It’s the most exciting day ever at Dogtopia North Portland — at least it is for Midge, Holly Graham’s 1-year-old Field Spaniel. Midge bursts through the entrance, bouncing with energy. Inside, the staff are greeted with excited tail wags and lots of love from Midge.

This is a typical day for Midge at Dogtopia North Portland. “Midge pulls me in the door,” says Holly. “We have to avoid driving too close to Dogtopia if we aren’t going [because] she cannot wait to get into the lobby.”

Holly and Midge are what Dogtopia North Portland describes as “Founders”: parents that have enrolled in daycare since its inception.

In the 7 months they’ve been attending daycare, Holly has noticed a shift in Midge’s demeanor. “She’s regulated, calm, and she has stopped almost all destructive behaviors; she shares toys, shares her humans and can now go on a walk and actually focus on just the walk,” said Holly.

In that same time, Dogtopia North Portland has also made an impact in Holly’s life.

“[They] make me feel like I’m a good dog owner. [They] don’t make me feel like raising a dog ‘the right way’ is a myopic idea,” said Holly.

Holly and Midge attend Dogtopia North Portland 4 times a week because the once a day walks weren’t cutting it. At the end of the walks, Holly would come home with Midge still bouncing with energy. “When we read about the play, socialization, community, and the different levels of activity rooms, it was a no brainer [we had to join],” Holly says. “She’s so calm [now] after spending the day with so much activity, excitement and attention.”

Holly attributes these behavior changes to the staff of Dogtopia North Portland. Whenever Midge bursts into the lobby, Holly recalls feeling welcomed by the staff every time she’s walking in behind her. “I think Midge and I both agree that the staff are fantastic. [They’re] pros, [they] get dogs, [they] get their weird owners and [they] get what both sides of that coin needs,” said Holly.

Before booking her Meet & Greet, Holly recalls how she felt the very first time she entered Dogtopia North Portland — and she has advice for new pet parents wanting to try daycare for the first time. “Go into it calmly, keep yourself calm so your dog is calm and let the staff take over,” Holly says. “Normalize this being the puppy’s space, and [know] that this space is designed to support dogs, not people.”