For the most part, yes. Our upstairs level is reserved for littles, tinies, and puppies. We may also have some mellow loungers that are bigger in size in this area. At the same time, we have medium to small sized dogs who play very well with bigger dogs and can’t get enough of the action, so if the group on a particular day is accommodating we may allow littler pups to join those groups as appropriate. That being said, we are aware that teeny dogs and extra large dogs, even when both playing nicely, may not make the best play partners and accidental injury can occur, so we take extra precaution about where each and every one of our canine guests best fits depending on the day.

We allow puppies to begin socializing at the 13-week mark. He or she should have the full first round of vaccinations complete and be deemed healthy and able to socialize by your veterinarian. All required vaccines (rabies, DHPP and bordetella) should be administered at appropriate age markers thereafter. We also require that your dog be spayed or neutered by seven months of age to continue in daycare or boarding.

Yes, we do, but our pick up/drop off service is limited in its coverage area. This is because we pick up and drop off most dogs on foot, meaning you must live within a walkable distance from our facility. Occasionally we are able to accommodate pick up/drop offs by car for longer distances or for animals who cannot walk the distance from home, but this must be arranged with our staff in advance. Further, we cannot guarantee availability to provide pick up/drop off without at least 24 hours notice, and our time windows may vary depending on the staff member providing the service.

Yes, we do. Please see our daycare service page for more details.

At present, we are not asking for reservations for daycare for regular clients (those attending at least two times a week). When your dog is first introduced to daycare, we may ask you to set up appointments for daycare until we know your dog well and no longer have to plan to introduce new staff members to him/her. For more randomly-attending daycare clients, we ask that you call or email to let us know about your need for daycare at least 24 hours in advance.

Sure! Just like people, not every dog is going to be super social or playful. That doesn’t mean he or she can’t benefit from spending time around other canines, or having watchful humans around while mom and dad are at work. We are happy to have a pup who prefers to hang with people as long as he or she can be in the company of other dogs without aggressive behavior.

Yes, we have water available in every room!

Yes. Please bring the pre-portioned meal with you when you drop your dog off. There is a $3 fee for meal administration during daycare

Most dogs will be tired after a full day of play! It is not unexpected to find that your dog wants to drink a lot of water and snooze! Some dogs may be excited to see you and still playful at pickup (to show you what he’s been doing all day ;)) but then crash at home.

When dogs are grouped together, we must supervise them carefully at all times. Nuisance behaviors (from otherwise good dogs) that require correction include rough play, excessive barking or howling, excessive mounting, jumping or lunging inappropriately, and/or nipping. We always first attempt to correct these behaviors vocally — getting the dog’s attention with their name and a firm command. If the dog persists, we may use other forms of noise to halt the behavior, such as shaking a can of coins or spraying canned pressurized air which makes a hissing sound that attracts attention. We may also separate the dog temporarily, leash him or her and ask for a sit, gentle touching, or move the dog to a different area entirely. We do also employ squirt bottles with water for when bad behaviors persist despite multiple corrections. Most dogs respond to a splash of water and we find it is especially useful when two dogs are playing rough and their attention is not on the person supervising.

All dogs passing through our facility are fully vaccinated for rabies, distemper and bordetella, no exceptions! Having the vaccinations for your pup helps prevent them from spreading these diseases from one dog to another. Of course, just like when people socialize, when dogs spend time with other dogs, they may be exposed to doggy colds or other bacteria that they cannot be vaccinated against. Further, vaccines are not foolproof. The bordetella (kennel cough) vaccine, for example, targets the most common strains of doggy flu but other strains do exist, and we have seen kennel cough spread even when dogs are vaccinated — and even when they don’t come to daycare; they may have just met another dog on the street! Long story short: We take every measure to keep things sanitary and clean to deter germs spreading but there’s always some risk that your pup could pick something up at daycare, especially if he or she is young and the immune system is still developing. The good news is that the body’s immunity general benefits from learning how to fight these bugs. Plus, we think the benefits of doggy daycare far outweigh the risk of a cold — it’s the same reason we brave crowded subways and bustling social events 

Yes, we require that your dog attend at least three times a month to remain an active participant in our daycare program. As canine socialization is a skill, it takes regular practice for your dog to get comfortable with it and maintain good behavior in the environment. It also allows your dog to develop relationships with other regularly attending clients as well as our staff.

We require that all dogs in our care wear a collar that can be pinched for quick removal. This allows us to move dogs quickly and easily to prevent injuries, and to take the collar off with minimal effort should it get stuck on something. Dogs may wear a harness in lieu of a collar, however these tend to get ripped and damaged over time with play.