Our Mission

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At The Happy Hound Play Park, our mission is simple:

To create a daycare experience that supports each dog’s emotional wellbeing, confidence, and long-term social success.

We believe a good day at daycare isn’t measured by how busy a dog is—it’s measured by how they feel.

Calm. Comfortable. Engaged. Safe.

Everything we do is designed to support the whole dog, not just provide activity.

All services at The Happy Hound Play Park are guided by The Happy Hound CARE Framework™—a structured care system developed by Best Life Pet Wellness to support emotional regulation, individualized support, and long-term wellbeing.

Traditional daycare often focuses on group play and energy release.

Our approach is different.

Dogs don’t thrive in busy, overstimulating environments. True social confidence develops when dogs feel safe, regulated, and supported at their own pace.

That’s why our programs are built around structure, observation, and intentional decision-making—not just open play.

Our goal isn’t to tire dogs out.

Our goal is to help them build their confidence, broaden their world, and support their comfort.

The Happy Hound CARE Framework™ is a proprietary care framework developed and owned by Best Life Pet Wellness and used exclusively to guide all services at The Happy Hound Play Park.

This framework ensures that every dog’s experience is thoughtful, individualized, and focused on emotional wellbeing.

C—Calm First

Emotional regulation begins with a calm foundation.

The CARE Model prioritizes nervous system stability through structured rest, predictable routines, and environments designed to reduce overstimulation. Activity is balanced with recovery so dogs can remain comfortable, settled, and able to cope with their surroundings.

A—Adaptive Support

Care is individualized to the whole dog.

Group size, environment, pacing, and expectations are adjusted based on each dog’s temperament, confidence level, energy needs, and emotional state. Rather than expecting dogs to adapt to a fixed program, the environment adapts to support each dog’s success.

R—Regulation in the Environment

Emotional regulation—not social participation—is the priority.

Each dog is supported in the level of interaction and environmental intensity they can navigate comfortably. Group size, activity level, proximity to other dogs, and social exposure are adjusted to maintain stability. Social interaction is introduced only when it contributes to comfort and confidence, and reduced or removed when a dog is not thriving.

Not every dog benefits from the same level of social engagement, and long-term success does not depend on participation in any group of other dogs.

E—Enriched Experience

Daily experiences are designed with purpose.

The CARE Framework incorporates mental, physical, and sensory enrichment that supports confidence, resilience, and overall wellbeing. Activity pathways are selected to engage the dog without increasing stress, helping build positive experiences rather than simply increasing activity.

A CARE-Based Environment

The Happy Hound Play Park is a CARE-based facility, where group decisions, activity planning, rest structure, and progression pathways are guided by the CARE Model.

This approach allows each dog to experience daycare in a way that supports emotional stability, healthy development, and long-term success.

Dogs are placed into a pathway based on their comfort and confidence and what they communicate for social interest. 

Some benefit from smaller, quieter environments that build confidence.

Others thrive in social groups once they’re ready.

Others do best without interacting with other dogs or with just one friend.

As a dog grows and their preferences change as they mature and go through life's experiences, their pathway may chang

Recognition for where each dog is, uniquely, on each day, allows us to support:

• Confidence in new environments
• Positive social skills and behaviours
• Emotional regulation
• Positive associations in new places with new people

Our role is to observe, support, and adjust so each dog can succeed.

We don’t evaluate the success of a dog's day based on how much they play.

Instead, our team watches for indicators of wellbeing, including:

• Clear, relaxed communication
• Comfortable engagement with the environment
• Interest in social interaction without overwhelm, whether with dogs or people
• Ability to settle and rest
• Growing confidence over time

These observations guide how we support each dog’s experience.

The Happy Hound Play Park was created to raise the standard of care in the dog care industry.

We believe dogs deserve environments that:

• Respect their emotional needs
• Support healthy development
• Prevent stress and social burnout
• Support emotional regulation and rest
• Build skills that carry into everyday life

Our approach is designed not just for a good day—but for better long-term outcomes.

When your dog is with us, you can trust that their experience is:

• Intentional
• Individualized
• Professionally guided
• Focused on wellbeing

Because at The Happy Hound, care isn’t just supervision.

It’s a system.

It’s a philosophy.

It’s The Happy Hound CARE Framework™.