About Us

John is a Minnesota native whose career took him across the Midwest for many years before settling back close to home. Late in his travels, he rescued Dakotah. (Or maybe it was the other way around). A year later, Zeus, a charismatic Alaskan Malamute joined the pack.  Apollo, a Great Pyrenees, came to stay at Dakotah's for a few days, and ended up staying permanently! Zeus crossed the Rainbow Bridge in 2021 after a long, happy life. Another South Dakota Malamute rescue, Hachiko (Hachi) joined the pack later that year.

After years of boarding his dogs at facilities across the country, he returned to his roots in Elk River and decided to open the facility he always wished he could find for his dogs.

• A great location that is easy to visit before and after work.
• A full-service facility, including daycare, boarding, and grooming.
  • Drop your dog off for daycare, and we’ll take care of their grooming needs while they are here.
  • Every dog that stays overnight gets to play in the daycare.
• Because a sudden change in your dog’s diet can upset their stomach, we encourage you to bring your dog’s food for overnight stays, but we won’t let any dog go hungry and we won’t charge extra if we provide their food.
  • Daycare is included with boarding, it’s not an extra charge like other places.
  • No extra charge for larger kennels. We ensure your pet gets a comfortable kennel, no matter how big they are or if you prefer to board multiple dogs together.
  • If your dog needs to take medicine, we don’t charge extra to give it to them.
• Convenient drop-off and pick-up hours. Each overnight stay includes a half day of daycare after drop-off (after 12 PM) and a half day of daycare the day of pickup (until 12 PM.)
• The cleanest facility possible.
  • We utilized epoxy flooring and hospital grade vinyl flooring to ensure that germs and bacteria can’t penetrate the floors. Most facilities use concrete and a sealer, which once scratched can harbor bacteria.
  • We sanitize each kennel and provide clean bedding every day, regardless of the length of a stay.
  • All of our dog dishes are machine washed to ensure that they are sanitary.
• Many facilities lock their doors and send their employees home overnight, leaving your dog alone. At Dakotah’s, the owner lives in the building, and the General Manager is right next door, so there is always a caring staff member available to see to your dog’s safety and comfort.
• Professional staff.  Each Dakotah’s Doggy Daycare employee completes a full training program before working with our furry guests and receives recurrent training throughout the year.
• A fun, stimulating environment. Dakotah’s Doggy Daycare offers a great environment for your dog, including:
  • Bright, large, well-lit indoor play areas;
  • Separate areas for puppies, older dogs, and dogs that are less social;
  • A large outdoor play area that includes agility play equipment and two wading pools!
• You are provided with a daily report card, so you’ll know how your dog’s day went.
• Webcams in our play areas, so you can check up on your dogs on our website.