Going rate for dog day care

Lemlin

I was emailing someone setting up a new dog daycare in my area. They explained that they are charging €20 a day or €300 for the month (working out at €15 a day).

I commented to them that this seemed a bit steep but they were saying that the going rate around the country is €15 to €25. I was shocked that people are paying this much. Just thought I'd see on here if people really are?

€300 a month seems an awful lot in a recession. They assure me they are nearly booked out and I think its great to see Irish businesses doing well but I just couldn't believe it tbh.

Tim Robbins

Lemlin wrote: »

I was emailing someone setting up a new dog daycare in my area. They explained that they are charging €20 a day or €300 for the month (working out at €15 a day).

I commented to them that this seemed a bit steep but they were saying that the going rate around the country is €15 to €25. I was shocked that people are paying this much. Just thought I'd see on here if people really are?

€300 a month seems an awful lot in a recession. They assure me they are nearly booked out and I think its great to see Irish businesses doing well but I just couldn't believe it tbh.

It's a very good price if you consider the amount of work required to look after a dog properly.

People shouldn't get dogs unless they can ensure the dog will be looked after.

WeeBushy

Tim Robbins wrote: »

It's a very good price if you consider the amount of work required to look after a dog properly.

People shouldn't get dogs unless they can ensure the dog will be looked after.

+1

Lemlin,

Walk, feed, socialise, spend time with and care for a dog for the day all for only 20 quid? I fail to see how you think that's expensive.

joyce2009

i think i have to agree with you 20 is a lot of money if it is only for the day, i pay less than that to have my dog go to over night boarding where she gets walked twice a day is let out in a run and gets her medication, For someone to charge 20 for just the day is a bit much really,, there is a recession on after all..

Tim Robbins

joyce2009 wrote: »

i think i have to agree with you 20 is a lot of money if it is only for the day, i pay less than that to have my dog go to over night boarding where she gets walked twice a day is let out in a run and gets her medication, For someone to charge 20 for just the day is a bit much really,, there is a recession on after all..

It really depends on the quality of care your dog is getting. If you put the dog in a kennell or do they chill out with a human. How much stimulation / company / caring does the dog get?

Lemlin

WeeBushy wrote: »

+1

Lemlin,

Walk, feed, socialise, spend time with and care for a dog for the day all for only 20 quid? I fail to see how you think that's expensive.

Can you be assured of the dog getting all that attention though? I still think asking for €300 a month is alot when there's a recession. Things like this could have flourished during the boom but the wide majority of people can't afford €300 now. I know I couldn't.

I also thought there was a place out in Blanchardstown did it for a tenner a day? Maybe I'm wrong though.

There may be a market out there for it with people who can afford premium prices but it just surprised me.

Sigma Force

I agree that if you have a pet sometimes it costs a lot extra esp. if you have to be away for the day. But 20 quid is a bit much when some very good boarding kennels charge 12 to 17 (some charge more of course). That's having the dog for 12 hours longer ok they don't get attention 100% of the time but they get a good walk or two.

I think 15 is enough but 10 for regulars recession or no recession.
All for paying for good pet care (as with many people pets have us broke) but if you were a regular and the place is guranteed your going to be there daily give or take the odd day then I think there should be a bit of leeway like with anything good regular customers should be given a bit of a discount.

Saying that if it was a one off wouldn't have a problem paying 15 to 20 but not if a regular.

hidden

I pay €10 a day for my dog, I live in the Meath area, if it was €20 I would get one of the family to look after the dog. €20 is too rich for me.

anniehoo

€10-15 would be the rate id expect to pay. Why you expect anyone to work for any less than that? It simply isnt worth their while tbh. If its a business they have overheads and staff costs like any other business so to me that is a reasonable price for dog day care. I charge €20-25 for a full 24hr overnight care as a petsitter.

WeeBushy

Lemlin wrote: »

Can you be assured of the dog getting all that attention though? I still think asking for €300 a month is alot when there's a recession. Things like this could have flourished during the boom but the wide majority of people can't afford €300 now. I know I couldn't.

I also thought there was a place out in Blanchardstown did it for a tenner a day? Maybe I'm wrong though.

There may be a market out there for it with people who can afford premium prices but it just surprised me.

Well if you can't be assured that kind of care, no matter the cost, why would you possibly countenance thought of sending your dog there?

If you can't afford to properly care for a dog it's very irresponsible and for want of a better word, mean, to have one.

Lemlin

anniehoo wrote: »

€10-15 would be the rate id expect to pay. Why you expect anyone to work for any less than that? It simply isnt worth their while tbh. If its a business they have overheads and staff costs like any other business so to me that is a reasonable price for dog day care. I charge €20-25 for a full 24hr overnight care as a petsitter.

I wouldn't expect anyone to work for less than a tenner but I just thought €15 a bit high. I'm in agreement with you that ten to fifteen is the rate I'd expect to pay.

Lemlin

WeeBushy wrote: »

Well if you can't be assured that kind of care, no matter the cost, why would you possibly countenance thought of sending your dog there?

If you can't afford to properly care for a dog it's very irresponsible and for want of a better word, mean, to have one.

I haven't thought of sending my dog there. I was doing some research as I had thoughts of sending my dog there the odd day or two here or there.

I didn't realise it'd be €20 though. I thought €10 to €15 would be about right as that is the price I have heard quoted for other places. That is why I thought I'd ask on here.

I don't think myself you need to spend €20 a day to get a dog looked after tbh but that's a matter of opinion and we seem to differ.

Ado86

The Active vetcare group offer doggy-day care in a number of their practices in Dublin and Meath, but personally I think they just stick your dog in the kennel for the day. Dont see how a vets has the time to look after dogs other than the patients they have, provided they are a healthy practice. With the recession, veterinary practice is unlikely to pay a staff member who would be completely devoted to looking after the dogg-day care clients.

votejohn

I do dog walking and I charge €15 for a one hour walk.

Im opening up a daycare in Cork soon and my prices will be gradiated, but starting at around €20 for a one off day, with prices decreasing the more times you attend.

To be honest, to cover the costs of rent, insurance, wages, advertising, rates, electricity, vans etc you couldnt have a sustainable business if you charged any less.

There will only be a number of dogs per staff member, so your dogs would be getting great benefit from attending daycare.

Ive been researching into the industry for about six years, and ive done many surveys. The prices people said they'd pay varied between €7 per day to €50 per day!!!!

00112984

While I do agree that €300 a month is a lot to shell out, I don't think it's ridiculous for the amount of work involved.

Comparing to a boarding kennel really isn't apples with apples. A boarding kennel will normally keep the dogs in runs during the day and take them out for exercise whereas doggy daycare tends to be a large number of dogs in a room with several members of staff playing games and doing training exercises for the day. It's a lot more labour and time intensive.

votejohn

WeeBushy wrote: »

If you can't afford to properly care for a dog it's very irresponsible and for want of a better word, mean, to have one.

Thats unfair imo. For a lot of people daycare would be a treat for their dog, not a necessity. I wouldn't consider all the dog owners out there who's dogs dont attend daycare "mean". Im sure OP can afford his dogs food, vet bills etc, so shouldn't be considered mean for shopping around.

WeeBushy

votejohn wrote: »

Thats unfair imo. For a lot of people daycare would be a treat for their dog, not a necessity.

A treat to be taken away from your pack to spend your day with a stranger and strange dogs... Possibly. If its a well run daycare centre with talented and caring staff, then sure it may well be. But that, simply, is going to cost you.

votejohn wrote: »

I wouldn't consider all the dog owners out there who's dogs dont attend daycare "mean".

I don't think I ever said that...

votejohn wrote: »

Im sure OP can afford his dogs food, vet bills etc, so shouldn't be considered mean for shopping around.

I was merely stating that if you can't look after your dog properly (which the OP has since said they are able to do, and it was more out of curiosity/the odd day here and there) you shouldn't have one.

Lauragoesmad

I charge 25 - 30 for daycare but that includes drop off and pick up and I only take one dog or dogs from the same household at a time. Working for any less wouldn't be worth my while tbh.

9wetfckx43j5rg

Yes Doggy day care is different than a boarding kennels.

However around two years ago I decided I would use the greyhound kennels my dad built in the back garden to mind dogs when people went on holiday for the three months of the summer I was off school. It was a semi-kennel environment, as I live in a housing estate so the kennels were literally 10 feet from my back door. I marketed it as a half and half home and kennel boarding.

I only charged 10 euro a day (with the owner supplying food) and that was for 24 hour a day care. A couple of owners asked for could I mind them for just during the day a la daycare and I agreed. I offered to charge less but they said 10 euro was fine.

Unsurprisingly at 10 euro a day I got a tonne of business and there wasn't a week during the 3 months were I didn't have a dog.

So 20/30 euro a day for a couple of hours minding sounds like A LOT!

rainbowtrout

I would have no problem paying €20 for dog daycare if that's what I was into. The kennels I leave my dog at if I'm ever away charge €12 per day per dog, but I would pay twice that if they asked, as they take such good care of my dogs. I think a lot of people forget that it's not just bringing the dog for a walk (which is probably seen as low cost) and dog food. Cost of insurance, renting or setting up a building/kennels for daycare, earning a wage from it, paying tax, cost of dog paraphenalia - leads, toys, beds, bowls - whatever is needed. If someone was getting a dog walker in to walk their dog for an hour a day I imagine it would be in the region of €10 an hour minimum. All day care for a dog for €20 is cheap. It's working out at €2.50 an hour for an 8 hour day.

And like kennels I would imagine the standard of care and attention from place to place can vary considerably, from training, walks and socialisation to just keeping them in a kennel all day. And like kennels word of mouth is probably the best way to judge, if people are happy with the care and attention their dogs are getting, they'll gladly pay the extra few euro.

votejohn

exactly, daycare is VERY different from kennelling. Quite a few kennels offer daycare as an aditional service, but as far as I can tell, this is usually where the dog is kennelled alone for the day, then brought for a walk or two.

Daycare is a full day of socialisation, learning, exercise, and one on one care.

At my daycare we will be doing fun training, teaching dogs little tricks and playing mentally challenging games to keep their brains stimulated, playing games to burn off energy, teaching dogs how to play safely, teaching dogs how to greet new dogs etc, dogs will get a quick brush down at the end of the day.

At daycare your dog's personality will be well known, so daycare staff can tell if your dog is off, and may need to visit the vet.

its a new concept to ireland so a lot of people dont realise the cost that goes into it!!!!!

Demonique

Just be glad it's not a child you're having to fork out creche fees for

fI23

I mind dogs and puppies in a home from home environment,I charge €10 per day for day care,and €15 for overnight,€25 overnight for two dogs from same owner ,It would not be worth my while doing it for less, it is a lot of responsibility,and I collect and deliver within reason.

fourcats

I would love to know if there is a dog day care facility in wicklow town. Somewhere my dog could be brought on a part time basis for a bit of company while I am at work. I would have to trust it 110% of course, any suggestions?

fI23

fourcats wrote: »

I would love to know if there is a dog day care facility in wicklow town. Somewhere my dog could be brought on a part time basis for a bit of company while I am at work. I would have to trust it 110% of course, any suggestions?

Hi, if you would like to pm me,I can let you know of the service I provide,I live in Rathnew,and I can give you references.

fourcats

Sounds good - sorry but how do you do a PM?

ddc

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