Doggy Day Care in St. Charles

A safe, fun, and enriching home-away-from-home for your dog. Trusted since 1954.

The Perfect Place for Your Dog to Spend the Day

Whether you need daily care or just an occasional drop-off, Sorenson Kennels offers a doggy day care experience designed for comfort, safety, and fun. With operating hours from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. every weekday, our Defiance facility gives dogs the space, care, and attention they need while you’re away.

Set on a sprawling 50+ acre property and staffed by experienced caregivers, Sorenson has been a trusted name in dog care for over 70 years. Dogs here enjoy clean facilities, one-on-one time with our team, and peaceful private spaces—not overcrowded playrooms.

What Your Dog Gets at Sorenson Kennels

A day filled with comfort, care, and individual attention

Comfort

Each dog enjoys its own 5’×17’ private run to play, relax, or rest peacefully. Our staff is dedicated to providing gentle, attentive care, ensuring your dog feels safe, comfortable, and loved—whether they’re daycare regulars or first-time visitors.

Convenience

Located in the heart of Defiance, we’re easily accessible from St. Charles, St. Peters, and O’Fallon. With quick drop-offs and pickups, doggy day care fits effortlessly into your daily routine.

Safety

Your dog’s well-being is our top priority. Dogs enjoy individual play sessions with trained staff and have access to five secure, fenced-in outdoor yards. Indoors, all play areas are temperature-controlled, cushioned, and sanitized regularly to reduce the risk of illness, including kennel cough and other respiratory issues.

Affordability

Quality care shouldn’t be out of reach. Sorenson Kennels offers affordable day care rates, along with additional services like long-term boarding and shuttle options, making us your one-stop resource for everything your dog needs away from home.

Why Doggy Day Care Makes a Difference

If you can’t be home all day, doggy day care is the next best thing. Our program offers essential social, mental, and physical benefits that home-alone days simply can’t match.

Mental Health

Dogs left alone may develop anxiety, depression, or destructive habits. At Sorenson, your dog stays engaged and supported by professional caretakers who make sure they never feel isolated.

Peace of Mind

Forget the stress of wondering what your dog is getting into at home. With us, you know they’re safe, attended to, and happily occupied—not chewing wires, ruining shoes, or exploring the neighbor’s yard.

Physical Conditioning

Regular exercise prevents restlessness and problematic behaviors. Our day care ensures every dog gets the movement and stimulation they need to stay balanced and healthy.

Trusted Care from a Family-Owned Legacy

Since 1954, Sorenson Kennels has upheld the highest standards in dog care and training. As a family-owned and operated business, we honor the tradition started by our founder and National Retriever Hall of Famer, Tom Sorenson. Our reputation is built on trust, consistency, and a deep understanding of the dogs we care for.

Give Your Dog a Day They’ll Love

Whether you need day care once or every day, Sorenson Kennels is here to help.

Reviews

4.8 Over 291 Reviews

Write a Review

Katie Betzler 1 month ago

Emily did an amazing job training our family puppy. We’ve all remarked that it feels like we came home with a different dog—one who is obedient, attentive, happy and who has a new sense of purpose. Emily is a communicative, knowledgeable, friendly, expert dog trainer, and we plan to bring any future family dogs to train with her.

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Elizabeth Nations 1 month ago

We cannot say enough wonderful things about Max and the team at Sorensen Kennels. Our dog, Bear, stayed with them for training, and the experience was truly exceptional from start to finish. Max is not only incredibly skilled and knowledgeable, but he has a calm, patient, and intuitive way of working with dogs that you don’t come across often. You can tell immediately that this is his passion and calling.

When we dropped Bear off, he was a sweet but high-energy pup who struggled with impulse control, leash manners, and staying focused. When we picked him up, we could see the difference — he was confident, responsive, clearly proud of himself, and so happy. Max didn’t just teach Bear commands; he gave him structure, purpose, and trust. The respect and bond Bear has with him speaks volumes.

What impressed us just as much was how much time Max spent educating us so that we could continue everything at home. He walked us through every step, gave us realistic guidance, and encouraged us to reach out anytime we had questions.

The facility was clean, safe, and clearly well-run. The communication throughout Bear’s training was consistent, reassuring, and thoughtful.

If you are considering training or boarding for your dog, I cannot recommend Max and Sorensen highly enough. They gave our Bear the best experience and gave us the confidence and tools to continue helping him thrive. This was one of the best decisions we’ve made for our dog.

Ryan Smith 1 month ago

Our pup Beamer’s month-long stay-and-train at Sorenson Kennels was truly life-changing! Jessica, his amazing trainer, transformed him from a wild, energetic pup into a calm, confident companion. His leash manners, recall, and focus are incredible now. The staff’s care and communication were outstanding—worth every penny! Highly recommend Sorenson Kennels!

Ari Miller 2 months ago

Great place with the best golden ever!

Dave Groerich 2 months ago

Best Kennel around for training and Boarding. Max the trainer is a 10 out of 10 !!!!!

Julie Ferguson 2 months ago

I can’t thank the Sorenson family and staff enough for being there for our family. Everyone that is associated with Sorenson Kennels has treated all my pets as their own. I can’t thank them enough for being there when needed. I never worry about the times in the past or future leaving them there at Sorenson’s. My furry friends seem to know when we are headed to Sorenson’s. They seem to love it there. When I pick them up I feel they have been treated like pet spa day.
I want to say thanks and we appreciate the kindness.
Sincerely
Julie Ferguson

Jen Guttmann 2 months ago

We took our almost 2 year old dog for overall training to Sorensons. Emily was her trainer and she was great. Emily gave us weekly updates and pictures, we felt like Nellie was in good hands. We have had her home for about a month and there is a noticeable difference in Nellie’s behavior!! It is up to us now to keep working with her.

Jeanette Pumphrey 2 months ago

In years past, we have used their Boarding service. Everything they do is so great for your pet. I highly recommend them. I’ll be getting a dog soon and will reuse them. A+.

Emily Dyall 3 months ago

We took our 3 year old dog, Ralphie, for the four week training program. We had an excellent experience with Emily. You can tell she loves her job. I highly recommend!

Alyssa DeMuri 3 months ago

We just picked up our almost 8 month old puppy from Sorenson's 4 week training program and WOW - we could not be happier with the results! Our trainer Brett did such an amazing job, we can hardly believe it's the same dog we dropped off. Our dog came back actually listening to the commands, including his recall and what no means (a huge improvement from before we dropped him off), as well as being able to entertain himself and relax - things he never could do before. He can now hangout with us outside of his kennel substantially more and our overall quality of life with him has improved so much, I can't stop talking about it! I recommend Sorenson and their training programs to anyone who's interested in a well behaved dog that actually listens, they truly will change yours and your dogs life in the best way!

Carolyn White 3 months ago

Cody (the gun dog trainer) couldn’t have been more gracious and helpful allowing my husbamd to come for a training session while in the area. Excellent facilities and just the nicest people!

Stephen Boyce 3 months ago

Just brought our 8 month old chocolate lab home from a four week training session and she’s a new dog! I’m so impressed with her new behavior! Brett did an amazing job training her! Thank you

Katie Ladymon 4 months ago

Our 6 month old Goldendoodle puppy was a bit of a handful doing typical puppy things but needed to learn some manners. She would constantly jump up on us, eat food off the counter, wouldn't leave us alone while we ate, pull us during walks, and would bite and mouth our girls like litter mates.
We researched many different places and ultimately decided to send her to Sorenson Kennels for their 4 week board and train service. We were nervous about leaving her for so long but had heard many success stories from friends and family as well as other reviews.
We took advantage of meeting with our trainer, Max, about a month before dropping her off. He helped us feel so at ease throughout the whole process. You can tell he loves his job and the animals he works with. Max sent us pictures and updates twice each week she was gone. He was detailed and honest about her progress. Max was also so patient with us as he taught us how to give her commands and be successful at home.
At the end of the 4 weeks, our girl was still the sweet puppy we dropped off but so very well mannered. She is now so calm and such a great listener to everyone in the family. Her personality is still goofy and playful but she now knows and respects her given boundaries. She knows the commands heel, sit, down, place, wait, off, leave it, and quiet.
We are so grateful for Max and all he has done to help us enjoy our girl so much more. We cannot thank him enough!

alicia patten 4 months ago

Thank you to Sorenson Kennels for helping the last 15.5 years to be filled with daily smiles from our golden Willow. She and her sibling Sukey lived long, happy lives. I don’t know if any of the other litter mates from the 2010 Autumn/Carter are still living, but these two dogs lived amazingly long lives! Willow lived out her life in NH, NY, ME, and finally VT. While Sukey lived in Northern Minnesota. The quality of breeding is definitely a part of that. Sukey passed on May 9 and Willow passed today 8/14. Although my heart is broken, the Sorenson Kennels will always be a special part of my life.

Angie Danis 5 months ago

My one-year-old black lab (Sorenson-bred!) spent a month doing obedience and off-leash training with Max. My Ivy is quite a handful, but Max was tremendously patient working through her challenges and she came back a happier, much more obedient puppy!! Max provided me with updates throughout the program and provided tremendous instruction to me as well to help me better communicate with my dog. I cannot recommend this training program enough…I knew my dog was tremendously well taken care of the whole time!

Maxwell Haley 5 months ago

My family and myself have been using them for years, they take great care of my puppers and she always has come home safe. 10/10

Aaron Litton 6 months ago

My baby boy is always happy when coming home from boarding whether it’s for a day or a week.

Briana Gannon 6 months ago

Our 7 mo bernedoodle did the 4 week board and train with Jessica. It’s been about a week since having him back and life is already so much easier than before sorenson. He’s a relaxed dog and listens to our commands. We still use the collar everyday but are able to go on off leash walks in our busy neighborhood, bring him to our sons sports events and do things around the house while he just chills versus being too high energy and needy. Biggest thing is that he stopped jumping on everyone. Highly recommend!

Jesi Rushing 7 months ago

We took our pup Guinn here for the 4 week training, Emily H. was her trainer and she was excellent. Emily H. made the time away doable with text updates and lots of pictures. When we met for our training I could tell how much our pup liked and respected her. Since Guinn has been home we have noticed a big difference in her skills and obedience and Emily H. said we can continue to text her with any questions or suggestions on any new behaviors that may arise. We will definitely be using Sorenson Kennels, specifically Emily H. for any future training and boarding.

Deric Babcock 7 months ago

Great place that loves our dogs as much as we do!

Brian Jenkins 7 months ago

Sorenson is the best in the area. We board our dogs here when necessary and have used them for valuable training.