Day Care

Day Care

DUE TO STAFFING LIMITATIONS AND SCHEDULED MAINTENANCE, WE WILL BE UNABLE TO TAKE ANY WEEKEND BOOKINGS FROM APRIL 24th ONWARDS.

WE WILL ACCOMMODATE ALL EXISTING WEEKEND BOOKINGS.

WEEKDAY BOARDING, TRAINING, AND DAYCARE IS UNAFFECTED

WE ARE CURRENTLY UNABLE TO TAKE ON NEW CUSTOMERS.  THANK YOU FOR YOUR UNDERSTANDING.

Four Paws offers a very popular day care service during NSW School Term weekdays, where your dog is able to come and visit us for the day to run and play with suitably matched playmates.  This service is aimed at younger, sociable, gregarious dogs, that enjoy playing in a group of other friendly dogs.

We have the Four Paws Day Care Club, where owners of sociable dogs can book regular days each week, payable in advance at a discounted rate, and also Casual day care spots, where customers can book in and drop off their dogs for the day as needed.

Lots of fun with doggy mates

Day care dogs come to us for all sorts of reasons: just to have fun, dog/dog socialising, a change of scene, a mental and/or physical work-out, house inspections, renovations, doctors appointments, a lunch date, day trips, boat trips, and many others.

We ask that you call, email or complete a booking form to check availability and then we can have a chat and book you in. Day Care fees are charged on a calendar day basis – see our Prices page for day care rates.

All day care dogs have an individual run with a private bedroom allocated to them for the day, where they are able to relax and lie in the sun or shade in between play sessions and over the lunchtime “quiet time”.

Remember that you are welcome to arrange for a tour of the kennels so that you can get a good idea of what your pup will be doing while he’s here.

Open hours for day care are the same as for boarders: 8 to 11am and 3 to 6pm.  Fees are charged on a calendar day basis.

Four Paws Day Care Club

The Four Paws Day Care Club is available for dogs who come one or more times every week during NSW school term times. Our Club members love playing with their mates – many of their owners tell us that they know exactly when and where they are going on their regular days.

Day Care Club members are guaranteed a spot for agreed days of the week during NSW term times (excluding public holidays), and receive priority access to boarding bookings (subject to availability).

Day Care Club members commit to regular days every week, pay weekly in advance & enjoy a discount over our casual Day Care rates.

Day Care Club Rates

Small (<10kg*): $31
Medium (10 – 25kg*): $36
Large (> 25kg*): $38

* For puppies, rates are determined based on expected adult weight

Please contact the office if you are interested in joining the Four Paws Day Care Club (please note that we have very limited availability for new members).

Frequently Asked Questions

When does Day Care operate?
Day Care operates on Mondays to Fridays during NSW public school terms (not including public holidays). If you need day care during Peak seasons (NSW public school holidays), please speak to the office or send a booking request and we can check availability (our peak boarding rates will apply).

Our hours of operation are 8am to 6pm, and the dogs get quiet time during between 11am & 3pm. You may drop off & pick up any time between these hours (please note that we cannot admit you before 8am).

What are the Day Care term dates?
Day Care will operate during the following periods during 2023 (excluding public holidays):

Term 1: Friday 27th January – Thursday 6th April
Term 2: Monday 24th April to Friday 30th June
Term 3: Monday 17 July to Friday 22 September
Term 4: Monday 09 October to Tuesday 19 December

Terms are generally aligned with the NSW public school terms, but start & end dates are subject to amendment & will be notified to Day Care Club members.

Do we need to bring anything?
We need to see a current C5 vaccination certificate for all dogs attending the kennels, whether for boarding or day care. This can be brought in on the first visit, or emailed to the office ahead of time. Please also ensure that they are up to date with all worming, flea and tick treatment prior to admission.

All dogs must wear a collar and id tag (or name-embroidered collar) during their visit.

Do Day Carers get food?
We do not feed Day Carers as we expect that they will have had breakfast before coming in, and will have dinner once they get home. They will of course have constant access to fresh water at all times.

Can we get a wash or even a groom?
We can bath Day Carers before pickup. If you add a note on the Day Care Check-In Sheet we can organise it (subject to staff availability) – please also mention it when handing over your dog to our staff. We have a professional groomer on staff, but grooms need to be booked in advance as we only groom on certain days of the week. Please see our Grooming page for further information & pricing.

Will my small dog be socialising with big dogs?
No, we separate dogs by age, size, breed & temperament. We assess all dogs big & small for their suitability for communal play.  If your dog is timid or anxious then they can play alone.

My dog is not well socialised and doesn’t enjoy interacting with other dogs – can I bring him to your day care to socialise him?
We can take reactive dogs on a casual basis if we have space, but dogs in our Day Care Club all need to be friendly with people and dogs. If you would like to help your dog to improve his social skills, we recommend consulting with an experienced dog trainer.

Will my dog be in a yard with other dogs all day long?
Every day care dog has an individually allocated run, just like the boarders, where they can rest, sleep, sunbathe or sit and bark at the magpies and koalas in the eucalypts. They spend their 11am to 3pm rest time in their own run, with a bed, shade and a big bucket of fresh water.

How do you keep the dogs cool on hot days?
We use bore-water-fed sprinklers to cool the runs and yards on hot days. Dogs can retreat to their bedrooms to get out of the sun. We also have a number of paddling pools that can be put into the run for dogs that really feel the heat.

One of my Day Care Club regular days falls on a public holiday – does the Club still operate?
No – day care does not operate on NSW public holidays. However, if you need day care on that day then please contact the office or complete our online booking request form and we can check availability (our peak boarding rates including public holiday surcharge will apply).

We are Day Care Club members but have decided not to come today – do we still need to pay?
Yes you do. Just like any booking we have reserved your regular days for you, and that space is not made available to other customers. We request that payment is made in advance on a Monday for the week’s visits. If one of your regular days falls on a public holiday then day care does not operate so you can reduce the number of days paid for that week.

What if I provide plenty of notice?
If you provide at least 48 hours notice then we will try to accommodate a request to move your attendance from your agreed day of the week to another day in the same week (subject to availability). This facility is intended to be used on infrequent occasions only.

I have a different question – what shall I do?
Please feel free to get in touch by phone on 02-4982-1182 or by email to bookings@nelsonbaykennels.com