Requirements
What do I need?
• Reservations in advance and an up-to-date credit card on file are required for all services.
• Know Our Cancellation Policy: We require cancellation notice by phone, email, or in person for daycare and boarding at minimum 24 hours in advance. If you should cancel less than 24 hours in advance, there is a late cancellation fee of $20 per dog for daycare or a fee of $50 per dog for overnight boarding. For overnight boarding reservations that overlap a Surge Fee Date, the fee is 50% of your entire reservation estimate. To avoid these fees, please cancel your reservation at least 24 hours in advance! To give your spot to another client on our waitlist, please cancel as early as possible.
• A free first day must be scheduled and completed BEFORE reserving daycare or overnight boarding services. Free First Day reservations are also subject to the $20 late cancellation fee and $20 no-show fee.
*After their initial Free First Day, all clients will be required to complete a Retest Day, should their attendance at Dog Days lapse for 6 months or more. Re-test days are essentially the same as the Free First Days, with the only difference being that they are a charge of $20. After successful completion of a Re-test Day, clients may be urged or required to complete further attendance before being eligible for overnight boarding. Any recommendations or requirements for further attendance will be at our staff’s discretion in order to best set each dog up for a happy and comfortable experience with us.
• We require payment at check-out or before, for all services.
• All overnight boarding dog are required to check-in no later than 5pm, however we ask that you carefully consider your dog’s familiarity level with Dog Days while planning their stay with us and if they would benefit from an earlier check-in time. We may recommend or require an earlier check-in time if your dog is extra bouncy or is not yet an overnight boarding pro or has not seen us recently. This is so they can get re-acclimated to our environment and have some playtime with friends and bonding with our team before bedtime and prevent any midnight shenanigans!
• Please notify us if you need someone other than yourself or your emergency contact to pick up your dog. If a person’s name is not listed on your account, they will not be allowed access to your dog. This can sometimes create inconvenience, because we will not budge on this issue for safety of the dog, so be sure to always list a new person’s name with us. Please also make sure payment is taken care of at this time also
• Forgot to get your dog?: If dogs are still present upon closing on the day they were originally scheduled to be checked out for daycare or overnight boarding and we have not heard from you, they will be boarded for an additional night at double the cost of normal overnight boarding, with all charges (boarding, house meals, etc) at the expense of the owner.
What does my dog need?
• We do not accept dogs with a history of aggressive or threatening behavior to other dogs or people. If you are unsure how to define your dog’s past behavior, we are happy to discuss with you over the phone or by email to help!
• All dogs must be 4 months of age or older, to the best of your knowledge. This is the minimum age when veterinarians prefer to administer a rabies shot.
*We do strongly prefer that adult dogs be in their owner’s care for at least 4 weeks before a Free First Day is performed with us. For certain situations, we may also require this. This is because the extra time helps owners to have a more clear and in-depth understanding of their newly adopted pets, which in turn helps Dog Days to prepare them for success on their First Day. It also greatly reduces stress from recent environmental changes, by giving dogs ample time to bond with their new family and acclimate to their new home and new lives, before beginning at a new school. While we do not always require the 4 week rule for all dogs (examples of exceptions would be young puppies, dogs already accustomed to daycare, etc), we may need to reschedule First Days for the future based on your dog’s description and needs.
• Male dogs over the age of 12 months must be neutered. Female dogs are not permitted at Dog Days while in a heat cycle (typically 4-6 weeks from first symptom, but can vary for individuals). We also reserve the right to evaluate your dog’s development and behavior at any time and require spay or neuter procedures for continued attendance in the event that other dogs are reacting poorly to pheromones or your dog is engaging in inappropriate hormone-related behaviors.
• All dogs must be on effective flea prevention. Any flea prevention protocol you choose to use is acceptable AS LONG AS it is effective. If your dog is found to have fleas, we will immediately perform a flea bath at the expense of the owner so that your dog can continue to socialize. However, flea baths do not prevent future infestation, so this is something that must be addressed immediately by you the owners for continued attendance.
• Dogs must be on-leash at all times in our lobby and parking lot.
• Any additional items provided (food, leash & collar, toys, beds, blankets, etc) must be labeled with dog's name and last initial. Food should be in an air-tight, resealable container. 2 personal items (toys, blankies, etc) are permitted, but can only be offered when separated from all other dogs. We do not accept oversized items like large beds. We are not responsible for any lost items, so please don't send your favorite things!
• Food must be packed into airtight containers and labeled with pet’s first and last name as well as the date you are dropping off. Ziploc bags, tupperwares, etc, are fine. Foods that must be kept refrigerated or frozen are acceptable.
You are not required to separate food into individual portions. Sometimes that is just not practical, but please note that individually portioned meals are the most accurate and reliable system. Your at-home portioning sytem may not be the same as ours!
You are NOT required to provide food for daycare visits.
• See below for vaccination requirements.
Vaccination Requirements
• Rabies – We require that all clients provide up-to-date records of Rabies vaccinations administered by a licensed veterinarian.
• Distemper and Parvo – We require that all clients provide up-to-date records of Distemper and Parvo vaccinations administered by a licensed veterinarian. You may choose to have your veterinarian run titer tests for Distemper and Parvo vaccinations instead to prove existing immunity rather than re-vaccinating. If you choose to use titer tests, we require an accompanying note from your veterinarian interpreting the results as displaying adequate immune response in their professional medical opinion, as well as their recommended date for next titer test or vaccination booster.