Plain drop-in daycare is the cheapest of the three because it sells supervised space, not a curriculum. DaySchool costs more because it adds trainer-led lessons and daily PD360 progress tracking on top of that same play time. DayCamp costs the most because it swaps open play entirely for structured, small-group training built for dogs who are not ready for the daycare floor yet.
A lot of Scottsdale families call around, hear three different day-program prices, and assume the highest number must be an upsell. It usually is not. Below is the price ladder for daycare-style care in Arizona, what each tier buys beyond supervised time, and the specific kind of dog who does not need to pay for the top of that ladder at all.
What Is the Price Difference Between the Three Tiers?
DaySchool costs meaningfully more per day than plain open-play daycare, and DayCamp costs more again, with plain open-play daycare typically landing at the bottom of the ladder. The table below lays out what a day includes at each tier of Partners' Scottsdale and Cave Creek day programs; current rates for each tier are on the pricing page.
| Tier | What You're Paying For | Relative Day Rate | Trainer Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Plain open-play daycare (category, not a Partners program) | Supervised space and playtime | Lowest of the three, varies by facility | Not standardized |
| DaySchool | Off-leash group play plus a trainer-led curriculum and daily PD360 progress tracking | Mid-tier drop-in rate, discounted on a membership | 1 trainer per 10 dogs |
| DayCamp | Structured small-group training plus coached social time | Highest drop-in rate, discounted on a membership | 1 trainer per 10 dogs |
Exact day rates and membership pricing change from year to year; see the current pricing page for today's numbers.
The category on the top row, plain open-play daycare, is not a Partners program. It shows up here because it is the cheapest way to buy supervised daytime care for a dog who does not need anything beyond that, and pretending otherwise would just be marketing dressed up as a comparison.
What Does the Extra Money Buy?
The price step-up from open-play daycare to DaySchool to DayCamp buys staff time focused on your dog specifically, not a longer day or a nicer building. Open-play daycare is a volume model: a small staff supervises a large group of dogs playing freely, and the product is space and supervision. DaySchool keeps that same social component but layers a trainer-led curriculum and daily PD360 progress tracking on top of it, still run at 1 trainer per 10 dogs. DayCamp goes further and replaces open play with structured, small-group training built around your dog's specific triggers: mornings on focus behaviors, afternoons on coached social time instead of a free-for-all.
Parents who have been through it tend to notice the ratio first.
"My dogs love Partners Daycare. The staff truly cares. They make sure there is a 10:1 dog to trainer ratio so there is a ton of attention! And my pups always come home pooped out after a playing! Definitely would recommend."
Christopher O., Cave Creek
That same 1-to-10 ratio holds at DayCamp too, part of why Partners carries 4.8 stars across more than 2,000 reviews.
When Is Plain, Cheap Daycare the Right Call?
A stable, well-socialized dog who just needs supervised hours while you are at work does not need to pay for DaySchool or DayCamp. Plain open-play daycare is doing its job well if your dog:
- Plays well with dogs and people it has not met before
- Has no resource-guarding or bite history
- Does not need daily reinforcement of specific training behaviors
- Mainly needs company and room to run while you are working
Paying for a curriculum your dog does not need is not a smarter purchase, it is just a more expensive one.
That structure is not just a line on a pricing page. One long-time DaySchool client put it this way after years of watching the curriculum in action:
"My boy Ajax has been coming to the doggy day school at Partners for over a year now and he loves it here so much! All trainers are so amazing and knowledgeable."
Yilia G., Cave Creek
Not sure yet
Get a Straight Read on Which Tier Fits
A two-minute quiz sorts most dogs into the right starting point, or you can see DaySchool's day rate and curriculum directly.
How Do I Know My Dog Needs DayCamp Instead of DaySchool?
DayCamp is for dogs who are not ready for the open-play floor yet, not for dogs who simply need more of what DaySchool already provides. The full breakdown of which program fits which dog, not just which one costs more, lives in DaySchool vs. DayCamp for undersocialized dogs.
Either program starts with the PD360 Assessment, which is where a trainer makes that fit call in person.
Most families start here
See What a DaySchool Day Includes
If your dog is already comfortable around other dogs, a DaySchool assessment day shows you the curriculum and the ratio in person before you enroll in anything.
Does a Membership Lower the Daily Price?
Yes. A membership drops both DaySchool and DayCamp well below their single-day drop-in rates, and the plans stack a flat discount on everything else you book. DaySchool's day rate drops well below its single-day rate on any membership tier, and DayCamp's drops by a similar margin; the exact rate for each plan is on the pricing page. On top of the lower day rate, that flat discount on everything else you book, from grooming to boarding, scales with the plan:
- Plus: 10 percent off
- Premium: 20 percent off
- Platinum: 30 percent off
For a social dog going to DaySchool twice a week, that discount plus the lower day rate usually beats paying the single-day drop-in rate twice, once you count anything else booked that month: grooming, a private lesson, boarding.
Key takeaways
- Plain open-play daycare sells supervised space, DaySchool adds a trainer-led curriculum plus daily PD360 progress tracking, and DayCamp replaces open play entirely with structured small-group training.
- DaySchool and DayCamp both run at the same 1 trainer per 10 dogs ratio, so the price gap comes from what the trainer is doing, not how many dogs share a trainer.
- A membership lowers the day rate on both DaySchool and DayCamp and stacks a flat discount on everything else booked, 10 percent on Plus, 20 percent on Premium, and 30 percent on Platinum.
- DayCamp requires the PD360 Assessment first, a separate one-time evaluation that is not folded into the day rate.
- Partners Dogs carries 4.8 stars across more than 2,000 reviews.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does DayCamp cost almost double what DaySchool costs?
DayCamp swaps the open-play model entirely for structured, small-group training built around your dog's specific triggers, mornings spent on focus behaviors and afternoons spent in coached social time instead of free play. That staff-intensive structure, still run at the same 1 trainer per 10 dogs ratio as DaySchool, is what the higher day rate is paying for.
What do you get for DayCamp's higher price that plain, open-play daycare does not include?
Plain open-play daycare sells supervised space, one or two staff watching a big group play freely most of the day. DayCamp sells staff time on your dog specifically: a trainer runs small-group behavior blocks in the morning, then coaches social time in the afternoon instead of leaving it unstructured.
Does the PD360 Assessment fee add to DayCamp's daily rate, or is it separate?
The PD360 Assessment is a separate, one-time evaluation required before DayCamp starts, not a fee folded into the day rate. Current pricing and what the credit covers are posted on the PD360 Assessment page, since assessment pricing is one of the few program costs that can shift year to year.
Is the 1:10 trainer ratio the same at DaySchool and DayCamp?
Yes. Both programs run at 1 trainer per 10 dogs, so the price difference between the two is not about attention per dog. It comes from what that trainer is doing with the time: guided free play and curriculum check-ins at DaySchool, or focused individual behavior work at DayCamp.
Which of the three options costs the least per week for a social, easygoing dog?
For a dog with no behavior concerns, plain open-play daycare is usually the cheapest per week, since it is buying supervised time rather than individualized training. DaySchool costs more per week but is worth it if you also want that time building toward a full curriculum, and DayCamp is not the right tier at all for a dog that is already comfortable in open play.
Pick the right day
Start With the Program Built for Where Your Dog Is Today
If your dog needs structure before open play makes sense, DayCamp starts with the PD360 Assessment that scopes exactly what your dog needs first.
