How many dogs do you have in daycare each day? 

Typically 25-30 a day it varies day to day

Is it large? As in, do you have different rooms for them?  

We  have 1200 sq feet separated into 3 rooms and because we do not have outdoor access, we take the dogs frequently for walks.  We separate the dogs based on several criteria depending on the dogs we have during the day.  The criteria is attitude (are the dogs able to get along together), energy level (often we separate dogs playing from dogs sleeping or that just want to relax), and size.

Do you have big and small dogs together?

This depends more on energy levels. Sometimes, larger dogs are really low key and prefer to be with the small less active dogs while some sturdy, smaller dogs like to play and chase bigger dogs. They are supervised and moved if the staff feels it is not a good combination.  If we have a small group of seemingly same energy pups and they get along often, the dogs will have the run of the 3 rooms.

What do they do during the day?

They play with other dogs, play with the staff, relax and take naps if they want.

Do they go outside to potty? 

They are leashed walked outside on a regular, rotating basis, usually 2-3 dogs at a time. However this depends on the behavior assessment done on the first day so some dogs require short walks and/or solo walks due to leash issues that we work on. 

Will my puppy be crated at all? If so, how come and for how long?

No, we only use the crates we have for our grooming dogs.  We have them only in case we have a dog that becomes ill/sick during the daycare or if the dog becomes highly aggressive with staff or other pets  (to date neither has happened, but I want to be prepared as possible, since we purposefully did not install crates/cages). 

How will you ensure my dog doesn't escape?

During the day our entrances remains locked for the safety and security of the dogs. People have to knock to come in and drop off/pickup.  We use our own leashes.  We cannot use Flexi-lead/ retractable leashes while out due to the countless injuries that are attributed to them.  We do not leave prongs or chokes on while in the daycare.  We take precautions on walks and walk the same routes.

Do you do training with them during the day?

Somewhat but as far as professionally no, we currently do not offer that.  We do ask them to sit for a treat, putting a leash on or toys, and we discourage jumping/ biting by walking away and turning our backs.  If they bite, scratch or otherwise pester we may yipe loudly.

How do you introduce the dogs to each other? How do you know and what do you do if they're not getting along, or if they fight?

We require that on the first day you drop your dog off within 15 minutes of opening. This ensures your dog is one of the first pups here. It gives them time to acclimate to our staff and play area. We introduce each dog one on one that comes in for the day. We closely monitor for signs of any issues. We typically give a few minutes for butt introductions.. Upon evaluation and if the staff deems it appropriate this is repeated with a few more dogs from the group until the new dog has met all dogs in the group.  Once your dog is established in the pack this type of introduction generally is not repeated at future visits unless the dogs have not yet interacted before or if we introduce a new dog.  We keep track of what dogs have met, who have they liked, ignored or even disliked.

If they don't get along we separate the dogs, sometimes it may take one dog longer to warm up to another dog so we do allow for multiple interactions.  Sometimes an older dog gets annoyed with a puppy and will need to be separated.  We constantly watch body language for these issues and try to stop a problem before it becomes one.

If they get to a point of a fight, most times they are not going to actually land blows. It typically sounds worse than it is but we react quickly.  We use water spray bottles and a couple quick squirts typically move things along.  All employees have whistles which one blow will break it up enough that they will stop and an employee can then separate them.    We will always alert the owners of both dogs and examine them for wounds and alert the owner to wounds.  Dogs will be dogs and sometimes can spook each other or react for seemingly no reason.  We minimize this as much as possible by separating dogs before if say some are sleeping and some are playing. We do not allow aggressive dogs in, as their initial day can indicate if a dog may not work in our group and we will not take a dog if we feel there is a risk to our staff or pets. If we see a dog bully or be bullied we will separate the dogs and note it. If the same dog is the culprit, we can make sure that the dogs are kept in separate rooms or the dog may not be allowed back to daycare.  If the dog is constantly being bullied or is the bully, then yes we do make the owner aware. 

When you pick up your dog we tell you how and who he/she played with and if we noticed any issues.  We also try to post pictures on FB throughout the day.

When can my dog get started?

Your dog can start any day but we ask that we have the paperwork including vaccinations prior to the start date. So there is no delay, we do not allow the owners to be present for introductions to other dogs, simply because it distresses the other dogs that a stranger is present and they react differently.

PLease note:

Dogs need to be current on Distemper, Bordetella (kennel cough) and Rabies vaccines and have a negative fecal test.  Typically Rabies is given around 12-16 weeks, so the youngest we allow is 3 months.  We require them to be spayed or neutered, once they are older than 7 months.

We are open 7am—7pm Monday through Friday, drop off and pick up can be done anytime during that period.