Dogtopia

After having a bad experience at another groomer in Waco, I decided to try Dogtopia. The groomer did a fantastic job with my dog who is not easy. She was very calm and professional with him, which he reacted very positively to. It’s very nice and clean inside and the grooming area is all viewable from the lobby so you can ensure its safe and clean before leaving your dog there.

Only been a few times but so far they have really helped my rescue become comfortable with both people and other dogs. He had a pretty rough life and was scared to death of anything that moved or made noise, but now he will walk up to complete strangers and wait for them to pet him. He can play with other dogs without barking or being afraid. 27 a day just to «play» is a bit much but if you need to socialize a dog this is a great place to do it.

I requested Becky to shave my Shih tzu and I’m so glad. My dog had many knots and he came out perfect and knot free. Staff is super friendly even though I ran a little late to pick him up and they were closing.

Absolutely love the professionalism, cleanliness and the way my mind is at ease when I leave my dog with this group! High recommend them!

Great atmosphere, beautiful lobby and friendly, helpful staff. My dogs came back clean and smelling AMAZING after their bath. Very pleased with all aspects of the business!

LOVE Dogtopia! Friendly and attentive staff. They made Bella and I feel welcome. The facility is clean and well maintained. All playrooms are spacious and equipped with webcams which gave me a peace of mind while we were away. I highly recommend Dogtopia if you plan to go on a vacation or if you just want your pup to have a playdate for the day :-)

WOW. Can I just say how I’m positive I will never find a dog day-​care as truly amazing as Dogtopia?! Dogtopia is a life-​saver. When I had classes all day, I felt very confident my pup was going to be well taken care of here. They have a very clean facility, screen every single dog before allowing them to come play, and the best part? Web-​cams! I loved that at any time during the play part of the day I could get online and see what my dog was up to. And I can definitely tell how much fun she had playing with the other dogs. Their grooming services is also spot-​on. I never had a problem with a groomer mistake or being overcharged. I’m truly devastated that I no longer reside in Waco and can use Dogtopia.

We took our dog, Mae, to Dogtopia a couple months ago and we LOVED it! Finding the time to actually go to the evaluation was a little bit of a hassle, but that was our fault. The Dogtopia staff was more than helpful and understanding when we either had to change our appointment or accidentally missed it. As a first time dog-​mom, I enjoyed being able to watch Mae play on the webcams. It really helped me relax to know that she was in good hands and having fun! We boarded Mae for a full day and 1 night. We went in the next day to pick her up expecting to pay $ 41 for the full visit. However, since we rescued Mae, we got our first day visit free! We ended up only paying $ 14 for the whole thing! It was a nice surprise since my husband and I are both broke college students (: Another pleasant surprise came a couple days after we had gotten Mae home… Dogtopia send Mae a postcard with a coupon for a free bath! Overall it was an INCREDIBLE experience! Mae will definitely be returning here, whether it’s because we’re going out of town, or we just need a day off from being full time dog-​parents. (:

Dogtopia has been a lifesaver for the last 6 months. I have two dogs and just before moving to the area the oldest of my dogs was a little overweight due to the very cold weather we left behind. We had used Dogtopia in other cities before and when I saw there was one in Waco, I knew it was the solution to keeping her and my one year old hunting dog active during the week regardless of the weather. They were awesome when my dog had surgery on her ear. A few days before the stitches were supposed to come out she was getting restless and the owners were willing to allow her to come back and stay in a room by herself so someone could keep an eye on her and keep her from getting at her stitches. They’ve also fit me in for boarding in an emergency. It is expensive but I’ve used cheaper places elsewhere before and have had some bad experiences so I think it’s worth the money to not have to worry about some of the things I’ve dealt with other places.

We have had our dog stay here twice and have been very happy with the service. My dog loved it there and I like that they have cameras for you to watch your dog while they play.
The biggest downside for us, and why we have begun to look for alternatives is because it is quite expensive. To board a dog for the weekend (Friday-​Sunday afternoon) is $ 80. We have boarded our dog for less and have been just as happy.

I never thought I’d be a person who took their dog to a doggy daycare– But I totally am! We love Dogtopia and can’t imagine what we’d do without a place like this. The entire staff is courteous and I really do feel like they love our Joey just like we do. Our dog has a LOT of energy and he always comes home exhausted from a long day of playing. I also love the different activities and themed days they plan for the dogs — SO fun! All to say, do yourself and your dog a favor and take your four-​legged kids to Dogtopia — you won’t regret it!

My dog Oscar goes to Dogtopia for daycare about twice a week. Not only does it give me peace of mind that he is OK while I’m at work all day (we don’t have a yard for relieve himself in) but he comes home exhausted and happy. Everyone at Dogtopia is extremely nice and professional. The dogs do fun activities and it warms my dog mom heart.
They separate the large dogs from the small ones and have planned nap time and time outdoors. The facility is extremely clean and I have never noticed a «bad dog». Additionally, dogs are screened before they ever attend daycare.

We discovered Dogtopia when our Boxer was about nine months old and we were looking for a place to socialize her with other dogs. After the evaluation we began taking her once a week. She enjoyed her time and came home nice and tired! We added a Bulldog to our family shortly after this, and began taking him as well. The one day a week of «playtime» is one of their favorite days of the week. We can’t mention «Dogtopia» without them getting excited and heading toward the door.
Dogtopia has been a wonderful place for us to board our dogs. Knowing they will be well-​cared for, and that they will have a day filled with fun and exercise gives us great peace of mind. The last time we boarded them, we were caught in traffic and barely made it there before closing. They kindly waited for us, and even made a special trip to our house an hour or so later, when they realized we had left the last dose of a medication our Bulldog was taking.
We feel as if our dogs are a part of the Dogtopia family. They are always greeted by name and welcomed. If there has been any behavior of concern (not sharing toys well, being a little more dominant than desired) they have explained that to us and let us know how the situation was resolved. We truly feel like they care very much for our dogs and want the best for them.
Another benefit is the grooming. We have had the dogs groomed before picking them up from boarding or a playday, and we have utilized the self-​service bathing area as well. Having a raised tub, shower hose, and all the supplies needed saves our backs and makes bathing much easier! (and much better-​smelling dogs!)
The money we’ve spent at Dogtopia is well worth the service we have received and the love for our pets that we feel each time we enter the door.

The word «play» is very subjective to this company. I was told my beagle, i.e. happy, playful, would get to play with other dogs in order to get exercise. That’s great! However, after I had dropped Cailin off and hopped on the internet to watch her play through the webcams, I began to notice disturbing behavior.
The first thing I saw was Cailin running over to greet the new human. She still hasn’t been broken of jumping on people on first meeting due to the exact behavior exhibited by the playroom supervisor! Instead of ignoring Cailin, the woman bent over to pet her as she was jumping on the woman’s leg. Completely unacceptable for someone who is supposed to be trained in dog behavior.
The second and most unforgivable action occurred half an hour later. Cailin was finally getting settled in and began running around the room for the other dogs to chase her. Mind you, she was in the Toy Box, which is for small dogs only. At 25+ lbs, Cailin was one of the bigger dogs, if not the biggest. After approximately 30 seconds of running, the supervisor stopped Cailin and scattered the group. The dogs went back to following the woman. Finally, Cailin began to wrestle with another dog. It looked to be a large german shepherd puppy. I thought great! This is one of the more energy-​reducing playing she does. Thirty seconds later, the woman broke them up. This happened multiple times through the day, probably more than I saw as I only watched for a total of an hour or so. I was infuriated.
When I picked Cailin up at the end of the day, I questioned the owner. I asked why Cailin wasn’t allowed to wrestle with another dog. «One or the other was probably growling.» I asked if she knew that for sure. «No, but I’m sure *insert supervisor’s name* had good reason to stop it. I asked for her to be put in with the big dogs if she was too rough with the little dogs. «We have some very large dogs in the big dog room and will never be comfortable allowing a smaller dog in.» (My beagle has played with an Irish Wolfhound with very few problems) I asked why Cailin was stopped from running. «Running is discouraged. It causes dogs to nip.» I replied that my dog does not nip when running and has never drawn blood on another dog or made one squeak in pain. «Well, not all dogs are your dog.» I expressed my disbelief that the company would allow dogs in who could potentially be violent. Also, how was my dog supposed to exercise if she cannot run or wrestle? Toys are not provided as well, probably because the company allows in toy-​aggressive dogs. «Apparently this center is not the right fit for you.»
Darn tootin’ it isn’t the right fit. I do not pay $ 26+ a day to see my dog follow a human around for 8 hours. This place is overpriced and misleading. I cannot wait for a REAL dog park to come to Waco and severely drop the level of Dogtopia’s custom, if not cause them to go out of business. I’ve heard franchise fees can get mighty expensive.

Oh boy, I am not sure what I would do without Dogtopia. Before hitting this goldmine of a place to board by dog, I used to have to drag my pooch to the vet’s to board him. I would always come back to a miserable dog and I figured that this was how boarding was always going to have to go.
Not so, as after the first time letting my dog stay at Dogtopia, I picked up an elated pooch who slept the whole day as he was tuckered out from playing all week (it is considered an ‘open’ boarding place where the dogs get to play with the other dogs) and the next time I went to board my dog again, he started pulling me through the door and his tail was going a mile a minute as we walked down their hall. The staff greeted me and my dog by his name and he instantly went with them instead of sticking to my side. I definitely had a peace of mind that weekend and I will always stick to boarding my dog here. I high recommend this place as the owners are great (my dog’s bordetella shot expired while my dog was there and they actually took him to a vet to get him vaccinated, not to mention they noticed he was losing weight from running around all day and upped his food).
This place is a little pricy compared to traditional boarding places but you really get what you pay for, and I think some extra dollars is totally worth it for a place like this.