No bones about it ... day care with a twist

By Cindy Hodgson, Herald Times Reporter

MANITOWOC — Pete and Stephanie Bein take their 10-month-old to day care a few days each week.

They drop him off at 7 a.m. and pick him up at 3 or 3:30 p.m. While he's there, he plays, naps and has snacks.
Sounds like a typical day care experience, except their young one isn't their son. He's their dog.

Semper, a bloodhound, is one of about 30 dogs enrolled or in the process of enrolling in Central Bark Doggy Day Care, which opened earlier this month at 1910 Mirro Drive.

The facility is one of 34 Central Bark franchises, about 20 of which are in Wisconsin, said Adrianne Spaulding, owner of the Manitowoc franchise.

The first Central Bark opened in 1997 in Brown Deer.

"We're not your backyard babysitter," Spaulding said.

Central Bark prides itself on its safety and cleanliness, she said, and it provides a structured daily schedule. For instance, from 8 to 11:30 a.m., it's time for morning activities, such as "fetching, chasing games, wrestling, A-frame climbing, tunnel running and more," according to a brochure.

After lunch, it's naptime from noon until 2 p.m.

"We play classical music for them, and we dim the lights," Spaulding said.

The bulk of the afternoon is "a slightly slower-paced version of the morning activities," followed by a "special time for back scratching and cuddling," the brochure states.

There is a 4,500-square-foot indoor play area, divided into four partitions so dogs that don't get along can be separated. The dogs have an A-frame to run up and down, hoops to jump through, a plastic picnic table and big plastic boats for their lounging pleasure, and even a piece of playground equipment consisting of a small slide and swing.

"They love Little Tykes furniture," Spaulding said, referring to the manufacturer of the equipment traditionally used for children.

An outdoor area, also measuring 4,500 square feet, is in the works.

The facility can hold up to 75 dogs, but Spaulding said it is not staffed for that, and she is progressing with "slow and manageable growth." There were eight dogs there on Tuesday, and she said participation is ranging from six to 11 per day this week.

Central Bark is open from 7 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. "Parents," as Spaulding calls the owners, may enroll their dog for as little as one day per week or as much as all five. Using the day care two or three days per week is typical, she said.

Boarding is not offered to the general public, but "sleepovers," including on weekends, are available for dogs that are part of the day care program.

All dogs must undergo a daylong behavior assessment before they are admitted to Central Bark.

"The program is not totally appropriate for every dog," Spaulding said. "Not every dog enjoys the company of other dogs."

But many do enjoy their time at doggy day care, said Linda Gurath, who is opening her own Central Bark in Sheboygan but is helping and learning at the Manitowoc facility in the meantime.

"The dogs pull their parents inside," Gurath said. "It really is a place that they love to come."

"Their little doggie buddies are here," Spaulding said.

Pictures of the dogs enrolled in the program are displayed on a bulletin board. Staff members can show the owners pictures of the other canines their dog played with that day, "so they know who their little dog's friends are," she said.

Staff members also take pictures of the dogs throughout the day and display them online and in a digital photo frame in the lobby.

Semper is eager to go to Central Bark, the Beins said.

"You walk in the door and he just dashes to the girls there," Pete said.

"It's the best thing in the world," Stephanie said. "They treat the dogs just like their own."

She said it was her husband and college-age daughter who wanted to get another dog. When they had one before, Stephanie was home and could take care of it, but now she's working and they had to put him in his kennel, sometimes up to three or four hours at a time.

"I don't like to see them caged up," Stephanie said.

Paying $21 per day to have Semper at Central Bark is "very well worth it," she said.

It's a good option for both the dogs and their families, said Stephanie, and in her case, "doggy day care was sent from God."

"It's so convenient just to take him there knowing that he's going to have a good time," Pete said.

When Semper comes home after a day of playing with his buddies, "he just wants to eat and go to bed," he said.

He's also more manageable, according to Pete. The staff advised the Beins how to get Semper to stop jumping on people, and it has been helping.

Working on manners is part of what they do during playtime, Spaulding said.

Other services are available for an additional fee, such as bathing, grooming, medication administration and even veterinary services. Spaulding said she has contracted with three area veterinarians to come to Central Bark to provide routine care for their canine patients.

"The canine cab will start operations in April," she said.

For a roundtrip fee ranging from $12 to $24, depending on location, Central Bark will provide transportation to and from the facility.

The business also sells products for both dogs and cats, including edibles, training aids and apparel. There's even a little red hat with purple ribbon, making it possible for pets to match their owners who are members of the Red Hat Society.

Spaulding, 30, said she feels like she is living her dream by running Central Bark Doggy Day Care.

"This is the coolest thing I've ever done," she said.

Spaulding was working for Point Beach Nuclear Plant when changes there led her to consider a career change.

She was attending canine massage school while still working for the nuclear plant when she paged through a magazine and saw an ad for Central Bark.

She said it feels like this is where she needs to be.

"I've always had a strong connection and just love of animals," she said.

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