The franchising industry in the U.S. is enormous, with approximately 9,000 franchise brands. With so many options available, it can be as exciting as it is overwhelming to navigate different franchise opportunities. A great place prospective franchisees can start is narrowing down the list of industries and determining how each player within those industries compares.

If the dog wellness industry tops your list, we’ve outlined some of the ways Dogtopia stands out from other franchise brands you may encounter in your search. (If you have questions about franchising with us, we encourage you to review our detailed FAQ page for more information about our opportunity, the pet industry, and more.)

MEMBERSHIP & RECURRING REVENUE MODEL

Dogtopia is the only pet services brand that is based on a recurring membership model. This allows pet parents to give their dogs the socialization, exercise, structure, and education they need on a regular basis and results in more frequent daycare visits. For our franchisees, this means recurring, dependable revenue with a high frequency and consistent client base. Our dog daycare membership model allows our franchisees to build a community with their customers along with a thriving business.

FOCUS ON WELLNESS & SAFETY

For more than 20 years, we have been redefining doggie daycare as more than just a place for dogs to visit. When you become a Dogtopia franchisee, you will provide genuine, holistic wellness for dogs in a safe, supervised environment. Our commitment to ensuring dogs live a long, healthy, and happy life is evident in every aspect of our business model, including our extensive dog evaluation process, interactive mental and physical activities, and playroom assignment based on size and temperament. Every Dogtopia facility is also equipped with rubberized flooring for ultimate paw pad and joint comfort, a sophisticated HVAC system for climate control and cleanliness, an odor control system, proprietary dog-safe cleaning products, playroom webcams, and soundproof walls. Each daycare is staffed with expertly trained team members, who have access to our learning management system (LMS) with 650 hours of training content developed by our subject matter experts—an environmental biologist, veterinary scientist, and canine behaviorist. This custom curriculum has been approved for continuing education credits by the International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants (IAABC) and the Certification Council for Professional Dog Trainers (CCPDT).

Our commitment to dog wellness also extends to our overnight boarding and spa services. Enabling our franchisees to offer quality services beyond daycare expands your revenue streams and profitability potential.

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EFFICIENT STORE DESIGN

Dogtopia is always finding ways to maximize profit and lower costs for our franchisees as well as experimenting with the latest trends, which leads to innovations like our new store design.

As an indoor dog daycare facility, site selection is a major step in the franchising journey, especially because there’s a need to find a large enough space for our multi-playroom structure. However, our latest store design allows space-saving efficiencies, more play space than our previous model, and faster construction so our franchisees can open their doors in less time. This new design also equates to franchisees saving 15% in cost per square foot and reducing overall capital expenditures—a favorable factor when seeking a franchise opportunity that can allow for greater revenue potential. The new design also includes standardized millwork and graphics, leading to an expedited construction schedule so you can open faster.

ADVANCED TECHNOLOGY

Ensuring efficient store operations is paramount at Dogtopia, which is why we are always looking to invest in the latest technology. Our proprietary Salesforce-based daycare management system, which offers a point-of-sale (POS) system and customer relationship management (CRM) software, is proof of our commitment to ensuring your daycare runs at an optimal level.

We also have a mobile app for pet parents to reserve daycare, view our playroom webcams, schedule overnight stays, request curbside pickup and drop-off, book a doggie spa treatment, and more. This technology allows store teams and pet parents to communicate easily and efficiently.

Our franchisees are also supported by a robust national call center that assists with booking, while our internal marketplace helps our franchisees with all their supply needs and provides immense buying power across all locations.

EXPERIENCED LEADERSHIP TEAM & NETWORK

From our leadership team to our network of franchisees, Dogtopia is made up of skilled and passionate people. Our franchisees come from a variety of impressive backgrounds, and our large, tenured support office comprises teams dedicated to franchise sales, real estate, new store opening, marketing, technology, operations and revenue, finance, and supply chain and procurement, which are all readily available to help franchisees succeed every step of the way.

BRAND RECOGNITION

Dogtopia is the largest pet service franchise and largest provider of dog daycare in the world. We opened 43 new daycares in 2023, bringing our total to 266 locations, and have awarded more than 500 licenses awarded across North America. We are continuing to expand our reach, with the goal of reaching 400 stores in 2025. As a trusted name in the pet industry, our brand recognition is high, while our reputation and customer retention remain strong. Our franchise network reaps the rewards of our beloved brand, which is evident in the growing success we have across North America.

PET PARENT MERCHANDISE

DogtopiaShop.com is home to a wide range of high-quality branded consumer products, including our propriety spa product line that allows pet parents to bring the Dogtopia experience home. From fun Dogtopia T-shirts to dog bowls, the Dogtopia Shop is an extension of our modern brand and offers another revenue stream to our franchisees.

THE DOGTOPIA FOUNDATION

Our purpose goes beyond profit. We’re enabling dogs to positively change our world through the Dogtopia Foundation, which funds organizations that support service dogs for veterans, therapy dogs for students, and employment initiatives for adults with autism. Our Foundation is interwoven throughout our franchise network, and we encourage our franchisees to be involved in our Foundation via fundraising campaigns, awareness initiatives, and more.

Our franchisees’ involvement with dogs at a local level, where they provide care for the pups in their community, combined with their support of worthy causes on a broader level, allows Dogtopia to stand out from competitors and instills trust in our brand. Franchisees who want to make a difference in their role with a franchise that is socially responsible can do so with Dogtopia.

Plus, the work we do with the Dogtopia Foundation is appealing on a consumer level. 45% of consumers say they are more likely to buy from a brand that supports charity, while younger demographics (which are leading the way in pet ownership in the U.S.) are more likely to purchase from brands that are philanthropic.

AWARD-WINNING FRANCHISE SYSTEM

We are honored that Dogtopia ranks highly on several renowned franchising-related lists each year. Most recently, we took the number one spot in the pet category for the fifth year in a row in Entrepreneur’s 2024 Franchise 500 Ranking, were awarded Top Brand to Buy in the Animal House Category at Franchise Times’ 2024 Zor Awards, and more.

These accolades are a testament to our continued dedication to innovation and our ongoing commitment to providing a proven business model that our franchisees can confidently follow. It’s no wonder Dogtopia has proven to scale and become the smartest and fastest-growing franchise in the pet industry.

Find out more about why Dogtopia is different than other pet franchises, along with the support we offer our franchisees, and let’s bring a Dogtopia to your community!