Franchising FAQ

Dogtopia daycare centers offer a wide variety of services to pet parents. This means that to operate, you need to have the appropriate staff present at all times. On average, your store will have 13-15 employees including a General Manager.

To learn more about staffing and the different roles, click HERE.

When looking to invest in a franchise, there are lots of factors to consider: unit economics, the growth of the sector, the culture and values alignment of the brand you are joining, and the liquid capital required.  At Dogtopia, we want to ensure you understand what those financial qualifications are so that both parties can get to an educated and informed decision on the fit of our model for you upfront.  

Read more on the blog HERE. 

Franchise laws throughout each province prevent us from providing an exact promise of a return for your protection and our own. In lieu of this data, we will connect you with other Dogtopia franchise owners to ask your granular financial questions and assist you with the completion of a pro-forma to help understand what your startup costs and ramp-up period may look like.

Based on the high volume of variables, it is difficult for us to anticipate what an “average” store should sell, however, we can say that our goal for every new daycare is to achieve $600K in top-line sales in your first 12 months of operation. 

To learn more, click HERE.

The three largest fixed costs involved with owning a Dogtopia will typically be: Rent, Payroll/Staffing, and Royalty Payments. 

For more details about the main operating costs, click HERE.

Overall, the timeline can range anywhere from 5-12 months, but on average tends to be about 10 months. To learn more about the four stages involved in opening a Dogtopia location, read more on the blog HERE.

At Dogtopia, our goal is to be a one-stop-shop for all dog-related services our pet parents need.  

We offer Daycare, Boarding, Grooming, Dog Training, and Retail services.

Read more about the services Dogtopia offers HERE.

When it comes to site selection, Dogtopia has several resources that make the process as easy as possible for you as a single or multi-unit franchisee. We will use our sophisticated mapping software to help you find the best location in your desired area and connect you with our commercial real estate firm immediately after executing your franchise agreement. 

Learn more about the site selection process HERE.

On days where only a few dogs are staying overnight, having no staff present is typically best as it keeps your payroll down and allows the pups to have a nice, calm sleep overnight after an exhausting day of daycare.

In higher boarding seasons such as Christmas or Spring Break when any given location may have upwards of 20 boarding dogs, we recommend having someone present overnight acting as a night auditor where they can monitor the dogs and complete additional tasks behind the front desk as well.

To learn more about how overnight boarding works at Dogtopia, click HERE.

Although Dogtopia is primarily an indoor doggy daycare that offers boarding and grooming services, we do also allow for franchise owners to have outdoor space as long as it is approved by your landlord and will be regularly maintained.

To learn more about outdoor space, click HERE

When owning a franchise, the people you are in business with is just as important as the brand you chose. It is important to know that no franchisor can ever run your business for you, however, we can provide maximum support in all areas brand-related.

We offer pre-opening support from our operations and real estate team. Once your lease is signed, we’ll start on building your Founders’ Offer to help drive maximum traffic to your door on your first day of business. Once you’re up and running, we’ll provide you with our Playbook – a guide that will help you do everything from facilitating a meet and greet to targeting the right audience while marketing. Our support office team will continue to meet with you and other Dogtopia franchisees on a regular basis during our Town Halls.

To learn more about the supports we offer to franchisees, click HERE.

While working with dogs and other live animals can be challenging in many ways, one of the best things about Dogtopia is that you don’t need to be an existing dog expert to join us! Dogtopia will provide you and your teams with all the training and certifications required so you and your staff are always ready to optimize a safe and fun environment for everyone.

Learn more about Owner/Operator Training, Bootcamp, and the Ongoing Support and Growth Opportunities HERE.

The pet industry is a booming $110B industry with growth projections to over $120B in 2022. It is recession-proof, predictable, boasts good margins, and is a growing market. Almost 60% of Canadian households own a pet and there are close to 6M dogs registered in the country. According to Forbes, an astounding 92% of pet owners spent the same or more on their pets during the most recent recession period, making this a very recession-resistant industry. The projected job growth in the pet industry is 11% between 2014 and 2024.

Driven by the humanization of pets, dog daycare services are here to stay. It is a scalable, easy-to-run business model with multiple revenue channels (daycare, boarding, training, spa, grooming, retail), with 65% of total sales coming from consistent recurring daycare revenue. Alternate revenue channels (dog walking, evening play, pick-up or drop-off) allow the franchisee to pursue continual sales expansion capabilities. A dog daycare business requires little inventory, keeping cost of goods lower than 5%.

Dogtopia Canada has partnered with the Citadel Canine Society, who trains service dogs and pairs them with first responders and vets. Also, the Dogtopia Foundation enables dogs to positively change our world by funding programs focused around three worthy causes: Service Dogs for Veterans, Therapy Dogs for Students, and Employment Initiatives for Adults with Autism. According to Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (Ag Canada), pet parents are more likely to support brands and businesses that show humanitarian work towards animals.

Humanization of pets is on the rise in two key demographics: aging boomers (empty nesters) and childless couples (aging millennials), as dogs serve to satisfy the need to nurture. In these households, dogs are treated as the children who are not there.

Yes, Dogtopia is a member of the Canadian Franchise Association (www.cfa.ca). We are also members of PIJAC (Pet Industry Joint Advisory Council) based in Ottawa.

Our spacious, modern facilities average between 4,000 and 7,000 square feet. Each location is specially designed to provide dogs and dog parents with the best experience possible by reducing odors, noise levels, and the risk of illness and accidents. Our locations are equipped with live webcams to allow clients to check in on their dog throughout the day.

Currently, Dogtopia has more than 260 locations in North America, of which 20 are in Canada. There are 13 open and operating in Eastern Canada and 5 in Western Canada, with another 19 locations sold and in various stages of development. Dogtopia is positioned to become the leading dog daycare franchise in Canada. The brand has launched a very aggressive growth initiative to rapidly grow its footprint to more than 70 locations in Canada over the next seven years.

Excellent. All locations in Canada are thriving in their local market and positioned as a premier service and industry leader. The number one indicator of success in any franchise is always the owner/operator. We set you up for success by providing support to vet the right location and facilitating 30 days of comprehensive training.

Premium markets are still available in all major cities.

The average initial investment for a Dogtopia in Canada is $700,000–$900,000 including the initial franchise fee of $49,500, which secures the right to operate a franchise in a specific territory for an initial term of 10 years. The initial franchise fee for multiple units may be discounted based on certain conditions and criteria. Dogtopia facility construction is in the $450,000–$700,000 range and can be partially offset with a Canada Small Business Financing (CSFB) loan. Multi-unit operators are encouraged and provide compelling economies of scale to operate in a concentrated market.

Generally, no, but Dogtopia can assist prospective partners in arranging financing at their bank or other financial institution of their choice, including a business plan template.

Weekly Dogtopia franchise owners pay a royalty fee equal to 7% of their gross revenue. They also contribute 2% of sales to the marketing fund.

Insurance coverage is consistent with the basic requirements for any business, along with some additional coverages specific to caring for customer’s dogs. Dogtopia has established relationships in place with insurance providers which franchise partners can leverage to address these requirements.

A background in management/business experience is helpful, but not required. An entrepreneurial spirit with the ability to follow and optimize the Dogtopia systems is preferred. Candidate’s net worth requirements are in the $1 million range.

No, Dogtopia does not mandate the owner/operator model. However, because trust and emotional connections with our pet parents are critical to our success, you will want to employ the right General Manager to foster this relationship.

Yes, Dogtopia offers comprehensive site selection assistance, lease negotiation expertise, and project management pursuant to a Construction Management/Project Management (CM/PM) program which can be leverage by Canadian franchise partners.

Yes. The rights granted pursuant to your Dogtopia Franchise Agreement can be sold and transferred to another individual or entity at any point during the initial or renewal term, subject to certain reasonable restrictions and our approval of the buyer.

If you meet the financial investment criteria, have transferrable skill sets and experience, and are interested in proceeding to next steps, please complete the Information Request Form.