If you have called either of our locations to book a first stay, you have heard us say it: every new dog starts with a FREE trial day of daycare. Some families hear that as a hoop to jump through. It is the opposite. The trial day is the single most important thing we do for your dog’s safety, and by the end of this post you will know exactly what happens during one, minute by minute, and why we hold the line on it even when someone just wants to book a weekend of boarding.
Why we will not skip it
Here is the thing about dog daycare: the dogs matter more than the building. You can have the nicest play yards in Denver, and we think ours are right up there, but if the wrong two dogs end up in the same room, none of it matters. So before your dog ever joins a play group, we need to answer one question with our own eyes: who does this dog play well with?
Every dog at Hobnob daycare is grouped by size and temperament, not by whoever happens to show up that day. A bouncy adolescent Lab does not belong in a group of senior Yorkies, and a shy rescue who is still finding her feet does not belong in the middle of a wrestling pile, no matter how friendly everyone involved is. The trial day is how we learn where your dog fits. No form can tell us that. You can tell us your dog is friendly, and we believe you, but “friendly at the dog park with dogs he knows” and “relaxed in a new building with fifteen new dogs” are two different animals, sometimes literally.
The same rule protects the dogs who are already here. Every family in our play groups went through the same trial day your dog is about to. That is the deal that makes the whole thing work.
Before the trial day
Two things happen before your dog walks in the door. First, the paperwork: you complete our first-time registration, which covers your contact details, your vet, an emergency contact, and the honest stuff we genuinely need to know, like whether your dog guards food, has ever bitten, or turns into an escape artist around fences. Tell us the embarrassing parts. Nobody here judges a dog for having quirks; we just plan around them.
Second, the vaccination records. We require written proof of DPP, Bordetella and Rabies, administered by a licensed veterinarian at least 48 hours before the visit, and ten days ahead is even better. Puppies can start once they have had their second round of vaccines and have been in your household at least 30 days. Hotel guests over six months need to be spayed or neutered; for daycare, males over six months must be neutered, and unspayed females over six months can attend only when they are not in heat. The full list lives on our FAQ page, and your vet’s office can usually email records over in about two minutes.
What actually happens, from drop-off to pick-up
Drop-off. Bring your dog on a collar or harness with a leash, plus food and any medications if they will be with us over lunch. We give food and meds you supply at no extra charge. Leave the toys at home; we do not allow them in the play areas, because a beloved squeaky toy is the fastest way to start an argument between dogs who were getting along fine.
The slow introduction. Your dog does not get dropped into a full play group. Our staff meets them one on one first, lets them sniff out a quiet space, and watches how they carry themselves. Loose and wiggly? Stiff and worried? Bulldozer? That first half hour tells our team most of what they need to know.
Meeting the group. Then come the introductions, one or two carefully chosen dogs at a time, in a supervised space. Our play groups are watched constantly, with never more than fifteen dogs per staff member, and the people doing the watching are trained to read dog body language the way you read a text message.
Play, rest, repeat. A good daycare day is not eight straight hours of wrestling. Dogs at Hobnob move between play and rest all day, with beds and sofas in the play areas and an optional quiet naptime from noon to 2pm. Rest is not a punishment; it is what keeps a play group friendly at 4pm.
Watch it all live. From the moment your dog joins a group, you can watch them on our webcams from your phone. First-day parents are our heaviest webcam users, and honestly, we love that.
Pick-up. At the end of the day, our staff walks you through how it went: who your dog played with, how they handled the group, whether they are a half-day dog or a full-day athlete, anything worth knowing. That conversation is where your dog’s Hobnob file really begins.
What the trial day unlocks
Once your dog passes their trial day, every service at both of our locations opens up. Full and half days of daycare whenever you need them. Overnight stays at the dog hotel, where every night includes a half day of daycare with the play group your dog already knows. Swims in the indoor pool. Baths and nail trims during any visit. One trial day, one registration, and both Hobnobs know your dog.
What if my dog is not a social butterfly?
Some dogs are more people-oriented than dog-oriented, and that is ok. Your dog does not have to play with other dogs to have a great day. We have plenty of staff who are happy to give your dog individual attention and make sure they have a fun, engaging experience. As long as your dog is not aggressive toward others, they will be able to enjoy their day and come home tired and happy. The trial day is how we learn what a good day looks like for your dog specifically.
Booking your FREE trial day
Start with the first-time registration, send your vaccination records, and call the location nearest you: Lakewood on West Colfax at 303-233-8990, or the Denver Tech Center on East Arapahoe at 303-945-4449. We will find a day that works, and by dinner time you will know more about how your dog plays than any of us could have guessed from a form.