We found ten Dorset dog daycare centres we could verify: each has its own website, a Google Maps listing and a licence number quoted on its own site. We couldn’t read either council’s register, so every licence line below is what the centre says, not something we checked with the council. We haven’t visited any of them. Daycare is a licensed activity, so ask to see the licence before you book, and treat this as a shortlist to meet.
Daycare centres with a website, a licence number and a Google Maps listing
Merley Mews Doggy Day Care
★★★★★ 4.9 · 73 Google reviews
Merley Mews, Merley House Lane, Wimborne (BH21 3AA)
Licence: its website states "Premises Licence Number: AAL 174196" and "5 Star – Highest Standards met", with no council named
Monday to Friday, 7.30am to 6pm, per its website, with half days of up to four hours
View on Google Maps
Sitter Pet Dog – Poole Dog Boarding
★★★★★ 5.0 · 39 Google reviews
Poole
Licence: its website states licence number AAL 175101, with no council or star rating named
Its website describes daytime care. It gives opening hours of Monday to Friday 8am to 8pm and Saturday 9am to 5pm, not daycare hours. Also dog boarding
View on Google Maps
The Dog Nook at Cranbrook
★★★★★ 5.0 · 30 Google reviews
Cranbrook Road, Poole (BH12 3HZ)
Licence: its website states "Licensed through BCP council (Licence No. AAL 181724)"
Half day (up to five hours) £16.50 and full day (up to 10 hours) £27.50, per its website. Also overnight boarding
View on Google Maps
Joey’s Doggie Day Care
★★★★★ 5.0 · 23 Google reviews
The Paddock, Dewflock Farm, Winterborne Monkton, near Dorchester (DT2 8NP)
Licence: its website states licence number 7999 from Dorset Council, with a 5 star rating
Monday to Friday, 9.30am to 4pm, per its website
View on Google Maps
Doggy Day Care Poole
★★★★★ 4.8 · 19 Google reviews
Poole (BH12 4EA, the postcode on its website)
Licence: its website states licence number AAL 157409 and "5 Star licence by Poole council". Poole Council has since become part of BCP Council, so ask whether the licence is current
Day care spaces listed, with no hours or prices on the page we read
View on Google Maps
Humphrey & Bo
★★★★★ 4.6 · 18 Google reviews
Deacons Mill Farm, Thornhill, Stalbridge (DT10 2SQ)
Licence: its website states "Day Care Licence No. 9367", with no council or star rating named
Drop-off in the morning and collection at the end of the day, per its website, with no hours stated
View on Google Maps
Bella’s House
★★★★★ 4.6 · 10 Google reviews
Bournemouth and Poole area (its website gives no address)
Licence: its website states licence number AAL 166510 from BCP Council, rated 5/5 on its site
A regular day care service alongside boarding, per its website, with no hours or prices
View on Google Maps
Happy-Dog Days
★★★★★ 5.0 · 9 Google reviews
Poole area (its website gives no address)
Licence: its website shows two numbers: "AAL 157550 5 Star" in the header and "Poole council licence Number – 010236 (4 Star rating)" in the footer. They don’t match, so ask which applies
Dog day care and overnight stays listed, with no hours or prices
Only nine reviews so far, so weigh that
View on Google Maps
The Doodle Den
★★★★★ 5.0 · 8 Google reviews
Broadstone, Poole (its website gives no street address)
Licence: its website lists ID AAL 181075 and says it is "licensed under BCP Council under Animal Welfare Regulations"
Half day (up to four hours) £20, full day (up to eight hours) £35 and extended day (up to 12 hours) £40, per its website
Only eight reviews so far, so weigh that
View on Google Maps
Nuts About Mutts
★★★★★ 3.8 · 8 Google reviews
Muscliffe, Bournemouth
Licence: its website states licence number AAL 119512 from "Bournemouth Borough Council", which became part of BCP Council in 2019, so ask whether the licence is current
Daycare, plus short and long stay boarding, per its website, with no hours or prices on the page we read
Only eight reviews so far, and a 3.8 average, so weigh that
View on Google Maps
Ratings and review counts are from Google Maps on 12 November 2026 and come from the public. We haven’t checked them independently. None of the licence numbers above has been matched to a council record, and we couldn’t see expiry dates.
Listings we left out, and why
Fido’s Friends in Bournemouth and Poole (5.0 from 65) describes home boarding, walking and home visits, with no daycare on the page we read. Muttleys Dogs (5.0 from 59) has a website that needs JavaScript, so we couldn’t read its services or any licence. The websites of Country Kennels (4.5 from 127), Debonair Dogs Grooming & Boarding (4.7 from 23) and The Dog Creche (4.6 from 5) block automated readers, so we couldn’t check them. Hillcrest Kennels & Cattery near Dorchester (4.8 from 89), Snipegate Kennels at Portesham (4.6 from 82) and Noarck Boarding Kennels (4.9 from 108) describe boarding only. Valentines Kennels in Chickerell (3.8 from 39) takes day visits at £30, per its website, and says it is fully licensed, but gives no number. Talbot Woods Dog Retreat (5.0 from 5) and Mutts Maison (4.0 from 8) offer daycare but show no licence. Wyke Dog Boarding (5.0 from 31) showed as temporarily closed on Google Maps. Woof Wonderland (5.0 from 57), Doggy Day Breaks Dorset (4.9 from 27) and Cavapaws (5.0 from 5) showed no website on their Google Maps listings, so they miss our website test. Cuddles and Tails shows a licence number, but it is in New Milton in Hampshire. Other kennels, sitters, groomers and dog walkers came up in the same searches, but boarding or walking alone is not daycare. Rover hosts are home sitters rather than centres, and the Rover pages wouldn’t load for our tools, so we haven’t listed any. A centre being left out doesn’t mean it is unlicensed. It means we couldn’t see the proof, so ask it.
Other options we could not licence-verify
These Dorset centres offer daycare and have their own website and a Google Maps listing, but we could not see a licence number that clearly covers daycare, so we do not recommend them as verified. Ratings are from Google Maps on 12 November 2026. We have not visited them. Ask each for its licence, who issued it and its expiry date before booking.
West Burton Kennels
★★★★★ 4.7 · 96 Google reviews
West Burton Farmhouse, Winfrith Newburgh, near Dorchester (DT2 8DD). Its website quotes licence number 7256, with no council or star rating named, and describes "day and overnight boarding". It is mainly a boarding kennel, the licence on its site is a boarding licence, and we could not see a daycare licence. Drop-off windows are listed but no separate daycare hours
View on Google Maps
Pooches of Poole
★★★★★ 5.0 · 23 Google reviews
Poole. Its website says "Day Care, Home Boarding & Small Pet Services also available" and quotes "Animal Boarding Licence Number: 009746", with no council named. That is labelled a boarding licence, and the page doesn’t say it covers daycare
Website · View on Google Maps
How to check a daycare licence in Dorset
In England, dog daycare run as a business needs a licence from the local council under the Animal Welfare (Licensing of Activities Involving Animals) (England) Regulations 2018. The licence holder’s name and number must appear on the business’s website, and a copy must be displayed at the premises. Dorset has two licensing councils. Dorset Council covers most of the county, and its dog day care licence page (checked 12 November 2026) says commercial day care needs a licence, awards a rating from 1 to 5 stars, and says the licence number must be on any business website. We found no public register on that page. BCP Council covers Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole. Its animal activity licence page lists dog day care and links a PDF register of licensed businesses, but the file is closed to automated readers, so we couldn’t read it. You can open that register yourself from the BCP page. Poole and Bournemouth had their own councils until 2019, which is why some older numbers on centre sites name them. Ask the centre to show its licence, which council issued it and when it expires, how many dogs it takes at once, how dogs are separated, and what happens if your dog needs a vet.
A first day at daycare can be a lot for a sensitive dog. A calming bite is a complementary feed some owners use around change, and if your dog struggles with being left, speak to your vet or a qualified behaviourist first.
More for Dorset: our Dorset dog services hub, dog walkers in Dorset if you only need a midday walk, vets in Dorset, dog trainers in Dorset and secure dog fields in Dorset.
Frequently Asked Questions
How did you choose these Dorset dog daycare centres?
Each has its own website, a Google Maps listing and a licence number quoted on its site. We couldn’t read either council’s register, so the numbers are the centres’ own statements. We checked on 12 November 2026 and haven’t visited, so meet any centre first.
Does dog daycare need a licence in Dorset?
In England, daycare run as a business needs a council licence under the 2018 regulations. In Dorset that is Dorset Council, or BCP Council for Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole. Ask to see the licence, its number and its expiry date.
What should I ask a dog daycare centre?
Ask for the licence, how many dogs attend at once, how dogs are grouped, who is on site, and what happens if a dog is unwell.
Why are some well-reviewed centres missing?
We only list as verified the centres where we could see a licence number and that clearly offer daycare. Some are kennels whose pages mention only boarding, some show no website on Google Maps, and some websites wouldn’t open for our tools. Two with daycare and a website are in the ‘Other options we could not licence-verify’ section instead.
Written by Georgiana & Figo, who prefers his playdates to be properly licensed.
