It’s 7:30 a.m. on a Wednesday morning, and rounding the corner of 80th and 1st, swarms of dog parents can be seen leading their pups toward Biscuits & Bath, at 1535 First Avenue, where it’s playtime at doggie day care. Already this morning, 40 dogs have arrived, from miniature fluffy white-furred dogs to large and clumsy hounds, to jump around the romper room, with tails wagging.

Brad Cook, 28, who lives in the neighborhood walks in with Colfax, his Golden retriever on his way to jury duty. “Today’s our first day,” he says looking just the tiniest bit nervous. “I just walked by one day and noticed this place. They gave me a tour so I could really check everything out.” As he hands over the leash, “No treats,” he says.

“70% of our business is local,” says Mike Friedenberg, store manager, who lives in the neighborhood and was a client himself for 5 years before becoming taking a position at the pet spa. “I always felt comfortable bringing Jack, my Vizsla—Hungarian Pointer, here,” he says. “I liked not having to feel guilty about leaving him locked away at home all day.”

Cathy Lee Gruhn, 43, who lives at 74th and 1st, feels the same way. That’s why she’s been bringing her Corgi mix, Scout, to Biscuits & Bath for doggie day care every day for the past seven years. Like Cook, Kruhn found Biscuits & Bath just walking by one day. “Of course I was nervous at first – Scout was very standoffish and skittish and scared on his first day. But, by his second day, he adored it,” she says. Gruhn thinks it’s the exceptional love and care given by the handlers. “I trust them implicitly with my dogs. It’s certainly not cheap, but it’s an investment. I’d rather do this than have a dog walker come in — I’d never want my dog tied up outside a building,” says Gruhn.

Doggie day care is available Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. Rates vary according to package (which could include all sorts of pup pampering from nail clipping to shampoos or nuts and bolts day care). For day care goers, the most economical plan seems to be the yearly membership ($250 the first year; $150 for subsequent years) which brings day care costs to between $31 and $36 dollars per day for care up until 7 p.m., after which time a $7 late fee would be tacked on.

“We do require a membership,” says owner John Ziegler. “We don’t want just any dogs interacting with other dogs. We’re looking to provide quality service and care less about quantity. Safety is our top concern.”

Doggie day care can get pretty loud, sometimes. Just imagine an average of 35 to 45 pups in one large open room all barking at once. Friedenberg says you get used to it though. “I don’t use earphones or anything,” he says.

Biscuits & Bath has become quite a beloved spot along First Avenue. It’s not uncommon at 8 or 9 p.m. at night to see people standing outside, eyes glued to the window, watching all the dogs bounce around with abandon. “People like to stand outside and look at the dogs. They just get mesmerized. It must just make them happy,” says Friedenberg.

Some may call it the American Dream. But founder John Ziegler, a native of California, will tell you he just followed his passion. After he himself had a bad experience with a dog walker, he felt like many just didn’t care enough. With his Godmother Sandy Zuchert, who developed the concept for Biscuits & Bath and the logo, they started Biscuits and Bath. “Doggie day care started in 1997 and has really taken off,” says Ziegler. “People love that we don’t use cages or crates and that we’re fully staffed — we have 40-50 staffers per location.” Since he started the business, it has expanded rapidly to now include three locations with a fourth in the Upper West Side soon to open.

With true entrepreneurial spirit, Ziegler saw a problem New Yorkers had and created a solution. “Let’s say you just move into a new co-op in the city and you bring along your dog, Rocky. Days after you move in you start getting notes from annoyed neighbors about Rocky’s barking. You need a solution fast, so you immediately hire a dog walker to walk Rocky an hour a day. But, that’s not enough. Rocky is still energetic. Then Biscuits & Bath comes in.” Ziegler says he often warns parents: "After his first day of doggie day care, don’t worry if your pooch doesn’t move for a while. It’s just healthy exhaustion."

Later Ziegler started the adoption program that has successfully placed scores of homeless dogs with loving owners. “Part of my dream was to save animals' lives and educate people about shelters, he says. “With our adoption program, we take sick, dirty, unattractive dogs from the shelter and we clean them up. We screen them medically and incubate them for a week. We socialize them and get them exercise. When they’re calm and clean, they’re much more likely to be adopted. We’ve had great success.

Kruhn adopted Mimi just over a year ago. “She looked like Sandy from Little Orphan Annie. Her ear had been bit and was split in the shape of a V. She never cried,” says Kruhn. “Of course I brought her home and let Scout decide. It took a month, but Scout finally accepted her and now the two are inseparable.” The number of animals they’ve been able to place, she says, is phenomenal. Check out the adorable, orphaned-muts’ mugs at www.biscuitsandbath.com. And, says Ziegler, we’re always looking for volunteers who can help screen parents and be foster parents to the pound dogs during the incubation period.

There are also events at Biscuits and Bath. “On Monday nights there’s an indoor small-dog play group, for dogs 20 lbs. and under, where owners and their pets can meet and greet,” says Ziegler. This is open to everyone in the neighborhood, not only members, and lasts from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. “I have to tell you, too, that we’ve been responsible for many of our own little weddings, you know,” says Ziegler.

Ziegler takes pride in the care he and his staff provide for animals. “We only sell food and treats that have no by-products in them and we use organic, all-natural shampoos.” The staff keeps a log for parents’ special care instructions. Today’s entries include: Give only sensitive-stomach food; Mom bringing puppy food; and give more down time than you normally give today.

“I couldn’t do this without the people who work with me ... they are such an important part of this. I’m only as good as the people who work for me. Employees must be dog lovers,” says Ziegler. “I can’t take all the credit for the success we’ve had. “It goes back to service and the good people we have - from our managers to our dog walkers and front desk helpers,” he says.

So what’s a day of doggie day care like? Dogs get signed-in and checked-in then play until 11 a.m. Then, it’s resting, taking breaks for water, taking relief walks, and just hanging with their friends chasing tennis balls around.

And, the secret to keeping dogs happy? Well, says Friedenberg, it’s all about keeping them moving … and playing with them.