Formally expressing disappointment regarding the experience at the Dog Stay, Silver Spring location today, Saturday, March 14th. Having been a long-term client since the previous management under Lincoln and his brother, I was surprised & frustrated by the unprofessionalism encountered during our visit (social evaluation). I recently requested a week-long boarding schedule for pet for next week. Following the request, a staff member emailed for a new social evaluation. Despite the stress of recent travel, my pet completed the evaluation successfully. However, the process was abruptly ended & pet was ultimately disapproved--not based on behavior, but due to a personal personality clash between myself & the staff member, TT. Furthermore, TT mentioned additional daycare fees outside of the standard boarding costs. It became clear the decision to reject pet was based on TT's personal opinion of our interaction rather than pet's conduct. My pet is friendly, loving & has historically been a model guest at this establishment. The current lack of a standardized, objective process for securing daycare & boarding is concerning. It is highly unprofessional for a pet's approval to be contingent upon a staff member's personal feelings toward a client. The level of service & care experienced today is incomparable to the high standards set by previous management. I hope you will review the evaluation procedures to ensure they are based on objective criteria rather than personal bias. I do not recommend the Dog Stat under the current management. New management has drastically changed its climate. read more

Our dog absolutely loves staying here every time! He's happy and waggy going in, and he's also happy and waggy on the way out. We've left him there to board for 3 days, and he was just as happy when we got him after the longer stay also. He's always tired when he comes home, and the staff is great. read more

Our pups love this place! The staff are always friendly and kind! The place is always clean and our pups are always happy when we come and get them. It's safe, has a huge outdoor area that's fenced in and it's always so fun hearing all the pups running around outside living their best live read more

We have been coming to the dog stay for our sweet Cavalier King Charles Spaniel's grooming needs for nearly 2 years. The results of his grooming were mediocre but we liked the prices in comparison to the other dog groomers in the area. We scheduled a grooming appointment at 11:30 AM (Opens at 10AM). When my partner arrived with our dog, he was ignored for a few minutes and had to ask someone to attend to him. Then, the person at the desk (who claimed to be the manager) told him there was no groomer available to attend to us. When asking why we were not contacted earlier about the unavailability, the manager replied, "Well, I'm telling you now." The attitude of the manager and lack of communication about a scheduled appointment is extremely unprofessional. We will not be back and I do not recommend The Dog Stay in Silver Spring. read more

My dog is obsessed with this place! They take great care of the dogs and every time she goes she is so excited. She looks forward to it every time. Highly recommend! This place is awesome and a huge help for when I'm working. read more

My dog Piper loves going to The Dog Stay for overnights when my husband and I go out of town or Piper just needs 24 hours playing with other dogs. When we get out of the car she pulls so hard to hurry up and get inside! We've tried a few daycares and this is the only one we trust with our little girl. The owners are great! The only thing I would change is the fact that they don't have cameras. Would love to be able to peak in on her fun during the day. read more

This place is a lifesaver. There are a lot of dog daycares in DC and the surrounding area, but this is by far the best price with the best service. Our dog first started coming within days of turning 4 months at the end of February 2020, and we would have been lost during the pandemic without them. We've considered letting her spend more time at home and getting a dog walker, but an hour-long walk basically costs the same as 12 hours at The Dog Stay. Can't beat it. We never have to call ahead to make sure there's a daycare spot, which makes it super flexible when our schedules shift. She barrels through the door at drop-off and comes flying out, happy (and exhausted) at the end of the day. McCay or Lincoln always call when anything is even slightly off -- like the time she hacked up the nub of a bully stick and they saved it to show me at the end of the day haha. We also use their grooming services for nail trims and boarding when we go out of town. Someone stays overnight with the dogs in an open sleeping area and they just have regular daycare during the day, so no sad cages like a lot of boarding facilities. I've got nothing but great things to say. read more

I was a loyal client at the Dog Stay for 7 years. The wonderful owners sold the business, and the new owner assured me their legacy of kindness and love of dogs would continue. I referred a friend to board her dog and, after a tour, said she wouldn't return. Staff was rude and kennels were dirty. When I brought my dog in for her first scheduled nail trim after new owners took over, I was so impressed with Aaron, the groomer. The receptionist seemed to have an attitude that was confirmed by the gentleman who was behind me that said he had been coming for years, but wouldn't be back. The 2nd time for a nail trim, the front desk told me, the next time to make an appointment. I told her I did. The proof is on my phone. She said it hadn't been entered. When I tried to explain, I made an appointment, there was no apology  she just kept talking over me with "Have a nice day, have a nice day, have a nice day". Never have I been so rudely dismissed and disrespected. As I left, I told her, "You just lost 5 clients". She responded, "Have a nice day".  If this is their standard of customer service going forward, more clients will leave. The first person a client sees should not be a rude, offensive, inexperienced front desk person with a chip on her shoulder read more

Used DS for grooming in the past. Puppy seemed to enjoy the experience. Went today for boarding assessment. Staff - lovely, patient, helpful. Their new leader - not so much. Seemed to have a level of contempt for my dog (or me) that's usually reserved for humans. Just not pleasant, no EQ or customer service posture. Best to keep him in the back. read more

Our puppy, Lily, gets SO excited every time we get close to the Dog Stay. The staff makes sure she is safe and helped her a lot with structured socialization when she was super young. We used to worry a lot about her annoying other dogs by jumping/puppy biting them, but since going to the dog stay we can trust her to play nicely with dogs of all sizes and ages. They also made sure she took naps, which was very important when she was really young. The price is unbeatable, definitely the best value in the DC area. We would love if they had a video stream, but also totally understand their decision not to have one. Your dog will love their time at the Dog Stay and come back exhausted! read more

If you love your dog, you want to be able to trust and depend on your dog boarders. BEWARE the Dog Stay. They are neither trustworthy nor dependable. We had an appointment with this boarder booked for months. When we went to get a bordatella booster for our dog before the stay, we asked our vet about a skin issue that our dog has intermittently (and has had when we previously stayed at the Dog Stay). The vet identified the dermatitis, confirmed it was not contagious and suggested a cream. When we asked the Dog Stay about applying the cream, they reported our dog would need to be isolated, they 'can't be expected to provide individual care with all the dogs they have there', we should board our dog at a medical facility. They then cancelled our reservation! Their demeanor was rude and they made us feel stupid and unrealistic for even asking. We dedicated the rest of our afternoon to making sure our pooch had attentive care and every boarder we spoke with whether or not they had availability was clear this was a very reasonable request, the non-contagious condition would not preclude our dog from socializing during her stay. This is a situation that every other boarder we spoke with says they deal with and were further quite astounded at the reaction the Dog Stay gave us. We were lucky to find a different boarding facility. I'll never send any pet to the Dog Stay again. read more

My dog loves coming here and it's the only daycare/boarding that i trust with her well being. She wags and wiggles on her way in and on her way out. Lincoln and McCay are very accommodating and I am confident they can handle an emergency if one arises. They don't have cameras to watch my dog, but that wouldn't be in anyone's best interest if I obsessively stalk her away from home! Keep up the wonderful caretaking! read more

I've been taking my pooch here for a few years. She has an aversion to puppy play so I was really pleased when she started to pull on the leash when she realized where we were headed. They must be doing something right. read more

The Dog stay is awesome! They are friendly, respectful, and kind to the dogs. Our puppy was exhausted when we picked her up today, and she smelled like she might have even gotten a bath after wrestling in the mud! We've had some less than positive experiences with other day cares in the area, but our high energy pup loves this place and literally can't wait to go through the doors when we drop her off. I trust the workers to take care of our pup so we can have some peace of mind knowing she's having fun while we go about our day. read more

We've been taking our dogs here for years. They love it. They're here 3-4 days every week for "day care." We also board them at the Dog Stay when we go out of town. What's also great is we can leave our car here the whole day while we're at work, free parking for customers, which is unheard of in this area. If I could write a ten star review, I would. read more

This is a great place for my dog! The team let's you drop in, will clean her up upon request, and its a great option for overnight stays. Conveniently located downtown I can drop the dog and walk to the metro. read more

They always do such a wonderful full groom on my very nervous GSD. He won't even let us trim his nails but he lets the dog stay! They do such a good job. read more

So my partner convinced me to give this place another chance. She had not visited it the first time around, and thought I may had overreacted. She asked that I give them another try because they are so close to our home and just overall convenient! We made an appointment to have an evaluation done with our dog. They asked that I have my shot records with me on hand. When I requested their fax number to send it to from my vet directly, they let me know that they did not have a fax. What business in 2013 does not have a fax? Especially a dog boarding or daycare center? Really? I decided to let it go, drove all the way to my vet that is not close to me before bringing my pup in for the eval. We were greeted by a very nice woman. She brought us through the door where they store their food in. Immediately, I smelled the wretched scent of uncleaned urine. We came on a Saturday morning before Easter. They had a large group of small and large dogs boarding. My partner and I were in shock. How could these many people be comfortable with their dogs staying here? Did they visit the place beforehand? I mean the place was rancid. We proceeded with the evaluation. Had to wait a good 30 minutes standing in a room that smelled and reeked of urine before we finally started any paperwork or evaluation. My dog was miserable. She kept whining and trying to get out of the place. We did a tour. My partner then realized that I did not OVERREACT. That this place really was dingy and not well kept. We did the paperwork and proceeded in the event, we would change our mind after thinking it over. And the final answer is no. This place is horrendous. And I'm saddened to see that this place has such great reviews. I witnessed dogs pee and poop while the caretaker simply sat back and let it sit for at least 45 minutes. I don't know whether I really trust the staff. While they were nice, they didn't seemed knowledge and well trained with dogs. The only good think about this place is that it is crate-less. They won't crate your dog and will sleep with them when boarding. But it also freaked me out to see that the staff would sleep on the nasty beds they provided. I am sure that this establishment does well and can afford to upkeep this place. They don't have web cams that you can view your pup in, like most the other dog daycares offer in the area. The bottom line is that while I understand how difficult it can be to maintain a clean establishment with that many dogs in and out daily, it doesn't mean you need to neglect it as a whole. There are many other ways to ensure clean establishments. read more

All I can say is this place is disgusting!! I would never let my precious dog stay in an unhealthy, uncleanliness environment. I was considering this place at first because of convenience but after the tour I thought I was going to barf myself. Unbelievable in 2014!!! Call a maid service or something if you guys do not want to clean up the mess!! read more

We LOVE these wonderful people!!! They are such consistently hard-working, loving caretakers and are always ready to take on our energetic, noisy puppy dog :) I'm so grateful they're right here in downtown Silver Spring. We're lucky to have them!!!! read more

I am appalled at the treatment we received from The Dog Stay. In short, my dog was bitten on the neck at The Dog Stay but did not get medical attention for about 8 hours after the bite. The long story is that I came to The Dog Stay after work one day and found my dog in a kennel. A young woman who had broken English greeted me and told me one of the big dogs had "scratched" my dog. I saw matted blood on my dog's neck. Terry (the owner) wasn't there. I asked her "Are you sure this is a scratch? Did you see it happen? Where is Terry? When did this happen?" Yes, she saw it happen. She told me it's definitely a scratch. Don't worry, these things happen, they are animals. Apparently, this happened hours ago. I saw the blood on my dog's neck was OLD. I was NEVER even called. My dog was acting nervous and I could tell he was scared. My husband went to get the car and I called the vet for a walk-in appointment. I began to rebuke this young lady on the responsibility of taking care of a dog. She told me she was a human being. Yes, she actually said, "I am human being" as her defense. When Terry finally came, she was surprised at the blood on my dog's neck. I asked her what happened. Terry initially apologized, and told me the young woman told her it was just a scratch. I told Terry, it's your responsibility to check if it's really a scratch. Why didn't you check, I insisted? This does not look like a scratch! At this point, Terry snapped. She told me, look, I already apologized, and there was nothing she could do about it now. My husband arrived and we went to the vet. When we got there, the vet technician shaved the area- there were several teeth marks in my dog's neck that had just missed his jugular. The veterinarian told me my dog was very lucky. This was NO scratch, this was a DOG BITE! They showed us how to irrigate the wound, put hot compresses on it, and then a topical as well as oral antibiotic regimen that he was on for WEEKS (since it had been 8 hours since the bite, he had to be on antibiotics for some time). I still remember the days he would wince when we irrigated his wound 3 times daily. Thank God my dog is ok. I am thankful for my family. My dog has never stayed in another day care. I am angry that my dog suffered and that I had to spend the time to care for his wounds because The Dog Stay couldn't own up to their actions and were incompetent in running a dog day care. Terry did end up calling my vet later and giving them her own credit card number and paying for all the follow-up medical bills that followed. She also changed her daycare so that the big and small dogs are separated, and educated her staff to not be afraid of reporting bites right away. She also called me personally and told me there were no excuses this time, she was just sorry. But to be honest I don't give a shit. My dog was hurt and I would never trust her with anything I care about. Afterwards, I heard that Terry was getting a lot of questions on dog safety ever since my dog got bit, and that she told these dog owners that my dog was aggressive and brought it upon himself. Is this the type of person you want taking care of your dog? Oh, and now my dog is aggressive towards other dogs (after he got bit). THANKS TERRY! read more

We absolutely love this place. Everyone who works here is amazing and you can tell they really love the dogs. Our dog Royal spends five days a week here for doggy day care and we board her here anytime we leave town. read more

Tried the Dog Stay during the recent storm and subsequent power loss after my primary kennel was w/o power. Overall I am pleased with the service and more so with the location (I live nearby), but there is room for improvement. Specifically: (1) The inside room for dogs is quite small. I asked a worker there how many dogs are permitted at one time and was told up to 35. This was not a terribly large room and had many large dogs, so the potential for transmission of kennel cough, etc. is much higher with such cramped quarters. (2) The cost is high: I've mentioned in another review how it seems like everything in the DC area is twice the average for the rest of America, so I won't belabor the point here. But for about $50/day, I would either expect to have less dogs is such tight quarters or a bigger space for them to play. Again, the Dog Stay is a decent kennel with a great location (for me), and my dog always comes home very tired, which, to me, means he is probably happy. read more

My dog, Libby, gets super excited whenever I ask her if she's ready to go to daycare! I have been taking Libby to The Dog Stay for about the last six months and I am so glad that I found them. Libby usually goes there 2-3 times per week and always comes home tuckered out and happy. They even take care of bathing her when I ask them to, a chore that I probably hate as much as Libby does! On the few occasions when I have had them board Libby overnight the overall process has been painless. Since she's already knows the people and dogs at the Dog Stay it is just like a fun sleepover for her. Terry and her staff clearly care about the dogs they watch and it shows when you see them interacting with each other. They take meticulous care to make sure that every dog gets the proper food and medicine and they vet their dogs for temperament before letting them stay there. I happen to have one of the smaller and younger dogs in the "Big Dog Room" and she has never come home with any injuries even though I know she likes to wrestle and play bitey-face with her pals. That's one of the great things about daycare and dog socialization in general though, the older dogs "teach" the younger ones what not to do and help keep things in line. I have tried other dog daycare places in the area and have found this one to be my favorite. read more

I moved here a year ago and had a very hard time finding a place I felt comfortable Boarding my beloved Wilson when a last-minute work trip came up. Then I found Terry and her amazing staff and worry no longer! The Dog Stay is a cageless kennel where your canine buds can stay under the 24/7 watchful eye of a loving staff member or even the owner herself. The last time Wilson stayed there, Terry made the dogs sweet potato treats and had roasted chicken for them. Uh, can I stay for dinner? When you call up,expect a first visit for your dog to get a sense of the place and to be evaluated for temperament. Then let your worries be gone and head off on that vacation or business trip knowing your pal will be well-cared-for and, if you want, bathed before you pick him/her up. What's better than a happy, well-rested, socialized, clean dog after coming home from a long trip? Well...ice cream...but a clean dog is a close second! read more

My dog absolutely loves this place, and so do I. The Dog Stay is a doggy day care and boarding facility. If you're not familiar with doggy day care, it's essentially a place for your dog to run around and play with other dogs for an entire day. Yes, it's pretty awesome for dogs. My dog gets to spend the day with her best friends, and she ends up tiring herself out for days. We live in a condo and walk our dog at least three times a day for at least 1.5 hours all together, but that's usually not enough to tire out our young German Shepherd mix. The Dog Stay, however, really tries her our and makes her much more mellow the rest of the week. This is also a great way to socialize your dog with all different kinds of dogs. This isn't that much more expensive than a 30 minute dog walking, and it provides your dog with an entire days worth of stimulation and exercise. Our dog is so tired after going to doggy day care that the next day she sleeps all day and doesn't need even need a dog walker. All dogs are vetted for temperament before they are allowed to go to The Dog Stay, so you don't have to worry about doggy fights. Just make sure that you have your latest vet info before you go here the first time (or have your vet fax your paperwork to The Dog Stay). The Dog Stay's overnight boarding is also very good and useful. I have nothing bad to say about this place. I walk my dog to The Dog Stay, drop her off and then board the metro to go to work. It's a life saver. My dog pulls the entire way once she realizes that we're going here. This and Living Ruff are here two favorite places in Silver Spring. read more

The Dog Stay is a a hidden gem in downtown Silver Spring. My Maggie Love's going to daycare, especially when e gets to lounge around in the (very high, very secure) fenced in yard. They also offer grooming and so far, these guys are the only ones who can trim her nails without drama. I tell everyone I meet about The Dog Stay! read more

Lincoln and McCay are amazing owners. They are very accommodating when I need to do an early drop off or pick up late. Most importantly, they love my dog! read more

This is one of the best doggie daycares and overnight boarding places I've been to. My dog absolutely loves it and can't wait to go there everyday. The two owners and incredibly kind and attentive and it shows they really care about the dogs. Looks are deceiving! The dog stay is absolutely a great place for dogs and the owners are slowly renovating the space. I've traveled for work over a couple weekends and they always take my pup with no problem. And whenever I pick him up, my dog is tuckered out and a happy, well cared for little boy. read more

Kimberly! Thank you so very much!! You are the BEST! I won't tell if you don't that I was a bad Dad and got to busy to keep up with his grooming! read more

The Dog Stay - Kimberly! Thank you so very much!! You are the BEST! - Pet Boarding Near Me - Silver Spring, Maryland

My dog, Barclay, is thrilled to go to the Dog Stay! He loves playing with other small dogs in both the indoor and outdoor areas. Terry and her staff are great. Barclay always comes home tired from a hard day of doggie playtime and is ready for a nap. I also board Barclay at the Dog Stay every so often. It's a cage-free facility. So Barclay and his doggie friends get to sleep on cots and couches just like at home. Plus, someone is there 24/7. Some reviews comment on the cost of daycare at the Dog Stay. Prices are around $30 for daycare (less if you purchase a monthly package) and $50 for boarding. These are comparable to daycares in the area. Some of the benefits at the Dog Stay are that you receive customer or doggie focused service from Terry and her tesm, support a small business, and it's one of the few daycares I know of with a great outdoor play area. read more

My doggo LOVED staying at The Dog Stay during Christmas. I think he seemed sad to leave! Very clean facility and the staff makes your dog feel at home. This is the only place I want to leave My dog when I have to. read more

My dog's favorite boarding facility, hands down. The owners and staff are fantastic and friendly. My dog comes home happy and well-exercised after an out of town trip. During the day, she plays with other dogs her size and temperament who are at The Dog Stay for boarding or daycare. At night, all dogs share an open space (crates for those that need them to sleep) with a human sleeping on the couch right outside the fence to make sure everyone stays quiet. If I lived in Silver Spring, I'd take my dog there for daycare as well. read more

This was my first experience boarding my dog, so I cannot compare it to other facilities, however the experience was great and I will be back. Terry was professional and friendly and obviously cares for the dogs. Customer communication was also great and there was no problem with me arranging for my friend to pick up my pup at the end of the stay. Also love that they post pictures of the pups online every few days, so I was able to be sure my dog was doing ok while I was gone. Would be even better to have a live webcam as I've heard about at some larger chain-type boarding facilities, but I'm sure those are horribly expensive to run and since this is a local place, I'm willing to forgo that without a problem in order to support small businesses! My dog came home exhausted from all the playtime - what could be better for me coming home exhausted after a week of work travel?! read more

My doggie just had her evaluation today and spent her first half day at doggie camp. Success. She is soundly asleep on the couch. The Dog Stay is a conveniently located in Silver Spring and does not require any appointments to be made ahead of time (like Petsmart). You just show up and drop off. I really like how someone monitors the dogs at all time. Someone even sleeps there overnight if you are boarding! The big outdoor space will be really fun once winter is over. My pup will be back! read more

My dog Sasha loves going to the Dog Stay!! She goes there for grooming, day care and occasional overnights. Owners and staff are awesome and you can tell they really care about their customers and their pets. I would definitely recommend the Dog Stay to anyone who is looking for dog day care and boarding read more

As with a lot of online reviews, those for the Dog Stay are all over the place. Perhaps fitting then that my experience there was as well. The story is too long to tell with much detail, but I will say that things started off really good and friendly and helpful. I was so happy that I'd found a place I could trust so close to my home. Then after a few successful day care stays and a couple of one night overnights for my newly adopted large young dog (1.5 years), I left him there while I went on a week-long trip for work. When I returned, I discovered that he'd been bitten pretty badly by another dog. Not only did they not call me to let me know, but they downplayed the seriousness of the wound which drained blood all over me when I got there (and they had missed another wound that had abscessed and which I found immediately upon arrival). Long story short - there was some attempt to remedy the situation once I insisted that something be done, but the attempts fell way short of good customer service. Moreover, there is no excuse in my book for not having called me to let me know what happened and that they were taking him to the vet to be on the safe side. Indeed, when we arrived at their vet's office, he was shocked that the dog's wound had gone untreated for three days. Anyway, the story ended when I went to settle up with the owner, and she yelled at me in front of her staff. It was such a stressful and unprofessional experience. It was really appalling the things she said to me. I would never ever go back there. Consistent with the other poor reviews, I would conclude that - yes - there are too many big dogs together, yes - the dogs aren't being watched well, and yes - the lack of accountability and covering up mistakes is inexcusable. I have now switched to having someone come stay in my home when I'm away. It's more expensive (although not that much more), but I have peace of mind that I won't come home to a traumatized dog and a series of vet bills and after care. read more

This establishment showed a complete lack of customer service and respect for our time. We called the day before to make an appointment to get our dog's nails trimmed, giving the employee our contact information. We were given an appointment for 10:00 AM the next day. We showed up at 10:00 and were told that the owner performs nail trimming, and the owner wouldn't be in until 11:00. We left and returned at 11:10, only to be told that the owner still wasn't there. The staff member called the owner and reported back that the owner would be another 10-15 minutes. By this time, we were done wasting our morning waiting to give The Dog Stay our business. It is bad enough that they didn't keep the appointment; worse still that they didn't call us to inform us that they needed to reschedule; and completely unacceptable that they failed to keep their rescheduled time. read more

Our yorkie, Charlie, stayed 3 days in daycare while we toured the sites in DC. They are currently remodeling so it isn't fancy but we were really happy with the care. It is a clean, safe place for him to stay. When we got back to the hotel each evening, he slept. He wasn't stressed out at all. The staff is super nice. We would definitely go there again! Carol read more

Last summer I discovered that my dog Rucker was being abused by his daily dog walker. His behavior rapidly devolved and within 3 weeks he went from a happy, well trained, independent pup to a psychotic, anxious, ball of nerves who couldn't stand to be left alone in my apartment even while I went to the mailbox. It has been a long road to recovery and I literally could not have done it without the staff at the Dog Stay. They saved my life. I would have lost my apartment, and possibly my job because of all the problems Rucker's anxiety was creating. But within a few days of starting at the Dog Stay he became comfortable and eventually confident, and when we went on daily walks in the neighborhood, he would start wagging his tail and trying to pull me towards the Dog Stay. Every morning before we leave I ask him if he wants to "go see his friends" and he knows that means Terri and her staff because he starts wagging his tail and runs to the door (more excited even than when I ask if he wants to go to the park). The staff has been fantastic too. They have been attentive and given me updates about his behavior, and let me know if he has any anxiety issues while he is with them. They know Rucker, and me, and provide a wonderful service. I've since moved to Greenbelt, but 2-3 days a week we still drive back to Silver Spring for Daycare. read more