Day School, Daycare + Boarding
We are so excited to announce our expansion into a beautiful, purpose built 11,000 sq ft facility in Merrifield, 5 minutes from the Mosaic District in Fairfax, VA!
We are completely changing how the DMV does dog daycare. Our facility is owned by a trainer, and based in positive dog psychology - not just a quantity drop-off-and-hope space.
Our staff undergoes rigorous dog behavior and safety training, and enrichment is built into every tier of service.
Contact us today to schedule your 30 minute consult, walkthrough and fit assessment. We can’t wait to help you grow your good dog!
Serving our clients in the DMV — and it was so worth the wait.
Most daycares give your dog a yard and a head count. We give them a behaviorist.
Sonoran Canine Co. has expanded into a dedicated training facility — and daycare is part of what happens inside it. Not drop-off-and-forget daycare. Not open-play-and-hope-for-the-best daycare. A structured, science-based day built around your dog's individual behavioral profile, breed needs, and developmental stage.
Every dog in our facility is behaviorally assessed before their first day. Every dog receives short, positive, age-appropriate training or enrichment sessions throughout their stay — either targeting a specific behavioral goal or building on what they already know. Every dog goes home tired in the right way: mentally engaged, not just overstimulated.
This is what a training facility looks like when a behaviorist runs it.
What to Expect
We don't believe in high-arousal chaos masquerading as enrichment. Dogs regulate better, learn faster, and come home calmer when their day has structure.
Here's what a typical day includes:
Behavioral Assessment & Intake Profile — Before your dog ever steps through the door, we build a profile: arousal threshold, social tendencies, breed-specific needs, any behavioral patterns to watch for or work on. That profile travels with them every single day.
Short, Targeted Training Sessions — Multiple times throughout the day, every dog works. If there's a specific behavior to address, we address it. If they're already solid, we do breed-specific enrichment work — scent games for working breeds, confidence-building for anxious dogs, impulse control for the high-drive ones.
At Least Two Structured Walks or play sessions — Not a lap around the parking lot. Real decompression walks with intention, trainer-led play sessions.
Scheduled Rest and Downtime — Because a dog that never gets to rest is a dog building an allostatic load it will bring home with it. Downtime is part of the program, not an oversight.
Bath or Self-Wash — Choose a trainer-given bath during their stay or use our self-wash station before pickup.
View Our Service Menu
The facility isn't open yet. That's intentional.
We're in the process of finding and building out the right location in the DMV — a space that meets the standards a training-first facility requires, not just a room with dog gates and a mop. We're also building the client base first, because a great facility without the right community around it is just a building.
We are not in a rush to open something mediocre.
If you want a spot when we do find that place — join the waitlist below. Waitlist members hear first, get priority enrollment (and a free month), and lock in founding-client rates.
Join the Waitlist
Enrollment by assessment
Enrollment is assessed, not open. Not every dog is a match for a training facility environment, and we'll tell you honestly if yours isn't — and point you toward something that is.
How to Join
SCC’s Daycare+Train is currently accepting waitlist inquiries only.
If you're interested, join the waitlist below. You'll hear from us directly when we start building out the new digs!
Have questions before you commit to the waitlist? Email us at kayla@sonorancanine.com — we're happy to talk through whether D+T is the right fit.