ABOUT US
The Dog Spot, Doggie Playcare (Daycare), Boarding, and Training Center has 10,000 sq. ft. of indoor and outdoor space for your dog to play, run, romp, and enjoy time with other dogs.
Dogs are supervised by our dedicated, highly-trained & caring team. This allows us to recognize and reward excellent behavior and redirect inappropriate behaviors before they ever have a chance to escalate.
We have a wide array of pieces of playground equipment for a dog to play on such as tunnels, slides, playhouses, etc. We also have plenty of safe toys the dogs to play with including Kongs, Jolly Balls, Nylabones, and Hooves. All dogs have a chew-safe toy such as a Kong or Nylabone for chewing during nap time and overnight.
A typical day at The Dog Spot starts with a fun romp outside with friends or one of our loving and fun Caretakers. Once they have stretched their legs, pottied, and had their first play session, they are put into their personal space and fed breakfast. They get time to relax and digest before going outside to play with their friends (doggie or human) again. Dogs who have add-on or Enrichment Care services will go on their Sniffari's, engage on one of our many fun and confidence building courses, receive their Cuddle Times or Play Time, or one of their add-on Training Sessions.
After a very busy and fun morning, all dogs are set up for a nap in their personal spaces. Lights are turned out, soothing music is turned on, and all dogs get a chance to nap and recharge for 3 hours. In the afternoon, all dogs get to visit our play yards again for fun, sun, a refreshing dip in the pools, and socialization before dinner.
Any dogs who receive additional services or Enrichment Care will also enjoy those at this time as well. After dinner and some rest, it's back to the play yards for a final play session with friends. All dogs go out one final time for a quick potty break before they are tucked in bed with their comfy bedding, chew toy or add-on Bedtime Lickable Treat, and a kiss on the head or belly rub.
Meet The Owner
Joyce Keeton, CBC, FFCT, Owner & Operator of The Dog Spot, is a Certified Canine Behavior Counselor, Fear Free Certified Trainer, with recognized expertise in multiple dog interactions, fear, anxiety, stress, reactivity, and aggression issues. She also loves working with puppies to help them gain and maintain confidence as they learn to navigate this very large human-led world.
Joyce has been working with dogs for 27 years and has owned multiple pet hotel/doggie playcare/training centers. Her education and experience give her the unique knowledge and skills to assess and treat severe behavioral problems. Joyce chooses to follow the scientific principles of Learning Theory and use game-based, positive reinforcement techniques in all of her training and behavior modification programs.
Through continuing education including webinars, seminars, and classroom studies, Joyce continually strives to stay up on current dog behavioral science and teaching techniques. She passes this knowledge on to her Training Team and Caretakers to provide the best and most current methods for keeping dogs safe and as free of fear, anxiety, and stress as possible. Joyce believes emotional health is just as important as physical health.
Joyce loves teaching! She takes great pride in teaching modern, science-based dog training methods and techniques to not only her clients but to up-and-coming Trainers as well. TDS has been fortunate to add two amazing young ladies to the Training Team...Victoria Blakely, and Brandy Winkler. These ladies have a ton of enthusiasm for teaching and the skill to get it done! If you get into a conversation with Joyce about dogs and learning, prepare yourself for fun stories, lots of animation, and a passionate discussion. She can't help herself! Joyce is also a pledged member of the Shock-Free Coalition. This means that she is a fierce advocate of humane training with no abusive tools such as prong, choke and shock collars. Joyce loves educating people on how damaging these tools can be and how much more fun and effective using force-free, humane methods and techniques can be. If you show up with your dog on one of these contraptions, be ready for Joyce or one of her team to recognize that 1. you are not a bad person and 2. that we are happy to transition you (for FREE) to a humane Freedom Harness along with a FREE fitting and FREE lesson on how to use it (Must give us your prong, choke or shock collar).
Joyce lives with 6 dogs and 2 cats. She has devoted her life to rescue, specifically to Pitbulls and the bully-type dogs who receive such a bad rap. She volunteers directly with Pound Puppies 'N Kittens to pull pitties out of local Animal Controls, bring them to TDS for love, nutrition, and emotional healing while working on their basic obedience and finding new, loving, furever homes for them. TDS is always looking for volunteers to help walk, play with, bathe, and give these rescues some extra love and attention while they are waiting.
Joyce is also an avid outdoor enthusiast. She loves hiking and camping as well as just sitting by a campfire enjoying the night air and stars. Joyce thinks that hiking is the best activity any human can enjoy with their dog which benefits both equally. There is nothing like seeing a dog enjoy the sniffs a hike through the woods has to offer along with the health benefits of fresh air and quiet time with a fuzzy, best, four-legged friend. Joyce has a vintage camper ('72 Shasta Lo-Flyte), named Miranda (after her 1st bulldog) that she loads up and takes on camping trips along with her favorite camping buddies (Kiva - 4 y.o. Doberman, Opus - 2 y.o. Boykin Spaniel, and Moxie - 3 y.o. Terrier mix - all rescues...yes, we all fit) for long hikes, relaxing campfires, and fun with friends. If Joyce is not at TDS, she may be in the mountains, with her best pup-friends, enjoying her favorite activity.