Paws Up!

This place is concerning. They keep your dogs outside, Uncovered with about 10 to 15 other animals, even in the summer. There is one swimming pool filled with water for the dogs to drink out of. Otherwise they’re sitting on dirt for the remainder of the day. Big and small dogs alike it doesn’t matter they all throw them together to fend for themselves. There’s a foul stench when you come near the facility. Avoid at all costs.

Our male Weimaraner puppy started going to Paws Up! when he was 3 months old twice a week for a full day. He was assessed and accepted into Paws Up! with no issue. After he was neutered when he was about 7 months old we noticed issues with fear aggression. We solicited consultations from four trainers, one being the owner of Paws Up! She visited our home and experienced first hand our puppy’s issues but never followed up at all. Our puppy continued to go to Paws Up! with no issue or concerns mentioned by Paws Up! We decided to send him to a Board and Train program with the last trainer we consulted with and he was gone for two months. All the while Paws Up! was updated on his progress and return home by both email and in person. On his second day home he went back to Paws Up! and by mid day I received an email from Mel (the best staff member they have) saying he should take a few weeks off to continue to train at home. There was no particular issue pointed out, but he had done «fantastic» with one of the handlers and had met 4 new handlers that morning. He was also taken back in the morning with a large rope/​lead by another new handler. My trainer responded with a lengthy email explaining about our puppy’s nature and what his training did and did not do in respect to daycare, with no immediate feedback from the owner.
I picked him up early and was very upset since he was so new home from his board and train my options for a new daycare could be limited. I was then told that he had nipped staff members prior, which I had NEVER been told. Communication went on the following day between me, my trainer and the owner and she shared concerns with «negative experiences with our puppy and her staff and guest» again I had NEVER been told. For a while all daycare dogs received report cards. I have a large stack of report cards wtih all A’s and B’s for our puppy with no mention ever of any negative experiences and/​or nipping of anyone!
I opted to not return our puppy to Paws Up! and I emailed the owner and Mel my decision and thoughts and never heard back.
In a nutshell, many of the staff are caring and helpful. No one is considerate and experienced with dogs that need some extra time and TLC. The grounds are spacious and the location and price were perfect for me. The owners business manner is unethical and she is dishonest. I do not think her purpose at Paws Up! is for dogs and their well being nor is her knowledge of dog behavior what she markets it to be.

I’m probably overly critical of dog daycares in general… but Paws Up! has my business and my referrals. Dogs are divided by activity level and have loads of space to run and play… my dog is a ‘play tag’ and wrestle guy so he’s in the barn most days. He wags his entire body when we arrive, races to start playing (which starts my day nicely), plays all day and then comes home exhausted. The staff are wonderful as a whole and clearly love my dog – they’ll re-​enforce what I’m working on at home in training, too, so there’s no mixed messages. Photos come in via email in the afternoon as a highlight. The manager, Mel, is amazing. She’s empathetic and patient and does a great job communicating. The other patrons are lovely. My favorite part is that I can have a super productive day knowing my pup is being well cared for and having a blast.

I have two dogs, one is a 7 year old female and the other is a 11 month male. After a full day of playing. They come home exhausted and sleep all night. The only negative thing is if your dogs sleep on the couch/​bed they will be kinda dirty when they come home. Paws has dog pools, sprinklers, misters to keep them cool so they may be wet. I have no problem with this pay off. Overall great staff and facility.

We spent a month in Tucson and we took our dog Ellie to Paws Up twice each week. Melissa and the entire staff were so friendly and caring – we knew our dog was in good hands. Ellie loved playing there and made so many new friends. I would highly recommend Paws Up to anyone who is looking for a caring and knowledgable staff to look after their dog.

Fantastic place for day care. Staff and marvelous caring and very kind and accommodating. Lots of room for the dogs to play and roam.

Prior to my dog’s first day, I spoke with an employee and stressed that my dog is very shy around new people and places. When I dropped him off for the first time, I stressed the same concerns. They assured me that they were used to this and that they would act accordingly. When I picked my dog up later that day, they told me that they didn’t think he should come back because «he didn’t seem like he was willing to meet new people and was very weary of the staff.» I was also informed that he urinated on the floor a few times because he was scared/​nervous. My dog had been to other day cares and this had never happened. After a long conversation with the staff member and a few more details, it was obvious that they did not take it slow with him. I felt as though his day there was actually very forceful and traumatizing. I left very disappointed and under the impression that they didn’t in fact, know how to work with dogs that are shy or not as outgoing as others. I’m sure that this is a great place if you have a very happy-​go-​lucky dog that isn’t shy around strangers. But if you have a dog that is shy or needs to take things slower, I would not recommend this establishment.

Traveling through Tuscon we found ourselves in need of a dog sitter at the last minute. After several places turned us away, Paws Up came through. The staff were extremely friendly and even helped us contact our vet back home to verify vaccination records. They have large gated areas allowing dogs to roam around. I was very pleased with the service and experience. If I found myself back in Tuscon I would definitely give them a call.