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Dave's Doggie Den Dave's Doggie Den caters to dog owners who need dog training, grooming and daycare. We believe in a natural, more holistic way of life for dogs, and we incorporate that into all of our services. We are closed on most major holidays and holiday weekends. We are closed a few Saturdays during the summer.
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We are honored to be selected by you, our customers, as a Rockin' place for your furry friends. Recipient of The Rockford Register Star's annual "What Rocks in Rockford" awards in 2014, 2015 and 2016.
Start your dog on the right path toward good behavior for life. This six-week class will begin to familiarize your puppy (or adult dog) with common commands, such as sit, down, stay, come and others and establish the proper "pack order" in your relationship with the dog. We address issues with manners, such as jumping, nipping, chewing, etc.
At Dave's Doggie Den, our daycare is a great way to socialize your dog and give him/her the exercise they need. We have a large area for the dogs to run and play. We clean up waste immediately to keep a clean and sanitary environment. Dogs are put in a large group pen (not a crate/kennel) during private training sessions or when cleaning the floor at the end of the day (we don't want dogs to slip and hurt themselves on a wet floor). With our daycare, there is no minimum. Come as often as you and your dog like!
2022 Class Schedule Basic Obedience & Manners 6-Week Class Sessions run for six weeks beginning on the dates shown below. The best way to train a dog is to become the pack leader and you cannot become the pack leader.
We use high quality, all natural shampoos and conditioners to provide the least amount of irritation for the dog's coat and skin. Every grooming includes two baths and a conditioning treatment. We use cubicles instead of cages for drying to make grooming less overwhelming for your dog.
Reviews (16)
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Glass Moth
Jun 25, 2022
Telling people it's okay to use choke collars? You shouldn't be around animals. Period. Animal abuse. You shouldn't be allowed to train animals if you're okay with the damage it causes dogs.
Timothy Juno
Apr 17, 2022
Dave and his teammates are beyond helpful! Completely professional on every level. I highly recommend their services in dog training. We have 4 English Bulldogs and don't know what we'd do without them!
Karen Haggard
Mar 20, 2022
Very helpful dog trainer and wonderful grooming services. Also they sell really high quality dog food made in Wisconsin.
Paula West
Mar 01, 2022
Excellent to the point training. We always leave with great tips on helping our timid rescue. They always make sure we fully understand the training exercises and demonstrate several times. I highly recommend!
IThoughtof Googleplexfirst
Jul 29, 2021
Dave and his wife are wonderful with all breeds of dogs and training. They have a stock of healthy foods, snacks, collars and leashes as well as grooming, and training classes. Dave helped me become a more confident dog owner in a society that discriminates against certain breeds and then, the owner. If anyone is in need of anything with their pet, besides vet check ups, I would encourage you to check out Dave's Doggie Den.
Shannon Gustafson
May 10, 2021
Dave and Kristie are absolutely amazing! Please don't listen to the recent reviews of the past 5 people in the last 24 hours. They clearly don't understand that a simple review can drive someone to not come to an amazing facility based of false accusations. Shadow has been attending daycare every single day for over a year along with getting groomed every 2-3 months. If you want an amazing trainer who understands dog, or simply need your dog to come and hang out-Dave's is the place to bring your furry kid!
Taylor Glomb
May 02, 2021
Dave did a wonderful job with training with our English setter. He was professional and thorough. He made my husband and I feel welcomed and capable to continue training on our own from home!
Chloe Lindstrom
Dec 17, 2020
We use Dave's doggie den for daycare, grooming, and training for our 1 year old labradoodle. Every time we pull into the parking lot, she gets so excited. Our dog loves it there and we have been very happy with the quality of their services.
Diane Russell
Nov 28, 2020
A trained dog is a better family member. No one gets great results like Dave. he's a awesome dog trainer and had a fabulous mentor. Tons of experience and knowledge he can help you get a good base on your dog. And once you fall in love with your dogs new skills, you can keep going and advance, .
Sarah Lee
Feb 04, 2020
Dave and Kristy do an excellent job training dogs. We went through basic training, which is a six week course, and we had so much fun. They were very nice and accepting of all dogs, highly recommend!
Paula P.
Mar 29, 2018
I will not use them again. This was our first and last visit. The place is LOUD! So loud you can't hear people talking. The dogs are in the area at the front so it's chaos in there with all the dogs barking. Just wanted my dog to get a bath with some medicated shampoo. He had been groomed 10 days ago and needed another bath, per vet instructions.

They told me to come at 7 but the groomers don't get there till 8. Had to come back with the dog. 2 and 1/2 hours later he still wasn't done. I called and they said another hour! Why? Because they had 7 or 8 dogs there at once so my dog didn't just get to be bathed and dried and brushed out, he was waiting in line! When we picked him up (after 3 3/4 hours) she informed me that she used all the shampoo!

She soaped him twice. He's a big dog but If they would have told me that I could have explained that he would get another bath in a week and to only do it once. But you can't even hear yourself think in there with all the barking. I would NEVER use them for day care. Not happy with them at all. You can hear the dogs barking out on the street.

The neighbors must be thrilled! I have heard good things about the training, but the day care needs work. A lot of work. Also, I'm pretty sure my dog didn't get any water. He chugged a ton of water when he got home.
Kate H.
Feb 16, 2016
I would not recommend bringing your dog to daycare at Dave's Doggie Den. I brought my puppy to Dave's for socialization and peace of mind that my dog would be cared for during the day. When I picked my puppy up at the end of the day she seemed happy and tired. The staff stated she had fun and did well, but did have a scratch on her eye. They said the scratch wasn't that bad and it didn't look bad at the time.

I wasn't too concerned as I realize that things can happen when dogs play, but as the night went on my dog's eye began to swell and she had yellow/white discharge coming from her eye. My husband took her to the vet the next day and she required eye drops and an antibiotic. As we would have liked to bring our dog back to Dave's, I called that next day to clarify what happened to cause the scratch.

I was very calm and in no way accusatory. As a new dog owner I wanted to make sure that my dog was not being targeted or attacked by other dogs. They clarified that the scratch happened during play and told me that I have to realize that scratches and cuts are going to happen to dogs. Instead of being apologetic or sympathetic they were defensive and said they wanted to make sure that I knew that "these things happen." I was very disappointed by their response as I would not expect this from a place that truly cared about dogs.

My husband and I shared our experience with some friends who stated they had also been disappointed by Dave's Doggie Den services. We chose Dave's based on positive online reviews. I wish more individuals would share their experiences if it was anything less than satisfactory. If you truly love your dog I would be wary about using Dave's services.
Anna A.
Jan 30, 2016
I brought my new dog here for training and was greatly disappointed when the trainer instructed us to perform and 'alpha roll' during the first session. After class I explained that I didn't agree with the philosophy and asked if I could have my pre-paid class fees refunded, since I couldn't continue coming to the rest of the classes. They declined. I don't believe that fear is the best way to interact with dogs, and if you agree, this might not be the best choice. Look elsewhere.
Kari A.
Feb 25, 2014
Might be a good place to board your dogs based on previous reviews, but beware if you hire him for dog training. He failed to show up for two training appointments. He seems to be disorganized. Very disappointing.
Lana M.
Aug 12, 2011
I took our pups to DDD this week and was impressed with: the friendly staff: keep things clean/good with the dogs. Price: WAY cheaper than any place in Mchenry County (and a more to offer). The dogs are all pretty quiet because they can see everyone that comes in and appear relaxed. Our pups were sleeping on the ride home. That's always a great sign.
Miriam G.
Nov 09, 2010
Great place! We take our dog there for daycare. He comes home exhausted. Really good for the working pet parent.