The Splash Bark by SDK

Last year, I would’ve easily given this place five stars based on the friendly staff and great experience. Unfortunately, my recent visit with a puppy was much different. From the start, an employee kept interrupting my puppy’s attempts to socialize—stopping even playful interactions. I felt like I had to hover constantly just to prevent any “corrections,” which defeated the whole purpose of a dog social space. To make things worse, a regular guest’s small dog immediately attacked my pup. The owner brushed it off with, “Sorry, he’s just a grumpy old man!” Honestly, if a dog isn’t tolerant of others, maybe a public play area isn’t the right place for him. Another dog clearly wanted to interact, but its owners kept pulling it away—so much for socializing. The space itself is small but fun, with water features that are a nice touch. That said, charging $15 for a strict one-hour visit ($30 for three hours, and $60 for two dogs) feels steep, especially if you're just passing through and might only stay 1.5–2 hours. I used to recommend this spot and looked forward to it as a road trip stop, but I won’t be prioritizing Sioux Falls again. The Splash seems to cater more to a small local crowd than welcoming travelers or newcomers.

The staff is great. They offer an amazing water experience for your dog with fountains, toys and FREE POPCORN! they have card canes and things for kids to do if you want to hang out for a sitting on the comfortable adirondack chairs. Pizzas, sodas, and adult beverages are available and they even provide you with an SDK coozie!

I've been here a handful of times when it's raining or snowing and we can't go to the regular dog park. My mini Aussie loves it every time. My dog doesn't particularly like water but the water only sprays once every few minutes. So my dog can enjoy the whole park but just moves out of the pool area while the water is on. The staff is SO nice and they give attention to every single dog. Like I was blown away how every employee took time to pet my dog while we were there. They have a little tiki bar with beer and seltzers and sell pizzas but I didn't get anything. They also sell some tshirts, dog toys, treats, etc.

I had a job interview there today. What an amazing canine day care and boarding facility! Very pet friendly and pampering your pet is their goal. They even have an indoor water park for the dogs and a tiki bar for the adult dog owners. Very clean and well staffed.

Update: We tried to go back for another visit and they could not find us in their system. It was frustrating after several previous visits there. They wanted his shot records again (which we only brought the first time and have never been asked for since) and us to re register like we had never been there. Maybe they got a new system, no one said a thing as to why he would not pull up in the system but suddenly we were being turned away because they were following some policy NEVER previously enforced and it sounds from other recent reviews that other folks have run in to the very same issue. We ended up just leaving with a very confused pup and won't be back as the manager on duty didn't seem like she wanted to get to the bottom of the issue. All she did was kept pointing to the waiver on the counter saying it stated you must bring the dog's shot records every time you come in. I'm sorry but I do not drive around with my dogs shot records in my cars. The entrance seems too small for dogs coming in and out from nail trim clinics and to gain entrance to the splash park with this new procedure , it can get very stressful for the dog and owners and even louder especially when running into a snag like we and others recently have.