Dog Daycare for East York, Leaside & Bennington Heights

If you live in Leaside, East York, or Bennington Heights, you already know the neighbourhood dog scene. The ravine trails along the Don Valley, the morning crowd at Serena Gundy Park, weekend walks through Sunnybrook — your dog probably gets more fresh air than most dogs in the city. But a good walk isn’t the same thing as structured socialization, and the neighbourhood daycare options tend to be either franchise operations or home-based setups that cap out at a handful of dogs.

Academy Daycare in Gormley offers something different. We’re canine behaviour specialists with 15 years of experience, an 8,500 sq ft purpose-built facility, and a perfect safety record. And if you’re in East York or Leaside, you’re closer than you think — it’s a straight shot north on the DVP to the 404, exit at Stouffville Road, and you’re here in about 30-35 minutes. Most Leaside residents already commute that corridor daily.

Why East York and Leaside Dog Owners Look Beyond the Neighbourhood

East York and Leaside are established, family-oriented communities. Older homes with real backyards. Tree-lined streets. The kind of neighbourhoods where people stay for decades, raise their kids, and put genuine thought into how they care for their dogs. You’re not the type to drop your dog at the nearest PetSmart daycare and hope for the best.

The problem is that the daycare options within a 10-minute drive of Leaside tend to fall into two categories: franchise operations running 30+ dogs in open-play rooms, or small independents that mean well but don’t have the training expertise to handle anything beyond basic socialization. If your dog has any behavioural quirks — reactivity, anxiety, poor impulse control, or just the kind of energy that overwhelms a typical playgroup — you’re stuck.

Bennington Heights owners face the same issue. It’s one of the most desirable pockets in the city — tucked between the ravine and Bayview — but it’s a residential enclave without commercial services. You’re driving somewhere regardless. The question is whether you drive 10 minutes to a franchise or 30 minutes to a facility that actually matches how you care for your dog at home.

Three Programs for Different Dogs

Every dog that comes to Academy is different, and a single open-play room doesn’t serve them all. We run three distinct daycare programs, each designed around different needs.

Standard Daycare — $55/day

For well-socialized dogs that genuinely enjoy group play. Your dog spends the day in temperament-matched groups — not sorted by size, but matched by energy level, play style, and social confidence. They get structured play-and-rest cycles, outdoor yard time, and constant supervision from behaviour specialists.

Daycare packs bring the per-day cost down: 5 days for $265, 10 days for $500, 15 days for $705, or Unlimited at $649/month (which includes a bath and nail trim). For a Leaside family running two working parents and a high-energy Lab, the unlimited pack pays for itself fast.

Behavioural Daycare — $95/day

This program exists because most daycares can’t — or won’t — handle dogs that don’t fit the open-play mold. If your dog has been turned away from another facility, or if they’re reactive on leash, anxious in large groups, or tend to over-arousal in social settings, Behavioural Daycare gives them a structured environment with trainer-led guidance throughout the day.

We work with these dogs in smaller, carefully managed groups. The goal isn’t to warehouse them separately — it’s to build their social skills, improve their impulse control, and give them a daycare experience that actually helps them get better over time. This is the kind of program that requires genuine behaviour expertise, which is why franchise operations don’t offer it.

For East York owners who adopted during the pandemic and now have a 3-year-old dog that never learned to socialize properly — this is what that dog needs.

Day & Train — $95/day

Day & Train is training and daycare combined into a single day. Your dog gets 1-on-1 training sessions — obedience commands, leash work, treadmill conditioning, place cot training — integrated with structured socialization in temperament-matched groups. Training happens while you work. Your dog comes home tired and better behaved.

This replaces the Saturday morning group class in a church parking lot. Instead of spending your weekend doing repetitive heel drills with 12 other distracted dogs, your dog gets trained by professionals while you’re at the office. Weekly report cards keep you informed on exactly what’s being worked on and how your dog is progressing.

Day & Train packs: 5 days for $465, 10 days for $900, 15 days for $1,305, or Unlimited at $1,395/month (includes bath and nail trim).

Intact dogs are welcome in Day & Train. We don’t require spay or neuter. Intact males over a year old often do better with the individualized structure Day & Train provides rather than open group play. We use professional tools — prong collars, e-collars (TENS-based), slip leads, and muzzles when appropriate — because these are the tools that actually produce results with dogs that have real behavioural challenges.

The Drive from Leaside and East York

Let’s be honest about the commute. You’re not walking to Academy. But the drive is simpler than most people expect.

From Leaside or Bennington Heights, you get on the DVP at Bayview. From East York, Don Mills Road connects you to the DVP or directly to the 404. Once you’re on the 404 heading north, it’s a straight highway drive to Stouffville Road, then a few minutes east to our facility at 22 Cardico Drive in Gormley.

Drop-off is between 7 and 10 AM, Monday through Friday. Pickup is 3 to 8 PM. If you’re commuting north through the DVP corridor anyway — and plenty of East York and Leaside residents work in Markham, Richmond Hill, or Newmarket — Academy is barely a detour.

Boarding — $75/night

When you need overnight care, Academy offers boarding at $75/night — or $65/night for stays of 7 nights or more. Same facility, same staff, same behaviour-focused approach. The people who know your dog during the day are the same people caring for them overnight.

What We Require (and What We Don’t)

Dogs must be at least 16 weeks old and current on three core vaccines: rabies, bordetella, and DHPP. No lengthy assessment process — we observe your dog and place them in the right group from day one. Weekly report cards mean you’re never guessing about how your dog’s day went.

We don’t offer facility tours — our focus during operating hours is on the dogs in our care, not on hosting visitors. We’re happy to answer any questions by phone.

The Standard Leaside and East York Dog Owners Set

The residents of Leaside and East York put real thought into the services they choose — for their kids, their homes, and their dogs. You research schools. You vet contractors. You don’t grab the cheapest option and hope it works out.

Academy Daycare exists for exactly that mindset. Fifteen years, canine behaviour specialists, a perfect safety record, and an 8,500 sq ft facility where every dog gets treated as an individual — not a number in an open-play room.

Call us at 437-776-9563 to get started. The drive from Leaside takes about as long as your morning Serena Gundy loop — and your dog gets a lot more out of it.