Zen Doggy Den | Dog Training Boarding Day Care — Attraction in Wheat Ridge

I'd had average experiences with this company until recently. There were some good and some bad, but the location was convenient enough and their employees so nice that I kept coming back. My interactions with Zen Doggy Den today have convinced me that I maintained patronage too long. On 9/9, two random charges showed up on my credit card from Zen Doggy Den. According to an email provided by the company after the fact, they were billing in arrears for a billing error on their part 6 months ago (March 11 to September 9). I am outraged that there was no communication about this error and Zen Doggy Den's owners decided they could levy charges to the account that are 6 months and more old without any prior consent/discussion. I would have been happy to talk about these fees had the company had a conversation with me, but they did not even take the time to send a notice that the charges would be billed on x date. When I replied to their email (giving notice that the charges had already been made) that it was not appropriate to send charges without a prior discussion, it is now 9 hours later and no reply has been received yet. This company has failed to meet expectations several times, and this was the final convincing I needed to end services with them. They promise to provide a "report card' with photos after the first time you board with them, but this never came. It sounds like my experience here is common. The only updates they provide on your dog boarding there is via facebook, and they will often go days at a time with no updates. Once, I did not see any photos of my dog or updates on him during the course of an entire trip. Additionally, I have been incorrectly billed 3 times now. When the incorrect billing was in my favor, I was not notified about it and a credit was simply applied to the account. I found out about this because I called to ask why the invoiced amount was incorrect, and they informed me a credit had been added to the account (rather than my cc refunded). On another occasion, I was informed that a day's stay would be removed from the bill due to picking my animal up early only to be informed later that they do not reduce the bill for early pickups. The one positive thing I can say about this place is that the people employed here are always congenial. I will, however, be taking my business anywhere else.

Update after the owner’s response: I’m sorry that you’ve had bad customer experiences and that those bad customer experiences have led you to decide that a lack of communication is the best policy. I do not agree with that policy and would prefer to do business with a company who believes customers are partners rather than obstacles to be overcome. In regards to the communication, you are correct that I called in about 2 hours after sending the email, and the person on the phone was able to listen to my frustration, but he had no authority. An owner or at least manager should have called or emailed or taken any action once the person I talked to explained how frustrated I was. In my opinion, a customer of yours should not have to post an online review to...

Zen Doggy Den and Julie have been a blessing to both my dogs. Their board and train program is affordable and Julie is honest about what outcomes will look like. She won’t sell you on an idea and then let you experience reality. They also work with you on what is realistic for your budget to find the best option. My first time there they listened to my concerns and when it was end of day, the other friends had been picked up, and they weren’t 100% confident on a match for my retriever mix they let her go outside with my frenchie to potty. I’ve been to SEVERAL daycares that have NEVER offered more than a shared pen for my girls.

I have an English Cream Retriever/Pyrenees Mix Rescue and a French bulldog that is extremely needy. Both have fit in at zen doggy den.

After reading some of the negative reviews I’d like to add a few more comments since I’ve been to a lot of doggy daycares.

All day play is not safe for dogs. It over exhausts them. The best places will do rotations of rest and play.

Having toys such as balls or any toys, especially ones that can be chewed, are items that can create aggression issues. Especially in the Denver area it’s really hard to find a daycare/boarding facility or any qualify that:

1. Doesn’t have any toys present, cleans up sticks from the yard, AND understands the possession issue. They view it just as serious as food aggression.

2. Does at least 2 people to about every 3-5 dogs. They’ve had a full house when I’ve visited but still only had a few dogs in the yard with 2 handlers. This is crazy good and i don’t know how Julie affords it.

3. Doesn’t do all day play

4. Zen doggy den doesn’t do crates, they do comfortable homelike pens

Dogs acting different after pick up their first 1-3 visits is very normal. It’s both excitement and stress that’s normal. When you bring your dog home and all they do is sleep for 12-16 hours without so much as a potty break I’d be weary of the amount of play they are getting.

My two dogs have never come home smelling bad from Zen Doggy Den or any signs of upset. This is a newer facility/daycare, they don’t have fancy colors or sparkling lights. SHOCKING, dogs don’t care about aesthetics. Only you do as an owner. Your dog needs safety, cleanliness, and dog smart people.

I’d highly reconsider any daycare that doesn’t offer training on sight. That probably means they don’t know how to properly hire staff. No fault of their own, but they don’t know what they don’t know. I’d highly recommend going into Zen Doggy den with an open mind as it’s not like any other daycare in Denver and because of that it’s the only place I’m comfortable with...

If you have an anxious/selective dog - this place is for you!

I adopted my current dog, Benny, from Big Bones Canine Rescue in July 2020. Benny is a large (70-75 lbs) bundle of anxiety. We moved to the area in June 2021 and started looking for a doggy daycare/boarding facility. I passed by Zen Doggy Den everyday on Wadsworth, but was skeptical because of how small the facility looked. We had tried two doggy daycares previously. One was TINY - they would put all of the dogs together in one room without breaks. There wasn't even outdoor space. The other was a large commercial facility. They put a bunch of dogs together based on size and Benny got kennel cough after only going for a trial day.

I asked other adopters for recommendations and someone recommended Zen Doggy Den, so I decided to give it a try. Benny goes occasionally for daycare and has completed two boarding stays (7 days and 5 days respectively).

I cannot say enough good things about Zen Doggy Den. First, it is run by a trainer which is really reassuring. They definitely know what they are doing. They use small play-groups based on size, play style, etc. They have an extra building in the back that they also use. The dogs play in groups of ~10 and have indoor and outdoor space to play. They also rotate the play groups so dogs don't get overtired/overstimulated which can increase the chances of a tiff. They rest in their kennels when they are not playing.

The staff is always happy to talk and answer my questions. They are also very honest, which I appreciate. There isn't a ton of dogs like the large commercial facilities, which is nice because they remember him (I think). They don't have cameras but they do have a private Facebook group where they post pictures from the play groups. It has been so nice to see pictures of him playing while we are away. During his first stay, I emailed to ask how he was doing and got a very quick reply. Other times that we had left him with a sitter, he would seem super stressed when we brought him home. Both times we picked him up from Zen Doggy Den he was healthy and happy!

They have additional services you can add on such as: treats, grooming (baths/nail trims), and treadmill time. The person who recommended ZDD to me said they have been great with her selective rescue. Benny typically gets along well with other dogs, but even if he didn't, we would still use Zen Doggy Den because of the trainer, smaller play group sizes, and possibility for exercise on...