True Dog Daycare and Training Center

True Dog Daycare and Training Center is a home-based dog boarding and daycare business in Tucson, Arizona, owned and operated by a dog behaviorist. The daycare group is kept deliberately small, so the same dogs learn each other instead of meeting a new crowd every morning. Boarding is cage-free and runs $40 to $50 per night.

Services and amenities

• Cage-free boarding, $40 to $50 per night
• Daycare with controlled indoor and outdoor socialization
• Training and behavior work under the same roof
• Free behavioral assessments on Saturday mornings
• Multi-dog boarding rates for households with more than one dog

What makes it different

The owner is a behaviorist, and that shows in how the day is run. Groups stay small and stable rather than churning, and socialization is supervised as dogs move between indoor play space and a yard. A dog interested in joining the daycare pack can come in for a free Saturday assessment first, which gives an honest read on whether the group suits them. Training is part of the same operation rather than a separate service somewhere across town. Households boarding more than one dog have their own rates.

Booking and practical details

Reservations are made by phone at 520.261.3166. Hours are 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday, and 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday. Owners can also reach the trainer by email at trainer@truedogtraining.net. The business keeps its own site at truedog.net, which covers its daycare, boarding, training and behavior consulting work, and it posts on Facebook and Instagram. For a Tucson owner who wants their dog watched by someone who reads dog behavior for a living, and who would rather have a handful of steady playmates than a full room, this one is worth a call.