Go Play!

My dog, Captain, gets walked twice a week and goes to day care twice a week– this has been the routine for the past year and a half. It started out as something we were going to do when he was a puppy to keep us sane, but he loves it so much and they are so easy to work with we’ve kept it going even though he doesn’t truly need it anymore. He always comes home tired, but not filthy (like another day care we tried). He also gets all his grooming through Go Play and they are wonderful at keeping him looking handsome. They also communicate about any issues they have noticed (hot spots, vomiting, diarrhea), which I appreciate. One thing is for sure– Captain would not be such a happy dog without Go Play!

Quoted me a price which was on the high end. My dog has long hair so I expect that, even though other places have charged me half that amount. When I went to pick up my dog I was told it would be $ 55 dollars OVER the quoted amount (over$ 100!!! for a dog haircut!)but they would give me a discount of only $ 30 over the quote?!? What kind of business does that? They never called to discuss. I would have taken my dog there for the duration of his life, now I will never go back. Please be aware there is no way to budget for this place as they will charge you whatever they feel like.
*my dog does get matted even though I brush him everyday. That being said no other place has charged me over the high amount. They had groomed my dog only 5 weeks prior, so he was not unkempt. Plus he is only 15lbs!

Go Play! has been great for both daycare and training. Their space is small but well-​kept, they are excellent at screening potential dogs for appropriateness to their setting, and they are attentive throughout the day. Our Leonberger puppy has been going every afternoon for nearly 3 months: it has been terrific for him, and he comes home happy, tired, and very well-​socialized with other dogs. In fact, I’d say their small facility (they say 400sf) is actually a plus, because it promotes learning respectful behavior with other dogs in close quarters. However, it means they can’t provide flat-​out running, so some dogs (greyhounds, wolfhounds, etc.) will still need supplemental off-​leash time at one of the local dog parks. But that’s where the care the owners take with screening is so helpful.
The training classes use positive reinforcement, and are small but varied (kindergarten, beginning obedience, beginning agility, CGC, therapy dog, etc.), although handlers looking to move on in competition-​level obedience and agility will need to graduate to one of the large local clubs. We’ve recommended them to several local dog-​owners, who have also become satisfied customers. Very highly recommended.
They have other services as well: dogwalking in your home, transport to/​from daycare, grooming, and a small but well-​stocked shop with food, treats, toys, etc.

So far my experience has been great. I started looking for a Doggie Daycare last month for my Boxer, Chance. I checked out reviews and websites, then started emailing the daycare’s that I felt would be a fit. Jen emailed me to gather all the info she needed. We popped in to meet, then set up a half day trial to make sure Chance would be a fit. I liked that there was an effort to make sure that my dog was going to get along with the other dogs in daycare before we started. It puts me at ease when I drop him off knowing that he’s getting along with everyone. The half day went well, and Chance seemed to love it, so we decided to do 3 days a week moving forward. It’s still early on, but I think this is going to be a great fit for us.
The price is also very affordable, the location is easy to get to, and every staff member I’ve met has been great.

i had to wait a few days to write this review because i am so bummed about what happened at Go Play and if i had written it a few days ago it would have been angry and bitter. but let me tell you the story and you can decide for yourself how this place is. i ran into the owner on the street and stopped to ask about her practice because i work right down the street and had been trying to come up with a plan for my dog to get out of the house more due to the fact that my bf and i work late and he is alone a lot. she seemed very nice and professional so i made a point to stop by to see her place a week or so later. it is smaller than my spare bedroom at home. there are no toys out for the dogs. no food or water. just a bunch of dogs of all sizes in this crowded room looking completely bored and catatonic. the girl i met was nice enough but clearly didnt know everything about the place she works at since she gave me wrong info on prices. however the price was cheap (i can see why now, which is my own fault for taking the chance) and location was convenient for me. i went through all the necessary steps with my vet to make sure my dog was up to date on everything and set up an evalution with go play to meet my dog and make sure it was a good match. i could not have been more excited about this and had high hopes. i brought my dog in and after 20 minutes of having him walk around their room i was told by the owner how she was SURE he would be a great fit, had no worries about it not working out, and was excited to have him aboard! i will add that he had an accident about 10 minutes after being there on his day of the evaluation probably due to the fact that he was brought into a room with about 20 other dogs all coming up to him and sniffing him. i was very clear with the owner and other girls how this is his first time going to a daycare. i explained how i wanted this for him so that hed get used to being around dogs, get out of the house and use up some energy since he has a lot when my bf & i get home from work, explained also how he has some separation anxiety etc. i was told him having an accident was NOT a big deal. how its completely natural for a dog to be excited and/​or nervous in this environment at first and not to worry.
OK so i bring him for his first day of daycare, all excited and early. they take him in and i go to work. ONE hour later i get 3 calls from them that i have to come pick up my dog. mind you i am at work. when i ask what went so wrong that i am being called an hour after leaving him there that i am being told i HAVE to come pick up my dog and i was told «he doesnt like it. he has gone to the bathroom and is pacing and panting». let me just explain to you also that my dog «paces» because he is nosy! he is 5 yrs old. it was a completely new environment with about 30 dogs this day all in ONE room that is tiny with again nothing for the dogs to do. no order where they maybe separate smaller dogs or female dogs or have some in one room and some outside, etc. there is no outside by the way. so i have to leave my job to go pick up my dog like he is some troublemaker. i pick him up and let me tell you the attitude in the owner was much different than it was when i was dropping him off. he was no longer called «handsome» and she was no longer upbeat and positive about the experience. she just tells me it was not for him and to try a dog walker.
so after one hour of being at her daycare she decided he was not fit. he did not attack any of the other dogs. didnt bark. didnt disobey the workers. he had an accident which i was reassured the first time was normal and apparently paced. im sure out of curiosity and boredom. and was panting i am sure because there was NO water available. when i brought him home he drank 2 bowls of water which makes me think the time he was there it was clearly not available for him. he didnt know these people or the dogs and wasnt even given a chance. not even a whole day. which was by the way only going to be 4 – 5 hours for the first visit. i could not be more disappointed. granted they did not charge me which honestly i would not have paid anyways. i was as nice about the situation as i could be at the time but had to write this review for anyone else interested in trying this place out. it was a huge letdown and waste of my time. not to mention i missed hours of work due to having to pick up my UNRULY dog. who is a 30 lb puggle who does nothing but wag his tail and try to kiss you. the entire experience was embarassing and unpleasant and i wouldnt recommend this place to anybody. Thank you!

I have two dogs and we love Go Play. I agree that the physical plant is small and not luxurious but that is made up for by the excellent grooming and training classes offered. We get two dogs groomed and have done two different training classes. The owners are incredibly responsible about the health of the pets they serve. The staff checks with your pets Vet before the appointment.

Brought my dog Handsome Harry in for bath and haircut. He smelled so good for over week they did a great job on shaving him down because of matts. I think they were great Harry has his own idea lol took awhile for him to get over being mad at me but he looks so handsome thanks great job!

I know that when I leave my dog for day care that he is going to have an amazing time with people that love and understand dogs in general and my pup’s quirky personality in particular. The products they carry are terrific; it is great to have access to natural products that the owners use with their own dogs. The grooming services may seem pricey to some but it is worth it when they are so gracious about the occasional difficult session. I think the Jens are ethical, honest and responsible business owners with a terrific staff. I only wish I could board my little fella with them when I go out of town. It is a shame that the person who gave them a 1 star review still insists on letting it stand. Their original review was in 2007 — SIX years ago. It is so irrelevant. Go Play! exemplifies Arlington independent business at its best!

I have to leave this review because I’m in love with my dog’s haircut right now. Let me start by saying, he looks ridiculous, but it was EXACTLY what I asked for! He is sporting (looong) blue ears and a blue tail. I laugh out loud every time I see him. They were able to accommadate my schedule and they are less expensive than Petsmart for Grooming (AND they dyed his ears and tails blue, which I LOVE)
I also took him here for a ³⁰⁄₃₀ Agility class, which he loved and during which he learned a lot. Unfortunately, due to old age and a bad back my vet has asked me to have him retire from Agility, so we’re going to have to find a new hobby.
Lastly, my roommate brings her dog here for Daycare once a week which he loves and we are treated to facebook photos of what he does all day.

OUTSTANDING dog-​walking for my pooches– I’ve been a client for over three years, and the crew at Go Play has been consistently professional… reliable… and wonderful with my mutts. Plus, I love being able to support a local business!

Jen and Jen are amazing– they are courteous, professional and carry the best in healthy organic products. They are an asset to Arlington in every way!

I’m writing an update in lieu of *removing* my review as requested by the owner of this establishment. Although my review was written more than three years ago, I have been asked to remove the review.
I’m leaving my original review, and as a compromise, I am including the correspondence received from the owner wherein she asked me to remove my less-​than-​favorable review.
The practice of business owners contacting reviewers and requesting that they remove reviews causes me concern over the reviews I do see on Unilocal,so in the spirit of fairness and transparency, the original review will remain and I’ll include the message I received from the owner to show how attentive they are. However, as I have not returned to the business, my original rating will stand.
Hope this helps!
Unedited message as follows:
—-
Hello,
I’ve messaged you a few times before, but have not received a response.
I was hoping you would consider removing your review of our company on Unilocal.We have changed a lot since we opened in late of 2007, and my partner and I have done our best to provide Arlington with a friendly dog-​retail store and pet care service.
Thank you for your consideration.
Best,
Jennifer

I called about having a temperament test to see if my dog would be a good match for their doggie day care play group. I told them my pup is toy defensive. That was all they needed to hear before telling me it would not work out. After doing some research it turns out most dogs are toy and or food defensive and Crate Escape (although that place has its own faults) accepts this fact and will not exclude dogs based on this fact alone. It’s a basic instinctive behavior. My dog happens to exhibit a dominant stance regarding toys. So by the above logic I figured they could have at least brought him into their group for a trial test to really see if the dynamics would or wouldn’t work.
Conclusion: The play area is incredible small (size of a living room) and they were quick to judge my pup as unsuitable for their play group without really giving him a face to face chance. After all, the idea is to get a dog into a regular social group and have them learn from other dogs how to get along with other dogs. Apparently this place is looking for already heavily socialized dogs which only exhibit submissive personalities regarding toys. It’s the old catch 22 of ‘you need experience to get the job but you can’t get experience without a job.’ Well, that’s my dog. He needs socialization because he’s adopted and has a deficit in that area but this place wasn’t willing to let him get that experience. Understandably, doggie day care places must be very careful when admitting new dogs to their «packs» in order to screen for dogs that do not get along with other dogs. But my dog does, he just happens to also exhibit the very normal behavior of toy defensiveness.
So not a place that was willing to ‘work with’ a dog to get him acclimated to a «pack» environment. Or even give him a chance at an actual temperament test.
Perhaps they supervise the play of a group of heavily socialized submissive dogs in a small space well. That may be their specialty. However, if your situation is anything like mine as described above, your experience may be as fruitless as mine. Maybe, maybe not. See for yourself.

I can’t say enough good stuff about Go Play. They’ve provided twice-​weekly dog-​walking for my hound for almost three years, and they are exceptionally professional, knowledgeable, courteous, and down-​to-​earth. It’s incredibly reassuring to know that my dog’s looked after by folks who love her like she was their own.
In addition, I really love to be able to support a great local business, and I appreciate the thought they’ve put into the selection of items for their shop. SO much better than going to the boxy megastores!
In closing, my son would like to add the following thought:
THIS IS THE BEST PET TYPE STORE IN THE WORLD!!!

This place is OK. The people are friendly enough but I think there grooming services are a little overpriced. Also, they always hassle us that we don’t bring our dog in often enough to get combed/​groomed. After a couple visits, I think we are going to try another spot.

I can’t give Go Play a full five stars because I haven’t used all their services, but I can tell you, I’m a big fan!!!
First of all, please don’t let the person who has lived there since 2004 discourage you, there *is* a park nearby and is even shown on the map — Wellington Park. That is where I take agility classes taught by Jen at Go Play offered in conjunction with the Town of Arlington.
The agility classes are a ton of fun and, although my dog is normally very quiet and well-​behaved, she is just NUTS about agility and can barely (sometimes can’t!) keep from whining when we get there on Monday mornings until she has had a turn on the course. Jen is super and very positive. Exactly what you need when introducing all this new stuff to dogs.
I’ve been to Go Play for a couple practice sessions and both Jens are just super nice and I like that they have some quality stuff for sale (good foods, nice collars, toys, fleeces). Their space is not huge but they seem to make the most of it.
I even left money their one time after a tough week and being super distracted and they called me right up to tell me! Nice, honest, positive — if I needed any of the other services they offered I would be sure to try them.

ok, so anyways, its time sniffy gets a gentle leader, hes not a very good boy on walks and its for his own good, too bad we cant figure out how to put this thing on him correctly. hey, thats why there are places like this, to help us, right?
so popping back into this place, they recognized sniffy a lot quicker then the recognized us, that happens, we live. so they updated the look and i must say, its pretty nice, also very cheap, not quality cheap, $ cheap! yowza.
we just came from petco and although they gave him all sorts of stuff for their ‘grand opening” (its been open for years.)go play is cheaper and appeals to the whole keep corporate out mentality.
still cant give 5 stars cause even still its pretty cramped in the front part of the store (not the dog play area, thats pretty big)

i’ve brought my mini schnauzer here twice to get groomed and jen did a fabulous job both times! he is a nervous little guy, and she has been very patient with him, which of course i appreciate! also, a big bonus over some other groomers is that she only does one dog at a time — there aren’t like 20 dogs stuffed into crates all barking away in the same space!

I brought my norwich terrier to Go Play to be groomed and they did a fantastic job! He had only been hand stripped in the past (very expensive and time-​consuming process used for show dogs. I realized after a few years of owning Gus there was really no need to put him through that.) The groomer at Go Play made his coat look so soft and downy and worked really fast. He was done in less than 2 hours! Cost was really reasonable too. They are a great little shop and they clearly love and know how to groom doggies.

Go play’s Doggie Day Care has been taking care of my puppy since pretty much they day we got her. Jen and Jen the owners are friendly, personable and obviously love the dogs that they care for.
The space is not huge, but definitely big enough! They take the dogs out regularly for walks and to the park down the street. Kallie (our puggle) loves going there and playing with her puppy and dog friends. Jen and Jen didn’t mind that she was not fully house trained when we first started bringing her and they have also pointed out a couple health issues they noticed during the day that we were then able to clear up with the vet. Their rates are very reasonable and they also offer a pick up/​drop off service that I would totally use if I ever got in a pinch and needed them to come by my work.
The store front also has some retail product… leashes, food, toys — which is convenient, when picking up your dog. I know they also do grooming as well as dog walks, pet sitting and Training! I haven’t used these services but if I lived closer I would.
I would recommend Go Play to anyone looking for a reliable, loving doggie day care environment.