About The Dog Den
We know that being a dog owner is a life changing experience and an amazing adventure. Our sassy little Border Terrier Darby and his little sister Eddy brings us so much joy and happiness, whether we are going for a stroll along Takapuna Beach, fishing out on the Hauraki Gulf, or heading in to Milford for a coffee – they are always by our side.
The idea of The Dog Den was born in 2015 when Darby joined our family. As both of us were working full time in our own businesses, the family decided to start taking Darby to our local doggy day care. Our experience is that doggy day care was giving Darby a better quality of life, as he was able to socialise with other dogs and would spend the day playing while we were away from the house.
The Dog Den Takapuna, Silverdale and Puhoi were created by Steve and Helen and family, who are local Shore residents. Steve and Helen have a passion for animals and have always had dogs in their lives.
In November 2025 they handed over the reins of their Silverdale and Puhoi centres, to Glen & Christina.
Helen & Steve continue to be Managing Directors of Takapuna, and are working very closely with Silverdale & Puhoi .
Why choose us?
The Dog Den Takapuna aims to provide a trusted, safe and fun environment for customers, dogs and staff and caters to locals from surrounding areas or professionals working in or around Takapuna, and the North Shore. At The Dog Den we believe that creating a bond with owners and their pets is a big part of our services, and everything we do is based on making care of the dogs as our first priority.
Our Takapuna centre is located at 23 Barrys Point Road, Takapuna, opposite WoolworthsWe are close to commuter parking, offices, cafes for your morning coffee - providing an easy solution for dropping off and picking on your way to and from work. There is plenty of off-street parking and we also have a drop and shop hourly rate, if you just need to drop your pup off for a short period of time.
We were a finalist in the 2021 Westpac Business Awards People choice category, and in the 2022 Westpac business awards for Excellence in Customer service.
We have also been rated as the no 1 Doggy daycare provider in Auckland in 2021 & 2022 in an independent survey by Money hub based on customer ratings. https://www.moneyhub.co.nz/dog-daycare-auckland.html
Above all we wholeheartedly strive for your pup to have the absolute best time possible whilst in our care and for them to have new and exciting experiences each and every single day.orth shore dog day care takapuna dog day care Auckland
Charity & Community
We make monthly donations to Saving Hope, and Pet Refuge. We also look after a number of saving hope dogs in our daycare..
Our Team
Helen & Steve - Owners and Directors
Helen and Steve have two Border Terriers - Darby and Eddy with big personalities! They love dogs and Helen has owned and bred labradors, while Steve is a terrier lover. Steve has over 25 years working in People Development, HR and business, and was the CEO of a significant Ag business in NZ. Helen was a Project Manager at a large engineering consultancy in NZ. They started working on The Dog Den brand in 2017. Their qualifications:
- Bachelors of Science (hons) in Animal Biology & Biochemistry
- Masters of Development and psychology
- Certificate in Dog Behaviour and management
- Pet First Aid Certificates
- 60+ hours Puppy Preschool Training with Lyn Spathis (3 x National Obedience Grand Champion trainer)
Brittany - Senior Groomer
Brittany is a very experience groomer who has been highly sought after across Auckland and previously worked at Nost to Tail Albany for many years. She is very experienced in all types of grooming with different types of dogs. Unfortunately she is often booked out many weeks in advance - so call early to make an appointment for your furry friend.