Are you an Iowa-based pet parent looking for a home away from home for your pup for a short or extended amount of time? Consider your search over because Dogtopia of Waukee is your pup’s go-to spot for staycation fun with our overnight boarding services.
Your pup will be showered with personalized care and attention from our team when they join our daycare dogs during the day. At night, they’ll enjoy a restful sleep. After spending a full day playing with their BFFFs (Best Furry Friends Forever), your pup will fall blissfully to sleep in our secure facility and recharge for the next day.
WHAT IS ON THE DOGGY STAYCATION ITINERARY?
In true staycation fashion, we organize several activities throughout the day to ensure your pup gets exercise and has a tail-wagging good time. Since our boarding dogs join our daycare crowd, we recommend your pup enroll in at least three days of daycare prior to their overnight stay. That way, they will feel comfortable in our facility and come to understand that you will always come back to pick them up after their stay.
From opening until evening, pups can enjoy:
- Exercise: Our daycare dogs rack up an average of 60,000 steps a day, outpacing the 4,000-8,000 steps dogs at home typically take. Our agility-focused exercises and exciting activities allow our pups to have fun as they exercise, which makes them feel like they’re just playing games instead of boosting their cardio levels and strengthening their muscles.
- Socialization: In addition to meeting new friends, your pup will boost their confidence around others and form lasting bonds that allow them to tap into their natural pack instinct. By the end of their day, they’ll have moved into friendship bracelet-worthy territory!
- Learning: We like to think of daycare as a school, so we organize brain games during the day for pups to strengthen their minds and improve their problem-solving skills. Our team also practices basic commands with pups and uses positive reinforcement to encourage good behavior.
We also hold occasional doggie days that pop up throughout the month. They include:
- Dog photoshoots: Our photoshoots break the cuteness scale! Complete with themed backdrops and outfits, we have so many adorable ideas planned that you won’t want to miss.
- Arts and crafts: Paw-painted masterpieces are created at Dogtopia of Waukee! Our team prepares fun activities to help our pups flex their artistic muscles.
- Bubble parties: Bacon and peanut butter are popular flavors for our canine companions, so we’ve turned them into bubbles that float around our playrooms that they can chase and chomp on.
From noon to 2 p.m., dogs take a break from the playtime action and take some “me time” to chill. Our team prepares our pups’ lunches during this time and administers any necessary medication as instructed by the pet parents. As an overnight guest, we recommend bringing your pup’s food to maintain a consistent diet for them. However, we do have food for sale if you happen to forget your own.
In the afternoon, pups resume play. At closing time, our daycare dogs are picked up, while our boarding guests enjoy playtime a bit longer as our team prepares dinner. When it’s time to drift off to dreamland, which our pups happily do after a full day of fun, our team will prepare their overnight accommodations, which include a home-style crate located in the same playroom they just played in to maintain familiarity, or one of our private suites. By morning, pups are fed breakfast, and playtime begins again!
Dogtopia of Waukee has a modern, full-service spa available for some extra staycation pampering. Our spa team is experts in providing comfortable care to pups with our variety of spa treatments. After an overnight stay, adding a couple of treatments before you pick them up will help ensure they’re looking and feeling their best and get them comfortable in our spa environment, making future hygiene treatments something to look forward to.
MODERN DOG PLAYROOMS IN WAUKEE, IA
Our brand new 5,200 square feet facility boasts three spacious playrooms as well as a 750 square foot outdoor play area for those sun-filled days. We’ve set up our playrooms to accommodate dogs of different sizes and temperaments.
Smaller dogs enjoy our Toy Box, medium-sized dogs with more playtime energy thrive in our Romper playroom, and our larger breeds love all the extra space in our Gym playroom. All dogs are off-leash in our open play space, which gives them the freedom and confidence to make new friends, run around, and play.
We used compressed rubber flooring throughout each playroom to boost comfort and maintain the health of our dogs’ paw pads, hips, and joints. Rather than hard or cracked cement like other dog daycares, our flooring is easy to clean and comfortable.
We also have floor-to-ceiling soundproof walls separating the playrooms to help eliminate visual and auditory distractions so pups can focus on their furry friend group. Our double-barrier playroom doors add an extra layer of security, so pups never have direct access to our main hallway directly from their playroom; all entries and exits are carefully controlled and monitored.
To keep the air our pups breathe fresh and odor-free, we use advanced HVAC systems that circulate filtered, outdoor air that’s free of any pathogens. Thanks to this system, we can also control the climate of our playrooms, so playtime is always a go, no matter the weather outside.
All playrooms are sanitized twice daily, including during lunch/naps, so we maintain our high standards of cleanliness. We also follow the expert guidelines of Dogtopia’s Veterinary Scientist and Environmental Biologist in all our cleaning practices, which includes using pet-safe, chemical-free cleaning products and a bio-enzymatic cleaner for any “in the moment” potty mishaps.
DOG WEBCAM LIVESTREAM
Being away from your pup can be difficult. That’s why we’ve equipped each playroom with an iDog Camera system that connects to the Dogtopia app and website. No matter where you are, if you can access your phone or laptop, you can access our livestreams. We only turn off our livestream from 12-2 p.m., when pups are eating and napping, and overnight when it’s dark.
OUR SKILLED CANINE COACHES
We have a team of highly skilled Canine Coaches at Dogtopia of Waukee who supervise our playrooms to ensure the safety and wellbeing of every doggie guest. They are experts in managing pups of varying sizes, breeds, and play styles and know how to effectively read dog body language—a key skill when interacting with large groups of pups.
As highly trained professionals, our Coaches complete a comprehensive four-part curriculum approved for continuing education credits by the International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants and the Certification Council for Professional Dog Trainers. With the knowledge and skills they acquire during this training, our Coaches are equipped to provide top-notch care for all dogs, regardless of their breed, age, size, or temperament. You can rest assured that your furry family member is in good hands with our Coaches who have the expertise to care for your pup effectively.
MEET & GREET ASSESSMENT
All dogs at Dogtopia of Waukee must pass our Meet & Greet—a 20-30-minute assessment that allows our team to get to know your dog and ensure the services we offer are a good fit.
Our team of evaluators will examine your pup’s health records to ensure they are up to date with their vaccinations, which include Bordetella, Rabies, and DHLPP/DHPP (also known as “distemper/parvo”). We will also conduct a nose-to-tail assessment to determine their comfort level with staff interaction. From there, we’ll create a controlled mini play area with like-minded dogs to see how your pup responds, and we will take down all our observations to present to you at the end. If given the go-ahead, your pup can start daycare immediately to help prepare them for their boarding stay.
Please note that all dogs at Dogtopia of Waukee must be at least 12 weeks old, spayed/neutered if at least seven months old, free of any communicable conditions (i.e., fleas, ticks, etc.), and must not show any signs of aggression or that they’re food/toy protective.
BOOK YOUR PUP’S STAYCATION TODAY
We’re ready to book your furry family member’s next staycation! If you have any questions about boarding or other services we offer, you can contact us at 515-220-8181 or use our online inquiry form.
We are located at 1500 NW Gettysburg Lane, Ste 150, in Waukee, Iowa, which is north of Hickman Rd./Highway 6 past 10th Street. We proudly welcome pet parents from Waukee, West Des Moines, Clive, Grimes, Urbandale, and Johnston.
If you are planning a trip, we are on the way to The Des Moines International Airport, or if you’re thinking of a night on the town for your own staycation, we are close to community attractions like The Palms Theatres & IMAX, Warrior Lanes bowling alley, Broheim’s Indoor Golf & Pub, and more.
