Dog trainer launches day care crèche called CentreBarks
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CentreBarks, a new educational doggie day care crèche, has been launched in North Yorkshire by dog trainer Heather Stevens.
The business is open from 8am to 6pm and owners can drop off and collect their dogs at a time to suit them and their needs.
Heather already runs her own dog training school called ‘We Train Any Dog’ but saw the need for a concept like CentreBarks.
“I've had the idea for a day care for dogs for about nine or 10 years, but in all that time I've been unable to locate the right property in the right place at the right rent, until February this year,” Heather told Pet Trade Xtra.
“I was originally going to call it Paws2Play but one of the gentlemen in my dog training classes said, ‘Oh no, I think you should call it CentreBarks’ - and so I did!
“The concept is not unique, and indeed there are many hundreds of doggie day care crèches in the USA. There are a number of them in the UK but not all offer training as part of the day care, which we do.”
 CentreBarks offers dogs a small training session morning and afternoon, and there are a number of activities throughout the day, such as finding stuffed and empty Kongs in the ball pit, and paddling in the dog-proof paddling pool outside in the garden area.
CentreBarks is located in a single-storey detached unit on a trading estate in Richmond, North Yorkshire. There is about 2,400 square feet of indoor space and a garden area, which backs onto open farmland.
The business is licensed to take up to 30 dogs, and there is one member of staff per eight dogs. An assessment is carried out by a behaviourist for each new dog.
CenterBarks is open Monday to Friday and at weekends by appointment. Heather isv planning extra opening hours as the business grows and staff numbers increased.
“Once the creche closes at 6pm the room is cleaned and turned into a training area, where classes run from 6.30pm to 8.30pm most evenings, and also during the day over the weekend,” said Heather.
“There will definitely be more CentreBarks around the country if this takes off, which it is currently doing.”
Heather charges £15 per full day and £8 per half day.
A website www.CentreBarksYorkshire.com is currently being built but in the meantime there is information about CentreBarks on www.WeTrainAnyDog.com
CentreBarks was officially opened by Lord Ronaldshay, the son of the Earl of Zetland (pictured on the right of the photo).
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