The Dog Garden
What dogs love …..
Some dogs love to be busy, to play, explore and to be with other dogs. Some dogs love to be with people, lots cuddles and a warm spot in the sun.
Whatever your dog loves they will love daycare at the The Dog Garden.
At our beautiful dog daycare garden in Lower Hutt, your dog can relax on couches in the lounges, play with lots of other small dogs in our covered and uncovered spaces, sunbathe on the deck, splash about in the pool, discover the ‘Little Garden’ just for puppies and minis, explore in the bush and gardens, cosy up in front of the fire, or hang out with our awesome team.
Why choose us?
- Beautiful garden setting – packed with things to do – no smelly, noisy indoor spaces here!
- Free pick up and drop home service for Lower Hutt & Wellington
- Shortest travel times
- Low staff : dog ratios
- Flexible bookings and no need to prepay
- Discounts for 3+ days per week
- Fully inclusive – dogs have access to staff at all times
- Just for small dogs
- Specialists in caring for puppies & minis, and shy, nervous, older and convalescing dogs
- Our awesome, passionate team of dog carers
- Fantastic service tailored to meet the needs of you and your special dog
We’re a little bit different …..
We’re big on getting small dogs outdoors, on encouraging safe, social play, and offering beautiful dog daycare backed by top-notch service.
We believe that lots of fresh air, sunshine, freedom, playtime and companionship all makes for a great day out.
Spread across three spaces, The Dog Garden has been designed especially for small dogs and is loaded with features to stimulate the senses, body and mind.
There are dog lounges with couches and comfy seats, deck chairs in the shade, steps up into our secret bush garden, our super sunny yard for playtime, plenty of toys and sticks galore in the toy boxes, tug ropes, large covered and uncovered decks, a toastie wood burner and complimentary raincoats for winter days, paddling pools for summer fun, bubble machines, tunnels, agility structures, gardens to explore including our new ‘Little Garden’ just for pups and minis.
Whether your dog needs companionship during the day, some new friends to play with, or just some time doing ‘dog stuff’ – its all at The Dog Garden.
The Dog Garden team
So obviously working with dogs is an awesome job right?. But getting to work with these folks is even more awesom-er.
The Dog Garden simply wouldn’t be the The Dog Garden without the fabulous, hard-working, dedicated team that makes the magic happen.
Meet sue, Shadae, Zoe and Megan.
Employment opportunities
We’re constantly growing and looking for passionate dog-carers to join our team. Please forward your CV and a cover letter to us at thedoggarden@gmail.com
The nitty-gritty
- Opening hours & visiting times
- Pick up and drop home service
- Prices and payments
- How to book
- Ratios
- Health & vaccinations
- Size, breed & temperament
- Other options
If you need further details or to discuss your dogs requirements please just get in touch
Hours
We’re open Monday – Friday from 8am until 5pm. We close all weekends and public holidays and for daycare for two weeks ov er Xmas / New Year.
We pick up between 8am – 10am, and drop home 3pm – 5pm.
Our visiting hours are (by appointment only – please call the office to book) Monday and Friday 1pm – 2.30pm. Otherwise you can easil y see into the garden if you drive by on the weekend.
We’re located at 190a Gracefield Road, Lower Hutt.
Pick up and drop home service – its free!
Our free pick-up and drop-off service from your home (inside or outside), is included in the price. If you’re going to be away when we come we can make secure access arrangements with you. You simply head off to work and we’ll take care of the rest.
We pick up dogs from all over Lower Hutt and Wellington.
Our van is customised for dogs to travel safely and with a raised floor your dog will get an excellent view as we pick up all their doggie friends.
For the Hutt Valley we cover Eastbourne, Petone, and all Lower Hutt suburbs (including all the hills) as far north as Taita and also to Wainui.
Our Wellington pick up service covers the Northern suburbs from Johnsonville / Newlands and all the suburbs along the Northern hills to Karori. We also drop down into the city covering Thorndon, Kelburn, Brooklyn, Aro Valley, central Wellington, Island bay and Mt Victoria. If you’re outside of our coverage areas just get in touch – if the demand is there we may be able to swing by your suburb.
- We pick up between 8am – 10am, and drop home 3pm – 5pm
- Your dog will need to have a collar on for pickup, and must have a name tag
- We can collect lunch for your puppy at pickup if they are still having a mid-day meal
Pricing & payment
- Daycare – full day, including pick up and drop home service – $47.50
- Discount – if attending 3+ day per week – 10%
We invoice at the end of each month via Xero and from there you pay by internet banking.
Our terms of trade are payment in full within 7 days of the invoice. Overdue accounts may be forwarded for collection, with any costs incurred payable in addition to the invoice.
How to book
At The Dog Garden we’re huge on personal customer service. If there’s ever anything extra you need – from changing days or pick up arrangements, to advice on all things dog – we’ll do our very best to help.
To make your first booking please text us on 027 847-4444 or email thedoggarden@gmail.com and please include a contact phone number. We can get you started through email or text, or make a time for you to bring your dog to see us at The Dog Garden.
Booking options vary from the same day/s each week, to casually as required. We can work out the best daycare solution for your dog – particularly if they are young, little, nervous or elderly. Please let us know if your dog has any special requirements – we’re only too happy to accommodate them.
Health & vacations
For the health & safety of all the dogs at The Dog Garden and our staff, and to meet council regulations we require the following:
Sick dogs
Please keep your dog at home if they are unwell. We operate a common sense policy – if you would keep your child home from school for a similar illness then you should keep your dog at home from daycare – eg: vomiting, diarrhoea, conjunctivitis, coughing, runny nose or eyes, lethargy, anything contagious!
If we notice your dog is unwell while they are with us we will get in touch. For the wellbeing of your dog and the other dogs attending, in some cases your dog may need to go home early.
Vaccinations, fleas and worms
Before coming to The Dog Garden your dog must be fully vaccinated for Parvo, Distemper, Hepatitis and Kennel Cough. If your dog currently receives a long term vaccination such as DHP please remember you will still need to get a Kennel Cough booster each year. Your dog should also be flea treated and wormed (you should worm your dog every 2 months if they attend daycare / visit kennels).
Registration
Your dog should be registered with your local council.
De-sexing
Your dog should be speyed / neutered from 9 months to attend group daycare . However we understand that some breeders and vets like to wait a little longer. Un-speyed females can not attend while on heat, and as the owner you must manage your dog coming into season. Complete males can attend as pups, but from 9 months old will need to be neutered if they are exhibiting mating behaviour.
Size, breed & temperament restrictions
If the service we offer doesn’t quite fit with your dogs size, breed or temperament – we’re really sorry. Years of experience working with dogs means we have a really clear idea of what works and what doesn’t work in group situations.
We promote safe, social play, and our selection process ensures that all the dogs that come to The Dog Garden will enjoy their time with us.
Size
The Dog Garden caters for small dogs under 15kgs. While big and small dogs generally get along just fine, we find that little dogs have their best daycare experience when they are playing with dogs of a similar size.
Please note: Some larger breeds can start out at The Dog Garden as pups and then graduate to a larger catering dog daycare as they grow – please get in touch to discuss as this is assessed on a case by case basis.
Behaviour
Your dog will need to be social with other dogs and people, and comfortable travelling in our van and sharing a cage with other dogs.
As a general guideline, if you can take your dog to a family BBQ or socialising at the beach then we’d love to have them join us at The Dog Garden.
Please let us know if your dog is nervous or hasn’t had a lot of exposure to other dogs. We’ll introduce them slowly to the rest of the group, look to book them into quieter days, give them a bit more space in the van – we just love watching their confidence grow!
We don’t take muzzled dogs, or dogs that we cannot pick up safely due to guarding behaviour at home. We will also decline dogs who bark persistently, are aggressive or dominant towards other dogs or our staff or visitors, exhibit signs of prey-drive, or are easily agitated.
Ratios & accessibility to staff
We have a maximum of around 15 dogs with each staff member so that every dog gets our special attention.
We promote safe, social play – your dog will come home happy, relaxed and tired after a day out with us.
Dogs have access to the staff at all times – they’re welcome to visit us in the office and tag along to help us out with odd jobs and gardening if they’re ‘people’ dogs.
For the dogs that need a little extra ….
Play, Explore, Lunch, Nap – repeat!
Our calm, relaxed garden is a perfect start for puppies and young dogs aged 14 weeks+ to develop great social skills and dog manners. Our gardens mean they can continue with that all important outdoor toilet training.
They’ll meet lots of nice dogs and burn off some energy and we’ll help them with basic training.
BYO lunch for a midday rest, and then right back into it!
You’re never to old …..
A trip in the van catching the breeze followed by a day in our beautiful garden is a great way to spend the day for those dogs that don’t quite have the up-and-go they used to have.
A good dose of sunshine or a snooze by the fire, lots of pats, sniffing and exploring at their own pace, a soak in the pool on a hot day – a change of scene can do wonders.
A really special day out if your dog is older, mobility restricted or convalescing.
‘Little Garden’ – mini dog heaven
If you’re wee enough to fit through the secret entrances into the Little Garden then it’s all yours to enjoy!
An extra safe space for our smallest dogs to chill and play. Dogs approx 6kg and under have access.
Designed just for minis and small puppies, this section of the garden has it’s own lounge and indoor play space with toys, covered walkway, and a stunningly sunny deck and garden.
Our wee ones can have a good ol’ play without getting underfoot, or watch the bigger dogs from one of the vantage points.
Get in touch
Hours:8am – 5pm Monday to Friday, closed all weekends and public holidays
Phone: 027 847-4444
Email: thedoggarden@gmail.com
Social: www.facebook.com/thedoggarden
After hours and weekends – our Downtime Policy
Everyone works hard through the week right?
We kindly ask you to respect our After Hours Downtime Policy so the team can enjoy evenings and weekends with family and friends.
Our office is open 8am – 5pm Monday to Friday.
Please try to contact us during office hours for enquiries or to add or change your bookings.
We have a lot to co-ordinate each day to get all of the dogs to The Dog Garden so we really appreciate as much advance notice as you can give us anyway!
If you do need to get in touch urgently after hours (eg: for a booking issue for the next business day) please text and we’ll endeavour to reply.
Otherwise for all after hours enquiries please just email and we’ll reply on the next business day.
Thanks
Voicemail – not for us …..
Also – please note that we do not clear voicemail from our phone – we’re on the road so much it’s impossible to clear them all – pretty please text or email if we miss your call 🙂
Other options
Homestay accommodation
Get in touch – we have a pool of caring dog lovers that take small breed dogs in their homes to stay
Additional Details
- No
- No
FAQs
info@samanthabarnes.co.uk
-
Get Directions
Front St, Ellington, Morpeth NE61 5JA, United Kingdom
-
07891 698 847
-
https://www.samanthabarnes.com/
Own or work here?
Claim Now!
Claim Now!
