Where Every Day Is a Tail-Waggin’ Adventure!
Welcome to Downtown Doggie Center — St. Pete’s favorite place for paws, play, and plenty of pampering! Nestled on nearly half an acre right outside downtown, our doggie daycare is a furry paradise with giant outdoor play yards shaded by Southern Oak trees and over 5,000 square feet of indoor space for all-weather fun.
Whether your pup loves chasing balls, splashing in fountains, digging for buried treasure, or just lounging on a sunbeam, we’ve got something for every wagging tail. Playgroups are thoughtfully matched by size, energy, and personality — so your dog always plays with the right crew.
From digging pits and agility courses to cuddle couches and nap nooks under skylights, our facility is designed for pure doggie joy — with supervision and snuggles from our experienced, loving staff every step of the way.
A Day in the Life of a Downtown Doggie
6:30–7:30 AM – Early Bird Drop-Off
Early risers hit the play yards first and help us greet our overnight guests.
(Tours available by appointment!)
7:30–9:30 AM – Regular Drop-Off
The fun begins! Dogs are sorted into small, tail-wagging playgroups.
9:30 AM–12:00 PM – Morning Mayhem
From themed group games to splash zones and digging corners, the morning is full of energy. Muddy pups and water lovers get a rinse with our gentle, hypoallergenic shampoo. New dogs get their temperament assessments, too!
12:00–2:00 PM – Snuggle & Snooze Time
After a busy morning, it’s time to recharge with soft beds, cozy couches, and maybe a staff lap or two. Lunch is served to those who need it.
2:00–4:30 PM – Afternoon Play
The pace slows a bit, but the fun doesn’t stop. We do light agility, brush-ups, and chill toy time. Some pups sunbathe, some practice commands — all are entertained and enriched.
4:30–6:30 PM – Pick-Up & Pup Kisses
Our tired, happy pups are ready for pick-up and all the sloppy goodbye kisses.
6:30–9:30 PM – After-Hours Activities
Evenings include training classes, club meet-ups, and rescue events.
(Tours available by appointment!)
Grooming, training sessions, and pet photography happen throughout the day!
Frequently asked Questions
Friendly and well socialized pets of all breeds, sizes, and ages are welcome to attend! We require ALL dogs attending our facility for any reason (training, boarding, day care) to be current on all vaccinations and have their current shot records on file. All pets must be free of any internal and external parasites, be spayed or neutered if over 6 months of age, and for those attending day care, satisfactorily complete a Temperament Assessment.
Upon enrollment, every dog will receive a temperament assessment. The temperament assessment is multi-phased and takes several hours to complete. Phase I is the very detailed day care application, which will help us to learn a little about your dogs day to day life style and history. We also conduct a brief interview with you, as no one knows more about your fur baby than you. Your dog will be carefully observed as we gently test for food or toy aggressions, and fears or reservations of new people (our trained staff). We will allow your dog several situational play options to gauge their individual play styles and preferences. Once we have a little insight as to their personality we will culminate the testing by carefully introducing our known dogs of like personalities, one at a time, and watch as friendships blossom and fun begins!
The temperament testing is crucial to insuring that every dog will have a safe and enjoyable experience.
Occasionally, we will have a dog that is not quite ready for daycare. They may lack some of the social skills or bite inhibition they will need to successfully participate in daycare. Oftentimes, these behavioral quirks are a result of lack of socialization or simply inexperience on the dogs part. And far more often than not, these behaviors can be addressed through training, or behavior modification techniques.
Because the temperament assessment is very involved, the fee is non-refundable, however, we will gladly apply the cost of the Temperament Assessment to any training, socialization, private lessons, or behavior modifications you might choose to help your furry friend overcome these obstacles. We will also gladly offer referrals at low cost and free services for training and socialization opportunities within the community.
NO! As experienced and professional trainers and handlers we know that there is simply no such thing as an “aggressive breed”. Aggressive and dangerous individual dogs, of every breed? Yes! Entire breeds, or even breed lines of aggressive animals? NO!!! People who believe this are simply uneducated in the nature and behavior of dogs, and oftentimes, victim to the hype and hysteria manufactured by the media.
Downtown Doggie Center does not accept dogs that exhibit ANY signs of aggression, regardless of their breed. Just as we are happy to accept well balanced and friendly dogs of ALL breeds.
YES! We look forward to showing off our facility. We do ask that you schedule your tour before or after hours. Your pet, and every other pet gets excited when a new person comes…just like when you have a guest at home. Imagine that with 15, 20, or 30 dogs, and then calming those dogs again! Although we want your dog to have an exciting day, we like to keep it positive excitement instead of frantic excitement caused by visitors. We are happy to oblige your visit, by appointment, during early bird drop off, after 6:00 pm any evening, or over the weekend.
In order to prevent any dietary upset, we strongly recommend that you bring enough of your pets usual food(s) to last the length of their stay. If you do not provide food, we will feed your dog the same high quality grain free food we feed our own pets.
Our staff is fully trained and certified in pet CPR and first aid. In addition, in case of any injury beyond the normal bumps of playing, or any illness, we would immediately notify you. In cases of serious illness or injury, your pet will be immediately transported for veterinary care. We will always err on the side of abundant caution when the health of a pet is at stake.
All dogs who come to Downtown Doggie Center are required to be on a flea preventative medication. Should we observe fleas on a pet, they will immediately be flea bathed, at the owners expense. Our facility is sanitized and cleaned daily, and the yards are routinely treated to prevent flea activity.
Many small dogs seem to think that they are giants! Think it though they may, we know better! For most of the robust and active games, we separate the dogs into groups of similar size simply for the sake of safety. The 4 pound tea cup breed could be crushed by a running Labrador, and those are not chances we are willing to take.
However, some of the most unlikely doggie friendships do develop, and during quiet times, or in very small (2-3) organized play groups, we do sometimes permit best friends of different sizes to enjoy one another’s company.
Of Course! And if a facility tells you differently, they are lying to you! Although very rare, doggie arguments do happen. These squabbles almost never get to the point of a full on fight, but there are conflicts among even the best of doggie friends.
Our staff is highly educated in dog body language and communication, and continually watch the play groups and interactions for signs of conflict within the groups. This careful attention allows us to redirect energy, or even restructure our groups a little to keep everyone happy and having fun.