priorities.

Transportation services are subject to staffing availability, and pickup/drop-off reservations are scheduled on a first-come, first-served basis.

All of our clubs are open to the public during the following hours:

Monday – Friday: 7:00 AM – 7:00 PM

The following locations also offer weekend hours:

Gold Coast, Lakeshore East, Lakeview, and South Loop

Saturday: 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM

Sunday: 11:00 AM – 4:00 PM

Grooming hours vary by location and groomer. Please contact your club directly for current availability and scheduling.

All clubs are closed to the public on major U.S. holidays.

The easiest way to determine what package is right for you is to speak to a Member Advisor. Generally speaking, you should consider the exercise and socialization needs of your dog and your budget. The largest discounts are given to our members who use the service at least 4 times a week. However, there are other great package options available for those who want to use the service 1-3 times per week. You should always plan for the future when considering a package as every package we sell will expire 10 weeks from the date of your first redemption.

With the right package and planning, this should never happen. Every package should be purchased with your utilization in mind. Additionally, if something planned like a vacation comes up or even something unexpected like your dog gets sick, you can suspend your package. Every package you purchase has a one-time courtesy suspension which will extend the life of your package equal to the period of time from the day you suspend it to the day you reactivate it. In the end, PUPS has a use it or lose it policy. If you haven’t planned correctly or suspended your package in a timely manner, you will have to use all of the credits before the expiration date or they will simply expire.

All packages may be suspended one time during the active term of the package. To request a suspension, please contact a Member Services Representative with the date you would like the package to pause and the date you plan to resume services.