Took our dog here 3 times I think before stopping because they told us he was too energetic and had to be put in timeout a lot. Mind you, he's still under a year old and a high energy dog, so of course he's going to be energetic? He also loves other dogs, so getting him to settle down while being surrounded by 10+ other dogs is going to be hard and isn't the whole point of daycare to give them exercise and socialization. They told us to work on settling at home, but I guess they must not have puppies often because first off, he settles just fine on his own when there's no other dogs to distract him, and second, he's a puppy! It just felt very unprofessional and I don't love their facility anyway. It's all inside and they allow no toys or anything for play, so what else is my dog supposed to do other than play with the other dogs? We will be trying other places that can handle puppies and high energy dogs and have an outdoor space next. Do not recommend this company. read more

We had a really disappointing experience with Dog School daycare at the 20th St location. Prior to taking our dog to Dog School, she was exposed nearly daily to another daycare in a different city and had a really positive experience. Unfortunately dog school was very different. We effectively were made to feel guilty for paying to take our dog to daycare on a regular basis. Our dog is a little over 1 year old and she can have some separation anxiety and is excitable when she sees us (many dogs are excited to see their owner after hours away); however, each day when picking her up from dog school we received comments effectively making us feel like we were doing our dog a disservice by creating an outlet for her at daycare. Nearly each day we would hear the following: "She gets a little anxious looking for you when other dogs start getting picked up, could you come earlier maybe around 4:30 or 5?" No...we cannot come earlier, we are paying for daycare on these days so that we don't feel guilty about being a little later than normal. After a month or so of this, we gave up on dog school and decided this wasn't right for our pup, and left thinking it was our dogs fault. We eventually spoke to a 4 other owners with nearly identical sentiments saying they felt guilty bringing their dog to dog school because of comments about anxiety around pick up time. Don't bother with this place, their job is to engage with our dogs and create an exciting place for them to play. Instead they appear to just bet on demand and turnover due to lack of options and are negligent to keep the dogs engaged enough to keep them occupied. The location itself is also a converted bar and is pretty dreary. read more

Convenient location and well priced. However, the staff to dog ratio is terrible. I consistently only saw 1-2 staff members for a room full of 30 plus dogs. Our dog got attacked. I asked for details about the attacker and was told this information was "irrelevant." The manager got very defensive and wasn't the least bit sympathetic. They couldn't even explain how my dog got attacked. They were likely too understaffed to notice. I will not be returning to this daycare. There are others in the city that have safer practices and better staffing. read more

I can't rave about Philly Dog School enough. They are friendly and accommodating and most of all genuinely love all the dogs they look after everyday. Also, they don't require prior reservations, which some daycares do. You just show up, drop your pooch off, and pick him up nice and tired! Their instagram feed is adorable and hilarious and allows us to keep tabs on our golden retriever and all of his friends. Even some of my friends have started following Dog School because they love their feed so much! Another great benefit is that they never ever crate the dogs for "nap" time. I don't know about you, but my dog can nap plenty at home. When I take him to dog school, I know he is going to have 100% fun for 100% of the day! read more

My boyfriend and I have a sweet, 13 month old, Schnauzer mix, who has tons of energy...TONS of energy... Some days we have conflicting schedules that would leave our little guy by himself for 4 or 5 hours. We knew we needed to find him a doggie day care that he could play at while we were busy. Miles does not do well in the crate, so we needed some place that didn't do any "crate/quiet time". After talking with some of the fur-mommies and fur-daddies at our local dog park about their recommendations, we were excited to give Dog School a try. Miles has been to Dog School every week for almost 2 months. I swear, he wakes up on Wednesday mornings now knowing he gets to go play with his friends all day! We've only been to the South Street location...When I took Miles there for the first time, I first fell in love with the fact that it's basically a huge open room, with a large window in the front. There was plenty of space and toys to keep my little guy busy for quite some time, as well as super sweet doggie friends for him to play with for hours and hours! Their hours are super convenient, 7:30am-7pm! Prices are super reasonable, for half and whole days. I've only met 3 of the staff members who work there, but they are absolutely wonderful. They're constantly monitoring all of the dogs, and even take them out for walks. Miles loves them too! They even have an Instagram that they post pictures to throughout the day, so you can see what your pup is up to during the day. So 5 stars for a conveniently located place with convenient hours, super awesome staff and facility...and ESPECIALLY for the crazy, happy, and exhausted puppy that I get to pick up every Wednesday evening- he sleeps like a rock when he gets home. :) Thank you Dog School!!! We love you!!! read more

I've been meaning to write this for awhile...I recently moved to Oregon and I'm going to miss this day care/overnight boarding for my dog Hazel! They were great all around :) I'm pretty sure Hazel misses everyone at the Chestnut St location. read more

I. Love. Dog School. Our pup, Ponyboy, has been with Dog School for almost a year, beginning at the Pine Street location and now at this location. And there is no doubt that Dog School's services, and general awesomeness, have immeasurably enhanced our family's life. We can drop him off as early as 7:30 and pick him up as late as 7. This is convenient for us for our crazy work schedules but also gives Ponyboy a good amount of time to get the wiggles out and be a kid. Ponyboy lives the life all day (Dog School posts pics on Facebook and Twitter throughout the day) and he comes home tuckered out. We are grateful that he is 1) getting plenty of exercise in school fooling around with others dogs and his favorite toy, the big purple ball, 2) is taken on a midday walk and 3) clocking sufficient networking time with other dogs...how else is he going to climb the social and professional ladder? And there is the added benefit that, even on days we do not take Ponyboy to the dog park, he is not bored and has completely stopped any destructive behavior in the house since starting at Dog School. Dog School has nothing to hide, either. Each location has a large store front window where you can witness the dogs doing their canine thing, often just being chill and loving each others company. They are all so adorable (but especially Ponyboy!!!!). The owners are rad. They are young Philly entrepreneurs who are sincere about providing a positive environment for dogs whose parent(s) works. They get our domesticated dogs too, i.e. that they are pack animals that nevertheless need their belly's rubbed. Dog School provides other services (sitting, occasional drop off, etc.). We have used them to watch Ponyboy for unplanned weekend trips to New York. Lifesavers, I tell ya! Can't say enough about these folks. Thanks Ryan, Dan, Gary, Kit, Hannah (Ponyboy's new crush) and everyone else at DS! Big ups! read more

I cannot say enough great things about Dog School. My husband and I have very hectic schedules and a very energetic dog so this place is a lifesaver. Before dog school, we didn't think that our dog Abbey was capable of being tired out-even after multiple long trips to the dog park. We could not have been more wrong-Abbey is all smiles and can hardly stay awake when we get her home. The whole process is incredibly well run-the ability to buy passes and make reservations online could not be more convenient. They have long hours to accommodate all work schedules and we have never had a situation where they did not have space for Abbey even on short notice. I really liked that on the first day they have you come early so that your dog can get used to the space and people in a one on one setting, rather than being overwhelmed by entering a space that is already full of dogs. They also gave us a call midday to tell us how Abbey was doing, which was very reassuring. The instagram updates are also a huge bonus for dog parents. We have also used the dog walking service and loved it. It's super easy to set up and the walkers were trustworthy, prompt, and never skimped on time. I highly recommend both the daycare and the dog walking! read more

My dog LOVES dog school! It is easy to get her there and pick her up at any time, the people are so friendly, they pay attention to her and have noticed things I missed, the price is great, my dog loves the socialization and she is happily exhausted when I pick her up. I think it has taken my sweet, happy dog and made her sweeter and happier! Plus if I don't have a poop bag when I come pick her up, they always offer me one! Love the place! read more

Original review: I just started using this place as a Doggie Daycare for my 1 yr old English Bulldog named Biggie. I was EXTREMELY apprehensive about putting him in daycare not because he's crazy..because I'm crazy..crazy about him! A couple of things: 1. During initial meet and greet you drop off your dog and stay with them while they meet other dogs and check out the space. I was very nervous because all the dogs were much bigger than him but they were very friendly. Since there wasn't any type of psychological test to prove my dog isn't batshit crazy, I inquired how they know if other dogs aren't batshit crazy. Safety first people! Basically, they can tell almost immediately if a dog isn't going to work out by body language etc and they keep an eye on the dogs the entire time which put me at ease. It also makes sense that it would not be in their best interest to keep a dog that is unpredictable. 2. They do take the dogs on walks for potty breaks but the dogs also can go on the floor at daycare. I was also concerned about my pooch peeing on the floor and thinking he can do that when he comes home. Definitely not the case. No issues whatsoever. 3. I was concerned about dogs beating the shit out of my dog..he's a lover not a fighter! He just got bitch slapped by a 12 week old pug at the dog park..man she was sassy. Anyway, I was concerned because some dogs don't like his smushed face/colorful bow ties and go after him. I haven't found any nicks, scabs, or black eyes so that's always a good sign! 4. Quiet Space..there is a lounge area that is separate from the large area for dogs to just chill out. I was happy about that because my Bulldog does not know his limits sometimes when he's romping with the younger ladies. It made me feel more comfortable knowing that if he got too crazy, there was a place for him to catch his breath. Update: I thought I had posted this review like a year ago when I wrote it but I somehow forgot to do so. An update from this review (my bulldog is almost 2 now ) is that he still loves going to Dog School and every time we day "Are you ready to go to Dog School?" he jumps up from the couch and runs to the front door aka he highly recommends this place! I'll try to video tape it, it's hilarious. read more

At first, I was hesitant about sending my rescue to a doggy day care, but I was able to weigh the pros and cons. Now, I am grateful for their services - I notice that as soon as Charlie is picked up and goes home... he is passed out! It shows how much energy he has spent with the caretakers and the other dogs at Dog School. Whenever we walk Charlie around the area and we are close to the dog school, he pulls/tugs us towards the dog school which shows how much he enjoys being there! Thanks again for watching over my Charlie! read more

Love, love The Dog School. I know most the reviewers work from 9-5 and worry about their energetic pup at home. I would also consider it if you are at home or work at home as I do and it is too hot, cold, rainy or you are simply physically unable to give your energetic friend the exercise he craves (I'm 8 months pregnant so that's me!) . My dog is a 16 month old golden doodle with lots of energy and after spending the day at the dog school yesterday he is still happy and calm from spending 9 hours getting his energy out. You don't need an appointment either, just drop your pup off when he is driving you nuts and you are set! read more

Great! My dog is exhausted after a day here! I stop by to check in on him sometimes and he loves every second.

This place is great. We brought our puppy in last week since I was going away for a conference, and he absolutely loved it. He couldn't wait to go back on Wednesday. And he came back to us so tired and happy! We are fortunate that our pup loves other dogs and people, but even so, a lot of credit is due to Dog School. They keep safe clean conditions for the dogs and constantly supervise.Their hours and locations are really convenient for us. We feel confident in their team and will gladly return! read more

Loooooooove this place (and so does our dog!). We recently moved out of Philadelphia and were so sad to leave Dog School behind! When our frenchie finally got all of her shots and was old enough we took her here. She loved this place so much we couldn't walk her within a two block radius without her flinging herself on the ground a throwing a temper tantrum (yes, dogs do that) and dragging us towards the door. The staff was always wonderful. Our little pup came home exhausted and slept for the next two days (something worth it's weight in gold when you have a puppy). Now we have a wonderfully socialized pet who gets along swimmingly with any dogs she meets (and I give dog school most of the credit for that). Now that I've experienced other dog daycares I love Dog School even more. In our new home, Austin TX, many of the dog daycares used crates for a large portion of the day. I loved the fact that she could run around free at Dog School all day if she wanted to. We miss this place!!! read more

They were spectacular. My wife and I moved to Philly for the summer and needed daily walks for our dog. We were able to set up with Philly Dog School with only one day's notice, one of the easiest and most convenient processes I've ever had with a dog walker. All summer they were incredibly responsive and helpful as our dog adjusted to the new setting. They sent me a text after every walk to let me know how our dog did and if there were any issues. And when we wanted weekend walks on short notice they were flexible and helpful. Overall the best dog walkers I've ever worked with BY FAR. You cannot do better. read more

Best instagram in town--and even if youre not a client, youre welcome to come in and visit the beautiful dogs!

Ryan, Cody, and the team rock! The dog walks during the day give me peace of mind and my little buddy is always happy when I get home. I love the texts I get from them letting me know that my guy is doing well during my long work days. Amazing, personal, and friendly service. read more

I have been a fan/customer of Dog School for a few years now, and I was pleased when they started the walking service which really fits our needs. I have had bad, bad experiences with other dog walkers in Center City in past years so I really was not trusting anyone other than these folks anyway. This is a first rate operation that is based on the nature and needs of people and dogs alike. They know what they are doing and they are very detail oriented, while at the same time relaxed and good humored in all their interactions with me. So appreciate Dog School. read more

There aren't possibly enough good things to be said about Dog School. I rescued a hot mess of an Australian Cattle Dog who had more energy than any ten dogs could possibly need... and unfortunately almost no training or socialization. Dog School has been an invaluable resource in both saving my own sanity (giving this ball of energy a fun place to be on days when I can't provide that as much as I'd like- she is always TIRED OUT at the end of the day!) and introducing her to other wonderful dogs that she can safely play with and make friends. I've had no worries about her safety- the staff is wonderful about working with her and being attentive to how she's doing. It's been about a year and I'm positive that Dog School has been a critical part of the progress she's made. read more

We have used Dog School for the past 7 years - first in its original location on 11th Street, and now that we have moved, in its South Street location. When we moved last year, I was most upset that I couldn't take my dogs to dog school anymore so I was absolutely thrilled when they opened the South Street outpost. I can't say enough good things about this business. I have nothing but wonderful things to say about Jamie, Dan, Ryan, and Gary and the rest of the crew. We take both of our pups, and they always come back exhausted and happy. They usually are tired out for 2 days after daycare which I am always thankful for. The convenient hours, location, and friendly staff make dog school what it is. I totally trust them with my dogs and I know that they are under close supervision all day so I don't have to worry! read more

Dog School is a great place for dogs. Our dog is happy & tired when she gets home!

Both me and my dog meatloaf love dog school! As soon as meatloaf realizes that we are at dog school he jumps out of the car and runs to the door where he is greeted by the amazing staff who take such good care of him! We love seeing their pictures on instagram throughout the day and I know he is so well taken care of! He comes home and is so tired from all the fun he has there! Philly dog school is a lifesaver! read more