Love Dogs Camp

Business Details

24 Years

experience

Your Trusted Holistic Dog Care Center in Arroyo Grande, CA

Founded in 2002, Love Dogs Camp is a holistic dog care facility dedicated to creating an optimal environment where dogs thrive through nature, not cages. Our approach prioritizes individualized attention, 24/7 supervision, and fear-free interactions tailored to each dog's unique needs. With a team of experienced professionals, we offer daycare, boarding, training, and grooming services in a cage-free setting designed to foster confidence, socialization, and wellbeing. Our Better Business Bureau A+ accreditation reflects our commitment to excellence, transparency, and ethical practices centered on the physical and psychological safety of every dog. We specialize in customized care plans, positive reinforcement training, and homemade meals that cater to dietary restrictions, ensuring peace of mind for dog parents.

Our facility features spacious, tree-shaded play areas and comfortable indoor spaces where dogs engage in enrichment activities under constant professional oversight. By combining teaching methodologies with canine behavioral expertise, we transform dogs with anxiety or trust issues into balanced, happy companions. Our services extend beyond care to include client education, reinforcing training techniques for consistent home integration. Located in Arroyo Grande, California, we serve as a trusted partner for dog families seeking holistic, compassionate care.

Services

Dog Daycare Dog Boarding Dog Training Grooming Services Wellness Programs

Details

Year established: 2002

Highlights and features

We offer 24/7 loving supervision in a cage-free environment since 2002.
Our customized care plans address individual canine behavioral and dietary needs.
We use positive reinforcement training developed by certified professionals.
Our BBB A+ rated business maintains a 15+ year track record of excellence.
Homemade meals accommodate special dietary requirements with veterinary guidance.

Associations and certifications

Better Business Bureau

What people say

Peace of mind Transform anxious dogs Loving staff Customized care plans Fear-free environment

Website

Update Listing

Services

Dog Daycare

Our cage-free daycare provides supervised socialization and enrichment activities in spacious, tree-shaded yards. Dogs enjoy unstructured play, structured training, and homemade meals while receiving individualized attention from trained professionals. The program reduces anxiety through consistent routines and positive reinforcement.

Dog Boarding

24/7 monitored boarding services offer a home-like environment with indoor sleeping arrangements and daytime play. Special dietary needs are accommodated through customized meal plans while maintaining socialization and enrichment activities throughout the stay.

Dog Training

Positive reinforcement training programs address basic manners, anxiety reduction, and socialization. Sessions combine one-on-one instruction with real-life application, focusing on building confidence and appropriate boundary setting for puppies and adult dogs.

Grooming Services

Stress-free grooming in a cage-free environment includes bathing, nail trimming, and coat maintenance. Services prioritize comfort through patient handling and gradual acclimation techniques to create positive associations with grooming experiences.

Wellness Programs

Customized wellness initiatives combine nutritional planning, behavioral enrichment, and physical exercise. Programs address specific needs like muscle strain rehabilitation or food allergies through integrated care plans developed with veterinary guidance.

People

Carolyn Leighton

Founder

Founder of Love Dogs Camp since 2002, Carolyn combines teaching credentials with canine behavioral expertise. She developed the holistic care model emphasizing psychological safety and individualized attention for dogs with special needs.

Brett Nelson

Director of Training & Enrichment

With 15+ years of experience, Brett specializes in canine anxiety reduction and socialization training. He previously trained service dogs for veterans, applying those techniques to develop confidence-building programs for camp participants.

Questions

What makes Love Dogs Camp different from traditional kennels?

We provide 24/7 cage-free care with individualized attention in a natural environment, focusing on psychological safety and behavioral enrichment rather than confinement.

Do you accommodate dogs with special needs or anxiety?

Yes, our staff specializes in working with dogs having anxiety, trust issues, or physical limitations through customized care plans and positive reinforcement techniques.

Are meals provided during daycare or boarding?

We serve homemade, nutritionist-approved meals accommodating dietary restrictions. Owners receive feeding recommendations for home consistency.

How do you handle dog socialization?

Controlled group introductions with constant supervision ensure safe socialization. Our low dog-to-staff ratio allows personalized guidance during canine interactions.

Can I tour the facility before booking?

Schedule a visit to explore our 5-acre property featuring shaded play areas, indoor lounges, and observe current campers' interactions with staff.

Is training included in daycare services?

Basic behavioral training occurs naturally through daily activities. Structured training programs are available as separate packages for focused skill development.

Videos

Reviews (7)

Write a Review

David R.

Jul 09, 2021 Report

Haven't used them for boarding, but bought a private training session. Sally, the trainer, was great with our dogs. One of our dogs has social anxiety meeting new people. Sally had a very calm energy and worked really well work our pets for the session. Sally took the time to get to know our pets and their history. She seemed on making a personalized training plan, not just a one size fits all approach. She focused on positive reinforcement and gave us concrete, achievable goals to work towards while training our dogs. We decided to buy additional sessions. Highly recommend.

Mike Fleming

May 23, 2021 Report

The name says it all. All of the dogs are very well taken care of with constant human companionship and good, home cooked food.

Tim K.

Feb 06, 2019 Report

Great place to take your dog, no matter the size, they even have a large well fenced off that roughly a half acre. Even a few well placed areas where your dog can get water.

Samad M.

Sep 15, 2017 Report

Our Diesel absolutely loves going to camp! We have a very large French Mastiff mix, and after we adopted him we weren't sure the best way to go about socializing him. When we brought him to Love Dogs Camp his true personality began to shine! The people at camp truly love dogs, and care about them, their health, and their happiness. Our big boy's happier than he's ever been, and we wouldn't have it any other way!

Karen G.

Jul 22, 2017 Report

My little dog (7 lbs)) Rose has had such a great experience with Carolyn! She now eats raw baby carrots (rather than dog cookies) pumpkin, brown rice and ground turkey with her dog kibble. Thanks to Carolyn I'm sure she will have a MUCH healthier life. Thanks for the diet tips!

Julie P.

Jul 24, 2016 Report

I dropped my dog off here for an overnight weekend. When I picked up my dog, she immediately came home and hid in the smallest corner of my closet for three days. She was very sad and very different from the puppy I had dropped off a few days earlier. She is a 6 month old puppy and still in training, but rarely had problems in my home or other's homes. I found out my dog was being sprayed into submission and punished for behaviors they didn't approve of.

I paid upwards of $200 to include training sessions, and all I got back was a broken-spirited dog. My dog is sensitive to other people's emotions, and she knew she was unwanted during her stay. I will seek other kennels in the future. I have never seen my dog this sad or submissive.

Amanda U.

Oct 20, 2015 Report

ABSOLUTELY TERRIBLE! Our dog was covered in feces and very ill when we picked him up. SO SAD! We were told he was left unattended in the home and had destroyed a piece of furniture. He was just a Puppy! SHE WANTED US TO PAY FOR THE DAMAGES! Crazy!