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What is a typical first day like?
There is no typical day :). It depends on your dog's age, current habits, past experience among many other variables but most dogs will either be very excited or a little aprehensive. In both cases it is not uncommon for a dog to spend a lot of time on leash to help it observe and learn about appropriate social interactions. Most dogs get playing before noon and are off-leash and free to explore the sights, smells and sounds.
Do the dogs get fed while at daycare
No. First, especially with dogs who have been food motivated, it creates a lot of risk related to food based aggressions. Second it increases risks related to stomach bloat. Exceptions for new puppies that are under 20 weeks old certain conditions may apply.
DO YOU GIVE DOGS TOYS LIKE BALLS OR ROPES AT DAYCARE.
Rarely. It only takes a single dog who has possessive tendencies to create a conflict over a toy. Daycare is set-up to promote interactive play between the dogs and so toys will only be used in limited scenarios where it assists that purpose.
DO YOU SEGGREGATE DOGS BASED ON SIZE?
No. It is beneficial to a dog's development and social confidence to respectfully interact with dogs older, younger, bigger and smaller. While various dogs may get leashed up from time to time to faciliate certain interactions the daycare pack hangs together including at nap time :)
HOW MANY DOGS DO YOU TAKE AT DAYCARE?
This depends on several factors including expected weather and can range from 15-20. As we cater primarily to regular visitors who attend daycare at least once a week most of the dogs get to know each other rather quickly.
DO THEY JUST PLAY ALL DAY?
No. The dogs will generally go through natural nap/play cycles. If we have dogs that have trouble settling down they will be leashed up to help them learn and avoid overstimulation.
VACCINES?
Your dog must have immunization for the core diseases: Distemper, Parvo and Rabies. As a dog owner it is up to you to educate yourself on how to ensure your dog is up to date on its protection. You can do this either by following a vaccination schedule as prescribed by your vet but you can also take advantage of titer testing to avoid unecessary booster shots over the life of your dog. Please check out Hemopet to learn more about this. With respect to "Kennel Cough" this term does not refer to a specific sickness but rather a list of symptoms. The "Kennel Cough" vaccine protects against one strain that can cause these symptoms while there are dozens of others. As such we do not require you to get the "Kennel Cough" (aka Bordatella) vaccine. Please read more about "Kennel Cough" here.
DO YOU TAKE INTACT DOGS?
It depends. With male dogs in particular once their hormones kick in they are not suitable for the daycare environment. Male dogs will begin to exhibit marking behaviour (peeing over any scent they find) and become generally restless with other dogs around. This creates an unsafe environment for all the dogs involved as well as our staff. Generally speaking if a male dog is 8-11 months old and intact there is a good chance it will not be a good fit for daycare until it is neutered. Female dogs are generally less of a concern however while they are in heat they must be kept home.