D is for Doggy

My 4 year old lab/​pitt mix has been going to the D is For Doggy, 6^th Avenue location, for over 2 years. I can not say enough amazing things about this place and the awesome people that work there. They truly are a second family to both my dog and myself. I have tried 2 other doggy daycares in NYC and this place is FAR BEYOND the best! They personally care and give one on one attention to every dog in there. They are kind, caring, understanding and work to accommodate their clients needs. I honestly don’t know how I would survive owning a dog in NYC without them. I highly recommend D is for Doggy.

6 years later, just as awesome! My dog feels relaxed and at home here. He knows which door to go to and waits for it to be opened. And he’s usually right at my side and refuses to leave me. The staff is out of control awesome and are so understanding, caring, helpful, and go out of their way time and time again!!!

We have been bringing our Mini Schnauzer puppy here since he was about 8 months old and he loves it! Like most crazy dog owners, we were nervous to leave him in someone else’s care but D is for Doggy is top notch. They have a separate play area for small dogs which we can watch him on the Puppy Cam during the day (my husband loves to give me a hard time when on vacation and he catches me watching the dog on the puppy cam…) What is also nice is we see how clean and caring the staff is on the cam (there is someone cleaning constantly!) He also is outside in their outdoor area which is a huge plus for us. The staff is friendly both in person and on the phone and we find their rates to be the best in town. We get email updates on his day and feel they really care about him and us as clients. And last, but definitely not least, he comes home exhausted — always a perk for a puppy!

Although I am a New Yorker, I was spending the weekend at the nearby Dream Hotel. I wanted my dog to have a fun weekend too, so I emailed D is for Doggy last minute, on Memorial Day weekend, let me add. They set up a trial for Max and it was great. I’ve been to three doggie day cares recently, and this one made me feel the most comfortable. The workers were so nice. I also LOVED that I could see my puppy, as well as the other small puppies, from the window. My dog isn’t much of a player, but he seemed to have a good time just hanging around. I brought him back the next day too. I would highly recommend this place, for people with all size dogs! I took a peak at the big dogs in the back and they all seemed calm, relaxing and no barking. I also saw them in a big outdoor space. I don’t live that close to here but I will definitely bring my dog Max back for a special treat or if I am away for the weekend!

I am not usually a person that writes reviews on Unilocal but I do read them when I am trying to find new places. And that is why I decided to take my dog at «D is for Doggy» on 22^nd St.
That was a couple or three of month ago when I moved to that area. My dog was going to a different daycare — where we didn’t have any problem there but the location was not convenient for us anymore-​. So we did the trial at «D for Doggy» and we left the dog there a couple of days and it was fine.
But one day after three hours of him being there I received a phone call that my dog got a bite from another bigger dog but he seemed fine. They were just calling me to let me know so it was not a surprise when I would picked him up, so that was nice of them. That is totally fine, this things happen, dogs play and sometimes bigger dogs than mine can be rougher. The problem is that maybe after a couple of hours i received a second call, from another person, fairly rude, saying that my dog was being aggressive to other dogs and people and I needed to pick him up.
If i know something is that my dog is not aggressive –he is stubborn, he has a lot of energy, he is never tired… because he is just 8 month old, but not definitely aggressive-​. When I went to pick him out, other then him being stressed out by the bite he was fine and calm. I asked for a little bit explanation about the situation and to give me examples of how he was being aggressive –just in case that this was true I needed to know since he is young i could still correct some behavior– but nobody could give me a straight answer or explain me how was he being aggressive.
At that moment I asked, also, if that meant that I was not able to drop him off again there and they were not able to give me answer me neither. They promised that the manager –that was not there that day– would call me to discuss and maybe to arrange another trial… Well… I am still waiting for this phone call.
Right after I found another place that I drop him often and a few month after i haven’t had a single issue. He goes to dog runs regularly and never showed any sign of aggressiveness.
So I don’t have a clue what happened there, either the staff at D is for Doggy is not really trained for this or they are way to overbooked for the small space they have and they trying to find any excuse to kick people of rudely and without no explanation.
I know this is a long review but I felt that it deserved an explanation to why I am rating them so low.

My toy terrier Yorkie loves staying here when we go away for a long weekend or just play with his friends for few hours during the weekend. Staff is extremely friendly and majority of them are pet owners. There are always many small dogs here so your pet will never be in the play room by itself. Five stars!

We were in town for a wedding and we left our little Chion at D is for Doggy for a few hours. At drop off we noticed how clean and organized the facility was. Staff was very friendly and our dog came home happy and tired. We look forward to using this facility again.

I absolutely LOVE this place and so does my little man! Everyone that works there is such an animal lover and my guy is sooooo in love with them! If you’re looking for a place to leave your baby for a bit — this is the only place to know! Thanks do much for all you do!
Thor got a groom from Henny and it’s the best cut he has ever had in his 10 years! Run, don’t walk to book a groom with her!

I’ve used a number of similar places in the city and find D is for Doggy paws down the best. (A little corny? I know) I’ve had my dog for 17 long years and very attached to her. They have consistently and reliably provided me with the reassurance that I can leave her behind in good hands. The staff is professional but most of all caring. At times I’ve received text messages from the staff with a photo of my dog eating hot dogs or pizza bought and paid for by the caring staff On a side note I’ve instructed the staff to feed her anything she wants. At 17 she can develop a drug addiction and it would be fine with me. She is on borrowed time and well deserving of life’s little pleasures. I highly recommend D is for Doggy. We all love our dogs. Some of us more than people and want to know they are well taken care of when we aren’t able to.

My «Big Tony» is a rescue dog with anxiety but the staff at D is for Doggy treats him wonderfully. Everyone that works there is super friendly and you can see your dog playing via a Drop Cam right from your smartphone. Its so comforting to know that my dog is in such good hands while I am out of town. You can tell they take pride in what they do.

I bring my 6lb shorkie here to get a clean up/​groom every 6−8weeks. I’ve only ever had amazing experiences, and I love that they have fair pricing. They don’t charge me $ 75 to wash/​trim a tiny dog like most places try to do. Scheduling is flexible and my dog is always excited to come here! Love this place!

THIS PLACE IS AWESOME! How many other doggy day care centers can boast a 600 square ft outdoor space? (at the 22^nd street space) My dog Scarlett comes back SO HAPPY and the staff are amazing with me and with her! We have been going there since in opened and it only has gotten better. We also go to the newer one on 15^th street when the weather is bad as it doesn’t have an outdoor area and is closer to our home. REGARDLESS. This is not the only day care place we have tried but when we came here, we never considered going anywhere else The Place is spotless, never smells of dog and most of all my dog practically drags me there. Staff is attendant to the point that if my dog sees one of them on the street she runs to them GREAT place!!!
L & D Fusco

I only used these people for grooming, which i did six weeks before writing this review.
When calling for the apt, I was told that there were two groomers — each equally good — one charging $ 75, the other $ 85. Asking about dental policy was told that their policy wast that came from free with the groomer, with either groomer. When I got there, I was told, by another person, that the lower groomer had just raised her rates, both at $ 80. I went along with it.
Made an apt. couple of days ago for another visit. This time I was told — by Yet another parson there is only a new groomer, with a higher rate, $ 90, and that dental cleaning was extra, another $ 10 — they were running a Special in July, this one said, it was Never there policy to have that as part of the usual grooming fee.
I started a ruckus The very first person came out — one Moby, was his name — and offered to do the Whole shebang for just $ 75, knowing full well that my whole story was true. I told him that I could not be bought of by bait and switch artists. Watch out for this gang. Get a promised deal sent in Email, or faxed before you do nothing with them — or, better, go elsewhere, as their haircutting isn’t all that great, and you’ll have have to go back before you thought.
I am returning to Doggy style. the are expensive, but they are honest about it. And the haircuts are better, with less frequent returns needed.
This Review applies to the Chelsea branch one 6^th Avenue, between 15 and 16^th streets. Somehow it got put over here, with reviews for the branch on 22^nd street. it should be relocated by Unilocal — thought I would be wary of ANY branch of what is now evidently at least a pretty shady Franchise outfit.

One of the Managers (or owner, not really sure) of D is for Doggy contacted me only hours after posting my review.
He was sincerely sorry to hear that Sandy had picked up an eye infection during her stay with them.
I let him know that we plan on continuing to board Sandy here, but that they should watch closely for dogs that are showing signs of sickness or infections and immediately quarantine them and/​or call their owners.

My fiancée and I had to leave for 10 days for our wedding and were extremely anxious about leaving Luna for that long. We have left her in Cheeky Dog in Brooklyn before, but decided to try a new place. Each time we would get Luna from Cheeky she would come back with something… a wart, an eye infection, a cold. I understand that it can happen when there are a lot of dogs in one place but still… EVERY TIME?
Anyways, back to D is for Doggy. We got her back with no unwanted health issues. She smelled decent considering it had been 10 days. When I walked into the place, it smelled better than any other place I have gone to before. I definitely appreciate their strict policies regarding possible health issues and refusing other dogs if they pose a risk.
I admit the whole sleeping together policy kind of threw me. I wasn’t sure if I agreed with it or liked it. But after getting pictures of Luna snuggling up to her friends, I think its great.
We got emails from the handlers several times a day. Each time, we would get updates and pictures. Luna made a new friend Aston with an image of both snuggling. Luna and Lucy the handler in a side by side comparison picture to a cartoon of a girl with her dog. Luna and her new partner in crime Isis. They definitely went the extra mile to let us know how things were going.
I cannot say enough great things about her handlers. They were so sweet and not only took great care of her, but also kept us informed. It let us have peace of mind during our wedding trip and we never worried. They were very loving to Luna, who is used to ALOT of snuggles.
D is for Doggy did an AMAZING job. So much that Luna was crying for her doggy and people friends the first night. I would definitely recommend this place in a heartbeat. It might be pricier than some places, but when you take into account vet bills we have had to pay because she got sick at other places, its actually much cheaper. And the peace of mind they give you is priceless. You can tell that the handlers truly love dogs and are willing to go the extra mile for our furry children.

So these guys accused my bulldog of being a typhoid mary of sorts and I haven’t been able to let it down…
Let me back track a bit.
While things mostly went well here, I felt like there were a few times that the attendants were not incredibly friendly or customer service oriented. One time, my dog had a suspicious mole. And not only did they temporarily ban him because they said he might potentially be contagious (even though the vet said it couldn’t be contagious) but they said it had to be removed before he could return! Excuse me? I know this is Chelsea, but requiring elective surgery on our pets for purely aesthetic purposes seems a bit much…
I feel like when you are paying this price, part of that should guarantee better customer service.
My little guy is super well kept, taken to the vet regularly and lives the life of leisure I wouldn’t mind for myself. I felt judged by the people here both for the way I kept my dog (even though he lives like a king) and also for the implication that he was contagious and their refusal to listen to my vet saying that the little mole was in no way contagious. How rude.

There’s a lot of options out there when it comes to doggy daycare… and a lot of them are fine. But for me, when it comes to my dog, fine isn’t acceptable. I want to know that the people watching after my dog actually care about dogs… not just took a job at a doggy daycare place. The people at d is for doggy do indeed love dogs… maybe even more than I do (if that’s even possible). I can leave my dog there and know he’s getting treated just as well as he does when he’s at home.
They also did a great job grooming him.

I have only been to D is for Doggy for grooming services and chose them after a horrible experience at another place based on the great Unilocal reviews.
The first time we went, my puppy’s cut was phenomenal. Just the right length, his legs were still fluffy and not cut too close, and he looked like had layers rather than a straight even cut all over. He looked great and I was impressed.
The second time, I asked if they could give him the same cut as before. But they don’t take pictures so they didn’t really know and I ended up just having to ask them to leave an inch all over. This cut was eh… they did exactly what I asked but he didn’t have that layered look.
Third visit was not good at all. I think they have changed groomers and whoever cut this time did an amateur job. The base of his tail was not trimmed and now it’s grown out too long, his head had patches of uneven lengths, and his nails weren’t trimmed.
I never met any of the groomers or was told their names. The grooming area is not visible from the check in desk.
If the groomer who did the first cut is still there, I’ll go back and ask for him/​her. Otherwise, their grooming is about the same level as other places that you could pay less for.
The staff has always been friendly & seems genuinely nice which I appreciate.
Update: I never did go back and went to another grooming place.

Really everyone? This place packs the pups in like sardines. That can’t be healthy or sanitary. If you have a small dog and are considering this place I suggest stopping by on a holiday weekend so you can see what kind of «care» they give here: it’s called 20 dogs in a small room. When asked why they keep the so many dogs in one small room, the response «well, I mean, it’s a holiday weekend.»
Really? Maybe since you’re a business owner you should expand your business to accommodate your overwhelming inventory of animals.
I was appalled. Never again.

I can’t say enough good things about D is for Doggy. I live in San Francisco and my 27lbs dog was too big for me to bring on the plane (no way to the cargo) so I asked my vet for a recommendation and they suggested D is for Doggy. Not only is it located 3 blocks from my apartment, but the place is absolutely gorgeous. When you walk in you are greeted with a nice smell, not like other dog care places where it smells terrible once you walk through the door.
Theo my dog is very playful, so I loved that there were no cages and the dogs interact all day and sleep together at night. I watched the online video camera for about 2 hours each day and noticed how many regulars there were. I think that was great for theo to see familiar faces to feel more comfortable.
As for the staff, they kept the place very clean and all the dogs seemed happy. They do not charge for administering medications or extra walks. Besides, they walk the dogs every 2 – 3 hours! They even rearrange the rooms daily to give variety for the dogs.
Gina the owner personally called me to update me on Theo. She also set up an online album with over 10 pictures of Theo on his stay (look how happy he looks above!) You can tell your dog is in good hands when he is at D is for Doggy. If you go to their website you can learn all about there services and what they charge. They have great explanations for why they do what they do.