Camp Bow Wow Dallas

I’ve been meaning to write this review for at least six months — nothing beats the incredible staff at camp bow wow. We now know how special this place was because we’ve moved out of state and can’t find anything that even vaguely compares. Our mini husky Maggie was well– known as a frequent boarder and daycare visitor. She was always stoked to be there and the staff all greeted her and me with cheeriness that started my workday off with a smile on my face. In fact, when we told them we were moving, one of them shed a tear — they really take it upon themselves to bond with the dogs and they’re as attentive as if they were caring for their own pups.
The crate vs play schedule worked perfectly for my dog who would literally play herself into a coma if she didn’t have a little down time and it was precious to find a place with an open outside area which meant she didn’t learn to «go» inside.
We miss camp bow wow — thanks for the three years of effortless convenience and care you provided!

First time to use Camp Bow Wow while we were on vacation & have to say, what a caring & professional place. Owner, Steve Martin, noticed something wrong w our dog’s eye so he brought her to our vet to have it checked out. It was from a dog fight or anything either … Anyway, wld happily recommend & return. Always a good sign when they have regular day boarders.

My dog loves coming here! They know her by name and she is always super tired when we get home. Love the easy drop off and pick up process.

I have an amazing 1 year old catahoula/​basset hound mix and I take her to day care on Wednesdays to split up the week and give her some play time with other dogs mid-​week. I haven’t exactly found a perfect place to take her yet, I’ve been «shopping around» so to speak and trying a new doggy day care every few weeks.
Her first interview day at Camp Bow Wow was a success. Everyone was very nice, her «interview» lasted all of 3 minutes, which was great and made me feel like she would have a fun day of playing and getting along with everyone, as she usually does. I liked being able to supervise her with the online live cam they have set up in each of the play rooms. She was completely alone in the play area for a few hours towards the end of the day (about 4pm till I picked her up at 6:45) but I figured that was just because some of the other dogs got taken home early and she just happened to be one of the last ones there that day. Overall, she was exhausted that night and even the next day and I think she had a great time playing.
I took her back for her second time last Wednesday. Just like the first time I took her, I watched her on the live cam for most of the day. I didn’t see her in any of the play rooms from 12pm onward, so either she was in a solo pen for all the afternoon or I just kept missing her in the play area every time I looked. I was disappointed about that — not really sure where she was that whole afternoon. I picked her up at about 6:45pm. About an hour after I got home and fed her dinner (Purina ProPlan) she vomited up her entire dinner and then some. About an hour after that, she vomited again, and let me just say it was not a little bit of vomit. In both throw ups there was a TON of peanuts. The kind you would buy at a baseball game, shells and everything. It looked like she had swallowed them whole or in a hurry because they were mostly in tact, or just broken up a little bit in her stomach, but not chewed up or anything. There were a ton of peanuts and shells, like half a bag of them.
I have NO CLUE how this happened or where she got them from but it must have been something that happened at day care. I have never fed her people-​food before and it happened about an hour after getting home from day care so it must have been something she got into while she was at Camp Bow Wow. I think she must have gotten into the trash or an employee’s food or something. I do not think that she was fed them by an employee but it remains a possibility.
Thankfully, she was fine and I did not have to take her to the vet or anything. But this could have been a different story if it happened to a dog with a food allergy or a more sensitive stomach.
I called to tell them about the incident, and instead of them apologizing or trying to explain to me what happened (Maybe… «there was a freak peanut spill that day and we are SO SO SORRY we didn’t mean for your precious puppy to get into the peanuts but sometimes accidents happen! Here’s a free week of day care!»), I was told «There is NO WAY that she got those peanuts at day care. End of story» Like… no. there IS a way, because she threw up half a pound of peanuts right after she got home. You had one job Camp Bow Wow!!!
Anyway, if this incident had not happened or had not been handled so poorly, I probably would take her back because I know she had a lot of fun while she was there playing with other pups and gobbling up peanuts. But since it was a bit of a fiasco and my dog could have ended up sick or dead, with no ownership at all on Camp Bow Wow’s end, we will not be returning to daycare at Camp Bow Wow.

My dogs love Camp Bow Wow. This is NO exaggeration! As soon as I pull out a suitcase they know it’s time for vacation and camp time. It is hysterical to watch how excited they are. When I pick them up they are worn out — silly worn out. They are almost comatose for a solid day recuperating.

We travel for a living with our 4 year old shepherd mix. It is often hard to establish a relationship with a daycare in the short amount of time we spend in some cities. Camp Bow Wow in Dallas made it very easy for us to get our girl in for some playtime and they payed great attention to detail, like knowing Jezebel immediately as soon as came in on her second day, and clearly they took care of her because she loved going back.

I love this place — so does my puppy.
I have a hyper-​active 5 month old Goldendoodle, and he goes to camp 2 – 3 times a week. I love that your dog has to go for an ‘interview’ first to make sure temperament will match with other dogs. Dogs are separated by large/​small, and they are always supervised by a human. There’s even an app you can check in on your dog if you want!
My dog is a rescue and for some reason is afraid of men. One of the employees there has started handfeeding him… yes. I didn’t even ask! My dog is finally starting to warm up to men, and I know it’s in large part because of this employees dedication. The employees care so much about the dogs and you as an owner, it took maybe 1 – 2 visits before they all knew my name and my dogs.
I highly recommend this place. I’ve also used the overnight boarding — which is a great deal as well. I know he’s not locked up in a kennel, but he’s out playing and socializing with other dogs. Bonus — he comes home worn out from playing all day!
Most days I don’t make a reservation, just drop off on the way to work. You do need to make reservations for Friday and holidays. Only negative is it can be difficult to get in for an interview, they are popular.
Thanks Camp Bow Wow!

So, let me tell you about my first impression of Camp Bow Wow: Not good. Our regular daycare (Highstone Pet Lodge) abruptly closed recently and we were in a mad rush to find another location convenient to my wife and I (we are both employees of Children’s Medical Center near downtown). Camp Bow Wow seemed like a great location as it was in close proximity to the hospital as well as the Hilton Anatole (where we both work out at the Verandah). When we called about checking out their facility, a very brusk lady answered our telephone call and seemed really apathetic about our inquiry (we send our dog to daycare 5 days a week). In fact, she had to keep asking someone else standing next to her the information we were asking since she seemed totally clueless about getting us in to evaluate the facility. We were informed that we would have to leave our dog to be evaluated before we would be GRANTED the PRIVILEGE of boarding our dog there. OK, this was clear to us from the website and we understood why this policy was in place. In fact, we were grateful that they vetted each animal for temperment, as our dog is somewhat clingy and submissive. What i didn’t understand was a business model that would ask us to wait almost an entire MONTH before we could bring our dog in for evaluation. If a place is so busy with clients, then maybe this isn’t the best choice for us. If there is only one person who does the evaluations, then maybe more staff needs to be hired or at least be placed on an on-​call status. But we were never given any explanation whatsoever for the long wait. In fact, we could overhear the guy this receptionist was asking for answers to our questions and he sounded like he just pulled the next available date for evaluation arbitrarily out of thin air! Now I don’t mean to be accused of false hubris, but it doesn’t make sense to me when a prospective lucrative client isn’t shown at least a sense of interest on the part of a facility.
During our long period of waiting until our scheduled evaluation, we found a wonderful, totally caring and competent facility at Wuf Pet Resort who were more than willing to have us as full-​time clients. And when we called to cancel our scheduled appointment… the only response we received was, «Ok.»…That solidified any misgivings we had about maybe not really giving Camp Bow Wow a chance to prove what they had to offer. I can’t comment on how good their services are because we have not boarded our dog there. But what is sad is that we never got past the initial interaction that seemed like they just weren’t interested in gaining our business.

My dog has been going to another daycare closer to my apartment for almost 2 years and never had an incident that was serious occur. I was trying this place out because it was closer to my new job in downtown. The staff is very friendly and always greeted you with a smile. This was my fifth time taking my dog there when she was injured by something at the facility requiring 19 staples down her leg. My vet stated that the way the wound was she got caught on something. The staff was very concerned for my dog calling to check on how she was doing but after this happened I am just not comfortable taking her there anymore especially if they have hazards in the play areas that dogs can get seriously injured on. Thank goodness my dog is fairly large but the long nights, the pain she went through, and having to carry my 54lb dog up and down the stairs because she couldn’t manage the stairs just isn’t worth it for me.

Overall not a bad place to leave your pup. They are mostly friendly and their rates are not unreasonable. The yards and space there seem a good size and there is plenty of staff supervision.
I do have some small complaints however. They do kennel the dogs a few times during the day, particularly after 4pm. If you drop your dog later in the day and pick up later, they may not get full outside of kennel playtime. Also, I recently picked up my dog and the leash I brought him in on was chewed in half. They told me they left the leash on my dogs kennel/​crate and he chewed through it. Firstly, they should never leave a leash on a crate-​most dogs will chew anything they can reach. Secondly, they barely apologized and did not offer any discount or recompense to make up for it, even though in my opinion they were careless.

Short version: staff treats your dog like their own, clean, SAFE, & spacious, friendly & professional, convenient hours, great value, my dog LOVES going to this camp
Long version: I recently moved here from NY for a job opportunity. Knowing that I would be putting in some extra hours at the office, it was only fair to my mini labradooble that I enroll her in a dog day camp. This will be long & detailed b/​c 1) I treat my dog like she is my child & want to make sure she is in the best care possible 2) coming from NY, I relied on Unilocal and other peoples’ reviews, so I want to return the favor 3) CBW deserves 5+ stars.
Before sending my dog to CBW, I researched many places to find the perfect fit. Before I even arrived in TX, I had my boyfriend visit several places to do a «pre-​screening» to see if it was worth me doing a 2^nd tour. We narrowed it down to about 4 places. I then visited, read about, & turned to Unilocal for the real scoop. An important thing to keep in mind about reviews is that someone is much more likely to write a review about a negative experience than a good one. While CBW may be more expensive than other places in the area, know that if you buy cheap, you get cheap. I have many friends who send their dogs to other camps & they have come home with open cuts on their heads & paws. I can’t think of any situation or setting that a dog should suffer an open wound at a day camp. It may be the dogs are not being watched properly & that the camp play area itself is just not safe. To avoid such issues, buy a package from CBW & you will save a few dollars on a per day basis. Isn’t your little friend’s safety worth the few extra dollars?! Also, CBW is a franchise, so you can use your package at any location!
CBW won me over for many other reasons: The staff was extremely welcoming & friendly to me. When I came to visit the 1^st time, Stacy was sweet, helpful, & gave me a full tour of the place & explained what a typical day at camp is like. I was impressed by how clean the place was, both the indoor & outdoor play area. My dog plays in the small dog area, which is much larger than the other small dog play areas I had seen at other day camps. I also really appreciate that each dog must go through a pre-​screening interview b/​c CBW really believes in keeping the camp a safe place to play. It’s nice to know that my dog & her friends are «playing nice.» After a few visits, there were many other great qualities about CBW that let me know I made the right decision. The entire staff is beyond friendly & they greet you & your dog with a big smile in the morning. There is always someone waiting at the front door ready to bring my dog back to play, so there is absolutely no wait time when I drop her off.
There is no need to make reservations Mon-​Thurs, you can just show up. Fri reservations can be made a week in advance by phone or in person. This is important to me too, b/​c they ensure there is plenty of room for the campers to run around, play safely & comfortably & that there are enough staff members to watch them in the play area at all times. The staff is so impressive when it’s time for pick up. Before I’m even at the door they have my dog on her way out to the front. The staff remembers each dog parents first & last name too. It’s the little things that make the experience feel personal & I just love the efficiency & professionalism. Also, the camper cams that you can watch on your internet browser/​CBW app are highly addicting! You can see your dog having fun with their camper friends all day long.
Most importantly, my little girl absolutely LOVES going to CBW. Before CBW, she had never attended a day camp (it’s not popular where I am from in NY) so she was extremely shy & timid around new people & other dogs. Now, I have a completely different dog. When I mention camp in the morning, she does a happy dance & her tail wags a million times a minute. When I drop her off, she barely even looks back at me now b/​c she is so excited to go play with her friends. A major plus is she comes home absolutely exhausted, so it gives me time to relax & do errands around the house after work. CBW is the only activity that will make her want to cuddle up on the coach all night. Some reviews are concerned that the dogs at CBW «only» play from 9 – 12 & then 1 – 4, however, I really appreciate that they give the dogs a break. A full day of play with no rest is too much, especially in the TX heat. When I bring my dog to the dog park over the weekend, she is ready to leave after 45 mins, nevermind 6 hrs (& she is very athletic). Plus, I make sure to leave her with snacks for the lunch hour, so I’m positive she doesn’t mind breaking from her friends to eat cookies.
I can’t say enough great things about this place! I’m 100% comfortable w/​the CBW staff & facility, & I am confident that my dog is having a great day at camp in a clean & safe environment. Bring your dog here! You will quickly feel part of the CBW family!

BEWARE! If you drop off for a FULL day of daycare they kennel your dog most of the day. They dont do half day daycare like all the other Camp Bow Wows. I dropped mine off at 1pm thinking he would play until 7pm. When I picked him up I found out he had been kenneled since 4pm. The whole point of daycare is to let them play. Why would i ever pay to let my dog sit in a «jail cell» !!! Other locations let them play up until they close.

The quick: BEST value, very convenient hours, clean facilities, friendly staff who are professional and personable with excellent communication and follow up
So I’ve been trying to think of a way to say Thank You to some of my most frequented and favorite local businesses who keep my crazy life in order. A friend suggested to write a Unilocal review… Seems simple enough since I use Unilocal all the time, its free and cheaper than a gift card or fruit basket, and it will help pay them back for all the help they’ve given me over the years so why not!!!
I’ve had this dog for 3 ½ yrs and have been coming to Camp Bow Wow since Sept 2010 for daycare and boarding. I take my dog there about 1 – 2 days per week for daycare and board her for usually 2 – 4 days at a time about 6 – 8 times per year. So I think that makes me a needy and a frequent customer because of my work schedule, travel needs and the fact I live in Uptown with no back/​front yard. It’s on my way to and from the airport and to and from work. Just like ½ mile off the highway and can get there by back roads if its high traffic time.
So all the times I’ve been coming here, I’ve never once left upset or feeling dissatisfied. The staff has such caring demeanor for my dog and me as a pet owner. Professional and personable at the same time. Camp Bow Wow wears my dog out — she plays so much and so hard she sleeps almost the entire day the day after daycare! I feel like its a buy-​one-​get-​one-​free since I feel like she’s occupied for 2 days after daycare. I know they have play times and kennel times throughout the day, but it works because she would be completely exhausted if not an it keeps tem out if the heat and a chance to unwind before you get there to pick then up so she’s not bouncing off the walls on the way home while you’re trying to drive. The camper camera is on ALL play areas all the time so you can see exactly when they are playing and when they are kenneled. It’s really fine. I don’t know why people freak out about this. They’d be doing the same at home if you’re not there.
Be forewarned: they have an app for iPhone for the camper cameras — OMG it is addicting! I find myself sitting in large meetings and wanting to check in and see what my dog is up to and if she’s having fun. And its fun to watch them in the play area! you can definitely pick out your dog from the masses. As embarrassing as it is to admit… i’m not at all ashamed. I love it!!!
They seem to me to also be incredibly knowledgable about dogs and very aware of your dogs personality and tendencies. When my dog is sick or not acting right (she sprained her knee once) they tell you and also give their opinion if its normal or needs to see a vet. Their communication is great! They talk to my vet when there’s a problem and I’m out of town. They’ve even taken her to my vet (its about 3 miles away) when she needed to go and I was out if town. I’ve had to leave her for up to 14 days and they never mind me calling to check in or make a ridiculous request like give her meds or something. They are very prompt to call me anytime there is something going on i need to know about right away. Like called me at 6:45 am when my dog had a seizure. The staff at the front check in/​out counter and in the back with the dogs both will tell me every time when I pick her up how she did and if there were any issues like she got a minor scratch on her face from playing with another dog. I wouldn’t have even noticed it, but they let me know at full disclosure. There are a lot if dogs there all the time and they always seem to have everything under control and operating like its a slow day.
Super accomodating! I love they are open from 7am-​7pm during the week. I have a high demand work schedule, so this is a huge plus for me. It’s very convenient to stop in and drop off/​pick up my dog for a half day or something if I want to. Easy to do transactions quickly because they keep my Mastercard on file and email me a receipt and record of services and transaction.
Before this pet, I had other pets my whole life, been to numerous vets and boarding places (Petsmart too) over the years — and this one beats all others hands down. I am not the easiest person to please… and I’m pretty critical of customer service. And I still have no negatives or complaints at all despite being a very frequent and needy visitor. I would not keep coming back if I wasn’t completely satisfied.
Can’t say enough positive things about them!

In the last of my vacation series of reviews, I review Camp Bow Wow, a retreat for man’s best friend.
Camp Bow Wow is perched near the banks of the glorious Trinity River, in the posh «Design District». Your dog will be pampered by the view, and be able to stretch his or her legs several times a day in what can only be described as «rustic bootcamp chic».
Each beast has his or her own accommodations within the sprawling acreage. 24 hr video surveillance is available on request via Wireless Interlinking of Digital Devices (iphone app).
Rest assured that your puphound will find his or herself surrounded by the best of the best; indeed, all guests of the «ranch» must endure a rigorous indoctrination period (doggy interview) in order to be invited to stay within these hallowed grounds.
Once accepted into the fold, it is not uncommon to find your puppy unwilling to leave Camp Bow Wow, without taking just one more romp with his new friends.
Other dogs will shrink with embarrassment when they see you bringing puppy home from Camp Bow Wow, wearing the customary bandana. The tradition goes deep and is a secret held fast by member puphounds. Not even puppy owners know the symbolism behind this sacred garb.
Welcome to Camp. Welcome to Bow Wow.

Overall we are happy with the service. Our pup loves his time here and goes hopping up the steps into the day care area like he’s going for a steak… so something in there he’s enjoying. I would like to see more flexible pick up times on the weekend and earlier opening times for people like me who work crazy hours!

They are the only place I would take my dog for long stays or day care.
I’ve boarded there for week-​plus long trips out of town and they are just as nutty about my dog as I am. If you call when there’s a staff member there, they will ask if you want to talk to your dog and bring them to the phone. That’s the kind of touch that means something to me. I also love that they let the dogs play ALL DAY, so it’s really like a vacation for an «only child» dog. Mine is so happy when I drop her off, she doesn’t even look back at me, which makes me a little sad, but happy to know she’s going to be super well taken care of till I get back.
I would caution folks to schedule a bath on the last day because they will be a mess after playing in the yard. It’s a little pricey but very worth it.

This is the best daycare/​overnite boarding place in Dallas! Hands down. The staff if outstanding and my dog Bernie knows when we are getting close to the place in the car and immediately starts getting excited. Once in the door, he doesn’t even look back and can’t wait to get inside and play. I highly recommend Camp Bow Wow in Dallas and around the country.

While living in Uptown, me and my dog Gus were regulars. I’d drop him off for day-​care probably once or twice a week. Each time, he’d come back exhausted and played out. The webcam feature is nice; my mom would sometimes check on Gus from her house in Houston. I haven’t been in a long time, but that is in part because it’s no longer an easy drop-​off for me coming from East Dallas and also because we have a second dog for Gus to play with. My one complaint is that the day-​care format of playing all day isn’t done on the weekends when I am most likely to board. For day care, a great place.

Camp Bow Wow is the only place I will board and take my dog to for daycare in Dallas! The grounds and facilities are kept in immaculate shape. The employees are experienced professionals who deeply care for the safety and well-​being of your pets. They take the time to learn about their clients and their pets. My dog comes home with a smile on her face before she falls into a deep sleep. I can’t say enough good things about this facility!
I love that I can check in on my dog during the day using the camper cams and iPhone app (although the app needs some updating to be completely reliable, it’s still nice to have). I am also comforted by the fact that this franchise must meet stringent requirements and is licensed. If I ever move out of the area, I would first look for another Camp Bow Wow franchise.
With all of the good feelings I have about this place, I will note that it is quite pricey. Several other Camp Bow Wow locations offer various discounts, and I wish this location would do the same. Even though it is expensive, the peace of mind when travelling or taking my dog for a good day of play is worth the increased price.

My dog is very timid and we LOVE Camp Bow Wow. The staff is incredibly friendly and know us by name. It’s very easy to get in and out for day care — no reservations are usually required. It even smells clean — which seems to be difficult for some doggie day care spots. Bow Wow has online web cams if you like to spy on your dog while you are away and they don’t even charge you for it. Every so often I’ll have my dog bathed there and he’ll somehow smell clean for days afterwards. I highly recommend Bow Wow — definitely worth every penny!