Unclear what theyre looking for in a dog's temperament. Gave our dog 7 minutes, said he couldn't take queues from other dogs. Probably should've been concerned about the other dog growling. Apparently growling = okay. Being excited meeting new dogs in a new place = unfit temperament for this business. read more

I brought my 1yr-old puppy in for a temperament test, and within 5 minutes the supervisor came out and said she had "too much energy," was getting in other dogs' faces, and didn't respect boundaries. Let's be real, she's a young dog in a brand new environment surrounded by unfamiliar dogs. Of course she's going to be excited. That's exactly why people come in for these evaluations in the first place. If your facility isn't equipped to handle high energy or young dogs, that should be clearly stated upfront on your website. Instead, I paid $40 for what felt like a pre judged, rushed dismissal with zero effort to actually assess or work with her to get comfortable. What was more disappointing was the lack of care or professionalism. No one asked about her behavior history - other than does she not play well with dogs, supervisor didn't use her name, and she was immediately taken to the back with a slip lead and returned minutes later with a blanket judgment. There was no constructive feedback, no suggestions for training, and no guidance on how we could improve and come back. For context, she regularly goes to dog parks and plays off leash without any issues. Overall, the experience felt unwelcoming and transactional rather than thoughtful or supportive. Just a heads up for other dog owners, you may not get a fair evaluation or any refund if your dog doesn't fit their expectations. Which should be free, then if they pass you pay. read more

Best place to entrust your fur baby to! Fynn is always happy to go and happy when picked up! I highly recommend DDL! Owner is a sweetheart loves doggies! read more

I started taking our puppy to the puppy daycare. DDL was the perfect location to help socialize are nervous pup! The team is professional and has good communication with the owners! We love seeing the daily Instagram feed and looking for Auzzie in the mix! Thank you for the great service. read more

Here in town for a three month stay and thank goodness found Down Dog Lodge. The young staff is well-trained, courteous, and professional; which is a breath of fresh air for the younger generation these days. Toby was a little anxious the first few days, but he's getting accustomed to the environment and the handlers. I even saw him cuddling with one of the handlers. Toby managed to make it on Instagram! There was an issue that I addressed directly with owner Ryan, and he rectified it immediately, as well as a personal phone call to follow up. Keep up the great work staff. Toby will be back soon! read more

Down Dog Lodge - Toby loves DDL'n - Pet Boarding Near Me - El Segundo, California

Wonderful staff, clean and roomy facility, very accessible and accommodating services are the reasons our pups are regulars at DDL. Our silver lab Kona and her sis Willow feel at home here. The Lodge team are proactive in taking steps to make sure all their patron pups are safe, happy and well cared for. Of course we love the social media uploads too:-) read more

This place is wonderful! The staff is all extremely friendly, and you can tell they all have a love for animals. I really like how flexible they are with early drop offs. I work early hours so I'm able to drop my dog off at 6am with no additional charge. Her old daycare charged me $25 extra for early hour drop off. Most importantly, Rylee seems to love it. Every time we pull into the parking lot she whimpers with excitement. After I pick her up she is always exhausted, which is great! No complaints. read more

Down Dog Lodge - After 12 hours at daycare. - Pet Boarding Near Me - El Segundo, California

I love this place and so does my puppy Otis! Recommended by our trainer, Brian Lee for a wonderful safe way to add to a dog's socialization. He is right! After a careful temperment test by a trainer, Otis was slowly introduced to a gang of dogs with whom he'd be comfortable. After 2 hours on his first visit, he slept all the way home! He now usually stays for a few hours once or twice per week . He's always happy to go in, and I've observed that they take nothing for granted; they take it slow introducing him to the dog gang who is there on each particular day. (Dog parents can watch this thru one way glass) Ryan is the new owner of Yellow Brick. He and his employees are very sweet, knowledgeable and big time dog lovers! Anyone who knows me also knows that I wouldnt trust just anyone with any of my dogs- highly recommend this place read more

Down Dog Lodge - Pet Boarding Near Me - El Segundo, California

The service here is very accommodating and the facility is fun, clean, and safe. My dog came here for a half day daycare and evaluation and she had a blast. The pricing is very doable for both boarding and daycare. They also provide crates at night if you prefer your dog to be in a crate when sleeping instead of cage-free. My dog is very comfortable with dogs throughout the day but at night when sleeping she would do better in a crate, and they said they would happily provide that for her during boarding with no extra charge. There is staff 24/7 and lots of room for the dogs to play. The outside pen area is awesome and I am so glad they have that play area because it's important for dogs to get some sunshine when their humans are out for vacation. Overall, love the facility here and the people are so kind and truly love the dogs. read more

I wanted to like this place. It's local which is great. Ownership and management could use some serious work. The upsell is real and it's persistent. Owners are quick to judge and make unwanted assumptions and their job is to try to fool you into thinking you need their training services. While the overnight team is technically "there", which is better than no one, as a dog owner I wouldn't do it. No disrespect to this business, but they young men running it definitely could improve. read more

Unfortunately, this review can only be based on the temperament process because my 8 month old puppy, 7 months at the time, never made it past the first few minutes of testing. While watching on the camera feed, the "tester" took my admittedly super excited 27 pound puppy into a room and brought in what looked like a 5 pound chihuahua mix. Of course, my pup ran right up to this dog to play. And not surprisingly, the dog snapped at my pup, clearly not interested in playing, let alone with a much bigger dog, and certainly not with a puppy. They took the small dog away and brought in another small dog, maybe 10 pounds this time. Again, my puppy ran right up to this dog to play and the dog shuddered in fear, hiding between the tester and her assistant's legs. The tester and my puppy disappeared from the camera feed and to my surprise, appeared before me in the waiting area. The tester mumbled something to the effect of the two small dogs not liking my puppy running up to them and that they tried to call his name and he wouldn't come. I believe she also said that if my puppy were placed with bigger dogs, his enthusiasm would cause the bigger dogs to surround and attack him. In disbelief, I asked her exactly what she was saying because she was still mumbling, when she finally said "your puppy is not a good fit here." There was no "I'm sorry", "maybe when he gets older", "maybe we can try again later." There was no, "goodbye", "thanks for stopping in", "thanks for waiting beyond our your appointment time as we were running late." So, with our tails between our legs, we left. Neither the receptionist looked up to say goodbye. I'm not sure where or how these testers are trained but to determine our puppy was not a good fit in such a short amount of time is a little presumptuous. This is not his first temperament test. My puppy has been going to another daycare for months and is the most chill dog you can imagine, as we monitor him in the webcams and something to which the staff can attest. There, he has been in both the big dog and small dog room. The only reason we were looking for another daycare option was so my husband could drop off the pup on his way into work in West LA. Yes, my puppy is excited when he first arrives to a new place filled with dogs, as all dogs are--especially since he is a puppy, but he would have calmed down given the chance. Perhaps my pup was not a good fit. But better communication and professionalism from your staff would have been appreciated. In any event, if you see my super adorable, happy-go-lucky, loving, Down Dog Lodge daycare-rejected puppy on the street, beware...you may be inundated by him with licks and kisses all over. read more

Down Dog Lodge - Pet Boarding Near Me - El Segundo, California

I LOVE this place so much. Before I had a dog I would follow their Instagram stories every morning before I went to work. It uplifted me before the work day, and made me lol. When I got my puppy and finished his shots, I scheduled him for an interview and playtime. DDL website is easy and detailed. The staff is super friendly and knowledgeable. When I picked Jake up he didn't want leave...it's that fun! He stayed there when I went out of town and they posted him playing with all his friends. He runs and plays for miles there, and he has plenty of comfy beds to rest on when he gets tired. I highly recommend and trust them. Jake can't wait to go back! If you have a dog or puppy that needs safe and supervised play time go there. If you don't have a dog follow them on Insta and get your dog fix :)) read more

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My dog has been going here for years. Boarded him Thurs through Monday morning and added a bath. He's clean when I pick him up and we get home and he has been nonstop throwing up and having diarrhea since the moment we got out of the car. I am not mad he's sick, of course that happens though I do wonder why. I am mad that no one that was around him let me know as a common courtesy. He was segregated after his bath so I am sure he had diarrhea/throwing up. When I called to ask the response I get is "oh the notes reflected he had diarrhea upon eating." Okay great. I will def not bring him back. He has literally never been this sick in his entire 7.5 years of life. read more

We brought our poodle puppy here for grooming and the whole process was easy. We booked online, dropped off a stinky pup, and picked up a happy, fluffy, yummy smelling pup with adorable adornments. We were not able to go inside because of Covid but are very happy with how quickly they came to bring her to us when we called to say we were outside. I would absolutely recommend grooming here and will be back for daycare soon. read more

Tried once and will never go back. I would never trust them with my dog or any dogs i love. They mishandled an incident and couldn't take any responsibility and tried to blame my dog. They called me to tell me my dog got aggressive and immediately tried to sell me training from them when my dog has never been aggressive or attacked any dog. Their video footage of their compound is terrible/non existent so they have no evidence to show me of the alleged attack. Owner did not take any responsibility for what happened. Would never recommend this place to anyone. read more

Once again, Down Dog Lodge goes above and beyond for our sweet dog, Coco! I had a vacation recently and needed to board our beloved Coco. WITHOUT hesitation, I dialed Down Dog Lodge and booked our dog for 8 days and 7 nights. I don't know what I would do without Down Dog Lodge! Prior to finding this gem of a business, I had never left my dog with anyone! I knew while I was away, Coco would be in the best care, just as she was during her prior stay! When I returned, anxious to see her and cuddle..not only was she happy, she was also clean! The staff truly goes above and beyond with care for your pet. I know she enjoyed her time there especially because when I returned home with her, she pretty much crashed out next to me! She was clearly well played with and had positive interactions with other dogs as she was with ped out! Once again!, a BIG THANK YOU to owner Ryan Siegelman and his beyond caring staff!! read more

Daycare and boarding at Down Dog Lodge is outstanding. The members of the staff are friendly and greet my dog with excitement and smiles. I hadn't taken my frenchie to daycare since he was a puppy and wanted to find a place where he was comfortable. After taking Bear to DDL for the first time in August- it has been a godsend. I take him at least once a week and trust that my dog will be safe and cared for. Ryan is an excellent owner- he knows me and Bear by name, he communicates well, he truly cares about running a top-notch facility. I highly recommend DDL to anyone interested in a daycare/boarding facility for their dog! read more

We adopted a young Siberian Husky with major isolation issues. We also have jobs. In other words, we would not survive without doggie daycare and Down Dog Lodge. Our Husky, Goose, is a member of FOUR different daycare/boarding facilities in Los Angeles, but Down Dog is our favorite because it seems to be HIS favorite. Dogs are smart - they know where they are when the car pulls in. Goose can't wait to get out of the car here - at other places he makes a great show of delaying the inevitable when the gear shifts into park. The staff is always very friendly and Goose seems to love them all. He comes home and collapses in the back from playing all day. We have also left him here overnight for boarding and all was well. We live in Del Rey and work near Century City and Santa Monica, so it is 100% out of our way to come here in the mornings - but so far 100% worth it! read more

*Woof Woof* Hi it's Gunner and Piper! (Our hoomans is typing this for us because, well, no thumbs!) We lovvveeee this school. We come here in the morning twice a week and we get to come and run and play all day and we look forward to getting into the car to get here in the morning. If you want your babies to have fun like us bring them here and we can all become best buds. Because we love new friends! read more

Down Dog Lodge - In my natural habitat - Pet Boarding Near Me - El Segundo, California

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Great place. Staff is super friendly. Brought our two Boston Terriers, Randy & Otto, in for an evaluation and to stay for a few hours. Randy is around 12 years old and mellow, so they took him to the mini lodge - area with older calmer dogs. And Otto is more spazzy so they put him in an area with the more energetic dogs. Just the fact that they have different areas for different types of dogs, is awesome. The place is also the most clean and well run doggy day care we've been to. Will definitely bring them here again. read more

My dog has been going to this facility for daycare and boarding the last 3 years. Unfortunately, they seem to think that increasing the price on a yearly basis is "keeping up with the rising costs". Increasing your rates from what was $68 for boarding just 2 years ago to now $90 is insane. Inflation is affecting us all but a 32% cost increase in just 2 years makes no sense. They have also tacked on extra fees for picking up after certain times throughout the day that sometimes double the cost of the care (even though it's within their normal operating hours). I had my dog there for less than 24 hours and was charged $160 for 21 hours of care because they tack on all these extra fees for picking up after 2pm?? I dropped my dog off at 6:30 pm Friday and picked up after 2 pm the next day. It costs me more to do that then to get my own hotel for myself. Sadly, it almost feels scammy to me now because I just can't make sense of their ability to charge all these fees and continue to increase at the rate they have been. 32%!!!! Only gave 3 stars cause my dog loves it there but sadly we won't be going anymore. read more

Our Labradoodle Ben loves going to Down Dog Lodge. Play time, either a few hours or all day leaves Ben happy & tired enough for a great night sleep. I am never worried about Ben when we leave him for boarding overnight or for 4 days. He loves the staff so much, I am told Ben puts his head on there feet which is a sign of gratitude and affection. I highly recommend Down Dog Log for all your needs !! Paula Coyne read more

I won't ever bring my dog back to this place. Two bad experiences are enough for me. I had a negative experience before they changed owners but I wanted to give them the benefit of the doubt. I should've trusted my gut instead and looked into other dog daycare centers in the surrounding area. My dog's experience was fine. She was okay there. I just didn't appreciate how I was treated by one of their employees. Ever since then, I totally forgot about the incident until they recently sent spam into my inbox. My advice is that if you don't feel good about bringing your dog there, find another place. read more

These folks are amazing!! They have gone above and beyond to help make our skittish little dog comfortable and happy with them! The owner is actively involved in his business and truly cares about his clients. Jasmine has been so patient and loving with our dog going the extra mile and even sitting on the floor to make friends with our dog. These people are truly a blessing to my family and I am incredibly grateful for their love and patience with our dog. Thank you!!! read more

5 out of 5 Stars, 10/10 points and two thumbs up! My girlfriend and I bring our 8-month old Husky puppy, Mikka, to DDL and they take great care of her and always tire her out. The best husky is a tired husky. Ryan and Andy are both amazing dudes, incredibly friendly and have a fantastic staff who are always working! We've taken Mikka for impromptu Day care and scheduled boarding and we have not been turned away. Not ONCE! They do have all dogs complete a temperament test, but honestly, I'm glad this is a requirement. Great people, good price, awesome location! read more

I can't say enough good things about Down Dog Lodge. My dog, Bella, went to DDL every weekday for over a year. Bella also stayed over at DDL every time I travelled. The entire staff became friends of mine and they absolutely loved my dog. Moving away from Southern California was hard for many reasons, and leaving DDL was absolutely one of them. I miss seeing my friends who work there and miss seeing Bella sprint out of the car to get in the front door. This place is awesome because it's a great facility, but special because of the people who work there. Ryan, Andy, and the entire staff are great people and I would highly recommend them to anyone who is in need of dog care. read more

My pup, Whiskey, loves going to DDL. As soon as we drive up, he gets super excited. Ryan, the owner and his staff do an amazing job! One less thing to worry about when traveling. Whiskey recently had a 10 day stay at DDL during our trip to Italy. His staff did a wonderful job communicating with me via email with updates. Thanks guys. Our pup is everything to us and we are greatful for you guys and make leaving him for a few days much easier. read more

We have been taking our dog Rocket to Down Dog Lodge for most of his life. Anyone who know our Rocket, knows he doesn't give a s*** about anyone or anything...except he LOVES going to Down Dog Lodge. He feels loved and cared for by the entire staff there and always looks forward to spending his day with his extended Family. This place is a must for anyone who loves their dog, but has to leave during the day for crazy activities like work ! Rocket keeps an eye out for all the other dogs and enjoys being the Boss there. This place is the only second home our dog has ever known and truly gets excited every time he is there. Keep up the great work and open that beer room soon !! read more

Highly recommend Down Dog Lodge. I take my dog there once or twice a week for daycare, and they are always our go-to for boarding when we go out of town. I recently put her in boarding for 10 days while we were on vacation overseas and halfway through my trip the owner, Ryan, texted me an update and photo to show me that our dog was doing great. That was such a sweet gesture that really made me feel relieved while being away from my dog for so many days since I knew she was in good hands! My dog can also be nervous around other dogs, and Ryan & team suggested she go in the more low-key small dog area so she could feel more comfortable, and that was a huge change that made a big difference! I know the staff at Down Dog lodge truly cares about each and every dog that walks through their doors! read more

I honestly don't know what I would do without Down Dog Lodge in my life. We've been together 4 years now and we are in serious, committed relationship. I rescued Paco, my little chihuahua mix and he has a lot of energy. He can also be a bit of a loud mouth, so it's great to be able to drop him at daycare and not bother the neighbors when I'm at work. When I ask him if he wants to go to daycare, he immediately starts wagging his tail. As we approach the Lodge, he gets so excited and can't wait to go inside. He's known as Paco Taco there and everyone knows and loves him. The staff is amazing, and I love that I can drop him off and know he's in excellent hands. I would recommend Down Dog Lodge a million times over. Thank you for taking such good care of my little buddy! read more

I was so lucky to have stumbled on Down Dog Lodge after my pup graduated from the Puppy Academy (see their review). It was time to find a good place where my pup could spend his days playing and socializing. The facility is really nice and open for the dogs and the customer service is always spectacular. I have already recommended DDL to many friends and family and wanted to let you know that if you are looking for daycare or boarding your dog will be fully cared for and in great hands!!! Oh and they are on point with their social media! Always great to see my Ziggy on there and know he is having so much fun :) read more

I love Down Dog Lodge! The staff is so loving and caring towards my baby! I feel like they really do treat her like she's their own. The owner Ryan is very caring and dedicated - he openly communicates with his customers and is so friendly. He has also made some really nice changes since he took over and It's been enjoyable to see the progress to the building. I highly recommend this facility. I always feel good knowing Cassie is there enjoying her stay all day while I'm at work! read more

I have been bringing my puppy Libby here for the past 5 months, she is a Lab Pitty Mix who loves to play with other dogs! I absolutely love the staff and she absolutely loves coming here. I feel comfortable leaving her here when I have long days at work, she is just turning 1 so she needs to get out all of that puppy energy. If I ever have any concerns they are always so helpful. I would recommend this place to any of my friends or family. read more

My boxer Gundo has been coming here for 7 years. He gets excited when I mention "doggie daycare". I like how Ryan has upgraded the place and I think his ideas team is great. Keep up the good work guys! read more

Luv this place!! Took my Labrador here and more than pleased. Nice temperament evaluation, Ck vaccines, clean, wonderful qualified staff. Life saver. So close to Manhattan Beach read more

My 1.5 yr old golden retriever just got back from her first boarding stay at Down Dog. She seemed to have a blast, especially when she was allowed to swim in the kiddie pool outside on a hot day. The staff made me feel like my pup was being well taken care of by professionals. While DD does not have a camera streaming online so can view your pets' activity during the day (the only thing really keeping my review from a 5 star), the staff allowed me to call and check in that way every couple days. Thanks for that! They even made the time to switch my pup's mealtime from breakfast to lunch when that proved a move effective way to get her to eat. Will definitely bring my doggy back from daycare and probably boarding too! (Boarding was $57 per full day) read more

Claire, Tiffany and owner, Ryan could not have been nicer! Amazing customer service and clean and well tended space.

This place is wonderful for my "pup"... They made both of us feel right at home, friendly service, very easy to drop off for a few hours or a whole day. CLEAN, lots of support staff and when I pick up my precious little girl, she is happy and exhausted from playing with all of her new friends. read more

We have been taking our dog Frosty to Down Dog Lodge for doggie daycare and boarding since she was a puppy (she is now nine years old). We have always been very pleased with the way she has been loved and cared for there. She is somewhat temperamental and this is one place she seems comfortable when we're not at home. I am writing this review as a result of a recent specific occurrence. We dropped her off for boarding while we began a vacation. Within 2 days of dropping her off we were notified that the staff noted that she was having some difficulty urinating and noted some crystals in her urine. They contacted us and arranged to have her taken to our nearby veterinarian were x-rays revealed multiple large and small stones in her bladder. She was taken in for emergency surgery for removal of the stones and has recovered wonderfully. Given the size and number of bladder stones this must have been an ongoing problem for some time and we had never noticed her symptoms. I am very thankful for the Down Dog Lodge staff for being alert to her situation and I am sure she is much more comfortable now. I cannot recommend Down Dog Lodge and staff highly enough! read more

This is my second review after years of being on yelp. I have a husky mix and like most huskies very active and playful. I decided on this place because it's close to my work which makes it easy for me to drop and pick my munchkin. I cannot be happier! I have in past few months, done both day care and overnight, she comes home well spent either way, and actually is willing to behave on leash without tugging. They are very kind and genuine dog lovers and you know your kid is in good hands. The temperament test if anything, told me my kiddo is a well behaved high energy dog. I have been able to get good insights on non-eating or unusual behaviors from the expert staff because they are willing to give me time of the day and patient enough to talk though they are busy. My BluSkye knows on her car ride that she is going to her Disneyland and in the evening is excited to see mommy to go home to rest up and come back again soon! Thanks team for all the love you show her! read more