Frequently asked questions
We only offer overnight boarding in our building for pets who are part of our daycare program. We are proud to cater to each pet’s individual needs and this helps ensure that boarders are regular attendees and are comfortable with the daycare routine included in their boarding stay. An added bonus is that because our Staff is very familiar with each of their personalities and quirks, we can quickly notice if anything seems out of the ordinary while your pet is staying with us.
We also offer a hybrid solution of daycare and Pet-Sitting. We have several experienced Pet-Sitters available who can take your pup into their home, come to your home, bring them to daycare during the day, pick them up for you, or provide any combination of help you need.
All our Pet-Sitters are insured and bonded and most are Pet First Aid and CPR Certified. Many of our Pet-Sitters are current or previous employees of the daycare.
We are much more than just an average dog daycare! We believe that daycare needs to be more than just dogs running around unattended and unchallenged all day long, and we recognize that dogs thrive on structure and routine. Since they deserve humans who engage with them and promote the use of their natural instincts, we have created an environment designed to enhance your dog's physical, social AND mental needs by spending time WITH our groups, getting to know them and then introducing activities that are exciting for them throughout each day. This is important so that your pup(s) can thrive by satisfying their curiosity, enhancing their ability to adapt to new environments with different people/sounds, reduce stress, and nourish the bond between them and us (their caretakers).
We require written proof of (current) DHLP-CPV, Rabies and Bordetella. We recommend you discuss your pet(s) needs for the Canine Influenza shot and a fecal test and give those (as well as any others they recommend) at your veterinarian's discretion. Additionally, dogs attending our facility should be in good health, free from fleas, ticks and matts; and should be on heartworm preventative.
We do require they be altered by 6 months of age for Group play. However, unaltered pets may be eligible for one of our Special Programs! Through these programs, we can allow your dog to still come play one on one with Staff members until they are altered, when they will naturally progress into full on Group-play!
We send report cards for many different reasons, but they are not always sent daily. Things that our staff will send you a report card for include their evaluation day with us, any seasonal or extracurricular activity your pup may be participating in, daily during boarding stays, any minor concerns we may have (either health-wise or behaviorally), and occasionally, we’ll send them if we get a photo that we just have to share because it’s too cute! We do post photos, videos, and snippets from the day to our social media accounts…so be sure to give us a “like” and “follow”!
We do allow toys when the dogs are having one on one time with the staff or are participating in an enrichment activity. However, as safety is always our number one priority, they are not permitted in group play. During the day, our daycare dogs are engaged in other stimulating activities; we provide mental enrichment like practicing “sit”, “place”, recall, and threshold manners, and we also offer fun stuff like playing on the agility equipment, follow the leader games, playing with bubbles, and more!
We do offer lunch services for $5 per pet, per day. Those who eat lunch with us are separated from the group, allowed to eat in a quiet space, and they will have one hour of rest time before re-entering the group. This helps prevent digestive upset and allows their tummy to settle before more play time with their friends. We do require that you provide food if you’d like to add a lunch service to your daycare reservation.
An Evaluation day is a scheduled first visit that we use to slowly acclimate your dog with our Staff, the new environment and (of course) the other dogs. We assess how they do in a daycare setting and determine whether or not they are likely to thrive in our structured group play.
Typically, you will have already had a tour of our facility and set everything up in our software, as well as spoken to us a few times while setting things up, On the big day, you will arrive at your scheduled time and drop the dog off with us. There is no need for you to stay, as we need time for your dog(s) to become comfortable with all the exciting sounds, smells and new people prior to introducing him to other dogs.
Once your pup has had time to calm down, we will find the best play group and buddies for your BFF and send you an update, report card and pictures on how things are going. If there are any immediate concerns, we will call you to discuss, otherwise, you may assume things are going well and we will reach out via text or email.
We look for three things during our evaluation process:
Are they comfortable in the environment
Are they comfortable with our Staff
Are they comfortable with other dogs
Some dogs take a while to warm up and some can't wait to meet a new group of friends! Whatever the case is, we want to be sure they are comfortable in the environment and are able to build trust with the staff before their introduction to the other dogs. If your dog passes their eval day, it means that we did not notice major signs of stress, fear, or aggression.
Our staff will send a report card on their first visit to detail how they are doing and will include photos of them with their new friends. Once you have received your report card, you are free to either pick up your pet, or leave them for the day if they are having a ball with their new buds!
We decide based on age, size, play-style and temperament. Because Group play is dynamic, your dog may play with one group one day and a different group another day, depending on who is here and what's going on around us. Just as humans, some dogs simply like certain friends better than others so we try to accommodate their preferences, while being mindful of safety conditions.
Our staff is trained in dog behavior and group play dynamics and is extremely adept at picking up on any cues that there may be tension - however, animals can sometimes behave unpredictably, so in the event that there is an incident, both dogs will be removed from the Group, assessed for any injuries and separated to cool down. Depending on the severity, we will take appropriate actions at that time. We will notify you as soon as possible, again, depending on the severity and circumstances of the encounter.
At some point during the day, we will rewind the video and have all Staff present watch the playback along with Management, so that we can learn from it and also answer any questions about what happened confidently.
It may also rest your worries to know that our staff are all certified in Emergency Pet First-Aid and CPR, and we always keep emergency supplies on hand.
They will most likely be tired and take a nap. Many drink alot of water, even though we have fresh water available to them at all times. We think they play so hard and they're just having so much fun that sometimes they forget to drink enough.
As your dog comes more frequently, you may begin to notice him displaying favorable habits, such as sitting at the door, waiting patiently for their food or treats, and taking their harness or leash more easily. That's because we practice all kinds of good manners every day!