Dogtopia of Downtown Orlando — Attraction in Orlando

Use to be a regular - would take my dog to day care a few times a week and would board there as well and he would love it. However, I have a border collie and he has a tendency to nip, as many border collies typically do - it’s in their genetics.

On one random day, I tried to schedule an appointment for day care and it was rejected - no body gave me a call, an email, nothing. I called in to find out what the reason was and they just told me that because of the amount of dogs they had scheduled there, it wouldn’t be a good idea for my dog to be there. So yes, horrible communication from dogtopia.

I gave it a few days and contacted them to speak with a manager they had there who was awesome, and she understood why I was frustrated and appreciated the feedback. It’s a shame bc she no longer works there and I believe the manager there currently isn’t really fit to be one. She’s always negative, verbally and visually and last time she basically reprimanded my dog in front of other staff members and customers. So again, poor communication and just poor people skills.

So at this point, anyone reading this may be asking what my dog did that is a challenge for them - Ive heard from the staff and one manager there that he likes to play too much and doesn’t know when to take breaks and causes a lapse in good behavior for him. Ok fair - he likes to play, but the real incident is that he “pawed” at another dog (pawed is the word the staff used) and “latched” onto a staff members leg (latched used by staff) - ok, I get that the latching being an issue and don’t condone it. That said, for them to ban my dog pretty quickly after the incident I think it’s poor judgement on there end, especially considering that I needed to check in with dogtopia staff a couple months earlier bc another dog bit my dog in the head, right between the eyes…yeah, okay, I have the aggressive dog….

Anyway, I took their recommendation to seek a trainer for my dog after the incident - I spoke with 3 trainers, and explained every detail I was given. I also explained that when I take him to the dog park, none of what dogtopia staff mentioned happens - all 3 trainers said the same thing. We wouldn’t recommend training bc we can’t guarantee anything would be fixed and we can’t verify anything that dogtopia is saying. “It sounds like the behavior is being triggered at dogtopia, and generally the staff they have at these places are young people who aren’t necessarily the best trained to deal with animals.” All three trainers said the same thing. I’m not questioning credentials but simply sharing what I was told.

At the end of the day, I don’t really think my dog got a fair shot here, as all dogs sometimes make mistakes. Show me a dog that never has made one mistake…. You 100% can’t.

Idk if I would recommend dogtopia or not but I do think they mishandled the situation and treated a recurring customer/dog poorly. Happy to discuss this if interested but seemingly the only person in leadership that has a sense for good customer experience and accountability/accepts feedback is the manager who no longer...

My partner and I began our puppy in daycare services. We chose Dogtopia as they were very friendly and provided webcam services that put our minds at ease as first-time puppy parents. We went on a cruise and chose to board our dog for a week with Dogtopia. We requested frequent text updates to just ensure he was okay and everything was fine. Throughout the week we received updates assuring us that he was okay and that he was happy and playful. Upon picking him up, I immediately noticed his nose was scratched and was no longer black with large scabs covering the top. I was shocked and upset, they advised that this was "kennel nose" and was "completely normal" for dogs who are being boarded for the first time. I was not upset with them for this happening, as I'm certain it was not preventable however, I will say that for something that is so "normal" and "common", we were not advised of this with them knowing this was the first time he was being boarded. Of course, we should have done our due diligence, but when paying a large sum of money, I would expect a company so large to make their customers aware of something like this. They told us what they did to help, but did not give us the name of the medications, tell us the duration of how long this should last and did not tell us when it actually happened. At no time while we were away were we made aware. Had they promptly let us know, we wouldn't have been so shell shocked at what happened. It's about a month later and our dog still has not healed from this and we essentially have been told "it is what it is". For something so common, I would recommend their company let first time boarders know, have pamphlets available advising of stuff like this, along with providing care instructions so we don't have to go our vet or google to ask what to do. Our dog loved being there for daycare, but I would advise first time dog boarders to be aware of their dog and ensure that communication is properly being made during your stay to get updates so you're not surprised...

Im never one to leave any reviews but I had to aftee the terrible experience I had at this place after they reassured me I can trust them with my baby. On May 11,2024 I took my dog to daycare around 2pm. He had to do the meet and greet to see if he would be able to stay. While checking in I specifically told them that my dog had anxiety and couldn’t be in a crate. For that same reason I took him after 2pm in order to avoid the “nap” they do from 12-2pm. Which they are placed in crates. I was not told that during the meet and greet they would put him in a crate. I waited in the building about 25 min while the meet and greet took place and was then told that he did well and he would be able to stay. I left and thought I could leave him in great hands but when I came back they told me that there had been an accident and that he had rubbed his nose with the crate and his nose was completely peeled and bleeding. I asked the guy that why I wasn’t notified of it prior to me arriving and when the incident had happened. And he said it was during the meet and greet. I was in the building when the accident happened and left without even being told. He was then laughing and being sarcastic like it was not a big deal. I was then told the manager would call me and I did not get a call back until today. Which I wasn’t even able to speak to them because they called at the end of the day and left a voicemail. I then called back and spoke to the manager on duty called Stephanie. Treated the situation like it was not a serious matter and would not answer any of the questions I had. Instead she would say something different not even related to my question. I would NOTT recommend anyone to bring their babies here. There is no communication between the staff in the front and the staff in the back. The young girl in the front desk said she didn’t even know that incident had happened to theo. Again, very unprofessional and...