Dog Daycare Near Markham and Unionville, ON

Markham is the largest city in York Region — over 365,000 people, a tech-heavy employment base, and a population of commuters who spend long hours away from home. That means a lot of dogs spending 9-10 hours alone in houses and condos across Markham, Unionville, Cornell, Berczy Village, and Cathedraltown.

The city has daycare options. Dogeden, The Paw Social, Just Fur Fun, Doggie Basics, ChiChi’s — there’s no shortage of places that will take your dog for the day. The question is what your dog actually gets while they’re there.

Academy Daycare in Gormley is a 20-25 minute drive north from most of Markham. We serve a growing number of Markham and Unionville dog owners who wanted something more than a supervised play area — and found it.

Why Markham Dog Owners Make the Drive

The Staff Difference

Markham’s daycares are staffed by people who enjoy being around dogs. Ours is staffed by canine behaviour specialists with 15 years of hands-on experience. That’s 15 years of reading body language, managing pack dynamics in real-time, preventing conflicts before they happen, and understanding why a dog is acting out — not just reacting when they do.

The result: a perfect safety record. Zero serious incidents across 15 years. When you’re comparing facilities, ask every one of them for their safety record. It’s the most important number they have.

Temperament Matching Over Size Sorting

Walk into most Markham daycares and you’ll see dogs grouped by size — big room and small room. It’s simple, it’s fast, and it misses the point entirely. A shy, gentle golden retriever doesn’t belong in the same group as a pushy, high-drive shepherd mix just because they’re both 70 pounds.

At Academy, we group dogs by temperament, energy level, and play style. It takes more effort and more staff, but it means every dog in the group is actually compatible. Your dog comes home tired from good play, not stressed from surviving a bad match.

Programs That Other Daycares Can’t Offer

Behavioural Daycare ($95/day) — If your dog has been turned away from a daycare in Markham or Unionville, this is the program that exists for exactly that reason. Reactive dogs, anxious dogs, high-arousal dogs, dogs that “don’t do well in groups.” We run them in smaller groups with hands-on trainer management and a gradual approach to building confidence. Most facilities decline these dogs. We specialize in them.

Day & Train ($95/day) — This is the program Markham commuters love. Your dog gets 1-on-1 obedience training throughout the day — commands, leash manners, treadmill fitness, place cot training — with structured socialization between sessions. You drop off a dog in the morning and pick up a better-trained dog in the evening. No board and train separation, no $4,000 residential program. Just consistent daily training that compounds over weeks.

Day & Train is also our recommendation for intact dogs. Intact males over 1 year can struggle in open group play settings — Day & Train gives them the individualized management and structure they need.

Programs and Pricing

No hidden costs. No “contact us for pricing.” Here’s what things cost.

Standard Daycare

For well-socialized dogs that thrive in structured group play.

Option	Price	Per Day
Single day	$55	$55
5-day pack	$265	$53
10-day pack	$500	$50
15-day pack	$705	$47
Unlimited	$649/mo	Includes bath & nail trim

Behavioural Daycare — $95/day

For reactive, nervous, or high-energy dogs. Smaller groups, hands-on trainer management, gradual confidence building.

Day & Train

Option	Price	Per Day
Single day	$95	$95
5-day pack	$465	$93
10-day pack	$900	$90
15-day pack	$1,305	$87
Unlimited	$1,395/mo	Includes bath & nail trim

Boarding

$75/night standard, $65/night for stays of 7+ nights.

Add-Ons

Nail trim, bath, brush, walking, enrichment treats, treadmill, slatmill, and themed photo days — all available for daycare clients. Pricing at check-in.

Getting Here from Markham

Academy Daycare is at 22 Cardico Dr, Gormley — in the Town of Whitchurch-Stouffville.

• From Unionville / central Markham (Hwy 7 & McCowan area): North on McCowan or Kennedy to Major Mackenzie, then continue north on Highway 48 through Gormley. About 20-25 minutes.
• From Markham (Hwy 7 & Warden area): North on Warden or the 404 to Stouffville Road, then east. About 20 minutes.
• From Cornell / Berczy Village (16th Ave area): North on 9th Line or Kennedy to Stouffville Road, east to Gormley. About 15-20 minutes.
• From Cathedraltown / north Markham: North on Woodbine or Highway 48 to Stouffville Road. About 15-20 minutes.

The drive works with a commute south. Drop off your dog, get on the 404 heading south toward the Markham tech corridor, Highway 7, or downtown Toronto. Pick up on the way home. Drop-off is 7:00-10:00 AM, pickup is 3:00-8:00 PM.

Our Facility

8,500 sq ft of purpose-built space at 22 Cardico Dr in Gormley. Not a converted unit — a facility designed for dogs.

• Multiple indoor play areas for different temperament groups
• Outdoor yard for exercise and potty breaks
• Dedicated rest zones for enforced downtime
• Treadmill and slatmill for fitness and focus work
• Proper ventilation, non-slip flooring, and separated areas

Getting Started

It’s simple. No complicated intake process.

Vaccinations required: Rabies, bordetella, and DHPP — all three, current.

Age: 16 weeks minimum.

Spay/neuter: Strongly recommended but not required. Intact males over 1 year typically do best in our Day & Train program.

No assessments. We don’t do multi-day trials to decide if we can handle your dog. Fifteen years of behaviour experience means we can handle any dog. That includes the ones other Markham daycares have turned away.

Hours: Monday through Friday. Drop-off 7:00-10:00 AM. Pickup 3:00-8:00 PM.

Weekly report cards on your dog’s behaviour, social dynamics, and progress. You’ll know what your dog is doing all week — not just that they “had a great day.”

No facility tours. Tours are disruptive to dogs in session. We’re happy to answer any questions by phone.

What Markham Commuters Are Figuring Out

The pattern we see from Markham clients is this: they start by trying the daycare closest to their house. It’s fine for a while. Then their dog comes home overstimulated, or gets into a scuffle, or they realize the “daycare” is really just a room full of dogs with a couple of people on their phones. They start looking further afield and find us.

Twenty minutes north is not far when you’re already commuting. And the difference between a facility that manages dogs and one that actually understands them is something your dog will show you the first week — calmer at home, better on leash, more confident around other dogs.

Call us at 437-776-9563 or fill out the form below. Tell us about your dog, and we’ll recommend the right program. If standard daycare is the fit, great. If your dog needs behavioural daycare or Day & Train, we’ll tell you that too — honestly.