Ep. 103 – The Future of Enrichment in Dog Daycares and Pet Resorts: How Structured Enrichment Separates the Best from the Rest

Are you still running a “play all day” daycare and wondering why some dogs struggle, staff burn out, and profit stays tight?

Do you want to add enrichment… but feel like it will be complicated, expensive, or hard to execute?

And what does good enrichment actually look like when it’s done properly — for the dogs, the staff, and the business?

In this week’s episode of the Pet Boarding & Daycare Podcast, host Dom Hodgson sits down with Jess Okon from Blue Nine Pet Products for a wide-ranging, packed conversation on where pet care enrichment is heading, and why it’s fast becoming the defining factor between average daycares and premium facilities.

Jess shares real-world experience from managing high-volume daycares, building boarding and training departments, and working with facilities across the country. Together, Dom and Jess unpack how enrichment has evolved from simply “letting dogs play” into structured brain work, smaller groups, calmer environments, and personalised dog experiences — and why clients are increasingly willing to pay for exactly that.

They dive in to understanding every individual pet’s preferences, simple enrichment ideas that cost almost nothing to pull off, and why mental stimulation beats endless physical exercise every time.

In this episode, you’ll discover:

Play-All-Day vs Structured Enrichment – Why the old daycare model fails many dogs, and what replaces it.
Brain Work Beats Burnout – How thinking, problem-solving, and calm activities create happier, easier dogs.
Interviewing the Dog in Front of You – Why understanding individual preferences unlocks better enrichment.
Simple Enrichment That Works – How to improve dog experiences without expensive equipment or complex plans.
The Future of Daycare – Why enrichment-led facilities are becoming the new industry standard.

Thanks to my awesome guest Jess Okon for sharing her wisdom. Find out more about Blue9’s amazing products by going to Blue9.com

Want to work with the World Leading Pet Business Coach? Discover if you’re a good fit to work with Dom by going to www.petbusinessmarketing.com/diamondnow

Canine Labs Testing are the amazing sponsors of this episode. Go to CanineLabsTesting to find out more about their fabulous service that keeps your facility parasite free!

Remember, the next big Barkleigh event is the PB&D Expo West which this year is in Phoenix, Arizona! You can register for the event and be the first to find out when tickets go on sale by clicking here now

Grab a copy of Dom’s latest book Mission ENRICH by clicking here now

Episode Highlights

[00:51] – Dom checks in from Austin and reflects on his time aboard the Barclay Pet Pro Cruise.
[09:28] – Live from the Barclay Pet Pro Cruise: attendees share their takeaways on marketing systems, pricing confidence, and introducing good-better-best packages to drive profit. [13:51] – Meet Jess Okon: from grooming and high-volume daycare management to shaping enrichment thinking at Blue Nine.
[21:16] – The shift from “play all day” daycare to structured brain-first enrichment, and why thinking beats exhausting.
[22:30] – How enrichment improves behaviour, staff engagement, and client trust — all at the same time.
[25:39] – Teaching dogs to problem-solve and communicate, and how simple brain work creates calmer facilities.
[28:30] – Simple enrichment ideas that cost very little, but dramatically improve the dog’s day.
[33:30] – Why smaller groups, rest cycles, and rotation matter more than adding new equipment.
[36:30] – Interviewing the dog in front of you, and tailoring enrichment to individual needs rather than breed stereotypes.
[40:30] – Using enrichment products and add-ons to increase profits, without adding more dogs or more stress.

Huge thanks to our fantastic show sponsors Canine Lab Testing.
You can learn more about their fast, reliable parasite testing solutions at:
www.caninelabtesting.com