Zen Doggy Den | Dog Training Boarding Day Care - Wheat Ridge, Colorado

Erica Z.

We’ve been taking our pup to Zen Doggy for boarding (and sometimes day care) for about two years and have been so happy with them. The staff is truly wonderful - they remember our dog and always have something kind to say about her during pick up. They have always communicated proactively too and been quite flexible. I accidentally pre-purchased a daycare package instead of a boarding package a while ago. The days were about to expire and I would have lost the money. They could have easily told me “too bad,” but without any hassle, they applied the amount to our next reservation. I also really appreciate that the faces are always familiar - the same staff have been there for quite a while which is very comforting. Our dog can be very nervous and picky about people she likes, so consistent staff is a major bonus!!

Nicole T.

I love the Zen Doggy Den! They take such great care of my anxious dog. Now that she has gotten to know the staff, she gets so excited every time we walk in, which is extremely comforting. The staff at Zen Doggy Den are the only people I trust to take care of her when I travel. They make my life so much easier!

Brittany D.

This is the only place I have felt comfortable in years taking my sweet but reactive dog who needs work building her confidence. After training at Zen Doggy I feel great boarding her there. Some boarders like dogs, Zen Doggy actually understands them. Highly recommend.

Keith W. (.

I found Zen Doggy Den of a personal recommendation. I came to them because I needed 10 hours of certified training for a court mandate. They offer a unlimited package which was great, but even better they come to you to train in the environment where your dog needs it the most.

Julie and Trin were awesome and very knowledgable and did a great job working with a dog that has leash aggression and generally struggled with other dogs. She is an older dog as well, 9years, so a bit of history to work through.

Here is a breakdown of how it went: Ten 1 hour sessions

We started by going to the Zen Doggy Den facility and introducing the slip collar and working on that for the first several sessions.
Then we moved the remaining sessions to our house. We then did the next several sessions working through our walks around the house and neighborhood(park) and making sure both owners practiced as my dog is aware of who is running the leash.
For the final 3 sessions we introduced an E collar. So far my dog has responded well and even had her walking behind and close to another dog.

I plan to utilize the unlimited sessions to introduce more dogs and to do a trainer check on our progress as we continue to train.

Some other side notes: they will also give you good info for dog behavior in the home(since they come to you, good to ask).
Also having a dog that we didn't think we could board anywhere is now a possibility, since they know the dog and have worked with her before, plus the continued training makes it a reality for a vacation. (I'll update after our boarding experience).
If you have court mandated training hours, this is a great and affordable option compared to other trainers I looked at. (same price but you had to go to them, bleh)

Thanks Zen Doggy Den!

Remi W.

If you have an anxious/selective dog - this place is for you!

I adopted my current dog, Benny, from Big Bones Canine Rescue in July 2020. Benny is a large (70-75 lbs) bundle of anxiety. We moved to the area in June 2021 and started looking for a doggy daycare/boarding facility. I passed by Zen Doggy Den everyday on Wadsworth, but was skeptical because of how small the facility looked. We had tried two doggy daycares previously. One was TINY - they would put all of the dogs together in one room without breaks. There wasn't even outdoor space. The other was a large commercial facility. They put a bunch of dogs together based on size and Benny got kennel cough after only going for a trial day.

I asked other adopters for recommendations and someone recommended Zen Doggy Den, so I decided to give it a try. Benny goes occasionally for daycare and has completed two boarding stays (7 days and 5 days respectively).

I cannot say enough good things about Zen Doggy Den. First, it is run by a trainer which is really reassuring. They definitely know what they are doing. They use small play-groups based on size, play style, etc. They have an extra building in the back that they also use. The dogs play in groups of ~10 and have indoor and outdoor space to play. They also rotate the play groups so dogs don't get overtired/overstimulated which can increase the chances of a tiff. They rest in their kennels when they are not playing.

The staff is always happy to talk and answer my questions. They are also very honest, which I appreciate. There isn't a ton of dogs like the large commercial facilities, which is nice because they remember him (I think). They don't have cameras but they do have a private Facebook group where they post pictures from the play groups. It has been so nice to see pictures of him playing while we are away. During his first stay, I emailed to ask how he was doing and got a very quick reply. Other times that we had left him with a sitter, he would seem super stressed when we brought him home. Both times we picked him up from Zen Doggy Den he was healthy and happy!

They have additional services you can add on such as: treats, grooming (baths/nail trims), and treadmill time. The person who recommended ZDD to me said they have been great with her selective rescue. Benny typically gets along well with other dogs, but even if he didn't, we would still use Zen Doggy Den because of the trainer, smaller play group sizes, and possibility for exercise on the treadmill.

Jamie

I’m very glad I found Zen Doggy. My dog loves going there, and he really thrives in the small group structure. I know my dog can be a handful, but the staff are always happy to see him and very loving towards him.

Taylor V.

My experience with Zen Doggy Den was absolutely amazing!! I couldn't be happier with the services myself and my puppy Mak received.

To start, the owner Julie is fantastic, I was very nervous about leaving Mak in an unknown place and with pretty much strangers but she took the time to email with me and answer all my questions. She was very sweet and very thorough in explaining the process and what Mak's day would look like. It provided so much comfort, I signed him up!

Mak attended 3 to 4 days a week and he LOVED it! He made so many friends and would come home tired. Given he is a Lab/Blue Heeler mix this was amazing! He also knew when we pulled into the parking lot where he was and who he was going to see, he would run to the door in so much excitement and greeted everyone with a wiggly butt and lots of licks. Having Mak attend Zen Doggy Den gave him the chance to learn the very important social skills puppies need, while getting lots of play. We saw such a difference in just the first week of him attending. I can't say thank you enough to Zen Doggy Den!!

Secondly, Kylea who was the staff that would greet me when I picked up Mak in the afternoon is a rock star! Each time I picked up Mak she would let me know how his day went, recommendations based off how he was doing and took the time to share her experiences with me as she had a similar breed of dog. It was very comforting to know that at Zen they have people working that truly care about the dogs and are willing to take the time to speak to the owners and communicate any concerns or just to share a funny story. Thank you Kylea!!

We unfortunately had to rehome Mak due to work demands and living situation but I know Mak will miss Zen SO much and I highly recommend anyone looking for a day care service for your furry family member to go to Zen! You will not be disappointed and most importantly your doggie won't either 🙂

In the future when our family decides adopt another pup we surely will be returning to Zen Doggy Den, Thank you again Zen for all the wonderful experiences you provided Mak and myself!!!! 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂

Megan B.

Dropped our puppy off for daycare and had a great experience. He is a high energy puppy, but the Zen staff managed him very well. We got a "pup-date" halfway through the day and he had a smile on his face in every picture. I plan to use Zen again in the future.