This is where the doggy daycare pro comes in. Daycare facilities give dogs the opportunity to exercise, socialize and receive the attention they crave. Professionals in this field also administer any medicines a dog may require, as well as providing meals, treats, playtime and even walks. The result is a happier dog and pet owners who can work through the day confident in the knowledge that their dogs are receiving good care and their homes are not being destroyed.

As a doggy daycare pro you’ll enjoy working with different dog breeds as you make their lives better. Doggy daycare pros can also make an above-average salary by launching their own business.

All you need to get started is a love of dogs and the motivation to succeed. Read on to discover what’s involved in becoming a doggy daycare pro.

In this article you’ll learn:

• How much money you can make as a doggy daycare pro
• The required training and certifications
• Professional groups to join
• Employment opportunities for doggy day care pros
• Finding clients
• Plus helpful tips

How much money can you make?

Doggy daycare pros typically charge $25 – $30 daily per dog. Fees can be higher depending on the dog breed, the age of the animal and any special considerations such as administering medicines or preparing meals a certain way. Owners of doggy daycare businesses report annual salaries as high as $149,000 a year.

Training and Certification

You don’t need a federal license, educational degree or formal training to become a doggy daycare pro. At most, a state business license will be necessary. Still, training and certification is the proven way to show the world you are a competent professional who can be trusted to take excellent care of animals. It stands to reason that consumers who can choose an accredited daycare facility (or one that is not) will be much more likely to go with the accredited doggy daycare center. Even if the pricing is different, people who love their pets are not going to gamble for the sake of saving a few dollars. Certification is important.

Doggy daycare pros typically have extensive experience working with dogs, possibly a degree in animal care, or deep experience in related fields such as a dog trainer, vet technician or breeder.

Here is a list of doggy daycare training programs you can review as you evaluate a program that best suits your certification needs.

Among the topics you’ll learn in training:

• Working with different dog breeds
• Evaluating dogs for temperament and socialization
• Basic business skills relevant to running a doggy daycare
• Emergency first aid and canine CPR
• Scientific techniques for training dogs
• Managing multiple animals and the staff who care for them
• Effective communication skills for dealing with customers

Professional Groups to Join

When you join professional organizations in your field you’ll be able to network with other members and learn from their experience, trade tips and techniques, find out about job opportunities and stay engaged with your profession. Professional memberships, when displayed on your resume, website and at your place of business, show clients that you are serious about your career. Here are two of the most popular professional groups for doggy daycare pros:

The International Boarding and Pet Services Association offers educational materials on business assets, industry mastery, staff training, accreditations, and assistance for the pet services industry. Members include the owners and employees of pet boarding offices, dog walkers, pet sitters, veterinarians, trainers and pet suppliers. Benefits include training and certification programs, a listing on their searchable online directory of pet boarders, industry news, workshops and an annual conference. A membership costs $302 per year.

The Association of Animal Behavior Professionals (AABP) was founded as a professional association and certifying body supporting a community of animal behavior technologists utilizing non-coercive methods in working with clients’ dogs. Joining this group provides you with scientific insights into dogs’ behavior and how to manage different breeds. Other benefits include:

• License to market your membership, (including use of the AABP logo)
• Access to a member’s forum for networking and discussion
• Listing on the web site directory
• Members may apply for AABP Certification
• Certification: Emphasized listing on the web site
• Certification: Official “AABP Certified,” which may be used for marketing purposes
• Certification: Use of the “AABP Certified Member” logo

You can also meet other doggy daycare providers and exchange ideas through informal networking groups. This list features dozens of online networking groups for doggy daycare providers that you can review and consider joining.

Employment

Check local doggy daycare centers for job openings. Be sure to print copies of your resume and professional credentials in advance so you’ll have them ready. If you plan to send job applications via email, create .pdf files of your documents that you plan to attach. These types of files are considered safe for online delivery, meaning your email is less likely to end up in an employer’s spam folder.

Also check online job-search services like Indeed and ZipRecruiter. You can set up notifications on these sites to receive email alerts about openings that match your geographic location.

Finding Clients

To succeed as a doggy daycare provider you’ll need steady business. Ideally, you’ll get a blend of repeat customers and new customers. This will help you stay busy while maintaining cash flow.

Work with a printing company to create business cards, then launch a website for marketing your doggy daycare services. The website needs pictures of your facility and staff working with different dogs, plus a list of the services you provide, as well as your location and contact information, which must be clearly visible at the top of every page on your site. The upper right-hand corner is a good spot for your location, phone number and email, but wherever you display this information it needs to be in the same spot on every page. Search engines scan this information to match your website geographically with people searching for pet boarding.

Next, create an Instagram page to highlight your doggy daycare business. Instagram is the #1 online venue for small business owners to showcase their services. A dedicated business page on Instagram is always promoting your doggy daycare.

Now build a Facebook business page. This is a fast way to grow a following by offering helpful information to enhance their life with pets. You can run promotions for your daycare and create teaser links to your business website by posting articles and news about dogs in your Facebook posts.

Finally, create a Google My Business page. With this service you can list hours of operation, post photos of your daycare facility and a map of your location. There’s also a place for customers to leave reviews of your services, so you should ask everyone to post praise on your Google My Business page.

Setting up a business presence on each of these sites takes less than an hour. All are free services that work 24/7 to promote your doggy daycare. That means you can spend more time caring for dogs and less time trying to find customers.

Other ways to grow your business:

Veterinarian Referrals

Contact local veterinarians and foster business relationships with them. Dog owners will often ask their vets about other pet concerns, including daycare. A referral from a vet is a powerful marketing asset.

Partner with Local Shelters or SPCA

This immediately gets your business in front of people who are adopting pets. Leave a supply of advertising flyers and business cards at the local shelter or SPCA for visitors to pick up. Volunteering for an hour or two each month at the shelter can build goodwill. Think of it as an investment in the free advertising you will receive.

Contact Independent Pet Stores

Small business owners understand the value of working with other professionals in the community. Concentrate on pet stores that sell organic animal food, specialty chew toys and other items that usually attract wealthier customers. These are more often busy professionals who need daycare for their dogs.

Good to know

Before opening your doggy daycare, there are several legal and business considerations to work through. Talk to an attorney specializing in small-business issues or an accountant about the advantages and disadvantages of organizing your business as a sole proprietorship, a limited liability company, or other entity. Also check your local government offices about business licensing and any special permits that may be required to house and care for animals in your location.

If business growth creates the need to hire employees, you want to be sure they are certified and qualified before starting work. Everyone employed at your daycare center should be trained in pet CPR and emergency first aid.

While it may be tempting to sign up every customer who comes through the door, especially when you’re just starting out, before accepting a new dog into the daycare you should seriously consider interviewing the owner and meeting with the dog to evaluate the animal’s behavior. Is the dog socialized and even-tempered? You can spare yourself a lot of problems and headaches by taking this precautionary step.

You’ll also need to carry liability insurance for your own protection, as well as release forms for customers to sign that prevent legal action against you or your business.

Paperwork doesn’t stop there. You’ll also need a form on file for every dog, listing all vaccines and health history as well as any conditional the animal may have and any medications that need to be given during the day. Complete contact information for the dog’s owner should also be on this form.

To maintain a decent work-life balance, you’ll want to make it clear to your customers that they must pick-up their dogs by a certain time at the end of the day. Otherwise, you’ll be at the mercy of people who show up to collect their dogs whenever they feel like it. You may want to create a policy where a customer gets two warnings for arriving after hours to pick up a pet. After that, you can charge a late fee. It may sound extreme, but there are unfortunately people who will try to take advantage of your services if there are no consequences.

As your business grows, you can put technology to work. Many doggy daycare providers have webcams set up throughout the facility so customers can check in on their pets during the day, using a smartphone, tablet or computer. While not inexpensive, these video systems continue to come down in price. Offering video streaming sets you apart from competitors and is one more selling tool for encouraging customers to work with you.

You can also diversify your services to make the business even more appealing. Pet pick-up and drop-off services are popular with busy professionals. If they can also arrange for their dog to receive training, grooming and other services while at doggy daycare, that’s even better.

If you enjoyed this article, check out some more great PocketSuite.io content that can help you grow your career as a doggy daycare pro. Here’s a great place to start.PocketSuite has thousands of business owners who all started where you are right now. Our community is always happy to help you ramp up, grow your client base, and achieve your income goals, both within the PocketSuite app and as part of our exclusive Facebook Community Group. PocketSuite’s vision is for any professional to be able to work for themselves and make a great living. It starts here. It starts with you. It starts today. Let’s get started, download PocketSuite now! Feel free to reach out with any questions (we’d love to hear from you)! Text us @ (415) 841-2300.

Are you an aspiring Dog trainer seeking an apprenticeship program? Apprenticing under an experienced Dog trainer may be the single best thing you can do to step your Dog training skills up and kickstart your new career as a Dog trainer. While there are plenty of Dog training and Animal Behavior certifications available on the market, nothing teaches hands-on skills quite like in-person experience.

For this reason, in this article we’ve broken down the different types of Dog training apprenticeship programs available on the market today.

It’s time to sit up and pay attention, because you’ll be a whole lot dog-gone smarter when it comes to approaching your Dog training career after you finish reading.

In previous articles, we’ve discussed the merits of becoming a certified Dog trainer.

We’ve talked about how to get certified as well as the wide array of certifications available.

Today, we’re switching focus and discussing a much more specific topic – apprenticeships.

What is a Dog training apprenticeship?

The Department of Labor defines an apprenticeship as a “learn-while-you-earn” business model that “combines on-the-job training, provided by the employer that hires the apprentice, with job-related instruction in curricula tied to the attainment of national skills standards.”

In essence, you get hands-on experience in the Dog training field by working with an established Dog trainer or company.

As an apprentice, you can gain invaluable experience by learning to understand the key behavioral differences between breeds.

For example, a German Shepherd may exhibit traits of a guard dog while a Beagle will always find its way home.

Apprenticeships generally last between 1 and 6 years. Apprentices typically take classes while they are working, which combines real life experience with theoretical knowledge.

These two methods of skill acquisition are complementary and deliver lots of benefits to both the Dog trainer and the employer:

EMPLOYER BENEFITS

As a veteran Dog trainer or Dog training company, you form a symbiotic relationship with your apprentices while enjoying the following benefits to your business:

• Low cost, skilled labor
• On the job training for potential full-time Dog trainers
• Lower employee turnover – an estimated 91% of apprentices stay with their employer after the program ends

APPRENTICE BENEFITS

As a Dog training apprentice, you get lots of perks that you wouldn’t have access to just by receiving a Dog training certification:

• On-the-job training
• Higher chance of being hired full-time once apprenticeship is complete
• Credentials signifying apprentice is qualified for a career in Dog training
• Steady wage increases
• Learning new methods and training techniques
• Potential college credits

Dog trainers or Dog training businesses may choose to perform screening procedures to select the best apprentices.

This may include minimum qualifications such as being 18+ years of age and being a college graduate or enrolled in college.

It may also include more complex benchmarks such as aptitude tests, interviews, transcripts, or previous experience working with dogs.

While there is no formal Dog training apprenticeship system in the US, we have compiled a list of the most prominent Dog training apprenticeship programs that we could find. Let us know if we missed any, we’re happy to add them as well.

SELECT DOG TRAINING APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAMS

Wags and Wiggles – California

Laurie Zurborg CPDT-KA has been featured on Animal Planet and runs a prestigious Dog training apprenticeship program under the name Wags and Wiggles.

Wags and Wiggles started in 1999 and remains one of the top Dog training apprenticeships.

House of Dog Training – Colorado

The House of Dog Training features multiple certified Dog trainers and runs an apprenticeship program that costs $2500 for 1 year or $5000 for 2 years.

They can help you earn hours towards your certification and even help you with the application process to receive your certification.

PAWS Training Group – Massachusetts

This 150 hour long apprenticeship program prepares you for home appointments, private sessions, training camps, and fostering dogs.

PAWS was founded by Shari-Ann Murphy, who has been training and fostering dogs for over 25 years.

Little Angels Service Dogs – California

The Little Angels Student Trainer Apprenticeship Program has a tuition-free option available, which is the only one we’ve come across so far.

The company operates as a non-profit, and their goal is to “better the community through dog training education, and specifically to assist the disabled through trained assistance dogs.”

Service Dog Academy – Illinois

Mary McNeight CCS, BGS is the head trainer for Service Dog Academy, and was a featured speaker for the Association of Professional Dog Trainers 2013 Conference.

If you’re interested in training medical alert dogs or service dogs, their apprenticeship program may be a good fit.

Front Range K9 Academy – Colorado

The Front Range K9 Academy apprenticeship is a $2500 program that typically lasts 2-6 months.

Jennifer Hime started Front Range K9 after studying under Dog Trainer Paula Mitchell of Animal 

World, and has been in the Canine training world since 1990.

thisABLE Veteran – Illinois

The apprenticeship program for thisABLE Veteran is a paid program in Illinois that teaches you to train service dogs for veterans.

This non-profit has been operating since 2011 and was founded by Behesha Doan.

My Little Dog Training Business – Oregon

For residents of Oregon, My Little Dog Training Business is offering an apprenticeship program that prepares you to take your test through the Certification Council of Professional Dog Trainers. 

Suzanne Brean started the Academy as an adjunct to her Dog training business, and has the following certifications to back up her knowledge:

• CP.D.T.-KA, 
• C.P.D.T.-KSA, 
• S.T.A.R. Puppy Trainer, 
• C.G.C. (Canine Good Citizen) 
• C.G.C. Community Canine Trainer, 
• C.G.C. Urban Canine Trainer.

Doggie Academy – New York

The Doggie Academy apprenticeship program is headquartered in New York at the Brooklyn Dog Training Center.

The internship is free and unpaid, and you must sign a non-compete document stating you will not train dogs in the Brooklyn area for at least 1 year.

Bad Dogs Inc – California

Led by Barbara Davis, the Bad Dogs Inc apprenticeship program is called DogTAP.

Barbara has been certified by both the CCPDT and IAABC, which are two of the most prominent certifying bodies for Dog trainers.

Good Dog! Autism Companions – California

The Apprentice Trainer position for Good Dog is a volunteer position at a non-profit.

It lasts 16 months and is an unpaid apprenticeship.

Good Dog Santa Cruz – California

Mardi Richmond CPDT-KA, CC heads up the Good Dog Santa Cruz apprenticeship program.

Mardi specializes in force-free training methods, and offers a 1 year program at $400 per month.

Who’s Walking Who – New York

The apprenticeship program for Who’s Walking Who was started by Stacy Alldredge, who has been working in the Canine world for over 24 years.

Legends Dog Training – California

The apprenticeship program for Legends Dog Training comes at a cost of $950.

Amanda Gagnon Dog Training – New York

This apprenticeship program comes in at $4500, but doesn’t require any previous experience with Dog training.

So there you have it. Armed with this knowledge, go forth and learn all the ins and outs of being a professional Dog Trainer by joining an apprenticeship program near you.

You may also want to check out our other Dog trainer-specific articles:

• How to Get More Dog Training Clients on Yelp
• Dog Training Certifications and Apprenticeships – Different Training Styles

Like this article? You’ll love these articles:

• Our guide on how to generate leads for service businesses in 2022
• Our Frustrations with Square article

Did we miss any popular Dog training apprenticeships? Drop us a line at support@pocketsuite.io and let us know! We’d be happy to update our article to include your feedback and suggestions.

Doggy daycare groups are a great place to find a community of like-minded people who can help you in your industry. They can provide great information, support, and friendship. This is where you will find the owners of a doggy daycare, an employee of a doggy daycare, a person who is planning on opening a doggy daycare or anyone else who cares about dogs and wants to make this their career.

Check out Facebook Groups for Doggy Daycare Providers:

Doggy Daycare

Dog Daycare Owners & Staff

Paws Doggie Daycare Photos

Doggy Daycare Owners – Australia

Dog Daycare

DOGGY DAYCARE

Profitable Daycare Network

CHILDCARE BUSINESS

Daycare

Daycare Lesson Plans, Menus, and Printables Share

Doggy Day Care Brisbane Pawrents

Parents of Dog’s Day Out Doggy Daycare

Daycare Providers

Home Daycare Providers Group- Tips, Advice, & Ideas

Waggers Doggie Day Care

SPCA Hobsonville Doggy Daycare

Dog Behavior for Daycare Providers & Friends

Mini Adventures Family Daycare , Information Group

Home Daycare Providers Sharing Policies, Procedures, And Business Issues.

Pawsitively Petastic Doggy Daycare, Cage Free Homestyle Boarding, Sitting

Daycare Curriculum Group

DAYCARE 2019-2020 (Morning Session)

Owners of Dog Daycares

Daycare Parent 2019

Lil’ Doggy Day Care

Animal Ark Doggy Daycare – Customers only

Daycare

Rustic Acres Doggy Daycare Page!!

THE DOG HAUS LTD Doggy Daycare & Grooming Spa (VIP’s ONLY)

Duggy’s Daycare

~*Daycare*~

Private Home Childcare Providers of Fergus/Elora

Daycare

Bubs family day care

Compass Licensed Home Childcare Providers

Silver Steps Day Care

SunShine Family DayCare

Elite Daycare Staff

Creative Hearts {in-home} Daycare (Family Group)

Buffy’s Daycare Precious Kidz Kinderkare

The Doggy House Dog Daycare – Pupdates Page ??

Boo Boo’s Daycare Parent Group

DayCare

Bradford Early Learning & Child Care Center

Day Care Centre

Home Daycare Provider Support Group

Daycare in Sartell and surrounding areas

Home Daycare Providers of Bradford

Home 2 DayCare

Precious Paws Family ?

Maryland Licensed Home daycare search

OANP Childcare Locator

Wichita Licensed Daycare Providers

Daycare Goodies

South Dakota Childcare Providers

Yarrabah Daycare

Quad Cities Childcare Providers and Parents

Dog Friendly Richmond

Evansville Home Daycares Licensed and Non Licensed

Doggy & Friends

Family Day Care and the EYLF

Every Dog Day Care

Bronx Daycare Providers

Licensed Dog Boarders, Day Care & Kennels Home Counties+

Daycare Providers with Opinions and No Drama

Calvert County Family Daycare

Guyra Preschool and Long Day Care Centre

Child Care For Yavapai County

Lucky Dog LKN Boarding/Daycare Dogs

Floyd County Daycare providers/ parents looking for childcare

Kids Kount Daycare

We Are FAMILY Childcare Providers

Hayleys Family Daycare

My Daycare, Inc

Collingwood and Area Daycare and Networking Group

Dog Day Afternoon ( Guild)

South JoCo Childcare

Lady Di Daycare Families

Donald Duck Day Care

Child Care in Stevens County

Daycare family

Strictly Doggos

Churchbridge Daycare Co-operative

Treehouse Daycare

Huron Daycare providers only

Hoglets Daycare and Forest School

Story County Home Daycare Providers

Sprouts Childcare for Families

Dilly’s Daycare

Debbie’s Daycare

Allyses Daycare

Donna’s Daycare

Little Green House Childcare Bobbington parents and Carers page

Bubbly britches daycare

Daycare by Jenni

Doggy Diamond Dog Park Group

The Daycare Room (At Bootzie’s)

Kataujaq Society Daycare

Day Care For Dandies And Dames

Doggy daycare is very beneficial to dogs and promotes good behavior and encourages dogs to be active. At the same time, their owners are busy, traveling, or working. Dog daycares are similar to child daycare centers in that they usually operate during the week, Monday to Friday, and during working hours. Some doggy daycares also offer overnight, longer-term stay, grooming, and other specialty services.

Training attendants for day care centers

A doggy daycare attendant is offered on-the-job training, and the daycare will teach their workers how to interact appropriately, train, and handle dogs. Also, you will learn how to restrain aggressive dogs and administer medications. A doggy daycare attendant should be able to assess a dog’s situation, psychology, injuries, and any other adverse conditions that may require the intervention of a Veterinarian. They monitor dog play to make sure it is safe and the dogs are stress-free. They provide blankets and material in the kennels that make the dogs more comfortable.

Running doggy daycare

A Doggy daycare pro must understand basic office skills including, organization, booking appointments, invoicing, and collection. They may also handle payroll, depending on the size of the operation. A doggy daycare attendant spends equal parts of his/her day both inside the daycare and outside, providing care and exercise for the dogs. The schedule can be part-time or full time, depending on the demands of the employer, number, and frequency of bookings. A doggy daycare attendant may end up working early in the morning or late at night, depending on their client’s needs. Their daily responsibilities might include providing food and water, playing with dogs, cleaning out the kennels, and cleaning up after the dogs, housekeeping, vacuuming, and mopping. They might also care for special needs dogs. A doggy daycare pro may also take clients on tours, check the dog’s veterinarian files, and handle bookkeeping for the business. Doggy daycare is a hands-on, interactive physical play environment. It, therefore, carries some risk of injury, both to the dogs and staff. A good employee will recognize a problem dog and aggressive behavior before it becomes a problem. If a fight breaks out, it is your responsibility to break it up immediately. Therefore a doggy daycare attendant must be robust, fast, and good under pressure. You will be expected to stand and walk for long periods of time and be able to lift large breed dogs. You must be able to lift, crawl, bend and jump easily. An attendant must be alert and agile, while making clients feel at ease. You might be asked to work in a variety of settings including, boarding facilities, vets, rescue associations and breeding facilities. You may work for yourself or be employed by an established doggy daycare.

How much does a doggy daycare attendant make?

According to recent US Bureau of Labor statistics, a doggy daycare attendant usually makes about minimum wage. A positive aspect is this is a growth industry, and if you own a doggy daycare, your annual salary can be quite large. Doggy daycare attendants also receive tips from their clients. They may have a flexible schedule that might allow them to take on additional employment. The pay scale that a doggy daycare attendant makes can vary depending on the amount of training, where they work, and the type of facility in which they work. An experienced individual who has worked for large facilities or well-known breeders can demand a higher salary.

Doggy Daycare Attendant Licensing
A doggy daycare attendant won’t be expected or required to have a license. They may work at a licensed facility and must have a business license if they own said facility. A doggy daycare attendant is usually required to have a valid driver’s license and a clean driving record. A background check may be required.

Resources to help in starting or expanding your doggy daycare career:

• Certifications, Training & Education
• Doggy Daycare Provider Associations
• Doggy Daycare Provider Networking Groups

Many dog daycare associations were founded to offer education and business development services to people who own, work in, or are training to become a doggy daycare owner. Their members usually receive benefits such as discounts on education and at partner businesses, newsletters, and business listings on the association’s site. Often, you can also use their affiliation and logo on your promotional material and website to attract clients.

Browse Dog Daycare Association

• https://pocketsuite.io/international-boarding-pet-services-association-ibsa/
• https://pocketsuite.io/iapo-international-association-of-professional-dog-daycare-owners/

No degree or formal training is usually required to find a job as a doggy daycare attendant. However, most successful applicants have a solid background working with dogs professionally before they advance to the position of doggy daycare attendant. Many doggy daycare managers have a college degree in an animal-related field, such as biology or the animal sciences. These college degrees can involve an in-depth study of animal psychology, physiology, veterinary examinations, animal anatomy, and other useful topics. Some jobs that help prepare you for doggy daycare manager include dog groomer, trainer, walker, handler, breeder, and vet technician. Taking a job as a doggy daycare assistant and working your way to doggy daycare manager, is a common career path. To do this job well, doggy daycare attendants must enjoy working with dogs in addition to interacting positively with clients. The work of a doggie daycare attendant is learned mostly on the job. You will not be expected to perform any of your duties well without first going through a training period. You will learn by watching and interacting with other doggy daycare attendants. You will also learn by watching dogs in a variety of different situations. Some doggy daycare facilities offer a training program for a fee.