Here at The Dog Play Centre, we’re all about dogs. Your pet is truly our passion. We offer supervised play sessions which involve appropriate play and the encouragement of natural dog behaviours. Day care is not an environment for every dog, much like school is not for everyone. Not all dogs can cope, and it can be extremely damaging for some dogs to be in such a busy and overwhelming environment. Dogs are similar to people in that they will bully each other to make themselves feel better.  This changes the chemistry in their bodies and can be reinforced for the feel-good factor it gives them. Day care is much like a school yard and it is NOT natural for dogs to be grouped together in large numbers, with nowhere to escape to.  It is vital that the dogs enjoy safe fun and do not become bullied, over stimulated or an aggressor. Dogs are ALWAYS learning and we must ensure they learn the right things. As a Behaviour Consultant and Trainer, I see the other side of day care dogs who can change completely and not recover due to being in a busy, bolshy day care. This is why we assess all dogs prior to entry and we keep our groups small in numbers, shorter in duration and in our one acre natural play park with plenty of room outside and inside for those seeking space. Space is a huge reinforcer for dogs and we offer that aplenty.

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We have recently shortened our play sessions for the greater good of our dogs. There is no dog that needs a full day of exercise and constant arousal and stimulation. When a dog is playing and excited, their system releases adrenaline. This can stay in the system anywhere from 20 minutes up to 70 odd hours. This means your dog might come home and be tired or wired for days. Either way, it is too much for the dogs and it is not good for their system. Did you know that a few minutes of play for a dog is adequate and then we should interrupt that play? Hard to believe, but the science doesn't lie.  That is why we are offering a three hour play session, with the option of showers afterwards and then a ride in the doggy bus to get the dogs home for some rest. Our Centre is dog centred in every way.

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With a collective experience spanning 30 years, our staff are highly qualified and all have Disclosure Scotland certification to put your mind at ease. Life at The Dog Play Centre is more than just a job for us; we thrive to educate and nurture your dog, and our love and enthusiasm ensure we provide the very best service. (We are used to working with and caring for a variety of breeds and needs.) There are very few ‘bad dogs’ it is usually a bad environment or a bad person behind this. The Play Centre has qualified staff and we are part of a Mentor Team headed by Clare Russell, Dip CapBT (Clareteachingdogs.com). We constantly strive to learn more and understand the fundamentals of dogs, brains and behaviour. This is where our speciality lies.