Stay for a while - Daycare & Boarding
Daycare - $39 per visit
After passing an evaluation, your are able to drop off and pick up your pup whenever you’d like within business hours without scheduling. Each dog will have an assigned room (Small, Big, High-energy), with a dedicated attendant. Every 2 hours each room will go outside - extended periods for good weather, and shorter for bad weather/air quality. Going outside helps reduce the risk of potty training regression as well dogs loving it.
Boarding - $70 per day + night
After passing an evaluation, your are able to schedule boarding whenever you’d like through online booking or emailing us at info@thedogstay.com. The Price includes daycare (no additional fees). We are an open boarding facility, with beds that are cleaned an disinfected multiple times a day. No Prison Cells for our pups, regardless of how fancy they look - a cell is a cell.
We care about dogs
We constantly look for ways to ensure the dog experience is great, not just the appearance. Every new client will get a tour of the facility and a detailed walk through of the operation and we are always open to feedback.
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We perform temperament tests before allowing dogs to use services, we separate based on size and energy, monitor temperature in the rooms and keep cool to prevent overheating, we have 24/7 staff monitoring dogs, we extend / decrease outdoor based on weather & air quality, we disinfect beds multiple times a day, and keep the place clean. This includes but not limited to mopping several times a day, cleaning all dishes after every meal, and report any odd activity to parents right away through phone, text, and email. We keep the outdoors “dirt” on purpose as turf is hot on the dogs pads and absorbs urine, whereas dirt stays cool and is sanitary. We also limit the number of dogs allowed during the day and night to ensure a safe environment and do not stack crates as some other places do.
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Every dog goes outdoors several times a day, we have open boarding and daycare (vs. crates) to support “pack” mentality. We have monthly / daily activities for the dogs included such as bacon bubble time, pawty’s, arts and crafts, puzzles inside, and have TV’s in every room with DOGTV made for relaxation. We also post on Instagram daily to keep up with the pups.
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We allow for daycare drop off and pick-up without having to schedule, we have online booking for boarding and full-service grooming and are located in downtown Silver Spring.
We capture the moments on Instagram -
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We capture the moments on Instagram - 〰️
One of our pups is in the 2024 Puppy Bowl. Click here to learn more!
FAQs
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For Daycare: After your pup passes the evaluation, you can drop off and pick up anytime during business hours—no scheduling required. Our hours are 7 am to 7 pm Monday through Friday, and 10 am to 5 pm on weekends.
For BOOKED Boarding: Once your dog has passed the evaluation, they must attend at least one full day of daycare before boarding to ensure they are comfortable in our open-pack environment. Boarding can be scheduled through online booking or by emailing us at info@thedogstay.com. Drop-off for boarding is available during regular daycare hours, but we prefer drop-off before 4 pm to allow for proper introduction and playtime with the pack. Pick-up is anytime during regular hours, but we recommend before 1 pm to avoid a daycare fee.
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Early Drop-Off & Late Pick-Up Policy
Because we get it—life runs late, early, or totally sideways sometimes.
At The Dog Stay, your pup’s safety, comfort, and tail-wagging happiness come first. But we also need to make sure our team is properly scheduled and prepped to give every pup the care they deserve—especially outside of our regular hours.
That’s why any early drop-off or late pick-up must be approved at least 24 hours in advance. And yes, we do have a grace period for those tiny hiccups in the day—but once we cross that window, fees apply to help cover the cost of keeping our doors (and arms) open beyond regular hours.
Operating Hours
Weekdays
Drop-Offs Begin: 7:00 AM
Pick-Ups End: 7:00 PM
Weekends
Drop-Offs Begin: 10:00 AM
Pick-Ups End: 5:00 PM
The Grace Period (for life’s little delays)
We totally understand if you’re running a few minutes behind—or ahead. That’s why we offer a 10-minute grace period on both ends:
Early Drop-Offs: No fee if your pup arrives within 10 minutes before we open.
Late Pick-Ups: No fee if your pup is picked up within 10 minutes after we close.
🟢 6:50 AM to 7:00 AM? No problem.
🟢 7:00 PM to 7:10 PM? All good.Fee Breakdown: Per Started Half-Hour
Early Drop-Offs:
Should a Pup be dropped off earlier than the 10-minute grace period before opening, a fee of $20 per started half-hour will be charged for the time beyond the grace period.Late Pick-Ups:
Should a pet be picked up later than the 10-minute grace period after closing, a fee of $20 per started half-hour will be charged for the time beyond the grace period.
Additional Information
Pre-Approval Required: No early or late arrivals without a heads-up at least 24 hours in advance. We need to plan ahead, and we can’t promise flexibility without notice.
Why the Fee? Because extra time means extra team coverage. These fees go directly toward making sure we have the hands—and hearts—available to care for your pup outside of standard hours.
Thank you for your cooperation and understanding. For any questions or to request approval for an early drop-off or late pick-up, please contact us at least 24 hours in advance.
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Yes. It’s important for dogs to stay on the same diet to avoid digestive issues. Bring enough food in a sealed container with instructions clearly written on the container themselves. Breakfast is generally served by 7am and dinner by 5pm. Lunch can be given at noon. As to not create disruptions these are fixed feeding times. We do have house kibble if food runs out for $5 per meal
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Due to our fixed capacity and staffing requirements, we have a cancellation and early pickup policy to ensure we can provide the best care for all pets:
Standard Cancellation: If a reservation is canceled more than 72 hours before the scheduled stay, no fees will be charged.
Late Cancellation: If canceled within 72 hours of the scheduled stay, a fee equal to 50% of the total booking cost will be charged.
Early Pickup: If a pup is picked up earlier than the scheduled departure date, the full boarding rate applies for the entire booked period.
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Medications can be given as well in the pill form during meals, which we currently do not charge for. Any additional medications and charges will be case by case, and inquire by emailing info@thedogstay.com
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Each dog room goes outside at least once every 2 hours. The amount of time depends on the weather and air quality, but we prefer extended periods assuming it’s nice out. We have over 3000 square feet of outdoors, mostly dirt and grass. Not using turf is intentional as it is hot on the dogs feet and difficult to keep from absorbing messes. The ground it hard so not a lot of dust kicks up but we do offer full service grooming for exit baths which our clients take advantage of often. While outside, we have at least 1 attendant supervising and cleaning - their priorities are 1) no fights (dogs can have a tendency to play to the point of annoying other dogs), 2) no eating things they shouldn’t, 3) observing behavior in general for any signs of odd behavior, and 4) cleaning messes (we pride ourselves in keeping it clean at all times).
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We pride ourselves on cleanliness. Each room is mopped multiple times a day and right after messes. We remove and flush any dog #2 in a toilets, as to reduce waste of bags and keep it clean. We do a deep clean at the end of the day, every day as well and disinfect each bed daily.
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At The Dog Stay, we believe dogs thrive when they can interact and play freely with other dogs in an open environment. This setup encourages:
Physical exercise: Dogs can burn off energy by running, playing, and engaging in natural behaviors, which helps them stay fit and happy.
Socialization: Dogs improve their social skills and confidence by interacting with other dogs of different sizes and temperaments in a supervised, structured setting.
Mental stimulation and stress relief: Being part of a pack-like environment reduces boredom, lowers anxiety, and allows dogs to engage in calming natural behaviors like sniffing and exploring.
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Yes, minor injuries such as nips, scratches, or bumps are possible. This is a natural part of dog play, especially when dogs are interacting freely, much like children at a playground. Our staff is highly trained to monitor the dogs and step in when necessary to prevent incidents from escalating(Helping Fido)(The Dog Gurus). While we do everything we can to ensure safety, some level of risk is inherent in open play settings.
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If your dog is involved in an incident, we will:
Administer basic first aid if necessary.
Separate the dogs involved.
Notify you right away with details of what happened.
Conduct a thorough investigation, including reviewing security footage, and keep you informed throughout the process
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The Dog Stay is not responsible for covering veterinary bills unless the injury results from our negligence. If an injury occurs, we will conduct a thorough investigation and connect the parents of the dogs involved to discuss how they would like to handle any veterinary expenses.
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We prioritize safety by:
Grouping dogs by size, temperament, and energy level.
Maintaining a low staff-to-dog ratio for close supervision.
Stop accepting dogs once we reach capacity.
Training our staff to recognize early signs of tension or overexcitement.