Central Bark Franchising
Our story began in the mid-1990s when Jackie Jordan and I (Chris Gaba) sought to provide a healthy and happy life for our dogs while balancing family and work demands. We loved our dogs and wanted to enrich their lives as much as they enriched ours. We needed a safe environment for our dogs to play, exercise, and socialize. But at that time, these resources just weren’t available.
So together, we created Central Bark®. It was based on one simple idea: Our best friends deserve the best care. We created a place where dogs can get all the love, attention and activity they need to be healthy, happy, and well-rounded members of the family. Our dogs were happier and healthier, our families felt more peaceful and loving, and our communities had a hub for like-minded dog lovers.
Today, Central Bark is one of the nation’s largest networks of day care for dogs and provides one of the most holistic pet care options available. We go beyond a traditional doggy day care with our unique Whole Dog Care philosophy and enrichment focus that combines decades of dog experience with the latest dog behavioral science. We offer everything from Enrichment Doggy Day Care and boarding to grooming, market, training and more. All with the mission to help you and your best friend enjoy a whole, healthy, and happy life together.
After more than 20 years, many things have evolved, but our mission remains the same: To forever nurture, enrich, and inspire whole health, happiness, and unconditional love for each dog, family, and community we serve.
– Chris Gaba, and Jackie Jordan, co-founders
Our Whole Dog Care approach offers a full range of fun and personalized products and services to promote your dog’s physical, mental, and emotional health and happiness throughout their entire life.
Enrichment Dog Day Care
Grooming
Dog Boarding
Market
Training & Enrichment
Insurance
At Central Bark®, it’s our mission to nurture, enrich, and inspire lives. Bringing whole health, happiness, and unconditional love to each dog, family, and community, we serve to create a happier, healthier, more loving, and peaceful world.
That’s why we’re dedicated to supporting community. For over 20 years, the Central Bark franchise system has supported local dog rescue, fostering, and adoption organizations and charities in cities throughout the country. We also provide community education through our Central Bark Bite Prevention School Program and responsible pet care and positive canine development. Central Bark franchise locations are independently owned and operated. As small business owners ourselves, we’re committed to supporting independently owned small local businesses that bring us together and help our community thrive.
“It is in our DNA to give back to the community. Passion, compassion, respect, and integrity are our core values and guiding principles. Being active in our community is part of that.”
Jackie Jordan & Chris Gaba, Co-founders of Barkley Ventrures, Inc and the Central Bark franchise system
At Central Bark, our commitment to safety is uncompromising. Our mission is to create a clean, healthy, safe, and loving environment where every dog and person feel welcome and treated with respect, care, and compassion.
Safety is our #1 priority. That’s why we have comprehensive policies and procedures to ensure your dog is safe and healthy every day they’re with us. A proactive approach to safety is woven right into the fabric of our doggy day care program and incorporated into our facility, specially designed with your dog’s safety and comfort in mind.
Our store cleaning procedures exceed mandated protocols to safeguard you and your pet’s health. We clean and disinfect regularly throughout our facility to ensure a clean and healthy environment. All staff follows CDC handwashing guidelines. Also, hand sanitizer and restrooms for handwashing are available to all guests.
We clean and sanitize all play and rest areas every day – sometimes more than once a day – with veterinary-grade cleaners and disinfectants, air purifiers. This helps us ensure a safe, clean, and sanitized facility that smells good and reduces the risk of spreading infectious diseases.
Our store has fire and motion-monitored security systems with keyed-in codes for staff to enter when they arrive. These systems provide 24/7 monitoring, and emergency services get notified quickly should any concerns arise.
There are always two doors between the dogs and the outside world. If one entry fails, there is a second door to prevent dogs from accidentally leaving our facility.
Indoor and outdoor play areas help reduce stress and create an enjoyable environment for dogs to play and socialize.
We offer multiple surfaces for dogs to play on. Rubber flooring has some “give” and is less slippery than other alternatives. It provides excellent traction for our playing pups, but it’s also gentle on dogs’ bones and joints. It’s also easy to clean and sanitize daily. Turf gives dogs a natural grass feel. Both are gentler on dogs’ paws, which helps if they aren’t used to the level of activity they’ll get at day care.
Dogs have access to their own private space, where they can rest, relax, and feel comfortable away from the group. These crates help us create a much safer social environment for dogs by allowing them to take a break and maintain a healthy balance of play, learning, and rest. It also helps dogs avoid physical injury (from over-exercise without enough rest) and provides a space for them to unwind, so they don’t become overstimulated or over-aroused during play.
From a simple bath to an elaborate treatment, our fully equipped salon and spa is designed for all of your dog’s grooming needs.
A proactive approach to safety is woven right into the fabric of our program. We require all dogs to attend day care at least once a week because we know that consistency and continuity promote safety.
Ideally, dogs will attend day care on a regularly scheduled day, so we can consistently match them with the social environment they will enjoy and benefit from most. This regular weekly schedule helps your dog feel more comfortable, confident, and social, creating a safer day care environment for all. It also ensures our staff is as familiar with your dog’s normal behavior, so we are attuned to any changes.
Less stress – When dogs don’t visit us weekly, each time they come is like their first day at a new school or new job, which can be stressful. This requirement reduces stress and anxiety to promote safer social interactions for every dog in our care.
Dogs love routine – Coming on the same day every week keeps dogs comfortable and familiar with our environment, which creates a positive, predictable, and safer social setting.
More social time – Dogs play more safely and are more social with familiar dogs they know.
Safety all around – Our staff can keep everyone safer when they know when each dog is attending. This allows us to create playgroups that match the dogs’ play styles, preferred playmates, energy levels, and sizes.
We know your dog – By seeing your dog every week on the same days, our staff knows them. It helps us regulate safe play and lets us know when your dog might not be feeling like themselves.
All dogs enrolled in our Enrichment Dog Day Care program must pass our behavior assessment before joining our Central Bark family. Our highly trained staff conduct a thorough evaluation at the facility. It helps ensure that dogs are social with other dogs and people and will be comfortable with our daily routine. During the assessment, we will get to know your dog, which helps us place them in a playgroup that’s right for them to play safely and have fun. It also allows us to proactively staff so we can keep our dog-to-staff ratios low, promoting safety.
Dogs who are vaccinated are less likely to become ill or pass on diseases to other dogs in our care. That’s why all dogs must have up-to-date vaccinations. We also require that all dogs are spayed or neutered by six months of age. Parents must submit written verification that their dogs have current rabies, Bordetella (kennel cough), and DHPP (distemper, hepatitis, parainfluenza, parvovirus) vaccinations. If these vaccinations are lapse, you will have to get them updated before your pup can return to day care.
Rabies is a standard vaccination all dogs should have. Note that puppies less than six months old will need to receive their rabies vaccine by six months of age (or as consistent with state law) to continue coming to day care. Bordetella helps protect dogs from kennel cough; a common illness quickly spread in day cares, boarding facilities, and shelters. Although veterinarians don’t require the Bordetella vaccine, it’s necessary for day care. Please double-check that your dog has received it before coming to day care.
DHPP is also a standard vaccination that protects against distemper, hepatitis, parainfluenza, and parvovirus. Also, we have an operations system to help monitor and track vaccination. This system will automatically remind you when your dog is due for a vaccination one month before its expiration date. It also notifies our staff, who will tell you in person as well.
Only the finest will do for our furry guests. We train our team in our unique Central Bark Training program, which incorporates the latest behavioral science and dog training principles with a focus on positive reinforcement. Included is a comprehensive training in canine first aid and CPR. Also, all franchisees are required to continue their ongoing education.
Our focus on positive reinforcement has never wavered. We continuously update our skills and policies to stay at the forefront of new advances in behavioral science and positive reinforcement techniques.
We keep our staff-to-dog ratios low to help ensure the safety of every dog in our care. It helps us give more individual attention to each dog because we have more time to get to know them. Plus, we ALWAYS supervise play. Whether it’s a group of two dogs or 12 dogs, we never leave them unattended during group play.
One of our model’s benefits is that dogs who need a little more one-on-one time with their handlers can be placed in smaller class sizes. It gives our staff more opportunities to teach your dog, work on behaviors, and play while your dog is at day care.
Our goal is to set every dog in our care up for success with staff members who can meet their unique needs. Our low dog-to-staff ratio is enriching for your dog and our staff too!
Small group play and enrichment groups give your dog more one-on-one time with their handlers, allowing our staff to teach your dog, work on behaviors, and play. After a balanced day of play, learning, and rest – you can look forward to a dog who is not only better behaved but also a healthy, well-balanced, and tired mentally and physically.
Dogs are never left alone with another dog or unattended in playgroups to ensure their safety.
While playing, sometimes dogs can get tangled in each other’s collars, causing them to panic. Quick-release collars make it easy for us to disengage the buckle and defuse the situation quickly and efficiently.
Quick-release collars are better than having no collars because we can use them to quickly and safely redirect dogs when needed, especially if they become overstimulated during group play. Quick-release collars also fulfill the requirement to have a name tag that correctly identifies each dog in our care to ensure they get the food and care they require.
All collars get removed overnight when dogs sleepover to reduce the possibility of accidents, such as dogs chewing on their collar or getting tangled in. Collars are put back on when dogs get let out in the morning.
Maintaining a healthy balance of rest and play is important for dogs’ physical, mental, and social health. Like human athletes, rest helps dogs avoid physical injury and provides a space for them to unwind, so they don’t become overstimulated or over-aroused during play. Play-breaks give dogs the support they need to stay as safe and appropriate and create a much safer social environment for every dog in our care.
“Central Bark’s unique business model paired with true passion and commitment for providing extraordinary care has created loyalty among both clients and staff.”
“We knew that a multi-unit ownership with Central Bark would allow us to diversify our portfolio and build something long term for our family.”
“When researching other doggy daycares, I never got that feeling of family, love and safety that I have always had with Central Bark. Central Bark is definitely the team you want to join.”