Dogtopia of Davis: costs, licensing, and what to know

Last updated 2026-07-25

What is Dogtopia of Davis and what services does it offer

Dogtopia of Davis is a location of the Dogtopia franchise chain, offering open-play dog daycare, boarding, and spa services (baths, nail trims) for dogs in the Davis, California area. Like other Dogtopia locations, it runs on a webcam-monitored, open-play model where dogs socialize in large group rooms supervised by trained staff, rather than individual crate-and-rotate boarding. Franchise locations set their own prices and hours, so the exact daycare rate, boarding rate, and evaluation requirements at the Davis location can differ from a Dogtopia in another city or state. If you're checking rates or booking, the most reliable path is calling or checking the specific location's page rather than assuming a national number applies. Most Dogtopia locations require a temperament evaluation (usually a half-day or full-day trial) before a dog is cleared for open play, and most require proof of vaccination (rabies, distemper/parvo (DHPP), and bordetella at minimum). If you're comparing Dogtopia to other pet boarding options in your area, it helps to know that open-play franchises aren't the only model. Some owners prefer smaller dog kennels with individual runs, especially for dogs that don't do well in group settings.

How much does dog boarding cost

Home boarding (sitter's house)	$25-50	Basic care, sometimes walks
Traditional kennel (private run)	$30-55	Feeding, potty breaks, sometimes play
Daycare-franchise boarding (open play)	$50-85+	Daycare access, webcam, sometimes bath at pickup
Luxury/suite boarding	$60-120+	Private suite, TV, extra playtime, premium food option	These ranges are general market observations, not a published rate card. If you're pricing your own facility, check three to five competitors in your actual county before you set rates. A dog hotels near me search in your own market will tell you more than any national average will.

Dog boarding nationally runs roughly $25 to $85 per night depending on region, whether it's overnight in a home, a kennel run, or a suite-style room at a daycare franchise, and whether add-ons (extra walks, medication administration, grooming) are included. Franchise locations like Dogtopia often price boarding as daycare-plus-overnight, so a single night can land in the $50-75 range in many metro areas, though this varies a lot by city and by whether the dog needs a private suite. There's no federal or state price-setting for boarding rates; the U.S. Department of Agriculture regulates licensing and care standards for certain commercial breeders and dealers under the Animal Welfare Act, but it does not set consumer pricing for boarding or daycare ^[1]. Pricing is purely a local market decision, which is why you'll see real variation between a small-town kennel and a franchise location in a college town like Davis. What actually drives the price difference: | Boarding type | Typical nightly range | What's usually included |

How to register a dog (and how it's different from getting a license)

Registering a dog usually means one of two things: local government registration (a dog license, tied to rabies vaccination and often required by county or city ordinance), or breed registry registration (AKC or another organization, which documents pedigree, not legal ownership). These are handled by completely different offices and serve completely different purposes. Local registration, the one tied to public health and animal control, typically requires proof of current rabies vaccination from a licensed veterinarian, a completed application, and a fee that varies by jurisdiction, often $10-25 for a spayed/neutered dog and higher for an intact dog in counties that use differential pricing to encourage sterilization. You register through your county or city's animal services or clerk's office, not through a national database. Breed registry registration (AKC) is a separate, private system. It requires the litter to be registered by the breeder first, then individual puppy registration by the buyer, using an AKC registration application that typically comes with the puppy from the breeder. This has nothing to do with legal dog ownership under state law; it's a pedigree record kept by a private organization.

How to get a dog license

Getting a dog license means applying through your city or county animal control or treasurer's office, usually requiring proof of current rabies vaccination, your dog's age and breed info, and a fee. Most U.S. counties require dogs over a certain age (commonly 3-6 months) to be licensed annually or every 1-3 years, with the license renewal tied to the rabies vaccination expiration date. The process, broadly, looks like this: 1. Get your dog's rabies vaccine from a licensed vet (required almost everywhere before licensing). 2. Find your county or city's animal control or licensing office online (search "[your county] dog license"). 3. Submit the application with your rabies certificate, spay/neuter proof if applicable, and payment. 4. Attach the tag to your dog's collar; most jurisdictions require it to be worn at all times. Fees and exact requirements vary enormously by state and even by county within a state. California counties, for example, set their own dog license fees and rules under state law that allows counties and cities to regulate dog licensing locally ^[2]. Yolo County (where Davis is located) and the city of Davis both have their own local licensing processes, so if you live in Davis, checking the city's or county's specific animal services page is the accurate path, not a national estimate. Some counties waive or reduce license fees for dogs that are microchipped or spayed/neutered, and most charge a late fee if you register after the grace period expires. If you're running a boarding or daycare facility, most Vestates and counties require proof of current dog license (or at least rabies vaccination) as a condition of admission, so it's worth building this check into your intake paperwork regardless of what the local ordinance technically requires of pet owners versus facilities.

How do you get a dog papers, and how do you get papers for your dog

"Getting papers" for a dog almost always means AKC (American Kennel Club) registration papers, which document the dog's parentage and breed, not legal ownership. If your dog came from a breeder who registered the litter with the AKC, you should have received an AKC Registration Application at the time of purchase, and you complete that form yourself to register the individual puppy in your name. If you didn't get papers and believe your dog is purebred, options are limited and none of them are guaranteed: - Contact the breeder directly; if the litter was registered, they may be able to help you complete late registration.

• The AKC has a Purebred Alternative Listing (PAL) program for dogs that appear purebred but lack registration papers, which allows the dog to compete in certain AKC events (not conformation shows) without full pedigree registration ^[3].
• DNA testing can identify breed composition but does not create AKC papers; it's a genetic estimate, not a legal pedigree record. If your dog is a mixed breed or came from a shelter or rescue, there generally aren't "papers" to get in the AKC sense. That's normal and doesn't affect your ability to license the dog locally, insure it, or use boarding and daycare services; facilities care about vaccination records and behavior, not pedigree paperwork.

How to become a dog breeder (and when USDA licensing kicks in)

Becoming a dog breeder legally starts with your state and local rules (some states require a breeder license or kennel permit above a certain number of dogs), and separately, federal USDA licensing kicks in if you sell dogs sight-unseen (online, through a broker, or via any channel where the buyer doesn't personally see the dog and its living conditions before purchase) and you meet the size thresholds. Under the Animal Welfare Act regulations at 9 CFR 2.1, a person is generally required to obtain a USDA license as a "dealer" if they breed and sell dogs and don't fall under an exemption; the most commonly cited exemption is for people who sell fewer than a set number of breeding females' offspring directly, in person, to the buyer, meaning the buyer or their agent physically comes to the premises to see the dog before purchase ^[4]. Retail pet stores that sell animals to the public in person are also generally exempt from USDA dealer licensing under a separate provision, though this exemption doesn't apply if sales happen sight unseen ^[5]. USDA's own guidance puts it directly: breeders who sell puppies over the internet, by phone, or through classified ads without the buyer seeing the animal in person before the sale generally need a USDA license, because those sales don't qualify for the face-to-face retail exemption ^[6]. This is the rule that catches a lot of small and mid-size breeders off guard when they start selling through websites or social media instead of only local, in-person sales. Beyond the federal threshold, most states layer their own requirements on top: a state kennel license, a breeder permit, health certificate requirements for interstate sales, and sometimes a numeric cap (number of intact females, or number of litters per year) that triggers state-level commercial breeder licensing. These state rules differ enough that a breeder operating legally in one state can be out of compliance the moment they cross into another, especially for interstate sales that usually require a USDA-accredited veterinarian health certificate under APHIS interstate movement rules ^[7]. If you're planning to expand from a hobby breeding operation into something that sells regularly, sorting out your state license, your county zoning, and your USDA status before you scale is far cheaper than untangling it after a complaint or inspection. This is exactly the kind of overlapping paperwork our $149 Kennel License & Zoning Packet is built to help you sort into a checklist for your specific state and county, though it's a document organizer, not legal representation.

What zoning and facility rules apply to a daycare like Dogtopia of Davis

Dog daycare and boarding facilities, whether a franchise like Dogtopia or an independent kennel, are almost always regulated at the county or city level through zoning ordinances and sometimes a separate kennel or animal facility permit, not through a single state-wide daycare law. Zoning typically controls where a commercial dog facility can operate (commercial vs. agricultural vs. residential districts), noise and setback requirements from neighboring properties, and sometimes a cap on the number of dogs allowed on-site at once. Because Davis is in Yolo County, California, a facility there would need to check both the City of Davis municipal zoning code and, depending on location, Yolo County's zoning ordinance for anything outside city limits. Requirements like required outdoor exercise area size, sound attenuation, waste disposal, and hours of operation are set locally and vary block by block in some cities, which is why two facilities a mile apart can have very different permitted conditions. If you're researching how to open something similar to Dogtopia in your own area, start with your city or county planning department's zoning map and use-table before you sign a lease. Getting into a hearing already knowing your zone's permitted uses saves real time. For general background on how daycare and boarding facilities get licensed and inspected, see our guides on doggy day care licensing and dog boarding requirements.

How does Dogtopia (the franchise) compare to independent boarding facilities

Dogtopia is one of the largest dog daycare and boarding franchise chains in the U.S., built around an open-play, all-day-play model with webcam access for owners, while independent facilities range from small home-based kennels to large commercial operations with private runs and crate-and-rotate schedules. Neither model is objectively better; they suit different dogs and different owner preferences. Open-play franchise model (what Dogtopia uses): dogs spend most of the day in group play rooms sorted roughly by size and temperament, supervised by staff trained in dog body language. This works well for social, playful dogs but is a poor fit for reactive dogs, dogs with resource guarding issues, or dogs that get overstimulated in groups. Independent kennel model: dogs typically get individual runs or crates with scheduled outdoor time and play sessions, sometimes with playgroups as an add-on rather than the default. This tends to suit anxious dogs, older dogs, or dogs with medical needs better, since staff can control exposure and rest time more precisely. If you're evaluating dogtopia generally versus a smaller local option, ask both about staff-to-dog ratios during play, what happens if your dog doesn't pass the temperament evaluation, and how they separate dogs by size and energy level. Those three questions tell you more about safety than the marketing on either one's website.

What vaccination and health records do boarding facilities require

Nearly every legitimate boarding or daycare facility, franchise or independent, requires proof of current rabies vaccination, distemper/parvo (DHPP) vaccination, and bordetella (kennel cough) vaccination before a dog is admitted, and many now also require or strongly recommend canine influenza vaccination given outbreaks in group-care settings in recent years. Rabies vaccination is the one with actual legal teeth behind it in most states, since it's tied to public health law and dog licensing, more than facility policy. The others (DHPP, bordetella, canine flu) are facility risk-management requirements rather than government mandates, though a state or county health department can shut down or restrict a facility after a disease outbreak if records show lax vaccination enforcement. If you operate a facility, keeping vaccination records current and actually checking expiration dates (more than collecting a certificate once) is the single most effective thing you can do to avoid an outbreak liability problem. It's also usually the first thing an animal control inspector or a state agriculture department inspector will ask to see records for during a facility inspection.

Frequently asked questions

How much does dog boarding cost per night on average?

Nationally, dog boarding runs roughly $25-50 a night for home-style or traditional kennel boarding, and $50-85+ a night for open-play franchise boarding (like Dogtopia-style facilities) or private luxury suites. Prices vary heavily by city, region, and whether services like extra playtime or grooming are bundled in. There's no national price regulation; check local competitors for an accurate number in your area.

How much is dog boarding at Dogtopia specifically?

Dogtopia sets pricing per franchise location, so rates at Dogtopia of Davis may differ from another city's location. There's no single published national rate; call the specific location or check its site for current daycare and boarding prices, since franchise owners set their own fees based on local market conditions.

How do I register a dog with the city or county?

Contact your city or county animal control or licensing office, get your dog's rabies vaccination from a licensed vet first, then submit the license application with the rabies certificate and fee. This is separate from AKC breed registration; local registration (a dog license) is a legal/public-health requirement, while AKC registration is a private pedigree record.

How do you get papers for a dog if the breeder didn't give you any?

Contact the breeder first; if they registered the litter with the AKC, they may be able to complete late registration for your puppy. If the litter was never registered, full AKC papers usually aren't obtainable. The AKC's Purebred Alternative Listing (PAL) program lets purebred-appearing dogs without papers compete in some events, but it isn't the same as full registration.

How do you get papers for my dog if it's a mixed breed?

Mixed-breed dogs generally don't have AKC-style papers to obtain, since AKC registration documents purebred pedigree. You can still license the dog locally through your city or county, and organizations like the AKC Canine Partners program allow mixed-breed dogs to compete in some AKC events without pedigree papers.

How do you get a dog license and what does it cost?

Apply through your city or county animal control office with proof of current rabies vaccination; fees commonly run $10-25 for spayed/neutered dogs and more for intact dogs, though this varies by jurisdiction. Most areas require annual or multi-year renewal tied to your rabies vaccine expiration date. Check your specific county's animal services page for exact fees.

How to become a dog breeder legally?

Start with your state's breeder licensing rules and your county's zoning and kennel permit requirements, since these vary by location. If you sell dogs sight-unseen (online, by phone, or through a broker) and meet USDA's size thresholds, you'll also need a federal dealer license under the Animal Welfare Act (9 CFR 2.1), since sight-unseen sales don't qualify for the retail exemption.

Does every dog breeder need a USDA license?

No. USDA licensing generally applies to breeders selling dogs sight-unseen (online, by phone, through brokers) above certain thresholds. Breeders who sell directly to buyers who see the dog in person before purchase are typically exempt under the Animal Welfare Act's retail exemption. Check 9 CFR 2.1 and APHIS guidance for the current exemption criteria, since thresholds can be updated.

What vaccinations does a dog need for boarding or daycare?

Most facilities require current rabies, distemper/parvo (DHPP), and bordetella (kennel cough) vaccinations at minimum, with many now also requiring or recommending canine influenza vaccination. Rabies is the one usually required by law; the others are facility policy for outbreak prevention in group settings like daycare and open-play boarding.

Is Dogtopia of Davis the same as a small independent boarding kennel?

No. Dogtopia is a franchise using an open-play, group-daycare model with webcam monitoring, while independent kennels more often use individual runs or crate-and-rotate scheduling. Both require a temperament evaluation or intake process, but the daily structure and price point usually differ; open-play franchise boarding tends to run higher per night.

What zoning is required to open a dog daycare like Dogtopia?

Zoning requirements are set locally, not by state or federal law, so you'd need to check your city or county's zoning code for permitted commercial animal-care uses, setback rules, and any kennel permit requirement. Davis-area facilities would check both City of Davis zoning and Yolo County zoning depending on the exact location.

How do you register a dog you just adopted from a shelter?

Get the dog's rabies vaccination current (many shelters provide this at adoption), then register with your city or county animal control office using the shelter's paperwork and vaccination certificate. This is a local license, separate from any breed registry; adopted dogs generally don't have or need AKC papers.

Sources

1. USDA APHIS, Animal Welfare Act overview: USDA regulates licensing and care standards for certain breeders and dealers under the Animal Welfare Act
2. California Food and Agricultural Code, dog licensing provisions: California law allows counties and cities to regulate dog licensing locally
3. American Kennel Club, Purebred Alternative Listing (PAL) Program: AKC's PAL program lets purebred-appearing dogs without registration papers compete in certain events
4. USDA APHIS, 9 CFR 2.1 licensing requirements: Person breeding and selling dogs generally must obtain a USDA dealer license unless exempt, with a retail/face-to-face exemption for certain sellers
5. USDA APHIS, Animal Welfare Act retail pet store exemption: Retail pet stores selling animals to the public in person are generally exempt from USDA dealer licensing
6. USDA APHIS, licensing guidance for internet/sight-unseen sellers: Breeders selling puppies over the internet or phone without in-person viewing generally need a USDA license
7. USDA APHIS, interstate movement and health certificate requirements: Interstate sales of dogs generally require a health certificate from a USDA-accredited veterinarian