Ciao Bow Wow

I love this place and so does my dog MURRAY. MURRAY was transplanted from a big backyard in LA and Sarah and company helped him adjust to city life. When we arrive at the building he can’t wait to see all his friends. They also pickup and drop off and MURRAY has spent many overnights when I needed to travel for work. They are great.

My dog Charley went to doggie daycare here for over two years and we were heartbroken when our out-​of-​state move meant she could no longer go to her home away from home at Ciao Bow Wow. The entire staff is incredibly friendly and loving towards the pups — the owner Sara knows every dog by name and treats each and every one as if it were her own. I felt more than comfortable leaving Charley here each day while we were at work and also on overnight stays while we were away for the weekend. You will be hard-​pressed to find another daycare staff that loves their dogs as much as Ciao Bow Wow does, and a lot of that stems from Sara’s attitude and love of animals. When Charley had an injured leg, Sara was more than accommodating and the staff kept a special eye on her to make sure she was not running too much or over-​extending herself.
You can tell Sara and the rest of the staff have put a lot of effort into making Ciao Bow Wow’s facility extra fun and homey for the pups. They have the entire second floor of an apartment building and have put pillows, dog beds, toys, etc. everywhere. There is even a puppy playground! The window bench is definitely a popular hangout spot for the dogs too.
Every year, Sara throws a halloween party for the pups and parents and everyone has a blast. Ciao Bow Wow even sends the parents a holiday card with a picture of their pup on it each year!
Ciao Bow Wow also does grooming and they do a fantastic job at that as well — we would get Charley groomed once every month or so and each time they gave her the cutest haircut.
I would recommend Ciao Bow Wow to anyone in a heartbeat — a big thank you to Sara and the staff at CBW from us and Charley!!!

My dog Jack has been going here for several years. He just loves going there and the staff are very friendly and accommodating in picking him and dropping him from our home. Compared to other doggy day care places that I have tried in lower Manhattan, by the far the best!

My puppy, Mac, loves it here! It is my favorite doggy day care place in the neighborhood. I love that it is all small dogs under 25 lbs, and also that it is a home-​like environment with very caring and well trained staff. Mac loves it so much here, he does not want to leave when I come to pick him up at the end of the day!

I brought my dog here for several months and I was extremely pleased with Ciao Bow Wow. The facility is on the 2^nd floor of an apartment building and they have just about the whole floor, which is a pretty decent size. The owner is so nice and friendly and knows every dog by name. Although the price is definitely on the high side, I honestly feel it is well worth it. Keep up the great work!!!

THE BEST dog daycare in the city. Since I don’t work around the area, I don’t take my dog Puffy as often as I used to. But he loves this place. Sara is always nice and he treats my dog very nice.

Wonderful staff but the owner is rude and mistakes with credit cards seem to happen one more than occasion. The place is dirty and as a result my puppy contracted 2 viruses and roundworm all at once. According to the vet this could only have happened due to him going there on a regular basis. This doesn’t include the multiple times he came home with conjunctivitis. I have sent him to other places in the past and never have I seen or experienced anything like this. It’s a health hazard and I’m not the only one to think so.

My papillon mix, Moki (1.5 yrs) just loves CBW. I take him there for daycare several times per week and he goes crazy each time we approach the front door because he can’t wait to get inside. The staff is wonderful and caring — it is clear that they really love what they do. I trust them completely (and I don’t usually trust anyone with my little boy). Going to CBW has really helped Moki overcome his social insecurities, and he is far less anxious/​wound-​up in general because he is getting the exercise/​playtime he needs while I am at work all day.

My French Bulldog Hamm-​e (10 months old) has been going to Ciao Bow Wow for about two months now. He is absolutely OBSESSED. When I drop him off in the morning, it’s like he can’t get away from me fast enough to go play with his friends. Then at the end of the day, I nearly have to drag him out of the building because he doesn’t want to leave. Once we get home, he sleeps through the whole night because he’s so tired from having fun all day!
The routine at Ciao Bow Wow is an ideal design for pups of all ages — first they have playtime, then lunch, then naptime and then more playtime. The space is really open and friendly with a bunch of small dog-​appropriate toys and places to relax. They even have a little playground set-​up for the dogs to sneak around in and a lovely window seat for them to chill out on.
I have nothing but praise for Sara and her staff. Everyone is super knowledgeable about managing many dogs. They’re highly trained, very attentive and overall nice people. I love knowing that I’m leaving Hamm-​e with people who are in-​tune with him. It only took one day for the staff to start calling Hamm-​e ‘a little ham bone’ because that is exactly what he is!
Top recommendations for Ciao Bow Wow. And I just want to say thanks to the team for giving Hamm-​e the time of his life while also making me feel 100% comfortable while he’s there!

I trusted Ciao Bow Wow with my little Schnauzer Bruno (1 year old) while I’ve been in town for the city for the last month on business. I can’t say enough about how amazing Sarah and her team are there — they took such good care of my little pup! Bruno loved Ciao Bow Wow so much he would drag me to the door of the building whenever we got within two blocks! There are a few things that made me choose Ciao Bow Wow over their competitors. First, they do interviews. Any good daycare will do this (and any good dog will pass) — it made me feel safe to know all the dogs were pre-​approved for temperment. Second, the dogs at Ciao Bow Wow don’t spend all day in crates and an hour playing. In fact, the dog’s have free run of basically the entire space. I think they put them in crates or beds for nap time in the middle of the day, but I forget. Third, Ciao Bow Wow does complimentary drop-​off, so I never had to worry about leaving work early or skipping a round of post-​work drinks to go pick up my dog. It’s worth saying that my dog really had a great time too. He was so pooped when he got home every day he had no energy left to play with me! P. S. I also got Bruno groomed and was very impressed.

My Vet recommended Ciao Bow Wow to me, and boy were they 100% right. just got to say i am so happy i found this place! Sarah and her staff are so wonderful. there care and concern for the animals are outstanding!!! I have a 9 year old long haired chihuahua named Juan Carlos. i had a wedding out of town and had no one to dog sit, i was so lucky to find Ciao bow wow, My dog is epileptic, and he stayed over night and all day the next day, i was so nervous he would take a siezure but he absolutely loved it there, and sarah even emailed me during the evening to let me know how well he was getting along with the dogs, which made me feel better. Thank you Sara for loving my dog as much as your own. Juan Carlos would not leave her side when i got there. I also had him groom and bath. Sara did a great job at that also. Juan Carlos came home from his mini vacation looking so adorable. This place is clean dependable, and your dogs are monitored ²⁴⁄₇ there. There is a application to fill out and proof of medcial shots ect. Can’t wait to take my juan carlos back to see Sara and her staff. I would totally recommend this place to any person looking for a great dog daycare and boarding facilities.

I have been taking my dog here for almost three years since I got her. She loves Sara and her staff and is excited to go there every week. They also take care of her when I am on vacation and I rest easy that she is in the absolute best care I could ask for. They take care of her as if she were their own dog and I could not possibly ask for a better place to take my dog!

Ciao Bow Wow is really a life saver. I recently adopted a 5 year old dog. I commute into the City from upstate New York and was worried about what I would do with my dog as I am gone for 13.5 hours straight (way too long for him to be by himself.) I began looking into day care and chose Ciao Bow Wow partly based on the proximity to my job and the PATH train, but mainly because of how they took the time to reassure me about their services when I first called. I called other day care places and I got the feeling they were more of a place to drop your dog and hope he’s ok.
First of all, Ciao Bow Wow gives a 10% discount on all services if you adopted your dog. I am a strong believer in adoption, so I liked this place from the beginning. Sara, the owner, has you fill out a 4 page form regarding your dog’s temperament, likes, dislikes, etc. You then bring your dog in and Sara slowly acclimates your dog to the day care, making sure he is a good fit for the day care. Luckily, my little guy, LOVED day care from the beginning. The dogs are all small to small-​medium, which is nice. All of the people working there really like dogs and really get to know your dog. They also play with the dogs all day. I sometimes arrive without anyone knowing I am there and can hear the adults talking and playing with the dogs. The place is HUGE with lots of toys, beds, blankets, places to climb, sofas and chairs. Lots to do if you have 4 legs.
My dog goes there 5 days/​week and gets VERY excited when we step off of the elevator.
My dog was kept in a cage at a breeders before I adopted him. At Ciao Bow Wow, the dogs nap from 12 – 2 in crates. I asked that my dog not be kept in a cage due to his background. No problem. They put him in a bed with a little enclosure around him. He didn’t like that either. No problem. My little guy now goes on the couch with the adults while the rest of the dogs nap and, I’m told, is happy as a clam. That is one example of how they really try to make each dog feel at home based on his background and temperament. They also worked with my dog to teach him to climb up and down stairs, something he has now mastered.
Dog care is expensive, but it is worth the peace of mind knowing my guy is happy and well taken care of. I whole heartily recommend Ciao Bow Wow. Your little friend will love you for it.

Let us start by saying that the staff at Ciao Bow Wow is wonderful. It is evident that they truly care about your dog, and we always felt 100% confident that they treated our dog well. He was always thrilled to see the staff members, and they were always very polite and professional toward us.
Unfortunately, however, the rest of our five month long experience with Ciao Bow Wow was severely tarnished due to the professionalism (or lack thereof) of the owner, Sara Delancy, and the cleanliness of the facilities.
We took our dog to Ciao Bow Wow every day (Mon.-Fri.) from February until June. We discontinued this routine because he contracted giardia two times in three weeks. We understand that the city is a dirty place and it is impossible to say with certainty that he contracted the parasite from Ciao Bow Wow, but it is highly likely. Our vet also suggested this possibility, as she tracks all of her cases of giardia and our dog was the only one to contract it so frequently. After his first round of giardia, he tested negative, then merely a week and a half later he contracted it again. Therefore, it was evident that he was likely contracting it from the daycare, and our vet agreed with the likelihood of this conclusion.
(In addition, between these two episodes of giardia, one night our dog repeatedly vomited pieces of plastic. Apparently, they allow the dogs to chew on inedible objects, and do not supervise them as they ingest pieces of plastic. Sara admitted to giving the dogs empty water bottles to chew on.)
We went in to express our concern to Sara, despite the fact that our dog loved to see the staff members, he was not able to gain any weight and we were concerned for his health if he continued to contract the parasite repeatedly. As it was early in the month and we had just purchased our monthly package, we asked Sara if she would consider prorating the package and giving us a refund for the unused days, or letting our dog continue to go there, but in an isolated space. We thought these solutions would be fair, since we weren’t backing out of the package because we changed our minds, but instead because we feared for the well-​being of our pet. Sara reacted very poorly to the entire situation. She gave us the usual cold demeanor and bad attitude that we were accustomed to, but as the conversation continued, she became extremely inappropriate and unreasonable in both the statements she was making and the way in which we was speaking to us.
She angrily brought up a time that we asked her for clarification about a bill. Granted, it was the first time we had purchased a monthly package from Ciao Bow Wow and we did not fully understand the charges on the bill, so we very politely asked for clarification. It was less than a five minute conversation and we were quick to admit that we misunderstood. I think it’s acceptable and reasonable for a customer to ask for clarification of a bill, especially when it’s the first time it’s being paid. We were shocked that she had been harboring ill feelings toward us for months simply because of this question.
She followed by mentioning a time when we asked about roll-​over days, which are mentioned on the website, but are not clearly explained. She grouped these two questions into accusing us of «questioning her bills every month.»
She then went on to yell at us for a time that she could not get into our apartment and we told her that we believed her (which we did). Apparently, she was angry that we said that because she felt we were being sarcastic, however, we truly were not. And her final claim was bringing up a time that she brought my dog home and I was there (because I came home early for being sick) and she was angry that I didn’t stop by to pick him up, even though they tout «complimentary pickups or drop offs.»
We were absolutely shocked that, over all of the months, her anger had been gradually building over these non-​events. She went on to say that she refuses to care for our sick dog, and if he did stay he would be in a very small space (in a threatening way).
She was completely inappropriate and unprofessional. She begrudgingly gave us the fair refund for the unused days while continuing to go on and on about these past events.
Ten minutes after we left, we received a half-​hearted email apologizing for her rudeness, but also reiterating the «reasons» why it was warranted and stating that she was tired. We all work full-​time jobs, we’re all tired, but that does not give anyone the right to treat a customer in such a way.
As long as your dog is immune to parasites, you don’t ask any questions, you don’t mind if your dog ingests inedible objects, and you can tolerate a bad attitude and poor customer service, then Ciao Bow Wow will be adequate for your dog. However, we’ve found that our dog is equally happy at cleaner facilities that treat customers with respect and courtesy.

My dog Toby has been going to the daycare for over a year. We both love the daycare. There are many things that set apart this daycare from others– first was the application. Your dog must be accepted into the daycare (they do not take dogs that are aggressive.) The play area is huge with lots of windows and beds. There is always someone there throwing a toy around and trying to keep the dogs active, unlike other places where I see dogs just sitting by the window and staring at the world passing by. I love how everyone seems to know each dogs quirk. Sara and the crew knew when Toby was hungry and her favorite snacks! My dog also knows the route to the daycare and whenever we are near by, she runs to the door. I unleash her once inside the building and she runs up the stairs ahead of me. Once, she tripped over her own legs because she was so eager to meet her friends. They deliver her home at night and my dog goes straight to her bed BY HERSELF! It is too cute for words!
Just spend a day there with your dog and you will know how much sara and others care about your dog. From washing the dogs behind when it gets dirty, to walking them home in a doggy sweater or stroller because of harsh weather; from throwing doggy bday parties to having hoilday soirees for owners and dogs… you forget that its a business and feel like its a second home for your dog.
I love ciao bowwow!!!

I’m writing this review on behalf of my puppy Zoe. She’d like everyone to know that Ciao Bow Wow is a lot of fun for her. She only started going there this month, on Tuesdays and Thursdays, but it’s already one of her favorite places to be.
Unlike most puppy day care establishments they have loads of toys all over the place, especially balls which allows Zoe to play her favorite game, fetch all day (and given how exhausted Zoe is when she gets home, we know she must be playing all day!) Another great thing about this daycare is that if you are within walking distance of it, they will pick up and drop off your pup for you, which is so great to save you time during your day, and they do it for no extra fee! They have bowls of water out all day long so the dogs can drink whenever they want unlike many other daycare places that just give them water twice a day. Finally, they have wee wee pads all over the place so the dogs can go whenever and don’t need to wait to be walked (which they don’t do here, but we’re so fine with that because at other dog daycare it’s more like they drag them outside wait for them to do their business and bring them right back in, it’s not an actual walk). The owner and all the employees we’ve met seem to really care about and love the dogs and they are very knowledgeable about all of the dogs that attend and dogs generally. Each dog gets its own cubby which is so cute.
The way the day works is that the dogs have free play until 11:30/12 then they put the dogs in each its own crate and put on classical music until 2 so the dogs can nap. Zoe had never been in a crate before but they told us that they put a cookie in and she went right in and immediately understood it was nap time, so much so that they had to coax her out on her second day because she was being a lazy zot. Then at 2pm if you want they’ll feed your dog — you can either bring your own food in or for like $ 1 a day they’ll give your dog Wellness food. Then it’s free play until pick up/​drop off.
We are so happy to have found this place because our experience with B-​n-​B and PS/​TS (big chain doggy day care) were all pretty bad. This is so nice because it’s owned and operated by the same caring woman and not just some corporate bureaucracy where they nickel and dime you to death and then don’t even take good care of your dog. If we could afford it we would send Zoe 5 days a week but then we’d miss out because she’d be so exhausted every night. Another great thing is they predominantly take small breeds so you don’t have to worry there’ll be a pit-​bull attack like there was at one of the big chains. I think on occasion they’ll take a larger dog if it’s older or more sedate in personality (like labs or retrievers) I’m pretty sure they wouldn’t be allowing pit-​bulls or Rottweilers.
All in all I highly recommend this place as the best doggy day care around. It’s definitely expensive but it’s priced in line with the big chain prices a good thing on cost is they don’t have any BS membership fee which is nice and they don’t charge extra for things you expect to be included (i.e. feeding your dog, allowing them to pee on wee wee pads, etc.) We are so happy to have found Ciao Bow Wow and look forward to using them as a grooming service as well. ARF!

This is a really, really good dog daycare center. Sarah and her staff genuinely care about each individual dog and the dogs really love them. This is a great place to give your dog the opportunity to socialize and play (and burn off some energy!) in a controlled, well-​monitored environment. My dog clearly loves going here. On our morning walks, when he realizes we’re going to Ciao Bow Wow, he practically tries to drag me the rest of the way there — he has the exact route memorized, down to the right door. The only negative I can think of is that they don’t have dog webcams for owners to check in on their dogs during the day.