RAYMOND—The owner of a new day care for dogs says he wants the business to be a place where dogs come first.

Chris Jordan, of Raymond, opened Jordan Bay Dog Daycare on Route 302 to provide a safe, welcoming place for dogs to spend a day or an afternoon.

“Our philosophy is to make the dogs feel at home while socializing with their dog friends,” Jordan said.

The dog center is located at 1311 Roosevelt Trail, at the former site of Dog-Gone Grooming, which moved up the road. Jordan said Julie Chouinard, owner of the pet-grooming business, has helped his new business get settled and introduced him to new clients.

Inside the long, single-story office building, Jordan has two play rooms for the dogs, and a separate office space with multiple dog beds. Kennels and cages are nowhere to be found. Jordan said the furry friends “don’t have to abide by any strict schedule or nap times. We let the dogs tell us what they need.”

The fenced backyard is covered with artificial turf, which Jordan said keeps the dogs clean. Jordan said he likes to keep the dogs outside as much as possible, playing fetch and other games.

The dog day care is open weekdays from 6 a.m.-6 p.m. Jordan said clients do not have to schedule appointments ahead of time, but are welcome to drop off their dogs when they need to. Costs vary depending on the length of the stay, with a single visit about $25.

Currently, Jordan said the staff consists of himself, his mother, Nancy Jordan, and brother, William Jordan, but he hopes to eventually hire more people from the community.

Jordan is a Certified Dog Trainer and attended Animal Behavioral College in Searsbrook, NH, where he lived before moving to Raymond three years ago. The program involved academic classes as well as hands-on experience in a shelter and with pet first-aid.

As a certified dog trainer, Jordan said he is happy to provide training “touch ups” for bad-dog behavior for canines in his care. A problem he sees often, he said, is dogs jumping on people. (If the dog is merely excitable, and not fearful, the problem can be fixed by teaching the dog a new behavior in place of the jumping, he said).

While volunteering at a board and training center in New Hampshire, Jordan said he worked with a pitbull who kept being returned to the shelter by potential adoptive families because she liked to chase cats. While he said the work of training a new dog isn’t difficult, it can be emotionally troubling.

“It’s about getting them to trust,” he said of training dogs with behavioral issues. Especially dogs that were neglected, he said, need to trust people again in order to learn.

“I definitely recommend people adopt a rescue dog instead of going to a breeder,” he said.

He most previously worked at a dog day care in Hampton Falls, New Hampshire, which he said inspired him to open a day care of his own. He went into the field, he said, because he loves playing with and teaching dogs.

As one might expect of a dog-lover, Jordan has three dogs of his own, who he enjoys taking out on Sebago Lake in the summer.

Chris Jordan, owner of Jordan Bay Dog Daycare in Raymond, sits with his golden retriever, Bella, and Baxter, a client’s goldendoodle. Jordan said the philosophy of his new business is “to make the dogs feel at home while socializing with their dog friends.”

For more information about Jordan Bay Dog Daycare in Raymond, contact Chris Jordan at 207-655-6521 or JordanBayDogDaycare@outlook.com