Assessment

Our Assessment Process

Every dog who joins Doggy Day Academy begins with an assessment. This isn’t about “passing or failing” it’s about making sure your dog feels safe, supported, and happy in our environment, and that our groups stay calm, positive, and well-matched.

Here’s how it works:

1 The First Assessment Session

  • You bring your dog to the Academy with you
  • We’ll give you both a tour of the facilities and explain how the Academy runs
  • Your dog will meet one of our canine tutors and at least one carefully chosen dog
  • We’ll gently observe your dog’s behaviour, confidence, and sociability
  • At the same time, we’ll check your dog meets our welfare standards (vaccinations, flea/worming, etc.)
  • We’ll answer any questions you have. If both you and we feel happy, your dog will move forward to the next stage

2 The Pathway Programmes

Depending on your dog’s age, they’ll be enrolled in one of our structured settling-in programmes:

Puppy Pathway Programme (under 6 months)

  • Runs over 4 weeks (1 session per week).
  • Focuses on building confidence, encouraging good habits, and giving puppies positive exposure to all areas of Academy life
  • Gentle introductions with plenty of rest, short activities, and extra one-to-one input from our canine tutors
  • Designed to support early learning and create happy, well-adjusted young dogs
  • Cost: £200 (for the full 4-week programme)

Dog Pathway Programme (6 months +)

  • Runs over 2 weeks (2 sessions per week).
  • Each day your dog will explore different aspects of Academy life – enrichment, calm play, training, rest, and confidence-building activities
  • We monitor your dog carefully to ensure daycare is the right fit for their needs
  • Designed to provide a thorough, fair assessment without overwhelming your dog
  • Cost: £200 (for the full 2-week programme)

3 Progress Tracking

Throughout both programmes, we:

  • Record your dog’s experiences in a progress booklet, with notes and photos
  • Share clear updates so you know exactly how your dog is doing

4 Review & Graduation

At the end of the Pathway Programme, you’ll receive:

  • A Graduation Certificate for your dog
  • A Progress Booklet showing what they’ve been up to, complete with photos
  • A Feedback Meeting with a canine tutor to discuss your dog’s experience, strengths, and any areas for ongoing support

Graduates are then officially welcomed into the Doggy Day Academy family

5 Ongoing Monitoring

Even after graduation, every dog continues to be monitored to make sure daycare stays a safe, positive, and enriching experience.

Our Promise: All of our assessments are force-free, positive, and choice-based.

If we feel daycare isn’t right for your dog, we’ll always be open and honest, and support you with advice on other activities or training that may suit them better.

Please use the CONTACT page to arrange your assessment.