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Daycare That Fits Your Hawthorne Workday
What does your dog actually do between 9 and 5? For a lot of Hawthorne households, the honest answer is wait. Down Dog Lodge trades that waiting for a real day out: open, kennel-free play across 12,000 square feet in neighboring El Segundo, quiet stretches when it’s time to recharge, and staff who stay with the dogs from the moment you drop off. We’ve been at it since 2017, and families who use our dog daycare near Hawthorne, CA tend to schedule it the way they schedule anything else that matters in their week: on purpose, and on repeat.
How Your Dog Spends the Day With Us
- Free-roaming from start to finish: there are no crates or locked runs at any point in the visit, so dogs decide for themselves when to join the action and when to take a breather
- Two rooms, two size classes: little dogs share the Mini Lodge, bigger dogs have the run of the Big Pen, and each room connects to its own outdoor area
- Supervision from the floor, not a monitor: trained handlers work inside every play group, watching body language and reshuffling groups whenever the mix calls for it
- 12,000 square feet to spend energy: indoor and outdoor space combined gives dogs room for a genuine full-speed run, not just laps in a tight circle
- Meals and medication at no added cost: we serve food and give any prescribed doses during the visit, and neither one shows up as an extra charge
- Water stations everywhere they play: each area has its own bowls, and our team checks and refills them all day long
The Payoff of a Weekly Daycare Routine
Sure, a worn-out dog snoring in the back seat on the ride home is a nice perk, but the bigger return comes from repetition. A regular daycare schedule delivers three things in steady doses: time with other dogs, a real workout, and enough new sights, sounds, and smells to keep the mind busy along with the body. Dogs who mix with a group week after week usually greet new people and unfamiliar dogs with more confidence and far less hesitation. The restless behaviors an empty afternoon tends to produce, like gnawing on furniture, barking at the window, or wearing a path down the hallway, also tend to fade once the needs behind them are already covered.
You’ll see the difference after dinner, when your dog curls up on the rug instead of circling the living room. Stop by and watch a play group in action at our dog daycare near Hawthorne, CA.
Dog Daycare Rates
Full Daycare (5+ hours)
- One dog: $62
- Additional dog: +$56
Half Daycare (under 5 hours)
- One dog: $52
- Additional dog: +$46
Hourly Daycare
$22/hr/dog
Prepaid Packages (Full Daycare only)*
1 dog, 10 visits: $600 (save $20)
1 dog, 20 visits: $1,180 (save $60)
2 dogs, 10 visits: $1,140 (save $40)
2 dogs, 20 visits: $2,260 (save $100)
3 dogs, 10 visits: $1,680 (save $60)
3 dogs, 20 visits: $3,330 (save $150)
*A package must be fully used before a new one can be purchased. Packages expire 365 days after purchase.
Peak Rates
Holidays are our busiest times of the year! To keep up with our high demand and increased staffing, an additional charge of $10/dog/day applies to daycare and boarding.
- Ski Week: 2/9 – 2/17
- Spring Break: 4/3 – 4/13
- Memorial Day: 5/23 – 5/26
- July 4th: 7/1 – 7/6
- Labor Day: 9/5 – 9/8
- Thanksgiving: 11/24 – 11/30
- Holiday Season: 12/19 – 1/3
Discounts*
- Veterinary: 10% off
- Military: 15% off
- Police Department: 15% off
- Fire Department: 15% off
- Paramedics: 15% off
* Supporting documents required. Discounts do not apply to prepaid packages.
Drop-Off/Pick-Up
Business Hours:
- Weekdays: 7AM-7:30PM
- Weekends & Holidays: 10AM-5:30PM
On a case-by-case basis, we can accommodate early drop-offs or late pick-ups for a fee of $25/dog/service.
Available extended hours:
- Earliest drop-off: 6AM
- Latest drop-off: 7PM
- Earliest pick-up: 6AM
- Latest pick-up: 10PM
A Trusted Choice for Busy Hawthorne Families
Down Dog Lodge has called the South Bay home since 2017. Whether we’re hiring, arranging the floor, or deciding what to take on next, one question settles it every time: is this the right call for the dogs in our care today?
- Every playmate has passed the same test: dogs join a group only after completing our Temperament Test, so the dogs your pup plays with have already shown they’re a good match
- A person in the building at every hour: our team is on-site 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, with no exceptions for holidays
- A floor plan designed around movement: our 12,000 square feet are arranged so dogs can roam through their day instead of sitting in one spot waiting for it to end
- South Bay owned, no franchise rulebook: we’ve been independently owned and staffed by locals since opening day in 2017
- Your dog’s day, posted to Instagram: we share fresh photos and video every day at @downdoglodge
- Hawthorne and the whole South Bay: our regulars come from Hawthorne to Torrance, with Lawndale, El Segundo, Manhattan Beach, Hermosa Beach, Redondo Beach, and the surrounding neighborhoods in between
Ready for Your Dog’s First Play Day?
Send us your New Client Application, and our front desk will handle the next steps.
Dog Daycare FAQ
What vaccinations are required for daycare?
All guests must be current on Rabies, DA2PP, Bordetella, K9 Influenza (2 rounds + 7-day wait), and Leptospirosis (2 rounds + 7-day wait). We do not accept Titer Tests in lieu of updated vaccinations.
Spay/Neuter Policy: Puppies between three and six months old are welcome intact. After six months, spay/neuter is required for admittance to Down Dog Lodge.
Does my dog need a Temperament Test first?
Yes, all new dogs must complete our two-phase Temperament Test ($40/dog x 2 days) before their first daycare visit. The test takes place over two days and ensures your dog is a good fit for our cage-free environment.
Are reservations required?
Yes, we require reservations for all services at least 24 hours in advance. Contact us by phone, email, or through our Client Portal to book.
What are your daycare hours?
Weekdays: 7AM to 7:30PM
Weekends/Holidays: 10AM to 5:30PM
Early drop-off before opening and late pick-up after closing are available for a flat fee of $25/dog/service.
What are Peak Rates?
Holidays are our busiest times of the year! To keep up with our high demand and increased staffing, an additional charge of $10/dog/day applies to daycare and boarding.
- Ski Week: 2/9 – 2/17
- Spring Break: 4/3 – 4/13
- Memorial Day: 5/23 – 5/26
- July 4th: 7/1 – 7/6
- Labor Day: 9/5 – 9/8
- Thanksgiving: 11/24 – 11/30
- Holiday Season: 12/19 – 1/3
Can I pick-up or drop-off outside of business hours?
We always prefer drop-offs and pick-ups to be within our normal business hours; this ensures the smoothest possible transaction with our Front Desk.
- WEEKDAYS: 7AM-7:30PM
- WEEKENDS/HOLIDAYS: 10AM-5:30PM
However, we understand that certain circumstances may require an early D/O or late P/U. On a case-by-case basis, we’re happy to offer these services for an additional cost.
The earliest we can accommodate ANY D/O is 6AM.
The latest we can accommodate ANY D/O is 7PM.
The earliest we can accommodate ANY P/U is 6AM.
The latest we can accommodate ANY P/U is 10PM.
We can not accommodate any early/late pickup/drop offs outside of these hours.
Any early D/O or late P/U needed will incur a flat rate fee of $25/dog/service.
Please give us a call to add a late D/O or P/U option.
Other Services We Offer
Dog Boarding near Hawthorne, CA
Out of town for a few nights? Your dog can stay over in the same open, kennel-free lodge, alongside the play group they already know from daycare, with a caregiver on-site straight through the night, every night of the year.
Dog Grooming near Hawthorne, CA
Tack a bath or nail trim onto any play day, and your dog heads home clean as well as tired, with no separate grooming appointment to squeeze into your week.
Puppy Program near Hawthorne, CA
Your puppy doesn’t need to be spayed or neutered to get started. Intact pups from three to six months old can join our Puppy Program for supervised socialization matched to their age, right when those early lessons stick hardest.
Why Hawthorne Pet Parents Make Down Dog Lodge Part of the Workweek
In Hawthorne, a typical dog’s week is built around the neighborhood parks. There’s the quarter-mile walking path looping Eucalyptus Park on Inglewood Avenue, the open lawns at Jim Thorpe Park on Prairie Avenue, and the fenced off-leash section at Memorial Park on El Segundo Boulevard for an off-leash romp after work. Those are great for a morning stroll or a half hour of fetch before dinner. What none of them can do is cover the long stretch between when you leave for work and when you walk back through the door.
Daycare takes over those hours for Hawthorne families. Because our lodge sits on the same boulevard as Memorial Park, just a few miles farther west, dropping off can be part of the drive you’re already making. Your pup passes the hours with a familiar group, in a space built for running, while you get through your workday without picturing a bored dog alone at home. Plenty of our regulars booked one visit to get through a hectic week, and that single day quietly became their new normal.
Driving to DDL from Hawthorne
Getting here from Hawthorne takes almost no navigating. From the center of town, drive toward Hawthorne Boulevard for about 466 feet, then make a U-turn so you’re heading west on El Segundo Boulevard. That single maneuver is the only one on the trip. Stay on the boulevard for the next 2.8 miles as the city line gives way to El Segundo, and you’ll arrive at Down Dog Lodge, 1501 E. El Segundo Blvd, El Segundo, CA 90245.