The Big Backyard

The Big Backyard is top notch when it comes to the BEST care for your dog. I found them a couple months ago, and everything from start to finish has shown me the level of care and knowledge the owners and staff have. This was not always common in other facilities I toured in Denver.
My lil girl had gone through quite a bit with shelter life, then not making it in service dog training because of her confidence issues. Within a few stays, her confidence was notably higher, energy directed in the right way (not picking up bad behavior), and was able to just play and be a dog! A well behaved one ;) I love that it’s very clean and they do not allow dogs to excessively bark. Anyone complaining about this should know that a dog who constantly bark has some other issues. Sad we are moving to another state, and hope I can find a place just as special with people behind it who are just as special. Thank you BBY! Our last day of daycare and the card with Prisma’s picture was so thoughtful.

My young dog has anxiety issues to say the least. I was very hesitant that she wouldn’t do well with a large setting of other dogs. She is by no means aggressive just scared… of everything. Tracy and the other staff has taken her in and have been wonderful ever since. They understand her needs of social anxiety and take steps to slowly introduce her to the other pups. They treat each dog as if it were there own. They are very clean and organize.

I have been taking my dogs here for over 15 years, both for doggie day care
and for boarding. After trying many other places, it was recommended to me by
a friend.
I love these people. Micah and Tracy, the owners, are so caring. When I had to
put down my oldest dog, Tracy carried him in her arms to the vet. She cried as
much as I did. It was so meaningful.
I will never go anywhere else.”

I recently adopted a rescue lab who has turned out to be quite a handful. We attended one disastrous training class at Petsmart, mostly due to our dogs behavior. After researching online reviews for dog trainers and doggie day care centers I was drawn to the Big Backyard and to Dharma for Dogs. I first called Tracy, the owner of both, to discuss my dog’s issues in which I literally broke down in tears on the phone with her. I was so worried that I adopted a dog that wasn’t a good fit for my family. I was falling in love with him and felt so deflated. Tracy put me at ease and made me feel like I could train this dog with the right mindset and tools. She came to my home the next day and offered training tips. She is amazing and is literally the closest thing to the Dog Whisperer that I have ever witnessed. I canceled my Petsmart classes and got my money back. Within days my dog’s behavior started to change with Tracy’s help.
I now bring him to The Big Backyard for doggie daycare and he loves it. He is doing so much better, learning boundaries, and learning to socialize with other dogs. The facility is clean and team is very friendly. You can tell that everyone there loves dogs and cares so much about each one. After one visit everyone knew my dog’s name and understood exactly what he needed to be a great family dog. They are all very caring and offer me an update on how he did during the day when I pick him up. He is so tired from playing all day that he is much more calm in the evenings which makes training him so much more joyous. I highly recommend The Big Backyard not only for the fun your dog will have but for the fact the owners and team understand and truly love dogs.

My first clue that this place was a WACK joint should have been when I was told that the dogs are not allowed to ‘bark’ at daycare. Yes… Bark…and yes this is a doggie daycare. This should have been enough to tell me to RUN —
How creepy is it that at a doggie daycare a dog cannot ‘bark’. That is like tell kids on a playground to play 100% in silence. Crazy!
Yet, I took my dog there… and it was never a very warm place. They were never very happy to see my dog and all they wanted to talk about was all the problems my type of dog could have. They totally think all dogs are still wolves and they treat our domesticated dogs like they are wolves.
This daycare is just plan weird. If you want your dog to have issues or a complex — this is the daycare for you! Issues guaranteed! I still have friends who take their dogs there and these poor dogs have soooo many security issues it isn’t funny.

I’m a new doggie mommie and I love my pup to death. That being said I took a 6 day long vacation and I was SUPER STRESSED about where to board him.
I found this place – and I looked at prices, reviews, and inspected every picture I could find of this place. It sounded way too good to be true, but it is true! What I love is that they do puppy interviews, where they take your doggie and put him/​her in an empty room, and casually introduce him/​her to only a few dogs of different sizes. This way they can tell if your dog is okay with playing with ALL kinds of dogs regardless of age/​size. Every dog must pass this test, which gives every dog a safe environment! My pup was a little anxious at first (where’s mom!) but after a bit he was so happy.
Before I could board him he was required to spend a full daycare day. Again, that makes me happy that they’re strict about each dog that spends time with them. This is my dog’s home away from home now! When we make the turn to get to the BBY he gets so excited in the car. I was only there once and after that everyone knew him by name. «Jayce, come back here your friends are back here!!» say the employees. After every trip they tell me exactly what went on. «Jayce did really good today, he made a new friend and him and (other dog name) played all day – look I even took pictures!»
These people truly love dogs. They respect that my dog has a slight allergy to Chicken, and make sure that he is only fed the food and treats that I provide to them. Jayce spent 5 nights at the BBY and LOVED it! When he comes home from daycare he is so tired which is so nice! He gets to interact with dogs of all sizes and ages, and people too so it’s great for socialization.
Half day, full day, or boarding the BBY is worth EVERY penny and 5 stars isn’t enough for just how much this place rocks!
I am shocked to see any negative reviews on here to be honest. Dogs are dogs and things can happen – but I have experienced nothing but amazing professionalism and respect from everyone at the BBY.

It is nice when I bring my dog, Kai, here the staff are like «Yay! It’s Kai!» and «she’s one of my favorites» :D Kai must love it here :) She normally gets reactions like «Whoa, Scary Dog!» and «She’s a Killer!» Lol! She is kind of a B.I.T.C.H. I guess she learned from the best! This guy! :D
However, since coming to The Big Backyard she is getting more people and dog friendly. She gets excited when I say the word «daycare»! Kai knows when she is in for some fun :) And afterward she is relaxed after playing with all her puppy friends! She goes right to sleep when we get home: D At The Big Backyard they have playtime until 11am, then 11am to 1pm is nap time. Pick up for a half day is at 1pm ($ 17). If you do a whole day you can let them play until 6:30pm when they close ($ 24). Or you can leave them for overnight stays if you need to go out of town :) Kai had fun while we were on our weekend trip! One of the guys showed me the doggie play areas on the camera system. The dogs have their pick of areas inside and out to choose from and the big dogs and little dogs are separated.
I can’t really say much since I’m not really there when Kai is there, but Kai seems to enjoy it. The staff are friendly and, thankfully, are dog people! They even take a picture of your dog for his/​her own cubby hole :) It’s like Doggie Preschool! :D

Best doggy daycare! This place is wonderful! The owners are fantastic. My dog is so happy to go to play and is thoroughly tired when I get him home. I know he looks forward to going here. Would highly recommend to anyone!

I bought a package in late summer for multiple sessions. My wife and I were out of the area for a while and when we returned with Ginger in January, I was told my card had expired in October. The employee behind the counter said he would let this occasion slide but my card was indeed officially expired. The owner, knowing I was disappointed with this explanation, made a personal phone call to me to apologize and honor all remaining prepaid credit. I was impressed.

We recently moved to the neighborhood and found Big Backyard and could not be more pleased. Our dog gets excited as soon as we pull up and the owners knew him by name after his first visit. We also use them for overnight boarding and they have been great.
I’ve already recommended the Big Backyard to family and friends and will continue doing so!

Best doggy daycare and boarding in Denver! I highly recommend taking your dog to The Big Backyard. The owner and her staff are loving, caring and true dog lovers. Both our dogs are excited when we tell them where they are going.
We have used the daycare and the boarding facilities and have always been pleased. They have also been bathed there.
The Big Backyard is safe and secure and our dogs get the attention they deserve when they are there. If you love your dog and consider him/​her a member of your family, go check it out yourself. I’m sure you’ll agree with me.

I am shocked by the revierws I have read online about The Big Backyard. I adopted my dog Johnny in October. Although Johnny is a wonderful dog he suffers from severe seperation anxiety. After Johnny destroyed 4 remotes, every pair of shoe I own and my cell phone, I decided to enroll him in doggy daycare. Johnny means the world to me and I wanted to take him to the best daycare available. After going on several interviews I was most impressed by the service and care that the Big Backyard provides.
All the places I took Johnny to prior to Big Backyard were dirty, smelled horrible and were overcrowded with out of control barking dogs. Althought the staff was very friendly at the majority of places I went to it was hard to move past the uncontrolable barking. I sent Johnny to a trial at the «#1 rated doggy day care» in Denver and he came home dehydrated and was covered in dirt.
The Big Backyard moniters the dogs barking and does not allow agressive behavior. The dogs also get a nap time and recieve a milkbone at that time. This is just a small example of the care they provide for the dogs. I couldn’t be any happier with their service.
A special thank you to Robyn who was so helpful and friendly.

I feel so fortunate to have found Micah, Tracy and TBB. I have a rescued weim with many issues, at the forefront separation anxiety. I also have an Australian Shepherd, that has developed a bit of agression toward other dogs. Tracy not only came up with a training plan for me to follow at home, but she took the extra time to single him out and work with him on the days he is there. 2 months later, I am able to take both dogs, with the knowledge that they are safe, happy and learning to be healthy members of the pack.
The devotion to the dogs makes TBB the only place I will leave my guys overnight. Thank you for all you do for animals!!! You guys rock.
Ingrid

The Big Backyard is absolutely AMAZING! The place ROCKS! Ok, I’m biased a bit — but only because I can’t keep my Lab from going there. Really… every morning he (the lab) sits by the front door and asks, «are we going to The Big Backyard today?»
:)
Really, I can’t say enough good things about TBB. The owners are caring, thoughtful, honest folks. They absolutely **CARE** for each and every dog that comes through the door. They have designed TBB to be a SAFE, caring, FRIENDLY, place for all dogs. To my amazement, if they find a dog that just can’t cope there (by that I mean the dog is agressive or is acting out), I’ve seen them take the hard step of turning business away — all just to protect the other dogs (and staff, customers, etc.). Obviously they put the safety and care of all them animals and staff first — before profit.
My Lab has been going there for years now — and if he has anything to say about it, he will still be there years FROM now! :)

There honestly are not enough words to describe my love for TBB! I adopted a timid mix from DDFL in August of 2010 and had to fly back east 2 months later for a wedding, thankfully a coworker recommended TBB so I checked it out.
After the interview I brought my dog Beacon there often. Even as an extremely timid dog she always left there happier than I had dropped her off! Be it just a day or 10 — she would get excited when she realized where I’d pulled up and would be sad to leave. She always came back to be in great health and most importantly — extremely tired.
Aside from my dogs love of TBB, I love it as well! The staff was always so friendly and remembered Beacon. I had to bring Beacon in April when I needed to fly back east after my father passed away, and when I returned back to Denver — they said they were sorry to have heard about my loss and where nice enough to bathe my dog for free. They are truly a staff that cares about its patrons and their animals. I highly recommend TBB to anyone in the Denver area!

I just adopted a 4 year old chihuahua who is timid as can be. TBB yard suggested I bring her in for a day when I bring my husky mix. She was timid but bonded with one of the employees and she managed the day well.
Again, another kudos to TBB.

This place is amazing. My partner and I have a 10 month old Akita mix who, while very sweet and friendly, can be a bit nuts. Avid plant and book killer. We shopped around a few different doggie daycares in the area and this is by FAR the best. We absolutely love it!
What makes James, my partner, and I the most comfortable with The Big Backyard is the level of expertise the staff brings. Their knowledge is evident and they seem to genuinely love dogs. Our puppy Olivia is so excited whenever we pull up and always leaves happy and sufficiently worn out.
They use the pack leader training approach and you are able to see the positive effects of that as soon as you walk in the door. Tons of doggies back there and barely any barking! We trust to leave Olivia there, despite she is just at the beginning of her training; Her behavior has improved and she is much more disciplined since being in their structured environment a few days a week.
Also — plus for being family owned. We trust this family with a very important member of our family. :)

My roommate and I took our dogs here for the free evaluation in hopes that we could start bringing our dogs here for daycare and occasional boarding. The facility was clean and the staff were friendly but they didn’t listen to us about our dogs very special needs. I have a dog with Pancreatitis which requires him to have a very specific low fat diet and no treats. It is NOT an allergy, but the staff at the Big Backyard insisted that it was. My roommates dog has general allergies and the staff seemed to be willing to «deal» with him but they couldn’t seem to understand that he is a boy dog not a girl, and they continuously called him by the wrong name even after correction. We wont bring our dogs here unless we have absolutely no where else for them to go simply because we cant afford for them to get sick… thats why we left their old daycare…

Love, love, love this place (and so does the dog)!
After reading reviews for other doggie daycare in the area, I chose The Big Backyard. Everyone there really seems to enjoy being there and around the dogs. They do have a call ahead procedure, but a lot of mornings I call to see if I can drop off my dog and they always seem to squeeze her in! I have seen so much improvement in my dog’s behavior since she has been coming here :)
The price is pretty standard, and the only thing keeping it from 5 stars is the hours (7a –6:30p).
But, that will not change how much I love this place!

Gracie has been going here since the first day she was old enough to attend camp. She absolutely loves when we pull her up to the Big Backyard. When I pick her up she is happy to see me, tired, but also wants to stay for more! I have left Gracie here for day camp and overnight boarding and I always feel comfortable and know Gracie is having a great time!