You've got Questions? We've got Answers! We've had numerous questions from everyone and we are so happy you did! So we started a Questions and Answers section on our website. Enjoy! *** IMPORTANT TO NOTE (Pertains to Extreme Cases only): If your pet has never been Kennel trained and displays an Extreme Case of high anxiety or separation anxiety causing them to be severely destructive over night, for Safety reasons we may exercise the right to not board your pet. We suggest doing a trial run using our doggy daycare during hours of operation so we can safely assess their behavior.. *** 1) What Vaccinations do I need and why Kennel cough? Glad you asked! We want to make sure all family pets are safe from any potential disease that can be transmitted between dogs and that nobody goes home sick. We do require 12-14 days for vaccinations to fully reach their potential prior to boarding. 1) Annual Vaccinations (DHPP): 2) Bordetella (Kennel Cough) 3) Rabies For Vaccinations that are being renewed within 1 year or close to due date, we do not require 12-14 days prior to boarding when revaccinating. Titre Tests for any of the above required vaccinations are accepted but must be up at a high range and renewed every year before boarding. Deworming (internal/external) is highly recommended but not mandatory. It's not that expensive and can be administered by you. Please note: If your pet was recently dewormed, we require 5 days prior to boarding your pet after it has been administered for safety reasons.
Kennel cough is an airborne bacterium that can spread around quickly. And even though your dog has been vaccinated, it s not 100% guarantee that they wont get it. Try not to blame anyone or other dogs, as it s a common illness that is easily corrected within 7 to 21 days after revaccination. Please keep this in mind, that if your dog develops kennel cough, and it s within a year since they ve received their Vac s, you can actually go back to your vet and receive a full refund from the manufacture. 2) Is there anything I should tell you about my dog? Absolutely, we encourage it! We want to know all about your family pet, the more information the better. First time customers will need to fill out a detailed 5 minute document with specified questions we are looking for. Examples would be: Daily Food Requirements... How Socialized is your pet... Any fear of objects, people or other dogs?...etc. 3) Do I pay on pickup or drop off? We require payment for services rendered upfront by cash or e- transfer. But that being said, if your family pet is staying for a lengthy amount of time, say a few weeks or a month, half of the total amount can be paid on drop off and the remainder on pick up day. 4) What payment method do I need to bring? We take Cash or e-transfers as we are not set up for Visa or Debit just yet.
5) Do I have to book ahead of time? Even for Daycare? Yes, we require scheduled pick up and drop off times because we want to make sure we have a spot available and we also arrange our daily schedule to provide time to welcome you and your pet. 6) What if I don't have time to call you or it's after hours? No problem, we know life gets busy so we've got an Online program that allows you to inquire if booking is available 24 hours a day via computer or mobile. It s on our Facebook page and our website. 7) Can I bring Bones, Blankets or a Bed for my dog? Yes, as long as you re confident that your dog will NOT ingest any of their belongings, because chances are that s a visit to the vet. But if you re confident they'll be ok then we are too. Only other thing to remember is we are not responsible if items are lost or destroyed It is important to note that some bones are dangerous for dogs, dry bones especially, as they can splinter and once ingested, have the potential to tear along the stomach and intestinal walls causing major or minor damage. 8) Do you leave the dogs outside at night? No way, we like the comfort of having everyone tucked inside their rooms...i mean Kennels for the evenings. lol 9) Is my dog sleeping on concrete? Nope, we have put down linoleum in each kennel and we also have Kuranda beds! Super comfy and has been known to be therapeutic for dogs to lay on.
10) My Dog is Houdini...literally! How do I know my pet will be safe at night? We have our own pack of 5, 4 which are rescues. One of our rescues, in the past adoptions has escaped 6 homes in 3 months, so we put our kennels to the test! He tried all the tricks in the book and failed at each attempt. NOW, that being said, in EXTREME CASES of high anxiety where your pet may become severely destructive, we will exercise the right to refuse boarding your pet because this becomes a Major safety concern for everyone involved. If owners think their pet may present this type of behavior, we suggest doing a free 1-hour trial run during doggy daycare hours so that we can safely assess their behavior in a kennel environment. 11) Do I need to bring my dogs food with me and how much should I bring? We highly recommend that you bring their regular food as it's easier on your dogs system and easier for them to eat something that is familiar when in a new environment. How much? Well, we suggest bringing 4 to 5 days extra, as they may be exercising more than usual and we will need to accommodate for that. 12) Will my dog have access to food and water all day? You bet, we provide water 24/7 in their kennels, outside runs and inside our daycare area. Dogs need to be hydrated, especially with us. Food depends on customers requests, usually we feed twice a day (am/pm) but if you'd like us to free feed during the day, we can
accommodate that as well. 13) What if my dog runs out of food because I accidentally miss measured? We will contact the owners immediately and if for some reason more food can't be brought to us, we provide food for an additional $4.00/day. 14) What do I need to bring when dropping off my family pet? New customers: updated Vaccinations, food and Cash or e-transfer information that will be processed on site if not already done. Returning customers: If Vaccinations are still up to date, bring Food and Cash or e-transfer information that will be processed on site. 15) What is your schedule like, does my dog have to stay inside a kennel all day? Heck no, we love to drain all our visitors energy meter down to zero and plus it's boring being in a kennel all day, so we've come up with ways to keep things exciting and different, such as: 1) Hang With Me Time (HWMT) - This is a time they get to roam around the facility and go outside on their own free will. They even get to hang with us and snuggle on our Office doggy bed if they so choose. 2) Treat N Movie Time - We like to play movies cuz it's relaxing and fun just to hang out. (If you have a movie that your pet loves, please bring it)
3) Nap time - It's been made clear by our visitors they love their naps! So everyone gets a chance to get sneak in a siesta during the day. 4) Acreage Walks - everyone loves that, it's packed full of different smells and they get to see new and exciting scenery. ** Now of course, this depends greatly if weather permits, as we don't want anyone freezing his or her knickers off! ** 5) Mental Stimulation Games - we choose different mental games to play, be it from finding a treat around the facility to working really hard to getting treats out of a toy. CHASE that Laser is a very popular game we play. 6) Potty Breaks - During the day they go outside as often as they need to because we like a clean facility. We have yet to have a furry visitor not understand that potty times are to be done outside. We also let everyone out again just before we go to bed every night so they don't have to hold it and plus it helps us keep our facility squeaky clean too. 7) Socialization Time - We set aside time during the day for those family pets that love to play with others. It's amazing how many happy tails are wagging all at once. lol 16) Does my dog need to be evaluated before boarding at your kennel? Yes and No. Even though we need to know as much information as we can to help safely keep our visitors comfortable. We do not require an evaluation if your dog does not get along with other dogs because we don t just throw everyone together and see what happens but we do need to be made aware of any incidents in the past.
We will assess each dog separately, very carefully and will adjust accordingly. We have multiple separate outdoor runs that we use to divide dog s that don t get along well with others. Yes if you have a feeling our pet may display an Extreme Case of high anxiety or Separation anxiety and become destructively unsafe. We want your pet to have a trial run with us during our Doggy Daycare hours of operation. This way we can safely assess their behavior. 17) Does my dog have to share a Kennel with other dogs? Not a chance, we do not put dogs together unless it is requested. Each family pet gets their own room...i mean Kennel...lol. We want our furry visitors getting into a routine and relax in their own assigned kennels. 18) How big are your Kennels and are kennels stacked on top of other kennels? They are 5ft x 5ft x 5ft, even the big boyz can stretch out. No way! We do not stack any of our kennels on top of each other kennels as that is a major safety concern! 19) What if my dog is aggressive or nervous around other dogs when they are outside? We take any information you have on past experiences and combine it with our evaluations. We will not pair any dogs that are not equipped to handle the stress. We have separate outside runs we can use and separate times of the day we can utilize to keep everyone safe.
We also have 5 Rotation categories we use to ensure everyone goes home safe: 1) Rotation 1 Highly sociable group, can play all day with all different types of dogs. Based on their activity level, this group of dogs have no ailments or soreness from playing through out the day. 2) Rotation 2 Semi-sociable group, they may play in Rotation 1 depending on how they get along with dogs in that rotation. Based on their activity level, this group is for dogs that have little or no ailments or develop soreness from playing through out the day. 3) Rotation 3 Not highly sociable with the other dogs that are currently in Rotation 1 & 2 and they d rather have their own inside/outside space at all times. 4) Rotation 4 Has low energy or ailments and/or becomes sore from to much exercise. They have their own inside/outside space at all times. 5) Rotation 5 Small breed dogs. They have their own inside/outside space at all times so that they don t get run over by the big boys. Some small breeds want to play with all sized dogs and can handle the larger sized dogs because they are quick to move, so if it s safe they can be in Rotation 1 or 2. 20) Do you let out all the dogs out at once to go play? The only time we allow more than one family pet out at the same time is if the owners are ok with that and we are confident they get along.
This comes down to which rotation they are in as well because just like humans, not everyone see's eye to eye so we place everyone accordingly. We've also noticed that some family pets love making new friends and can't wait to play together. 21) What if my dog is under socialized? That's ok, we will not mix any dogs that are not confident and weary of other dogs. They will be placed in Rotation 3, 4 or 5 because we don't want to put that kind of stress on any of our visitors. 22) What if my dog has never been in a Kennel facility before? For cases where it's a first time in a Kennel Facility, we gently help guide them along and safely expose them to the new routine. Some dogs look forward to the new adventures while others take a little longer to settle in. Any dog that temporarily leaves their warm and loving home will show signs of stress for a day or two because they miss you and it's a change in lifestyle/routine. For Extreme Cases, where your dog may become anxious or highly agitated and becomes destructive or unsafe in a kennel when left alone at night, we will need to do a trial run during our Doggy Daycare hours of operation to safely assess before boarding overnight. 23) How many dogs can be at the Kennel at anytime? While we are licensed for a maximum occupancy up to 20 dogs overnight, but we are happy boarding an average of 8 to 13 because we find that we get more one on one with our visitors.
We do not plan on expanding our occupancy over 20 dogs at any time, we are happy with 5 to 8 dogs / day. But we are saving our pennies because we will be doing some construction next summer for some additions to our facilities but it s hush hush for now. ;) 24) Will my dog be able to sleep at night with other dogs around? Yes, oddly enough, dogs are usually quiet at night as they are used to your routine at home, lights out means lights out. Some dogs might be night owls so we provide music at night that is soft and calming. You'd be surprised how much they enjoy it. 25) Is my dog being left alone for long periods of time? No way, we like to interact and do fun stuff during the day. At night, we have security cameras installed inside and outside of our facilities so we can see on our monitor's who's doing what. The only time they are on his or her own is when we tuck everyone in at bedtime. 26) What if my dog needs medication or medical care and how much does that cost? We are more than willing to accommodate any special care within reason of course and it is part of our daily/nightly rates. 27) Can I call or check in to see how my dog is doing? Of course, anytime. :) We even post photo's and video s on our Facebook Page as soon as we have time.
28) What if my dog is dropped off by a friend because I m away, can they visit and take my dog for a walk? Unless we have a written consent from you via email or our office paper work has their name written down, they will need to provide a photo ID that matches your friend. We do not allow anyone to take any of our dogs off the property while in our care. Unless it's a family emergency and you've confirmed it with us. 29) What if my dog does not require a lot of exercise and I don't want him/her to overdue it because of health reasons? No problem, we take our customers requests very seriously and will keep their daily regime to a minimum and gauge how they are doing. We want our furry visitors to be who they are and settle in comfortably. 30) What if I have a small breed dog that doesn't like to play with the big boyz? That's ok, because we can separate dogs by size and play styles. Depending on the Rotation they are on and how they handle it. We even have smaller outside runs the little guys can have all to themselves. 31) What if I was boarding my small breed dog, do they have to stay in the larger kennels or do you have something indoors for overnight? You bet we do, big or small, we board them all. We have smaller kennels they can sleep in. We don't leave any of our visitors outside overnight because we want the peace of mind that they are safe inside our facility.
32) Is my dog being watched overnight? Yes, within reason of course because we need sleep too...lol. We have several security cameras situated all over our facilities, inside and out that we can watch. 33) Do we have to take our dog s collar off before boarding? Right now, if we find that the collar they come to us with can potentially be a hazard during playtime, we replace them with a quick release collar. Reason being is there s been cases, not only in the US but Canada of dogs getting their bottom jaws snagged underneath another dogs collar and chocking that other dog to death. This is not something we take lightly and we don t ever want to experience something that in the future. So for that reason alone, we may remove their regular collars during playtime and replace with quick release collars. 34) Do you have privacy dividers in between the kennels? My dog is nervous when he s close to other dogs. We sure do! We have privacy dividers and we also have certain kennels that have plexi-glass too so that nobody can stick their heads in their kennels either.
WHAT CAN WE EXPECT TO SEE AFTER BOARDING AT A KENNEL? MY DOG WAS THIRTY: We provide water 24/7 in each of the outside runs(summer and winter months), in each kennel and in our main daycare play area. When dogs are socializing and playing, they tend to pant a lot more after medium to heavy exertion and/or physical activities and need more water. It is normal for your dog to want to drink more water than they usually do after few days of boarding. MY DOG'S PAWS WERE SORE: It is totally normal that when your dog is playing and running after each other, depending on how much fun they had, they may develop tender paws. The ground surface or texture might be different at our facilities than they are at home. If we notice our visitors developing tender paws, we reduce the overall playtime with highly playful visitors and pair them with medium to low energy. MY DOGS STOOL WAS SOFTER OR LOOSE: Sometimes, this is caused by overall dehydration. Even thought we provide water 24/7 and nap times, many of our visitors want to play and sometimes may forget to stop and more drink water until they slow down at home. Food was changed while at the kennels. If we provide food, there is a chance of loose stool because it's foreign to their digestive track which is normal. We suggest always bringing their own food from home and if a transition to new food is required, use the 50/50 rule (old mixed with new).
Sometimes it's stress, being a new environment or meeting new friends can be a little overwhelming at times. This should subside after a few days. MY DOG WAS REALLY TIRED: This means they had a very good time with their new furry friends and us. This also means we did our job. ;) If you would like to restrict your dog's playtimes, let us know and we will put your dog on a low exercise rotation. We have visitors that if they stay with us for an extended amount of time, actually need more naps then our newcomers. Again, totally normal because not only are they in a new environment, they are very busy making new friends which can be exhausting. They should be back to their chipper selves within a few days. MY DOG HAS SCRATCH MARKS OR CUTS ON HIS/HER PAWS: When playing with other dogs and socializing, there is a chance they may scratch each other by accident because lets face it, dogs will be dogs. Even though we supervise everyone, they will have their moments. If any scratches are deep, we will contact the owners immediately. MY DOG WAS SHEDDING MORE THAN USUAL: This can happen when they are a bit stressed and over exerted or stimulated in any new environment. This again is normal and should clear up within a few days. Another thing to remember is most dogs go through shedding/blow out cycles during the year and this may be the case for your dog.
MY DOG PLAYS DIFFERENTLY NOW, WHY IS THAT: That is because he/she learnt new ways of playing from other dogs. Often times, they develop new ways of interacting and communicating with each other.