DAY-CARE CENTER WITH A TAIL-WAGGING DIFFERENCE.

Byline: Carol Bidwell Daily News Staff Writer

It's midmorning - and it's playtime.

There's a tug-of-war game going on and a furious game of chase. And over in the corner, one exhausted player has curled up for an impromptu nap.

Just like any day-care center.

Except this one's for dogs.

Besides helping find homes for abused animals, the two dog-loving owners of Camp Happy Dog in Sherman Oaks capitalize on local folks' desire to be good ``parents'' to their dogs despite the time demands of jobs, kids' school and soccer games and dance classes, errands and the other things that fill their lives.

So, instead of leaving Butch or Fido alone at home, owners bring their pooches to spend the day with other latchkey canines under the watchful eye of dog trainers who referee tussles, play ball, take them for walks, groom them, put them through obedience training and just generally act as surrogate parents for the day.

``Owners say they feel guilty leaving their dog alone all day while they work, and to some extent, they should feel a little guilty,'' said Nick Deleo, who with Deborah Nabb owns Camp Happy Dog. ``Dogs are very socialized animals. They just love to be with you. Just talk to them and goof with them. They love the voices, the touches.''

Day care costs $20 per pooch per day and includes all the games a dog can play before collapsing in exhaustion. About a dozen customers' dogs come to play each day, joining the handful of dogs that have been rescued and are up for adoption. Day-care dogs must have proof of up-to-date immunizations; dogs for adoption have had their shots, too.

``Sometimes in the afternoon, I'll say to Nick, `Listen. It's so quiet.' And we'll go look and they're all napping at the same time,'' said Nabb. ``It's a half-hour of pure peace.''

``They play so hard all day ... that customers tell us the dogs are snoring in the back seat of the car on the way home, they're so tired,'' Deleo said.

In the storefront shop on busy Ventura Boulevard, Camp Happy Dog is nearly filled with a corral formed from sections of 5-foot-tall movable wooden fence. Inside the enclosure is a small doghouse, a basket of dog toys and a full water dish. In the winter, it's warm inside; in the heat of summer, the air conditioning keeps the pooches cool.

Most owners drop off their dogs on the way to work and pick them up on the way home. But Deleo also picks up and delivers, takes dogs to veterinary appointments and even arranges after-hours dog-sitting for customers, like those in the TV and film industry, who work odd schedules.

Both Nabb and Deleo came by their love of dogs naturally. His father trained dogs for the U.S. Army; her grandfather bred Labradors. Before opening the shop, Deborah was a dog trainer; Nick was a financial manager who also had worked as a dog trainer.

``We tried to find something we could work at every day and enjoy,'' Nabb said. ``I can't imagine a better way to spend your day than playing with dogs.''