Dog Daze Charleston, South Carolina

My dogs have always came back healthy, and I've never had issues with my dogs getting a skin rash or any other issues that are common in boarding facilities. I've always worried about boarding my dog Piper, because she has shown aggression in some scenarios. They've had zero issues with her and I can rely on them when my trainer is unable to board her. They also accommodate having my dog's kennels side by side which made a notable difference in how Piper's boarding experience was (she was boarded separately prior).

Would not recommend. In brief (to skip the novel review below) if you want to avoid a boarding facility with terrible customer service, who charges almost triple without advising you prior and continues to argue with you when you provide “receipts” — save yourself the energy and frustration this place caused me and check out other reputable facilities in the area. Having lived in different parts of Charleston, I have boarded my dog at a few different locations to be able to make a fair comparison. After reading good reviews and being closer to my home, I decided to try Dog Daze. There are not doggy cams, updates or communication on how the stay goes, which I was thrown off by at first. My pup seemed in good spirits when picking him up, so per the norm, I have always tipped nicely and continued to bring him there. My communication for his boarding schedule was always done through email as well as phone confirmation, so we can say I was less than pleased with how his last stay with the facility was handled. Having boarded him for Christmas Eve as well as Christmas, with phone and email confirmation on the two days, upon pick up I was advised I owed $170. Not having been advised on this massive holiday surcharge prior, you can say I was a bit thrown off. When asked why I was being charged that rate, I was put on the phone with the owner who was overly rude while advising me the minimum rate for holidays was 5 days, regardless for how short the stay is. As this was not explained to me over the phone when booking or over email in the confirmation, I explained that I would have booked elsewhere or left my pup there for the whole 5 days I was being charged for. Continuing in a condescending manner, he told me that I should have checked the website where it is clearly posted. He then put me on hold and came back saying he would do $80 for two days and instructed an employee to take my dog to me. I tipped $20, knowing if he was willing to lose a client over this, it was obviously needed. Thinking I must have missed something on the website, I checked under “boarding” on the site it shows “things we do not charge for” and then proceeds to list “Holiday and peak season reservations. Every day is a holiday!” When forwarding him my email about this stay- where I wasn’t advised on the additional $100+ charge as well as pointing out that section of the website, the response I received was again unpleasant : “That is correct.  We don't raise our prices for holiday reservations, as you so adroitly pointed out.  365 days a year the charge for (dogs name) is $30 a day.  I hope that clears up your misunderstanding about our website.” Save yourself the headache and go somewhere the staff can be friendly, not only to the dogs but the parents paying for the stay.

Charlie knows dogs and knows how to match them up in the right play group. My dog always wags his tail when we pull up and is happily tired when it's time to go home. I have boarded him overnight on several occasions and have found the same to be true. I like that Charlie lives on site and is with the dogs 24/7.

My pup Chai LOVES going to Dog Daze. We can’t even say the name without her going crazy with excitement. Charlie and the team take great care of her, she has a blast, and comes home exhausted so it’s a double win! We love the team there and she can’t leap into their arms fast enough to have a day of fun. Recently we had a water main break and they were able to accommodate her last minute while we tried to get the house dry for her to come home. They were kind and went above and beyond to take that added stress out of our minds knowing she was safe. I can’t recommend Dog Daze enough!

I have had 3 of my dogs attend Dog Daze since 2014 and have had a great experience with them each time. My dogs always come back from both grooming, daycare and boarding happy and well exercised. The prices are reasonable and I appreciate that Charlie has been so flexible when I have scheduled (since sometimes it is very last minute, or I am unable to call, and he is very responsive to my emails). Charlie loves dogs and cares about his business, but more importantly, the dogs that come there. His vigilance with ensuring that all dogs vaccines are up-to-date prior to boarding or daycare is an important feature that any reputable grooming, boarding or daycare facility should have in place. One of my dogs have received board and train training from Charlie, and she came back a much better behaved and manageable dog. I recommend Dog Daze to anyone in the Charleston area that needs any of their training, grooming, boarding or daycare services.

I was impressed until I picked up my dog. He seem happy when I got him home he stated coughing and started coughing up fluid. I took him to Vet and they said he had a respiratory problem . It cost me $135.00 in fees and MED's.I know he did not have this problem before I took him. I not sure where this came from but I am not happy.

I've only gone out of my way to leave a negative review one other time in my life. I have only been treated so rudely a few times in my life. Just the way I was spoken to by Charlie in the process of getting clarity around my dog's vaccinations to get him set up to be dropped off is unreal. My husband, seeing how frazzled I was, picked up the job for me and took over dealing with Charlie. He had an almost even worse experience. Then, he called our vet and she told us after that she felt got off the phone with Charlie saying "geesh" to herself too...to put it kindly for sake of a public review. All I have to say in summary is, thank God I didn't drop off my dog there and all of this happened beforehand... I can only imagine how my dog, with no way to speak, would be treated if my husband and I, about to be paying customers, had the experience we did. Makes me sad. :( I'm sure the response from owner will be something about being the professional, which is not my point at all. The point is how we have rarely been treated so rudely. Period. Life is short and everyone has tender circumstances of their own... just be kind and helpful. Right?

Would just like people to know that the response to my review below under my maiden name is not true. I’m in absolute disbelief. Would never ask a vet to fake my dogs vaccinations or ask someone to take my unvaccinated dog who is actually vaccinated...what on earth. Further, our vet personally called us after his chat with Charlie to assure us we were good to go and everything was all set. Not sure what I would I gain by making this up for strangers. Just trying to do my part and have only bothered to leave a critical review once before. Also, again, it’s about the shocking customer experience. Anyways, willing to stick my arm out to get bit off one more time for everyone else’s sake who is researching their options for dog care. I know they’re our babies! By far not the only one saying this on here. Just do your homework. And as if we’re not all tired of talking about vaccinations haha, love to everyone!

This was my first time in Daycare, prior to my up and coming boarding. All went well.

I have never done a review on any business ever, but I see from other comments that I am not the only person the owner, Charlie, was rude to and it needs addressed. His response to people on this site is even rude. He obviously has not learned his lesson, as he states in his response from someone who commented a month ago about the same experience. It is a good thing his office staff is nice to speak with because if he was the only person responsible for customer service he would be out of business. I had four different boarding dates set with his facility but cancelled all of them because he was so rude to me on the phone.

I took my puppy to dog daze twice and both times Charlie was very rude. He had a terrible attitude and I did not feel comfortable. On the second drop off, he improperly put the collar around my dogs neck and arm and even though I told him she has trouble getting down out of my SUV by herself as she is still very young, he proceeded to physically pull her out of the vehicle and while doing so she repeatedly hit her head on the top of my car. When she finally got of out the car I simply asked if she was okay and he responded “yeah, she’s a dog.” This interaction made me extremely upset. I originally did not put a comment with my review because it is obvious Charlie comments on all reviews that are not complimentary and I did not want to experience any more anxiety that I have already been caused. Would not recommend this business as the owner is extremely unprofessional and rude.

Charlie and his team are by far the best boarders we have ever encountered!! We are working with our rescue pup on crate training and separation anxiety training, and after just ten minutes of talking to Charlie in a get-to-know-you phone call, I felt like I should pay him for all of the training nuggets he so freely offered to me! Banjo’s comfort in the crate and when we leave him at home has improved so much since we started executing Charlie’s advice. Banjo returns to us very happy and balanced every time after picking him up whether it be for day care or a week long boarding trip—and you can’t beat their price! We will be taking Banjo here and using them as a training resource for years to come; I can’t recommend Dog Daze enough!

Poor service, don't waste your time. Wouldn't trust my "babies" here.

Friend showed me pictures of their pup after a stay. Scratches and bite marks all over. Isn’t the point safe care and peace of mind ?

The owners and staff are just excellent. Zara Nelson, participant at Dog Daze daycare

I have to say I was a bit dismayed to see negative reviews on here. I've taken my dog, Sparrow, to Dog Daze for over a year now for dog daycare and have never had anything but a positive experience. The staff is friendly, the owner is extremely knowledgeable and nice and they do an excellent job of tailoring the dog groups. My dog is a year and a half and higher energy, and she always comes back so exhausted (in the best way) from playing all day with other dogs that have her energy levels. I recently boarded her for 5 days, and she was wiped out for a whole day from playing so much! This is is pretty much the ideal situation for boarding a dog in my book. She gets to play all day with dogs just like her. I actually think she was a little bummed to come home! What else could one reasonably ask? I'm especially bothered by negative reviews that mention a scratch or something like that. I've actually never picked my dog up with so much as a scratch, but if I did, I wouldn't be bothered. She gets scratched up sometimes when I take her to the dog park for an hour. She plays hard. I think the negative reviews are mostly by people who don't understand the distinction between a dog and a human. I love my dog to death, but I also understand that dogs play different than humans. So if you're reading these reviews with any trepidation, please don't hesitate to board your dog here (or take her for daycare). It's a great place, and there's always a good mix of dogs on hand. If you're the type of a person who calls your dog a 'fur baby' maybe you'd be happier with a place that just keeps the dog crated all day with the occasional pee break. For my money, Dog Daze can't be beat.

The owner Charlie is absolutely wonderful! I have severe anxiety, & would struggle some days leaving my pup at our old daycare... but from the moment I first spoke on the phone with him, he put my mind at ease. He’s very knowledgeable, & I trust him & Katie 100%.

Friendly and knowledgeable staff and my dog LOVES going there!!!

The Dog Daze team is wonderful! It is very evident how much they care for the wellbeing of the dogs that come into their facility. I recently moved to Charleston and was very hesitant in finding a place to board my Rottweiler. He is not the easiest dog and I knew I had to find somewhere he and I could trust. Charlie is transparent and honest, which can be hard to come by in the dog boarding world. I came back from vacation with a very clean and tired pup - can't ask for much more! Thank you to you and your team!!

Great place to board your dog! Bailey always comes home smelling fresh and clean!

Dogs seemed happy when I picked them up. I'm just disappointed that I couldn't your facility and no one would tell me if they had live feed access to check on pet

We had a great experience at Dog Daze with our 2 pups. Charlie and Katie were friendly, responsive, happy to answer questions and flexible about giving our dogs what they needed. We felt the price was very fair, the dogs were happy and so are we

Sent email, told to call. I state I am the one who sent the email (2 hours ago) Guy who answers the phone states "you have to narrow it down, I get lots of emails. Told him I am the one with the dog attacked by pit bull. in as fast as possible tells me to send records, set appt., bring dog to lobby, will assess his temperament and then we will let you know what we can do. I state I am concerned about causing any further trauma to my boy. He states " I don't know how bringing him to my lobby is going to cause him more trauma" Dude this conversation alone was traumatizing and we have been through hell the past 5 days. You need to check your attitude, stick to dog boarding and no I will never allow you near my dog as your vibe is not good!!!

We have been taking our dog here for 3 years. Dog Daze does a great job of caring for our big guy and we appreciate the attention and professionalism they show both our dog and us as owners. The BEST local dog boarding we've had in Charleston of the 5+ businesses we've patronized. Thank you, Charlie!

My wife and i had a great experience in years past with previous owner who was very attentive to our dog. We ask for anything to be done for Flora it was done. She would just charge us, Her staff Never kept us long on the phone for an amount to be paid and was just an ultra nice and courteous owner always greeted Flora with hello sweetheart. The new owner Charlie is not by any stretch. My wife asked if they could cut our dogs nails while boarded and the owner said "i guess" He takes our dog Flora away, there's not a( well see you guys), (good bye) nothing just grabs our Flora and saids come on lets go. My wife looks at me and she stated that was odd, i stated maybe long day. So a few days later we go to pick up Flora, i ask on phone "you take check"? Owner states "Yeah whatever" then is breathing heavy.when I ask for total on Floras visit he leaves me on the phone for 10 minutes as if he wasn't sure what dog or was ours lol! When he arrives back on phone breathing heavy he states total- i could not hear total as garbage pickup truck was running, so i state total back and ask-So i make it to Dog Daze right and he just hangs up. When Flora comes outside he yells get back to the car, I figure he thinks i have a virus or something ok, meanwhile I'm wearing protective gear. But then i ask i need to give a check so where do i leave it? He walks up to me and just takes it and yells" bye"! Meanwhile Flora is not brushed, nails not not trimmed, Panting heavy making gagging noises from lack of water. I get home she runs straight to her water bowl and is drinking heavily and I'm two minutes from there business. So I myself a business owner could not treat my customers in this manner without feeling horrid. I really do wonder how the pets our treated there. I don't run a pet business and imagine there's hurdles to it amid frustrations but you must treat the customer and especially the pets with dignity and understanding. Also you need to remember what your customer asks, who they are helps. If a payment method is not accepted let customers know, not a guessing game. If you find your in a mood fix it or ask another member to assist. We will never go back to Dog Daze, We don't need that experience and definitely our Flora doesn't. If i could demand a refund i would but i know it would be falling on deaf ears along with heavy breathing.

I wish I would have read these reviews before bringing my dog here. It’s obvious I’m not the only one that has had a bad experience. We boarded our dog this morning at 10:30 am for a 2 week vacation. At 12:30, 2 hours later, on our way out of town we passed by Dog Daze, and to our surprise our dog was outside, running around the house and near the road. Luckily we were driving by at that exact moment or this could have ended much worse. I still can’t believe how lucky I was to see him at the moment I did. Who knows how long he had been out of the fence by the road unattended. I spoke to the owner and he didn’t seem apologetic or that it was even a big deal. Just asked me if my dog was able to jump a 6 foot fence! If you want a place to board your dog where your comfortable he won’t be escaping and getting run over, do yourself a favor and call someone else. Now we’re struggling to find somewhere to board our animal when we’re supposed to be starting our vacation today. What a complete disregard for our animal and complete lack of prefessionalism.

Friendly staff and reasonable pricing. Took good care of our dog.

Used their daycare for two days while we were sightseeing. I could tell my 13 year old 95 lb shepherd had a wonderful experience there. And I was extremely happy with their grooming services. Kind and considerate staff. Thank You for making my old dog happy so we could enjoy our vacation in Charleston.

Max is going there for daycare weekly since he was 4 month old, now he is 4 years old. He is always so very happy as we get through the front door in the morning, you can tell that he wants to be there. Thank you, Charlie! Also, Sam is such a great guy, and you can tell that he loves dogs.

My dog really loves going here. I was nervous about boarding him anywhere after hearing friends with difficult scenarios (not here). At Dog Daze, my boy comes back happy as can be every time. He is also eager to run to the entrance when we arrive. I definitely trust them with my fur baby.