At first glance, William Shakespeare and dog daycare might seem worlds apart. But the truth is that dogs have been part of human stories for centuries—including Shakespeare’s.

Shakespeare understood something every dog parent knows: dogs are loyal, loving companions who bring joy, humor, and personality into our lives. In The Two Gentlemen of Verona, the character Launce delivers one of Shakespeare’s funniest scenes while lamenting that his dog, Crab, is the only member of the household who shows no emotion when he leaves home. Anyone who has ever watched their dog stare at them with complete indifference—or overwhelming devotion—knows exactly what Shakespeare was capturing.

Dogs appear throughout Shakespeare’s plays as symbols of loyalty, friendship, and sometimes comic mischief. In A Midsummer Night’s Dream, the forest echoes with the sounds of hunting hounds, while in King Lear, the playwright reminds us how even the humblest creatures can teach us something about devotion and companionship.

At Dogtopia, our monthly Shakespeare-themed Dog Picture Day comes from a slightly unusual source of inspiration: a love of books. Outside of opening a Dogtopia, I’ve long been a collector of early English literature and drama, including works from the same era in which Shakespeare was writing. Spending time with these centuries-old books is a reminder that people in Shakespeare’s time laughed, loved, and cherished their animals much the same way we do today and it is still possible to find a connection to 400 years ago.

Bringing a little Shakespeare into Dogtopia is a fun way to connect those worlds. Literature often feels distant or formal, but at its heart it’s about everyday life—and few things are more joyful or universal than the bond between people and their dogs.

So once a month we lean into that idea. We set up a Shakespeare-themed photo day where pups might appear in a tiny Elizabethan ruff, channel their inner Hamlet, or simply strike a noble pose worthy of the Globe Theatre stage. It’s playful, a little unexpected, and a reminder that great stories—and great dogs—both have a way of bringing people together.

And if Shakespeare were visiting Dogtopia today, we suspect he would have written at least one unforgettable scene about a daycare full of happy dogs.

 

After all, as every dog lover knows, the world really is a stage—and our dogs are often the stars of the show.