Why chose us?

The Dog Den aims to provide a trusted, safe and fun environment for customers, dogs and staff and caters to locals from surrounding areas or professionals working in or around Takapuna, Silverdale and the North Shore. At The Dog Den we believe that creating a bond with owners and their pets is a big part of our services, and everything we do is based on making care of the dogs as our first priority.

The Dog Den has two dog centres - 23 Barrys Point Road, Takapuna, opposite Countdown supermarket, and 52 Small Road, Silverdale - on the road to Snowplanet. Both locations are close to commuter parking, offices, cafes for your morning coffee - providing an easy solution for dropping off and picking on your way to and from work. There is plenty of off-street parking and we also have a drop and shop hourly rate, if you just need to drop your pup off for a short period of time.

We were a finalist in the 2021 Westpac Business Awards People choice category, and in the 2022 Westpac business awards for Excellence in Customer service.

We have also been rated as the no 1 Doggy daycare provider in Auckland in 2021 & 2022 in an independent survey by Money hub based on customer ratings.  https://www.moneyhub.co.nz/dog-daycare-auckland.html

Above all we wholeheartedly strive for your pup to have the absolute best time possible whilst in our care and for them to have new and exciting experiences each and every single day.orth shore dog day care takapuna dog day care Auckland

Charity & Community

We make monthly donations to Saving Hope, and Pet Refuge. We also look after a number of saving hope dogs in our daycare centres for their owners.

We also support Cure Kids and our family has been working with this charity since 2015.

We also financially support East Coast Bays hockey club

Our Team

Helen & Steve - Owners and Directors
Helen and Steve have two Border Terriers - Darby and Eddy with big personalities! They love dogs and Helen has owned and bred labradors, while Steve is a terrier lover. Steve has over 25 years working in People Development, HR and business, and was the CEO of a significant Ag business in NZ. Helen was a Project Manager at a large engineering consultancy in NZ. They started working on The Dog Den brand in 2017. Their qualifications:

• Bachelors of Science (hons) in Animal Biology & Biochemistry
• Masters of Development and psychology
• Certificate in Dog Behaviour and management
• Pet First Aid Certificates
• 60+ hours Puppy Preschool Training with Lyn Spathis (3 x National Obedience Grand Champion trainer)

Ruth - Store Manager / Senior Caregiver
Before joining the team, she had run and operated a successful at home dog walking, daycare and boarding business in London before moving back to New Zealand in 2019. Since then she has worked in 2 well known daycares in Auckland.  She especially loves working with our big dogs, and is incredibly passionate about what she does.

Qualifications:

• Pet First Aid Certificate
• Diploma in Canine Communication
• Level 3 - Animal Care
• 60+ hours Puppy Preschool Training with Lyn Spathis
• Pack Pro Training Certificate

Aimee - Lead Caregiver

Aimee LOVES dogs, and has 2 large dogs herself. Aimee has worked at other centres previously and has years of experience looking after all types and sizes of dogs. During her career she has learnt a lot about the health and well-being of animals, particularly dogs that had not had the best starts to life. 

• Trained in dog handling in multiple centres, and The Dog Den Takapuna
• Certificate in Dog management
• Pack Pro Training Certificate
• Pet First Aid Certificate

Ash - Senior Caregiver
Ash has been involved with large dogs her whole life. She is a German Sheppard breeder and a member of numerous German Sheppard clubs. She is very confident with all dogs, and loves to create an environment where they can truly enjoy themselves. Qualifications / Experience:

• Trained Dog day care handler with Dog Den Silverdale
• Over 40 years experience of living and handling dogs.
• Breeding dogs for 20 years.
• Many years experience of Dog caring and dog walking.

Laura - Senior Caregiver
Laura has worked in many industries, but working with animals is her favorite. She spent time volunteering at Auckland Zoo before deciding to go into animal studies at Unitec. Laura enjoys her career at The Dog Den. She works at both our Takapuna and Silverdale sites and helps run Puppy Pre School. In her spare time, Laura enjoys volunteering for Scouts New Zealand and learning new things. She wants to do further courses on large animals and dogs.

 Qualifications / Experience:

• Certificate Animal Management - majoring in Canine Behavior and Training (Unitec) Certificate in Beginners Dog Grooming (Angel's Grooming Academy)
• Pack Pro Training Certificate
• Over 12 months Puppy PReschool Classes with Lyn Spathis

Caitlin - Senior Caregiver
Caitlin grew up around every animal imaginable and was constantly bringing home animals that needed rescuing. She has worked with dogs since 2015 in a variety of environments including; kennels, veterinary clinics and of course doggy daycares.

• New Zealand Certificate in Animal Care
• Pack Pro Training Certificate
  

Emily - Senior Caregiver / Trainer
Emily has had a passion for animals since day one and she decided to turn it in to a career. After studying vet nurse assistance in 2021 and Canine Behaviour and Training in 2022 she found herself at the dog den. The dog den has become the perfect place for Emily where she can incorporate her love for animals and her knowledge in Behaviour and training.

• Animal management: Certificate in Canine Behaviour and Training

Louise - Senior Trainer
Originally from Arbroath in Scotland, Louise moved to NZ in 2008 with her husband and two girls. Studied Music at Aberdeen University and spent 22 years as a Music Teacher in Primary and Secondary schools in Scotland, England and New Zealand.  In 2020 Louise returned to Uni to study Canine Behaviour and Animal Management.  This was a choice driven by her desire to help others achieve a relationship with their dogs like she has with her dog Putu. Qualifications:

• Certificate in Canine Behaviour & Animal Management Level 4
• Pet First Aid Certificate
• Bachelor of Education (hons) in Music
• Diploma ABRSM
• Member of APDTNZ
• Complete CGC Foundation and Bronze courses
• Member of Canine Friends Pet Therapy

Lyn - Senior Trainer
Lyn is the proud owner of two Border Collies, Cobber and Gusto. Her life and passion is all about dogs! She has worked as a veterinary nurse for over 30 years, taking puppy classes during this time, and also works as a dog walker. One of her hobbies is Competitive Dog Obedience  and she has attained  the title of Obedience champion with two of her dogs. She also enjoys instructing at the North Shore Dog Training Club. In July 2020 Lyn and Cobber achieved the title of Obedience Grand Champion. Her aim in taking puppy classes is to encourage, and see develop positive relationships between people and their pups.

• Qualified veterinary nurse, with 30 years experience including assisting with surgical procedures.
• More than 40 years obedience training, and a founding member of the North Shore dog training club
• Multi Obedience Grand Champion trainer

Brittany - Senior Groomer

Brittany is a very experience groomer who has been highly sought after across Auckland and previously worked at Nost to Tail Albany for many years. She is very experienced in all types of grooming with different types of dogs. Unfortunately she is often booked out many weeks in advance - so call early to make an appointment for your furry friend.