Dog daycare is a service dog owners need when working full time or those who do not have time for their pets during the day. But how much should a befitting amount be for doggie daycare each day? Below are a few hints on how much costs might be for dog daycare support.
Average Daily Cost of Dog Daycare
Generally, dog daycares cost within the range of $15 to $30 per day, on average, depending on several factors. Conversely, the costs can start as low as $5 a day for a bare-bones, unadorned facility to $60+ for a full-service luxury resort-type service for boarding and daycare.
Some of the typical daily rates you’ll encounter include:
– Budget/Basic Daycare: $12 – $20
– Mid-Range Daycares: $20 – $30
– Premium Daycares: $30+
Therefore, you will likely have to pay a minimum of $20 per day to get average-quality daycare in most urban centers. A rural area may be slightly less expensive, while costs may be high within regions like New York.
Various Aspects Affecting the Price of Dog Daycare
Several factors account for the wide range of prices for dog daycare services:
- Staffing & Certifications
- Facilities & Amenities
- Location/Area Rates
- Your Dog’s Needs
- Packages & Discounts
- Insurance Requirements
Now, let’s look at how each of these contributes to what you will end up paying.
Staffing & Certifications
The proportion of staffing supervision, staff training, and the number of industry certifications existing can affect charges. Thus, improved staff-to-dog ratios enable individual attention to dogs but tend to increase the overhead costs for the center. Therefore, organizations with more accredited practitioners or those that strive to obtain accreditation charge higher fees.
Facilities & Amenities
Physical structures and equipment explain a large number of differences in cost between affordable and costly daycares. For basic daycare services, clients could be provided with only indoor play areas and outside play spaces. Both small and large animal facilities might offer more play equipment and more splash pools, agility structures, a private bay and shower, and shuttle services that increase operating expenses.
Location/Area Rates
Your geographical location plays a significant role in the pricing because there are major differences in the cost of properties, employees, insurance, and other expenses for operating a facility. Daycares, however, can also be cost prohibitive: You will spend much more in expensive cities like Los Angeles or New York than in sparsely populated countryside or small towns.
Your Dog’s Needs
Extra charges apply where dogs require additional attention, have illnesses or behavioral problems, or must be tended to individually. For instance, when dogs fail to interact well, they may need single play (instead of group play) or a walk, and this will entail extra workforce. Price also may rise for the much larger or much smaller animals that the company feels need close monitoring.
Packages & Discounts
Purchasing multi-day passes, making a one-month advance reservation, or buying a monthly pass can potentially reduce prices per day. Some places may also have loyalty or reward incentives like setting a threshold of visiting ten times to “get 10% off.”
Insurance Requirements
Most daycares operate under commercial business insurance policies where potentially inevitable accidents, incidents, or any harm that could happen to the pets will be accounted for on the daycare facilities premises. However, those premiums result in higher charges than those of facilities that are not insured. Do not hesitate to ask any provider if they have adequate insurance coverage.
What Extras Come with Dog Daycare Costs?
Make sure you know what services you are getting with your daily costs, and shop around to other daycare facilities to see what they offer for their costs, as well. Most facilities will offer basic needs such as playtime for all dogs, but some may not take the dogs for walks, give treats or feed them, have nap areas, and supervision.
But some places tack on a la carte fees for extras like:
- Early start or delayed finish
- Administering medication
- Washings, combings, or nail clipping
- One-on-one play or walks
- Professional pick-up/drop-off transfers
At the luxurious end–what some call all-inclusive luxury daycares–some centers offer extra services in addition to the daily fee, like gourmet food, more varied toys, individual rooms, and a webcam.
Here are some top ways to trim expenses if you need regular daycare:
Find Out the Days that Cost the Least
Most daycares have adopted flexible pricing where certain days, in particular, cost more than other less busy days. To save $5 to $10+ you can leave your pet on less popular days, which are usually Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays.
Online servers may provide discounted daycare packages if you book online
It is more affordable to reserve your space 10, 20, or 30+ days prior, and the per day charge is typically 5 to 15% lower than the commercial facility walk-in rate.
Find a Home Daycare Provider
Research all the home daycare providers in your area. Compare prices with what you get in services at a larger doggy daycare facility.
Pet Sit or Dog Walker
For less than six hours of care during the work week, hiring someone to come over in the late afternoon to take your dog out to potty/play may be only half the price of a half-day sitter.
Day’s Divided Between Care Options
Switch between DIY, homecare, home daycare, walkers, or sitters over a week to interchange between less expensive and pricier for a balance.
For average quality of doggie daycare, one should prepare for the average price of $20 for each day. However, the cost varies from more affordable to expensive $30+ depending on what is offered as additional features, personnel, and your developing dog. It is also important to remember to add in the specific additional charges that usually pop up in daycare rates.
