Is your daycare just a playgroup, or is it a premium, structured experience that pet parents are willing to pay more for?

Are you stuck in the pack mentality, offering the same overcrowded playrooms as everyone else—while clients demand something more personalized?

What if you could charge more, fill your daycare with the right dogs, and create a truly standout pet care business?

In this episode, host Dom Hodgson sits down with Mikayla Cavaness, the owner of Fetching Pet Company, who turned a small, underpriced operation into a high-demand, premium daycare that focuses on enrichment and personalized care.

Mikayla shares how she broke away from the outdated free-roam model, implemented one-on-one tailored experiences for dogs, and priced her services accordingly – all while keeping her business at full capacity.

Dom and Mikayla also tackle common pricing mistakes, like undervaluing expertise and over-discounting, as well as sharing the substantial gains businesses can make by simply switching to a membership pricing model. Plus, in this week’s dog news Dom reflects on the UK’s biggest dog show, Crufts, and why (for once) he wasn’t able to attend.

Tune in to discover:

• 
  
• Why Free-For-All Play is Dying – How personalized enrichment creates happier, better-behaved dogs.
  
• The Premium Daycare Model That Works – Structured activities, mental stimulation, and one-on-one attention.
  
• How to Attract Higher-Paying Clients – Why pet parents will happily pay for a customized daycare experience.
  
• Smart Pricing & Profitability – How to ditch low rates and get paid what your services are worth.
  
• The Future of Pet Care – How small shifts in your daycare model can set you apart in an increasingly competitive market.
  

Plus, Dom shares his latest business insights, including a deep dive into the Crufts controversy and why now is the time to rethink your business model.

Want to move away from generic daycare and build a truly premium, personalized pet care experience? This episode is packed with strategies to help you stand out!

Huge thanks to Mikayla for sharing her story. You can find out more about Mikayla by going to FetchingPetCompany

Remember, you can find out more about enrichment, staffing solutions, and a ton of other topics by attending the next Pet Boarding and Daycare Expo which is happening in Las Vegas from 5^th-8^th May, 2025, and registration is open NOW, click here to grab your ticket.

Want to join Mikayla inside of Dom’s exclusive coaching program? Go to www.petbusinessmarketing.com/audition

Episode Highlights:

[00:51] – Dom introduces the episode, previews the Crufts controversy discussion, and welcomes special guest Mikayla Cavaness to share her enrichment-based daycare strategies.
[01:40] – Hear about Dom’s recent consulting day with copywriter Mike Samuels and the importance of having fresh eyes on your business.
[04:25] – Dom explains the concept of mapping out a client journey to increase lifetime customer value and cross-sell services.
[08:24] – Dog News: An Italian dog wins Crufts Best in Show for the first time in 134 years!
[12:15] – Mikayla jumps on the pod and shares how she grew up working in her mom’s grooming shop, and how that inspired her to start her own pet business at just 22 years old.
[16:07] – Mikayla explains how she filled her grooming schedule before even opening by using community yard sale pages and grocery bag flyers.
[19:35] – Hear how Mikayla transitioned from aversive-based training to enrichment-based training and how this shaped her business philosophy.
[24:10] – Mikayla breaks down her structured, crate-and-rotate daycare system, including 30-minute one-on-one activities and themed enrichment sessions.
[32:00] – Fetching Pet Company’s comfort-based grooming model, including private suites and dog-friendly design choices, reduces stress for pets.
[38:46] – Mikayla announces plans to introduce a membership model to secure recurring revenue and enhance customer loyalty.

If you want to price smarter and grow faster, this episode is a must-listen!