Monthly Package

Being a monthly customer provides additional perks including:

Complimentary Morning Keurig Coffee
Priority Scheduling for Available Spaces at Montessori School
One Complimentary Bath Per Month
Complimentary Early Drop off or Late Pick Up
Unrestricted HD Webcam Access
Holiday and Event Perks
Complimentary 15 Minute Virtual Dog Training or Behavior Consultation with Patrick
Complimentary Delivery of your Big Bad Woof Pet Food/Supply Order
Priority Scheduling for Dog Training
1 Community Sponsorship Nomination
3 Community Sponsorship Votes

FUN. FULFILLING. QUALITY CARE.

Dog Montessori School

Patrick's Pet Care offers a totally new way to do day care, focusing on your dog's unique physical, mental, and emotional needs.

About Dog Montessori School

Every pet owner wants the best for their furry friend. At many dog day cares, this means simply keeping pets safe during the work day. But what if dog day care could provide more than just the basics? That’s the question that sparked our Dog Montessori School.

Along with a safe and hygienic environment, our Dog Montessori School provides structured enrichment activities that will engage your dog mentally, emotionally, and physically throughout the day—all led by our force-free, fear-free certified staff.

The first program of its kind in DC, Dog Montessori School offers carefully researched, intentionally chosen, individualized enrichment for dogs. Our program calls upon the latest research from the American College of Veterinary Behaviorists and the Duke University Canine Cognition Lab. It is a holistic dog day school that nurtures your pet’s entire being. This unique blend of elements has the power to transform a dog’s quality of life in day care and your lifestyle with your pet.

6 Pillars of Dog Montessori School

Contemporary dogs have little choice over their lives. Think about it — you tell them when to use the bathroom, what to eat and when eat, where and when they’ll sleep sleep, rest, play, and learn. Unless, of course, they have been deliberately given power to choose. In our program, we try to provide as much opportunity as possible for the animals in our care to make decisions about what happens to them.

Our Facilities

Patrick's Pet Care offers amenities that give your dog the ideal home-away-from-home experience. Our Columbia Heights location is the only dog day care in the city that caters exclusively to small dogs (under 25 lbs). Our Brookland location has distinct play areas for small, medium, and large-sized dogs (8-85 lbs).

Columbia Heights

Small Dog Day School

Home to our Small Dog (8 - 25 lbs) and our Mini Dog (under 8 lbs) Montessori programs.

BROOKLAND

ALL Dog Day School

Serving dogs 8 - 85 lbs, with distinct play areas for small, medium, and large dogs.

Live HD Webcams

Watch your dog whenever you want through one of our live webcams.

Staff to Dog Ratio

Patrick's Pet Care provides the lowest dog to staff ratio anywhere in DC: 10 to 1.

Certified Dog Trainers

All the staff at Patrick's Pet Care are force-free certified dog trainers.

Meet Our Teachers

At Patrick’s Pet Care, we believe in hiring from the communities where we serve and in investing in our people. In addition to paying everyone a DC living wage, one way we do this is by providing professional development opportunities for staff to develop knowledge and skills that can advance their careers and allow us to provide the latest science-based, fear-free, force-free service to the animals in our care.

Emma Teller

General Manager of Montessori and Grooming
CPDT-KA, VSA-CDT, FFCP

Neville W.

Montessori Programs Manager
FFCP (Trainer)

Kimana M.

Montessori Teacher
FFCP (Trainer)

Amanda H

Montessori Teacher
FFCP (Trainer)

Sal S

Montessori Teacher
FFCP (Trainer)

Ciah R

Montessori Teacher
FFCP (Trainer)

Meet The Full Team

Curriculum

Gone are the days of the all day "free for all" in a crowded room full of dogs. Instead, our Dog Montessori School provides the structure that dogs thrive on. You'll experience the benefits of our program in your daily life with your dog, outside of the classroom.

Example Schedule

8:00am-9:00am

Arrival and edible puzzle time

9:00am-10:30am

Social period with matched play styles

10:30am-11:30am

Group learning period, lessons & activities

11:30am-12:30pm

Relaxation, frozen treat, and lunch period

1:00pm-2:30pm

One-on-one enrichment period with games, lessons, and activities

2:30pm-4:00pm

Social period with matched play styles

4:30pm-7:00pm

Relaxation period, puzzle time, rest

INTENTIONAL LEARNING PODS
Rather than being expected to just "make friends," dogs joining the program are individually assessed and placed into specific learning pods based on their individual play styles and size. Wrestlers are placed with wrestlers and soft touchers are placed with fellow soft touchers. The soft touchers really appreciate this!
INDIVIDUALIZED LEARNING
Like people, dogs have individual preferences, interests, learning styles, and needs. The exact type of enrichment and training your dog receives will be based on his or her needs and play style. Examples of enrichment include:
DETAILED REPORT CARDS
We know you want to know exactly what happens during your best friend's day. You can count on us to share it with you with all the rich details that will demonstrate we know you, and we know your dog by name and personality.

View A Sample Report Card

INTENTIONAL LEARNING PODS

Rather than being expected to just "make friends," dogs joining the program are individually assessed and placed into specific learning pods based on their individual play styles and size. Wrestlers are placed with wrestlers and soft touchers are placed with fellow soft touchers. The soft touchers really appreciate this!

INDIVIDUALIZED LEARNING

Like people, dogs have individual preferences, interests, learning styles, and needs. The exact type of enrichment and training your dog receives will be based on his or her needs and play style. Examples of enrichment include:

Puzzles and obstacle courses
Tricks and challenges that contribute to overall training goals
Confidence building exercises that translate to your daily life
Teaching patience and impulse control, which also translates to your daily life
Twice yearly dog talent shows, complimentary with enrollment
Activities that interest your dog

DETAILED REPORT CARDS

We know you want to know exactly what happens during your best friend's day. You can count on us to share it with you with all the rich details that will demonstrate we know you, and we know your dog by name and personality.

View A Sample Report Card