What you should know and ask when selecting a dog daycare or boarding facility
Does the facility require a Temperament Assessment?
To keep your pet and facility staff safe, a temperament assessment can determine if your dog’s facility is a good fit for you and your dog. The temperament assessment will let you and our staff know if your dog(s) get along well with other dogs and the dog handlers. This helps to discover what play group best works with your dogs personality.
Does your daycare facility group the dogs according to size and personality?
All dogs mustn’t be placed in just one or two playgroups. Older or calmer dogs can become stressed out if they are forced to be around hyper dogs for hours each day. The smaller groups the facility has, the better the chance that your dog will have an experience that meets their emotional and physical needs.
Does your boarding facility do group boarding, or do the dogs have individual areas?
Individual areas are often safer for dogs spending the night. Usually, after a busy day, most dogs are happy to go into an individual sleeping area where they can rest without being bothered or distracted at night. Having a blanket or small bed from home can provide additional comfort that doesn’t happen in a big room.
Is the Dog facility regularly cleaned and sanitized?
Ask for a tour of their facility. Does the facility smell? Is it clean? Does your dog come home smelling like urine? If he does, it is a tip-off that the facility is not staying on top of their cleaning.
Check Reputation of the dog daycare or dog boarding facility you’re considering.
Reviews are just one way to learn about the quality of care of the facility you are considering. Check reviews on multiple platforms, including Yelp, Google & Facebook. Look for recent reviews as well as the total number of reviews on multiple platforms to get a well rounded overview of the overall reputation of the dog daycare and boarding facility Asking recommendations from friends and family or on social media platforms like Facebook is another good source for recommendations.
Vaccination Requirements
For the safety of your pet and other dogs at our facility, it is important that your dog’s vaccinations are current. Vaccinations should be administered 10 to 14 days before their stay at the facility in order to allow enough time for the vaccines to take effect. If that is not possible, consult with your veterinarian for a recommendation.
Reputable pet care facilities require your pet to have current flea and tick medication.
In addition, ask the dog daycare or dog boarding facility how they verify vaccinations are up to date. Most reputable dog daycare software programs verify that vaccinations are current each time your dog is checked in for their stay.
Verify with the facility you are considering what vaccinations are required. Our facilities require the following vaccinations:
- Provide proof of current vaccinations for:
DHPP/DAPP ( 1 or 3 year) - Rabies (1 or 3 year)
- 6 Month Bordetella Booster
- K-9 Bivalent Influenza (H3N2 & H3N8) Annually
- Must be spayed or neutered (over 6 months old)
- Must be current on flea and tick medication (year long)
Making a doggy care pack
It’s important for your dog to feel as comfortable as possible in their surroundings while they are away from you. You should pack things that help reduce any stress and anxiety to ensure a smoother transition from their home environment to completely new surroundings. Pack something that reminds them of you with your scent, like a blanket or t-shirt. These items can be emotionally & physically comforting. Here are a few additional important items to pack:
- Regular collar for your dog to wear. Harnesses can get stuck on fences.
- Plenty of their normal food and favorite treats. A change in diet may increase your dog’s stress and anxiety and possibly cause digestive issues.
- Any medication your furry friend may need along with specific dosage and instructions.
Drop off and Pick up Hours
Are the hours convenient for you? It’s important to understand drop off times to make sure the facility is open when you need to drop off your furry friend. If you need to drop off or pick up your dog outside of regular hours, check to see if early drop off or late pick up is available for an additional fee.
We hope this is helpful in your search for the best pet care facility for your “fur baby”.