I am sitting here reading some/all of these ratings and the negative ones are catching my eye mainly. The folks that have made it through the assessments (as long as they are!) and paid for the days of boarding or is it daycare? whatever; to make it to the goal of having your dog introduced in the group of loving and fun animal play groups forever have reached the big picture and can understand what it's all about. For all the others bitching about their dogs being scrutinized for their attitude in a play area- it's for a good reason! Would you want your dog punked by another's dog with a bad attitude that slipped through the door if they didn't check it out first? It is for a reason that the dogs are checked out first- to prevent fighting later- everything is calm in the pack or it can get ugly fast if it wasn't checked.Secondly, the doors aren't left up at night! My assessment was at 6:00pm and at 6:30pm those doors went down like clock work and I also got a tour of the facility's and ALL the rooms in the back have raised beds so the dogs are off the floor. I was told in person and in print to bring my own beds, toys, and jackets if nec. So you are very mistaken! Plus, They get a nap mid day if you ask for it, walks if you ask, and kongs stuffed with PB at night so quit your bitching if you don't know ask! I was told all of this up front.It is an expensive place I agree but I feel it's worth it, my dog is happy, socialized, and tired. There ALWAYS is someone there with him; 2 in the day and 1 at night with the video cam mid day to watch him. Thank you Happy Hound!!

I have heard good things about them, but when I called them about daycare for my 5-year-old, 6-lb. toy dog, it was kind of a washout. I was told that he could only be accommodated with the puppies, and I know my guy enjoys the company of other adult dogs, but not youngsters.

I'm rather stunned by the recent harsh negative reviews. I started taking my big, high-spirited pup there a couple of months ago, and it has been great for him. I put him in day-care so that he can get a full day of exercise a couple of days per week. The whole point is for him to get worn out, and to get him more used to playing with other dogs.
We also went through the long interview process, however it was a breeze, and I actually got a lot of advice on raising and training the boy. I felt secure knowing that the other dogs went through the same process, and that problem dogs would be weeded out. My dog had been falsely accused of being aggressive, and they recognized high-energy and high-spirits as not being equivalent to aggressiveness.
I also like the fact that they are so confident of how they treat the dogs that they have a web-cam so you can check in anytime you want. They keep at least one person in each play area (as opposed to some of the places I visited which had only one staff person there when I arrived, and nobody with the dogs.)
The first day we showed up at daycare, the staff all knew we were coming and knew my dog's name. I was left with the impression that they all care about the dogs in their care. Many of the daycare places keep dogs in pens, and let them out only for occasional play periods. Here they can play all day. He comes home tired and happy. He knows the schedule, and when I take him out of the house in the AM and head for the car rather than the park, he gets incredibly excited.
For us, it has been great and I recommend Happy Hound.

My husband, my dog and I where all put through a 3 hour interview process for initiation. It was horrible. The interviewer was so obsessed with psycho analyzing our dog that by the time we where released we never wanted to go back. He did nothing but criticize our 6 month old Yorkies behavior. Our puppy was so distraught from the entire experience. In my opinion Happy Hound is not a healthy environment for dogs and we do not recommend the experience. Also their fee's are way to expensive for the initiation process. It would have cost $200 before our initial charge for boarding because of some policy. The entire boarding cost would have been close to $400. Save yourself and go to Just Pet Me Country Club off Broadway instead. No 3 our interview and no initiation process coasting $200. Just Pet Me has the best services for your dog and it's only $50 for hotel charge. My dog was so happy and tired from playing all day that we now drop him off for play days.

I can't say enough to explain how both me and my dogs feel about Happy Hound. The service is great, the enviroment is great, the staff is above great! I come from a small town and to move to the bay area with my pooches it was a relief to find such a great home away from home. They love it and I wouldnt take them anywhere else. It may be a wi-bit pricey but its totally worth it. Most of all its organized, safe, and clean. LOVE IT!