Frequently-asked Questions

We are not breedist and accept any breed of dog if It is not banned in the UK. What is more important to us is the temperament of the dog so if your dog is socialised around other dogs and not reactive to them then after an assessment, they will be happily allowed to join the school regardless of breed.

Yes – we welcome dogs of all ages, provided they are fully vaccinated or have a current titre test certificate.

At Doggy Day Academy, we recognise that the needs of puppies, adult dogs, and seniors are very different, so we’ve designed spaces and routines to suit them all:

• Puppies under six months spend most of their time in our dedicated Puppy Room and adjoining outside area. This gives them a safe space to settle, build confidence, and enjoy gentle introductions to day school life. During this time, they’ll also meet a variety of dogs of different sizes, ages, and breeds under careful supervision, preparing them for a smooth transition into the wider Academy.
• Older or quieter dogs can enjoy calm zones where they can rest and relax without being disturbed by bouncy youngsters.
• Adolescents and adults thrive

We always put the welfare of every dog first. If we feel your dog isn’t suitable for, or isn’t enjoying, the Academy environment, we’ll be honest with you and help guide you towards what may work better for your dog.

Yes, our day school and staff are fully insured for your piece of mind.

Yes! We have a 5-star rating from Rotherham Borough Council. The licence number is: LN/049106

Of course, you can, but appointments will be needed as we lock the gates for security reasons once we are all in, in fact we insist you do as your dog as to undergo a short assessment before he can join the school.

Walks are not automatically included in the standard daycare day, as our structured routines already provide plenty of enrichment, learning, and play.
However, we know how valuable walks can be for variety and mental stimulation, so we offer a range of walk options that can be added to your dog’s school day:

• Short on-lead walks – a gentle stretch of the legs.
• Adventure walks – longer outings for exploring.
• Scent walks – letting noses lead the way!
• Parkour walks – fun confidence-building using the environment.
• Picnic walks – a social, slower-paced walk with a break included.
• Educational/training walks – building skills and focus outside of school.

From time to time, we also organise school trips and even the occasional free walk as part of the Academy experience.

If you join our DDA Memberships, walks are included in certain tiers, giving your dog even more opportunities to explore the world beyond the Academy.

Yes – booking is essential so we can maintain the right balance of dogs and ensure everyone has a safe, structured, and enjoyable day. At Doggy Day Academy, we offer two ways to book:

• Regular Scheduled Days – Most of our dogs attend on the same set days each week. This gives them a routine, helps them settle, and means they’ll see the same familiar friends and tutors regularly. Dogs thrive on consistency, so this is the option we recommend for their wellbeing.
• Freedom Pass – For owners who prefer more flexibility, the Freedom Pass allows you to book your dog in on a monthly basis. Your dog must attend at least once that month to stay registered with us, and the cost per day depends on how many days you choose within that month.

Both options are designed to give your dog consistency and structure, while also fitting around your lifestyle.

We have a strict policy of only accepting socialized dogs. This ensures that we have happy classrooms, playrooms and gardens and minimises squabbles between dogs, due to this we find it is very rare we have anything other than a grumble. Obviously, necessary adjustments would be made if we noticed 2 dogs were not getting on.

Your dog does not have to have received any formal training before being allowed into the Academy. In fact, it may be one of the reasons you fetch your puppy/dog to us to receive some basic training and to learn to play appropriately with other dogs. Of course, we will not accept any reactive dogs so we may ask you to resolve this issue with training before being accepted. All training in our school uses positive fun games-based methods and reinforcement.

Yes, we understand the importance of rest and sleep and your dog/puppies will be actively encouraged to take regular rest breaks. After any training sessions sleep is important to cement that learning. We don’t want over tired dogs who then can’t listen and make bad choices so that is why rest/calm and sleep are on our schedule. We have plenty of dog beds, large comfy sofas, and crates for those who are habituated to them and need limited choice making decisions to allow them to sleep.

We may be able to offer transportation to and from school, if we can. We have a flat rate within 3 miles; further than that, please ask us for a quote. 

We ask owners not to fetch toys into the Academy as 90% of arguments that occur between dogs in this environment are due to possession issues over food, toy, which is why we have this policy in place. Your dog will have plenty of activities to do and things to amuse them so rest assured they wont miss “that toy”

Yes, before our dogs go to rest time, we have scheduled feeding times for any dog fetching lunch with them. Each dog requiring lunch will be fed in a separate area.

Late fees are in operation, which must be paid on collection. Please see our Hours & Prices page for full details.

Before joining Doggy Day Academy, every dog takes part in our assessment process. This helps us get to know your dog properly, gives them a gentle introduction to the Academy, and ensures daycare will be the right fit for them.

The process starts with an initial visit, where you and your dog come to meet us, look around the Academy, and ask any questions. After that, your dog will follow one of our tailored trial pathways:

• Puppies under 6 months – Your puppy will attend once a week for four weeks in our dedicated Puppy Room. They’ll enjoy a mix of one-to-one attention and carefully supervised group work. We’ll introduce them to different activities, help them build confidence, and teach them how to settle. At the end of the four weeks, you’ll be invited back in for a review chat – and, if all goes well, your puppy will graduate into the full Puppy Programme.
• Dogs over 6 months – Your dog will join our Pup Pathway, attending twice a week over a two-week trial. During this time, they’ll receive plenty of one-to-one support, carefully managed introductions to other dogs, and the chance to try a variety of Academy activities – including walks, enrichment, and structured rest. Afterwards, you’ll be invited back in for a review chat, and hopefully your dog will graduate into the full Doggy Day Academy and our Wag & Learn Circuit.

If, at any stage, we feel your dog isn’t yet ready for daycare, we’ll discuss other options with you. This may include retrying at a later date, additional training with us or another trainer, or alternative services we provide that may be a better fit. Because at the Academy, welfare always comes first.

The Wag & Learn Circuit is the heart of the Doggy Day Academy experience. Instead of leaving dogs to run around in one big group all day, we’ve created a structured rotation of activities designed to meet their physical, mental, and emotional needs.

Throughout the day, dogs move with their tutor groups around different stations, each focusing on a different type of enrichment. These may include:

• Scentwork – giving dogs the chance to use their amazing noses.
• Parkour/Confidence stations – building body awareness and resilience.
• Trick or training stations – fun, force-free learning that boosts focus and confidence.
• Calm zones – where dogs can rest, relax, and recharge.

This is just a sample of the types of stations your dog may experience — there will be more, and they will change on a weekly basis to keep things fresh, exciting, and tailored to the dogs in attendance.

The Wag & Learn Circuit is what makes Doggy Day Academy different: it’s not about tiring dogs out, it’s about nurturing happy minds and waggy behinds.

We only use kind, force-free training methods at Doggy Day Academy. That means no pain, fear, or punishment — ever. Instead, we focus on positive reinforcement, choice-based training, and giving dogs the chance to learn at their own pace. Our aim is to build confidence, encourage calm behaviour, and help dogs develop the skills they need for everyday life. Every activity, from trick training to enrichment, is designed to be fun, fair, and supportive of your dog’s wellbeing.

Safety is at the heart of everything we do. Some of the measures we take include:

• Collar and harness-free play inside the Academy to prevent accidents or entanglement.
• Tutor supervision at all times, with a minimum ratio of 1 tutor to 8 dogs (often more).
• Dogs are rotated through the Wag & Learn Circuit in much smaller groups, ensuring calmer, safer interactions.
• Secure indoor and outdoor spaces, checked daily.
• All tutors trained in canine first aid, body language, and behaviour.

We also carefully manage introductions and groupings to make sure every dog is happy and comfortable.

If your dog becomes unwell while at the Academy, their welfare will always come first. We have quiet isolation areas where a dog can rest safely and comfortably until you or an emergency contact arrives. If needed, we can arrange a vet visit. You will always be contacted straight away. Our tutors are trained in canine first aid and will closely monitor your dog until they are collected.

Yes — dogs have regular access to secure outdoor areas throughout the day. These are used for play, enrichment, rest in the fresh air, and sometimes for training. All outdoor time is carefully supervised by tutors to make sure it’s safe and enjoyable for everyone.

We have a small number of crates, but they are only ever used if absolutely necessary, and only for dogs who are already comfortable and habituated to them. Crates are never used as punishment.

Situations where a crate may be used include:

• A dog who normally sleeps in a crate at home is overtired but cannot settle on a bed.
• Temporary isolation for welfare reasons (e.g. if a dog arrives showing signs of illness, has fleas, or a bitch unexpectedly comes into season). In these cases, the owner will be contacted immediately to collect their dog, and the crate would only be used for up to one hour while waiting.

Dogs are monitored closely while in a crate, and if they show any signs of distress, they are taken out straight away. Crates are used sparingly and only when it is in the dog’s best interests.

Enrichment is all about giving dogs the chance to use their brains as well as their bodies. It goes far beyond toys or a quick walk — it’s about activities that encourage natural behaviours like sniffing, problem-solving, exploring, chewing, and learning new things.

Enrichment is important because it:

• Builds confidence and resilience.
• Reduces stress and anxiety.
• Provides an outlet for breed-specific behaviours (e.g. sniffing for spaniels, retrieving for retrievers).
• Prevents boredom and the behavioural issues that can come with it.

At Doggy Day Academy, enrichment is built into every day. From scentwork and trick training to parkour and puzzle games, the activities change regularly to keep things fresh and fun.

Our founder, Jane, is a qualified dog trainer and behavioural consultant with years of hands-on experience, ongoing CPD, and accreditations from respected organisations such as the DTC, ADTB, and PPG. She has a special interest in reactivity, puppy development, enrichment, and choice-based training.

All tutors at the Academy receive training in canine body language and canine first aid. Most hold, or are working towards, Level 2 or Level 3 qualifications in Animal Care. We believe in lifelong learning, so you can be confident that our team’s knowledge and skills are always growing.

For full details of Jane’s qualifications, please see the footer of this website.

Many daycares focus on simply tiring dogs out through free play. At Doggy Day Academy, we take a very different approach. Our focus is on structured enrichment, education, and welfare.

Some of the ways we stand apart include:

• Our unique Wag & Learn Circuit, rotating dogs through varied activity stations.
• A dedicated Puppy Room and Pup Pathway assessment programme to support young dogs as they grow.
• A strong emphasis on rest and calm time – because happy dogs need balance, not exhaustion.
• A collar and harness-free environment indoors for safety.
• Small tutor groups with excellent staff-to-dog ratios.
• Force-free, choice-based training methods, ensuring dogs enjoy learning.
• Regular enrichment and outdoor experiences, plus optional extras like adventure walks, scent sessions, and school trips.

In short, we don’t just keep dogs busy – we help them learn, grow, and thrive.