Day camp focuses on behavioral welfare first—meaning, providing well-rounded enrichment and public distraction exposure which promotes dogs’ ability to enjoy adventurous lives as members of our community.
Dogs engage in structured activity plans designed by our Certified Professional Dog Trainer® and C9C co-owner, Jordan Bowdish in pairs and small groups. With decompression, exercise, mental stimulation, leash walking, relaxation skills, store outings, and more included, we fulfill dogs’ needs in a skilled and safe environment.
All featured dogs are from real Cloud 9 day camp report cards!
Which Types of Dogs Are Suitable for Day Camp?
- Dogs with social interest needing an environment to balance practicing healthy play skills with leash neutrality around other dogs.
- Toy-sized dogs looking for other dogs to safely interact with through our designated Tuesday morning “quiet” day camp for tiny, senior, anxious, or low-energy dogs.
- Puppies looking for a safe, skilled environment to learn social skills and prevent problem behaviors.
- Dogs that have not had exposure to other dogs and need to learn how to “speak dog.”
- Dogs that may not be successful in a traditional doggy daycare* environment, or humans who would like their dog to experience the benefits of social resilience and neutrality without the risks of visiting dog parks.
- Dogs with high energy looking for an enrichment service that gets them contentedly tired rather than exhausted or overstimulated.
- Dogs that have graduated behavior modification and training packages* looking to maintain and progress their skills in an environment run by a Certified Professional Dog Trainer®.
*Careful screening before sign-up ensures each dog is matched to a group appropriate for their needs. Eligibility restrictions apply.
Which Service Type is Right for You?
Day Camp Success Stories
Day Camp Attendee—Winston L.
Winston, affectionately known as Winnie, was excused from daycare due to his rowdy behavior causing him to not mesh well with the large group and reactive behavior on walks.
After his human reached out looking for healthy social outlets, Winston quickly fell into place with the group, still showing tendencies to want to control the movement of other dogs requiring careful management to make him feel comfortable: not a problem with our small group size and training set up!
Winston is now our TOP CHOICE introduction dog for newbie day campers. He is cool, collected, and playful with beautiful social skills for saying “no thanks” in subtle yet effective ways. Winston thrives here in our small-group set up with individual activity plans and is a much more adaptable, confident dog compared to where we started. We are SO GRATEFUL for our Winnie and all we have had the absolute joy of learning from and with him during his long-standing time with us in day camp.
Day Camp Attendee–Lexi T.
Lexi came to us when human was moving from Michigan to Florida, where Lexi would live in a community around other dogs. She was extremely fearful, so we were tasked with helping there come out of her shell.
Her first day went well, but her shyness showed up as she navigated the space. We did not involve her in group play at all on day one, instead taking introductions slow with emphasis on building her confidence, comfort, and sense of agency.
Lexi stuck with us for the fall before it was time for the big move: and let us tell you, she BLOSSOMED into an interactive, curious, inquisitive girl! All through proper enrichment, safely-planned interaction, and empowering her to feel safe and certain in the world around her. Her human reports she quite the social butterfly and we’ve been delighted to have her stop by the summer after her enrollment to see she was an entirely different pup—eager, optimistic, and comfortable in herself.
Day Camp Attendees—Poppy B. & Melanie W.
Often times, little dogs get mistaken as mean, or having the anecdotal “little dog syndrome” due to their barky feelings about other dogs in people. In reality, these little dogs often get their signals ignored, which causes them to escalate to more intense levels of communication faster. Introduce the self-named Itty Bitty Committee! Melanie lacked dog friends due to her intensity and Poppy is a rescued puppy mill “only-dog” working through separation anxiety who deeply blossoms from social interaction. After learning social skills with each other, this dynamic duo are small but mighty social play tour guides ready to welcome in other tiny pups in and ensure they are the happiest of campers!
Ready to Get Started?
- Meet Us –> Bring your dog(s) in to meet Jordan, tour the space, and discuss your goals.
- Assessment –> We will evaluate which group(s) of established dogs best match with your goals and your dog’s history. If we haven’t worked with your dog before, we typically begin with a Trial Visit to be assessed by Jordan,
- Comfortable Pet Introduction or Dog Days Out package where your dog will come into the facility during day camp, working alongside established dogs 1-on-1 with a provider. This provides opportunity to explore suitability for day camp prior to committing—your dog will learn the routine of day camp, and we will observe of what preparation your dog may need while examining their interests to inform their activity plan.
- Sign Up –> Once we have a clear picture of which group(s) match your dog, we will enroll your dog and begin discussing their individualized activity plan.
Day Camp Service Pricing
- Enrollment is for one spot, which is one half day session, weekly, for the month.
8am-12pm
or
1pm-5pm
*Transportation service is available!*
- Enrollment is for one spot, which is one full day session, weekly, for the month.
- 8am
to
5pm - *Transportation service is available!*
Frequently Asked Questions
What eligibility requirements are there for dogs interested in enrolling?
We need to get to know your dog prior to enrollment—depending on their current skillset, we may recommend specific groups or enrollment in a separate service. Set up a Meet & Greet to get started!
Are there discounts available for day camp services?
Yes! Households on a recurring (indefinite standing appointment) schedule are eligible for a discount.
This discount applies to all pet care services, including day camp, midday let outs, dog walking, field trips, pet taxis, and pet sitting packages. Recurring schedules may be modified at any time. Additional perks are available!
What days/times/hours are day camp available?
Day camp is available during our operating office hours, which are 8am-5pm, Monday through Friday.
Half days are for 4 hours, 8am-12pm or 1pm-5pm. Full days are for 8 hours between 8am-5pm, though your dog may stay for the full 9 hours at no additional charge.
5 Week Months: On months with 5 weeks, we take a week off from running day camp. All enrollees are notified in advance with the schedule confirmed 8 weeks out. In-home pet care runs daily, 365 days per year, from 6am-11pm, should you like your dog to enjoy Dog Days Out or similar services to maintain day camp progress on an off week.
Day camp does not operate on weekends or holidays, though any of our in-home pet care services are available from 6am-11pm, 365 days per year.
Will my dog be left alone in the building?
No. We will always have at LEAST one C9C staff present on the property while dogs are in the building. This includes office staff present when providers are away from the facility with dogs on their 1-on-1 field trips; we will not leave dogs unsupervised at any time, in any service. Cameras are on them while crated or in our office as well.
I’m nervous to leave my dog: what will you do if something goes wrong?
Firstly, we acknowledge day camp runs during peak “workday” hours. We are equipped to hold dogs in our space so you will not have to scramble to arrange a pick up.
If there is a behavioral issue, we are not going to sugarcoat it. We take time getting to know and screen all dogs coming into day camp, though it would be unethical to dismiss the simple fact that putting any dogs in a space together carries inherent risk. Behavior data tracking and reporting is at the core of all of our pet care services, so you will receive detailed updates, assessments, and ongoing recommendations from us. I (Jordan) am not too shy to tell anyone if I notice a concern, and I believe it is my job to empower all people entrusting me with their dogs to make informed decisions regarding the needs of said dog. You live with them, you know them best, and I am here to support you. You have our word that we do not and will not leave you in the dark or misrepresent anything we see in your dog OR dogs that are present in a group with them: that’s simply the level of transparency with which we run our services.
How many dogs are in a group? How many people are present to supervise day camps?
We require a ratio of 1:2 (1 staff assigned to no more than 2 dogs). Our Field Manager is on site as a “third hand” for paired and group activities, our Office Manager is on site, and both C9C owners, Jordan and Nicole, are on site working with training program dogs concurrently at the same time as day camp.
Can I send more than one of my dogs to day camp?
If enrolling multiple dogs from the same home, they must attend at separate days/times. We do not permit multiple dogs from the same household enrolling in the same day camp group together.
What is the onboarding process for day camp?
We have to meet you first. Then we offer trial services, as we have to get to know dogs before we match them to a group and make activity plans for them. If your dog has not completed training or in-home services with us, you will start with one of our new client package options.
Do dogs need to be spayed/neutered to attend day camp?
No. We accept intact male and female dogs of any age into day camp and are equipped to manage intact dogs.
Can my dog and I come check out the facility space?
Of course! We offer Meet & Greets in our facility and must have met you if you have not completed a training service OR pet care service that includes going out and about before sign up.
Because we serve a variety of dogs in the building with a variety of behavioral needs, visits to our facility are strictly by appointment only. We cannot have people or dogs entering the building unannounced when we may be working privately with a dog that cannot currently handle strangers entering their space. Thank you for your understanding.
Do I need to drop off/pick up my dog from the building?
You may, or, if you live within our service area, you may book a pet taxi service to transport your dog to/from day camp.
Can I drop off early or pick up my dog late?
Yes, with prior arrangement. We are protective of our staff members’ scheduled working hours/breaks and need communication in advance to confirm availability. We pride ourselves on having NO hidden fees in our service menu, but we need to be mindful of your delays not impacting the services occurring after yours, or early arrivals not interrupting breaks or reducing set up/clean up time to disinfect and prepare between groups. Thank you for your understanding.
Will my dog be trained during day camp?
No. We can enforce acquired skills with behavior protocols but do not teach or “work on” new ones. Day camp is an enrichment and distractions exposure service: learning is always happening, our staff are trained and monitored in handling and behavior assessment skills, and many dogs see positive behavioral outcomes—but our providers are not dog trainers. If you would like your dog to develop obedience or life skills or address a behavior problem, they would need to enroll in our training programs which run concurrently with but separately from day camp.
Could my dog get sick from other dogs while attending day camp?
There is ALWAYS a risk for spreading illness and disease when dogs are in a group together. We utilize universal precautions in all of our services—this means treating every dog like they could get another person or animal sick, even if they don’t currently show symptoms of illness.
Other ways we reduce risk:
• No shared water bowls—dogs have their own labeled bowls available.
• Vaccinations/titers for common illnesses are required, with our software notifying us weekly of vaccination status.
• Staff training: We use a Medical Care Index based on AVMA guidelines for identifying common illness signs and Pet First Aid & CPR train all staff.
• Twice daily disinfecting: We use KennelSol disinfectant between each group with a deep cleaning at the end of each day. Any items dogs touch are laundered or washed/bleached/rinsed after every half day session.
Medical guidance falls outside of our scope of practice, so ethically, we must defer to your dog’s veterinarian for any medical recommendations.
My dog has been kicked out of another daycare for being too rowdy: can they attend your day camp?
Potentially, though we would need to examine each dog’s case individually. Regardless of their history, a Meet & Greet and evaluation process is required for all new dogs. Most dogs with this history require enrollment in a Behavior Package FIRST to ensure their routine at home and your handling of them will support their comfort at day camp.
I’m visiting the area or need help for a day: can you take my dog in for day camp?
No, sorry. Day camp is not available on-demand, and we don’t provide in-facility boarding or daycare services.
How do I get started?
Contact us by call or text to 269-290-2175 to ask questions or schedule a Meet & Greet.
For the safety of all pets and people, access to our building is by appointment only: we do not accept walk-ins.