Staff were friendly, loved the updates and pictures that were sent to me while on vacation!

Literally don't use this daycare before reading the negative reviews, they're all so on point about this awful place. Just so dog+cat owners know, staff here get paid $15/hour+unpaid breaks (Supervisors: $17.50 ish or some crap) to take care of 20-30 dogs at once, hopefully even just that can tell you about the quality of care going on and the ability of staff to truly be taking care of your babies. Bowdog doesn't give a crap about their staff and they don't give a crap about your dogs. Also if you think you know anything about how your dog is being taken care of/ what they got up to every day etc based on the people at the front desk, well guess what? They literally have no contact with your pets other than when they check in and out, which I'm 99% sure they do so that the people working with the dogs in the back can't "poach" their clientele. (With the exception of supervisors) The people taking care of your dogs have essentially zero contact with you the client. The employee turn around on this place honestly I think is higher/faster than mc'donalds, so like no one is trained well or treated well, and we all know how that can impact animals, especially extreme empaths like dogs. There is an overall lack of intentional care for the dogs (daycare dogs don't go outside all day unless it's summer, they all hang out in a large square pen without any furniture/fun obstacle things, and just go to the bathroom on the floor [sometimes there's 1-2 plastic jungle gym things that like 2 big dogs can hang out on and like 5 tiny dogs], dogs that aren't having a good time (shaking/hiding, or upset by other dogs or all the noise etc) either are just left like that in group or put in a kennel all day, "PC" dogs (personal care: for dogs who can't be around other dogs) are put into individual pens and ditched there most of the day, sometimes they get some attention and sometimes they don't (would depend who was working/paying attention) And the boarding side I seriously would never use unless it was a last resort, probably 1000 times more stressful for a dog than being kept in a kennel at home, even if you only had someone taking them out 1-2 times a day. read more

Driver of their BRANDED truck proceeded to cut me off in a manner that caused me to slam on the brakes to avoid a collision on HWY 1. Honked and "bright'ed" them to which they then slowed down to 20kmph to make sure they showed me that they thought I was number 1 "Middle Finger" Hopefully they take care of dogs better than they drive read more

Bowdog (former Doggin it) is an unfair money hungry business. They took over for Doggin it over a year ago and added an expiry date on previous clients paid daycare. They say they sent out emails regarding this change, but because some customers opted out of email as one of their contacts, they did not receive the notification for the change in ownership. That's completely unfair to people that have already invested in a daycare package for their furbabies! Most people are struggling during these difficult times. Hopefully Bowdog takes a hit and shuts down for good too. Beat it Bowdog! read more

I really love bringing my dog to Bow Dog for daycare, and their pack walks have been fantastic. My dog always comes home happy, healthy, and tuckered out after having lots of play time with his pals! They have a great facility and is really convenient to where I live. A couple of items on my wish list that I think they could improve: - Invoicing: I wish they would show if you had a balance carried forward (or a credit) when they sent your next invoice. It's a pretty standard invoicing practice! - Sometimes it is tough to get through to their office - you often have to leave a message. They are good about getting back to you, but I did have to be persistent when trying to get my dog into a waitlist for pack walks. - I wish you could book daycare reservations online. As a growing business, I'm sure they are constantly trying to improve. I will definitely be a return client! read more

Have taken my dog here for doggy daycare and he always comes home tired and exhausted, which is the goal. We also just did our first round of boarding and with the deals like first day free of daycare or first boarding experience 50% off a night it's super helpful. They keep you updated with daily report cards (some are more informative than others) and pictures on Facebook, which I love. The long hours are incredibly convenient and was what drove the choice to check it out. I've had nothing but awesome customer service. Reservations and the front desk staff have been amazing and answered all my questions and concerns before we left him there for a week. Appreciated that a lot. They are responsive by Facebook and Email, hard to get ahold of by phone but they do call you back which is appreciated. I think my only three comments would be: -Expensive. Compared to other boarding facilities, it's a little out of our reach without discounts. (Doggy daycare seems to be comparable to other places) -Have heard they sometimes don't check for vaccines. They did for my guy, which made me happy but there's been some rumors. -Billing for the boarding - I would like to see a formal quote before boarding. It took me a long time to get it out of them.. I had it calculated out and it came to what I expected after everything but a piece of paper or email when you book would be awesome that lists packages, discounts, and then an estimated total without any changes (IE: I understand that it can change if you were late or etc.) but it would be nice to have prior to the boarding experience. It seemed odd to me that they didn't do it formally just sort of a I think it will be this" conversation but there was nothing with a total or official quote. It's a minor comment but would make it easier for me to anticipate costs without recalculating 3 times. read more

A complete lack of professionalism. After having such a great respect for this company in Shane and in Chelsea I have to create this new post to warn everyone about the new and incredibly poor business practices of Bowdog. Starting in a January we were given notice that our walker would be away for personal reasons. We were then advised shortly after our walker was moving to walk a pack in the North. We were then told someone else would be assuming care of the group of pups. Then that person(s) was not able and then we were finally told the truth. The SE pack would be no longer. The last couple walks promised were also canceled due to illness I think this time. Today is March 21st. The company is not sure where our house key is, not that they bothered to respond to my requests for some time. But they continue to send me sales pitches via email about their great offers. No house key and shady practices - yeah, I'm not comfortable recommending them to anyone. I'd like my key back and someone to acknowledge my concern. Be kind people preach. Kindness has lead me here. Someone else has a key to my home. This review is truthful if not kind. read more

Bowdog - Every walk has a log: where did they go, what occurred and a picture. Grateful. - Pet Sitting Near Me - Calgary, Alberta

I'm not a Bow Dog customer. I probably never will be after what I saw and I believe customers deserve to know. I was walking my dogs at the off leash park. I was there for something like an hour. When I arrived, there was a Bow Dog truck with a girl sitting in the front seat, texting on her phone in the parking lot. I took my dogs out and let them run around and play. About 15 minutes later, the walker gets out of the truck and very slowwwly (another 10 minutes) got the dogs out of the truck and on leashes which were attached to her hip, except for 2 or 3 small dogs, who were off leash. The walker then slowly meanders into the middle of the field and takes a phone call. She's on the phone for another 20 minutes, all the while the dogs are just standing there with her, leashed. After she was done her phone call, she picks up some poop and walks the dogs back to the truck. She stops to take a few pictures of the dogs with the park in the background, then hops in the truck and leaves. Now I'm not going to assume that all Bow Dog walkers are the same, but this is entirely unacceptable. I know how much it can cost an owner to get their dog walked, and if I were paying that kind of money I would expect my dogs to be EXERCISED. So if you're a Bow Dog customer and you're wondering, "why is my dog still so wired after their walk?" Well, there's a possibility that your dogs aren't being exercised at all and you're being scammed out of your money. read more

grossly understaffed, had a friend who worked there who told me horror stories of dogs being mistreated while in the care of these people. management unprofessional and generally lie to their clients about important info. I won't ever bring my dog here again. He hasn't been the same since. read more

Have been bringing Watson here since he was a puppy. He is always tired and happy when he gets home! It's nice that when you go on extended trips you get email updates from them! Grooming services are always great when we use them as well. read more

I love this place and I'm sure my dog does too. Huge facility , friendly staff , very organized , price discount on packages, dogs get walked once or twice a day as well as inside play and outside play , and my guy goes on the treadmill sometimes too. And their hours for pick up and drop off are convenient too. Highly recommend ! read more

I think it's just selfish for dog owners not to take their dogs here because:1.) the people that run this place are awesome, 2.) Basha's just tired every single time she comes home from Bowdog, 3.) the pictures on facebook and the updates via email are a good way of making me feel at ease, 4.) the special parties they throw are just too cute, 5.) it's also nice to know that dogs here are grouped accordingly. read more

Was warned that management was poor prior to using this service. My experience was exactly that. Front line staff are excellent.

I do not recommend this facility to anyone who loves and respects animals. We had to take our 1 1/2 year old Golden Retriever here on sort notice for a total of 4 days due to a family issue out of town. From reading some online reviews I thought we were leaving our dog in a loving place that would care for him like he was family. First inclination that something was not right was the fact they neglected to tell me on the phone that he would have to wear an 'anti slip' collar while at the facility and there would be a daily charge because we did not own one. I will admit our golden is not the best on the leash as he is still a puppy. He is in no way, shape, or form aggressive or too much for an adult to handle reasonably. I myself walk him on a leash with my child in a stroller and can manage him fine. When we came to pick him up he was overly excited to see us. When we got him home I noticed he was making a weird noise, almost sounding like he was being strangled. He was very hesitant about me looking at his neck, but once I could see I was appalled. He had red petechia all around the front of his neck. It looked like hundreds of tiny blood blisters. He obviously was very sore cause he kept pulling away from me while I was trying to get a better look. He also had a small abrasion on the top of his head. I immediately called up BowDog to see if he was in an altercation or how they could explain the bruising? They reassured me they was no written up altercation or any indication as to how this bruising came about. I flat out asked in he had be pulled on the 'anti slip' leash and they assured me no. Now 1 and a half weeks later, he still has bruising on his neck, and I took him in to be groomed and the groomers (who we have seen numerous times) have said they noticed a total 180 change in our dogs demeanour. He was super anxious about being left there, had major anxiety resulting in diarrhea and would not let them touch his neck. The groomers themselves said they have heard other horror stories about BowDog, and their dog handling skills. I have also contacted our veterinary office who also have heard and witnessed horrific actions taken by employees of BowDog. I am heart broken, my dog is not just my pet he is part of our family. I can not believe a place that treats animals like this is in business and I only hope that people reading this review will please not take your animal there. There needs to be some sort of investigation as to what goes on behind closed doors as this kind of treatment to a dog is totally unacceptable. If you love your dog like a child, do not take them to BowDog! read more

While my dog was well cared for and the people were nice to deal with, I am appalled at the business practice of this place. I telephoned to ask the cost of boarding my dog for 8 days and was only quoted the price for the "day" .... referenced as bronze, silver, or gold price per day. There was ABSOLUTELY NO MENTION that there would be a "night price" too .... which meant that when I came to pick up my dog, my fee was well OVER $300 more than I anticipated ($546 for 8 days). I haven't boarded my dog in years, so don't know the going rate. I note another reviewer stated it was difficult to get an actual quote from them for boarding. I will be reporting them to the Better Business Bureau. read more

It's a good price and recommended by my vet as one of the best in town but it feels all cement and chains link fence inside and my little guy came back to me covered in dog smell, despite his pre departure bath. It's like an open concept kennel. Better than a cage for sure but I prefer more homey surroundings personally read more

Excellent daycare facility. The weekend working staff are amazing. They're friendly, accommodating and genuinely interested in your pets well being. My Bouv always has a fun filled day; the pack walks and pack play keep him social and balanced. read more

Great place, my dog is always happy and tired after a day spent here and the staff are super kind, however booking/arranging drop offs and pick ups is not always easy as they never seem to answer the phone. Best way to contact seems to be email. Difficult when you need to get ahold of them last minute or if you have a change in plans. read more

Meh is right. Nice people but a few bad apples. Owner may have some dog smarts, but certainly no business smarts. They take forever to get back to you if at all. Poor customer service. read more

DO NOT GO TO THIS KENNEL. I brought my puppy, a year and 3 months named George to Bowdog for 4 days in March/2011. I came without warning a few hours before checkout. They brought him out and he could barely walk, his eyes bloodshot, and he could barely wag his tail. I didn't even recognize him at first. The handler choked him hard when he didn't sit on command(because he was walking towards me, the handler looked very angry doing it too). They told me that he doesn't get fed for first time till early afternoon because all the dogs want to do is "play" when they wake up. BULLSHIT! First thing any dog wants to do is eat, they are hungry, these dogs go 14-16 hours without food. But instead they abuse my dog, and work him to death on a treadmill all day to tire him out. His spirit is broken, small noises scare the shit out of him, it's been almost 2 weeks and he is still a different dog. And I'm afraid always will be, he doesn't trust me, and is obviously still depressed. read more