Your Dog's Best Friends

Seth

2023-12

Head trainer Kevin was incredibly welcoming to us and our socially anxious dog. We were able to bring our dog by for a soft, 30min trial to make sure our dog would be ok with the other dogs and new environment. Today was a successful first full day. They have a room with one-way windows that you can watch the play pen from. Staff were friendly, seem to really love the dogs, and appeared to know most of the dogs by name. We’re grateful to have this doggy daycare in the neighborhood!

Ryan Clark

2023-05

I really can’t say enough good things about Kevin & the training staff at YDBF - we were so lucky to find them.Our rescue pittie mix was well trained in the basics but fearful of other dogs - given her size and breed, it was a challenge to find a trainer willing to work with us. Kevin was awesome helping our girl get comfortable around other dogs and teaching us how we could help her. He was also did an awesome job answering all of our questions and working with other behaviors around the house.We also found prices very reasonable given all of 1 on 1 time he spent with us. We highly recommend Kevin to anyone looking to train their pups in skills big or small.

Tiffany Baker

2023-08

Today was our first day here for daycare. I was so impressed by the lead trainer, Kevin and all of the staff were very kind and welcoming. They made me feel very comfortable despite my hesitations with the process. My rescue doodle pup had fun, socialized, made a best friend he played with for 45 minutes, and came home exhausted. The staff was very responsive to cleaning up messes and stopping borderline behaviors of other dogs while I observed the orientation. Can't wait to send him back for more dog fun.

Virginia Bush

2024-02

Britney V did an excellent job grooming our dog. I have been grooming our dog at home because she is so afraid of the groomers, shaking and refusing to go in. Britney was very gentle with her and clearly built up a rapport.

Craig Bucher

2024-03

My dog loves it here and they seem really partial to him. Have used their bedroom boarding several times, as well.

jaimie griffin

2023-09

Emailed on August 21 to book a grooming appointment and the earlies they had available was September 5. Front desk staff asked for updated vaccines and I provided them and requested that she also be booked in for daycare that day since I am flying out for a work trip, and my mother could pick her up after she gets off work in the evening. Brought my dog in the day of the appointment and sometime between when I booked the appointment and dropped her off their policy had changed and they needed an additional vaccine. This was not told to me in the initial email exchange nor via a phone call. They would not take her into daycare, but told me they could "set up a small section of the grooming room" to keep her in until my mother could pick her up. I'm highly disappointed and stressed out that I am out dog care for the day, at the very last minute, on the day that I am flying out on a work trip.Do better.

Clay Friese

2020-05

We have been taking our pup Fred here for a long time and the staff is phenomenal. I highly recommend getting your dog groomed here. The prices are not bad and the groomers are perfect. I have not used their boarding/ daycare services yet but I will use them in the future.

Allison G.

2020-05

YDBF has been a great resource for me as a dog foster parent. Some of my fosters have not been good candidates for the dog park despite wanting to be social with other dogs. The dogs are always eager to go and tired when they come home, like my foster Jack, who usually slept for 10-12 hours (except for a quick pee break or two) after a day at playcare getting supervised socialization. Now, he's in his forever home with canine siblings, and happy as can be. Jack's behavior at YDBF let us know he could be placed in a home with other dogs without worry. And I'm really thankful I have YDBF available for my fosters. The dogs have a great time. They're supervised. The staff will note their behavior and let you know how your dog behaved. It's been all positive experiences, and I cannot recommend them enough.

Marta Kaighin

2023-05

The best day care and grooming in northern VA! We continue to use their services since moving into DC. Even if we haven’t gone in a while, the staff still know our pup by name and we love the grooming staff. Very knowledgeable and attentive to our pups needs!!

Colton

2024-02

We take our golden retriever there for daycare. Staff is wonderful and our boy has a great time and comes home exhausted!

Heaven Artis

2023-05

I brought my dog here cause the reviews were great. After about a week my dog was shaking every time we pulled up. She didn’t wanna go inside and when I addressed the staff about it they said she’s probably just “tired”. Come to find out they don’t verify vaccinations and one of the dogs at the daycare was not vaccinated for distemper and ended up passing it to mine. She died 3 days later. Due to the staff being EXTREMELY disrespectful and ignoring my pleas for help, I decided to address the owner. He was NO help at all. He was rude and offensive and told me that because of my ethnicity he would not make a big deal about MY dog dying in HIS establishment. These were his exact words. If you’re thinking about bringing your dog here, don’t. The owner was very unprofessional and you could tell he did not care for his clientele. 0/10 recommend.

Danielle Skinner

2022-05

I have been going here for years and they take such great care of the dogs, who they treat as family. My dog was boarding here this weekend while i was out of town and she had a health emergency. I didn't know what to do but the staff was great and went above and beyond to make sure she was okay. They drove her an emergency vet late in the evening, after closing hours, and waited on call late at night to hear from the doctor. She had to stay overnight in the hospital and the staff picked her up the next day (shout out to Yolanda for driving back and forth and being so responsive to my calls). They made me feel so much better knowing my dog was in such great hands and with people who care about her!

Samantha Attenborough

2020-05

Our dogs loves this place so much he tries to get us to walk that way on weekends. Everyone is so kind, friendly, and accommodating. They take excellent care of all the dogs and our dog has the best time there. We currently use the walks most days, day care once a week, and we have had our dog stay overnight before when we go out of town. We are extremely satisfied with their service-- and more importantly so is our pup!

Hilary Jenkins

2023-05

Took my pup there for the first time at the end of last week.1. The place is dirty inside.2. They had over 100 dogs in one day; one of the employees told me it was a busy day and the number. REALLY?? Don't they have a cap!? All about the money there?3. My dog was absolutely freaked out by the owner's onboarding - he just kept brining in more and more random dogs for testing...4. Three days later and my dog has a UTI! Not surprised - the place is dirty. :(Will not be taking my dog there again.

Armoni Collins

2020-05

We went in with our 12 week old pup to inquire about daycare and a tour of the facility. We were greeted soon as we walked in which is always a plus and the employees in the front were very friendly and helpful. There was a young lady that toured us and she was very knowledgeable and gave us great advice for our pup. Seems like a great getaway for your pups. I would have done 5 stars but the only two things I didn’t like was that the front area smelt like all dog urine. Most facilities try to keep the front area smelling good and they only have two play rooms and none really for smaller dogs themselves. Other then that I would recommend them to anyone looking.

Katherine Watier Ong

2014-05

Our dog loves your Your Dog's Best Friends. We were looking for a boarding place that could handle high energy dogs like ours (he has has issues at other boarding places) and this place is PERFECT for him. They know how to handle his energy so that he's not reactive to other dogs, and he LOVES the people that work there.He comes home balanced and happy. If we had an unlimited dog care budget, he would be there everyday enjoying the day care services they provide.

Monica P

2023-05

Dog was dropped off and five minutes later we were told to pick the dog up because they were no longer welcome. Dog has never been in an altercation, has not been injured or injured other dogs, had numerous successful boarding and daycare stays at YDBF, and has had nothing but positive reviews at other daycare and boarding facilities. Thankfully our plans were not thwarted as our other daycare provider was able to squeeze us in. The decision was obviously made long ago by YDBF but never communicated to us which is quite unprofessional.Over the last few months they have been trying to push training with their in-house trainer (whose certifications and continuing education are not listed anywhere) because the dog would rush to the entrance to investigate new dogs entering the play area. Normal dog behavior and in speaking with certified trainers and other daycare providers, something that is commonly managed by separating the newcomers for a short time while they acclimate and other dogs lose interest. The trainer at YDBF, in peddling his expertise, said that the staff cannot dedicate a person to calling off a dog. Interestingly enough, in speaking with a highly qualified, trained, and certified trainer about the issue, the very remedy to the issue requires someone constantly reinforcing a different behavior to the stimuli; this same trainer said that facilities often choose to manage the issue. I’ll take the time to say that at no point was it communicated to us that training with the YDBF trainer was a condition of the dog continuing to use their boarding and daycare services. We made good faith efforts to reach out to the trainer when these so-called concerns were brought to our attention and never received a response save for a very pushy and uncomfortable sales pitch when he ran after my partner on her way out of the facility.We can honestly say that we used YDBF solely because of their convenient hours and not having to secure a daycare slot in advance. However, it seems that these very same conveniences are what create an overcrowded, overstimulated, and badly managed environment. I look forward to saving money on dog cologne now that I won’t have to spray the dog down each and every time she visits the place. Thankfully she is deaf and can’t hear the floor staff shouting incessantly on the floor (fascinating how they’d also shout her name at pickup despite being told several times that the dog is deaf). Don’t be like us, sometimes a little less convenience and a little more money buys a whole lot of peace of mind.

Heidi Fitzharris

2022-05

We've been using Your Dog's Best Friend for about 7 years for boarding. We love the kennel-free boarding and so do our dogs! The "Salty" and "Sweet" play romp rooms are great for our dogs and their socialization! Highly recommend!

Amanda Bozzi

2018-05

Great place with really awesome staff! I dropped my little one off for her orientation (they make all new dogs go through a day-long orientation to make sure they aren’t aggressive or exhibiting other problem behaviors. It costs $60 for the day) and they gave me the full tour and explained how everything worked.Even though my dog was nervous at first, especially around some of the larger dogs, they introduced her slowly and made sure she felt comfortable.I will definitely be back for doggie daycare and for overnight boarding if I take a long trip.

Erika Steele

2023-05

Our dog Copper loves Your Dog’s Best Friends! Can’t say enough great things. From boarding availability to how the staff greet him when he arrives is a wonderful experience!

Terry S

2019-05

June 2018: THE ONLY reason we tried this place was they were vet recommended and they do not cage the dogs while boarding. The trainer had first night and he was able to get him to sleep (6 mo old Boxer puppy), the rest of the week a women or women said they couldn’t handle him and put him in a cage every night. If women can’t handle a puppy, i certainly hope they don’t have plans on having a baby. My dog has nasal discharge after being there, so he’s on 2 different meds now. We called everyday we were on vacation and was told he is fine, playing with other dogs. My wife picked him up and when they brought him out he collapsed on her feet and had lost weight. Needless to say we will never be back to this place. All the grooming reviews are horrible and boarding reviews aren’t good. They lie to you, too many other places to take your dog to board and daycare. Don’t set yourself up for a bad experience. Had to give 1 star since 0 isn’t offered.

Jennifer Warnock

2023-05

I was out walking my dog on a trail in Alexandria and I moved off to the side of the trail because he can be reactive. Along came one of the trainers from your dogs best friend who had a dog in his charge. I’ve moved off to the side since my dog can be a bit reactive —waiting for them to pass. He told me that I should move. And I said no I’ll wait for you to pass he’s like well I’m” not gonna pass I’m just gonna stand here. “ He became very combative, defensive, and rude.Then he proceeded to yell at me. This was a white guy With a scraggly beard who absolutely had no control over this dog.. I can give you legitimate training tips and people that can train your dog if you’re interested! I certainly wouldn’t trust my dogs best friend and the kind of element they’re employing.

Brittany Hedl

2020-05

Your Dog's Best Friends is an AMAZING company and they truly love and care about dogs. We used them for daily weekday walks for our 13 year old Lab for the past 10 months. I cannot speak highly enough of them - especially Yolanda! The only reason we aren't going to be using them regularly anymore is that my husband and I got new jobs where we can come home on lunch to walk her, but we will defintely still use them from time to time! Great communication and organization, and the best prices in the area by far. Our pup will miss you guys!!

John Martorana

2021-05

We left our family dog at this place on a Thursday and when we picked him on Sunday he had bite marks ad scabs all over his face that the attendant attributed to "playing." Look below and ask yourself if this looks like playing and reconsider whether you would entrust your pet to this place.

James

2023-05

YDBF has taken care of our baby Great Pyrenees from puppy to senior. She loves going to "school" with the other dogs. She has slept over for nights at a time while we were out of town. She goes to another daycare in FL over the winter and always rushes in when we are back. We have full confidence in YDBF.

Becca Kohlhagen

2016-05

My pup adores this daycare! He literally drags me in the building and doesn't look back as he happily greets his human and pup friends. The staff is incredibly kind, patient, and supportive. The manager referred to us as "part of the family" and that's exactly how it feels. Also, my dog is delightfully exhausted after a full day of play which gives me the night off from the dog park. I could not recommend Your Dog's Best Friends more highly.

Joseph Smith

2020-05

My dog has visited this facility on numerous occasions. He always has a blast when he is there. All of the staff are so helpful and friendly. I would recommend this doggie daycare to anyone that is looking for a place for their dog to stay and/or play. They also have a excellent grooming department. my dog can play all day, get a bath, then come home and relax.

Corina Freitas

2018-05

First time we went was about a year ago. Despite having an appointment it took 2-3 hours. We understood, we had a late appointment etc.Second time was last week, we made sure to have the 9am appointment. Our dog can’t tolerate cages and gets very anxious, so we brought him at 8:45 to make sure he gets done quick. They took the dog. At 9:40 we were asked what grooming we would like. At 1pm I was getting worried. I picked my dog at at 3pm!!!!! That is 6 HOURS after his appointment and he was the FIRST appointment. What did my dog do to deserve to be put in a cage and ignored, while other customers are given priority. What was the point of the appointment? The grooming itself was fine; but the service and the length of time for a terrified dog? No. Never again am I subjecting my dog to this company.

Bill

2021-05

These guys are great. No cages, your dog is in good hands. Plenty of open space. It doesn't matter if your dog is very active or more relaxed. Dogs are separated by level of activy. They really know how to treat your best friend like theirs. If it's a short stay to allow you to socialize your dogs or Longer vacation, you can trust them to have your dogs best interest in mind.

Dan Bailey

2018-05

Excellent dog day care! Staffed by dog lovers who enjoy what they do, this place is clean, safe, and fun for your pets. Some of their rules (no drop off or pick up from noon to 1pm seem quirky but they really do serve your dog well by giving the dogs a rest in the middle of the day. They have two play area based upon the dogs temperament so any dog that is well socialized will have a great time!