Dogs are Tops at Playful Paws Dog Training Center and Daycare

Could your pooch use a bit of training while at daycare? A new business in East Lake combines dog training and doggie daycare. 

The Playful Paws Dog Training Center recently opened on East Lake Road. 

"We're very selective on the dogs we take in here," says longtime East Lake resident Mel Gavron, who owns the facility with his wife, Janice.

"They can't be too aggressive, they can't be dogs that dig out or jump fences, they have to be nice playful pets."

Dogs must be pre-approved to participate in doggie daycare. Pooches must pass a temperament test that includes different scenarios.  Owners must also provide proof that their dog is up-to-date on its vaccinations. 

The daycare features an indoor play area and large fenced areas outside that give dogs plenty of room to run around.

Trainer-handler Sarah Holmes, who Gavron jokingly describes as being "half dog", and handler Devin Lyman keep the dogs busy during their stay at daycare.

"The dogs get individualized care and while they're getting individualized care, they're also getting training," says Gavron.

"The shy dogs are trained to display their personality better. The dogs that misbehave are being trained not to misbehave."

Dogs also find plenty to do on their own. They particularly like to chase each other in circles around a large ornamental grass planting in the fenced yard.  

They love cooling off under a water-mister attached to a garden hose at a water station that also features running drinking water. During the warmer months, dogs will be able to cool off by splashing around in a bone-shaped wading pool.

Playful Paws also offers a wide variety of training classes for dogs including obedience training, agility training, search and tracking classes and trick classes, where your dog can learn special tricks, like how to get a beer out of the fridge.

The facility is located on a large parcel of property that features two acres of fenced outdoor areas for dogs. It has Pinellas County's only regulation-sized field with regulation equipment for dog agility training, according to Gavron, who says people from as far away as St. Petersburg have brought their dogs there to train.

Playful Paws Dog Training Center is located at 830 East Lake Road, (727) 466-4448

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