You might be surprised to see that how social and friendly most dogs are, once they know each other. How long does this take? Not very long at all! In fact, dogs don’t even have to touch to know everything about one another—they just have to be within a few feet.

But we do recommend that if your dog is new to our facility they come for day care only one day before you drop them off for overnight boarding. This way, we get to see how they react to introductions in our doggy Neutral Zone, and they get to know us and their surroundings. We’ll also perform some brief, (no cost) temperament testing to see how they behave when food is taken from them, we’ll assess their prey dive, and so on. We encourage you to stay and watch this process!

In the event your dog cannot socialize or doesn’t react well to several of the other guests, we may isolate them to their own play and feeding area or recommend in home pet sitting with one of our staff, for their safety.

We have staff on site 24 hours a day. During the day, they walk inside the pack to play with the pets and inspect the yards and play areas for any issues. It’s good to have a “coach” around so dogs know they need to play nicely—just like toddlers! During the midday nap and at night, our staff close our big double doors to the outdoor play areas and dogs can cuddle up in the Milky Way sleeping area.   A staff member stays within view, just in case they need anything. For feeding, dogs are fed in separate areas of the Neutral Zone to prevent any issues, always supervised by a staff member.

Of course you can! And we can certainly use your crate for your dog if you prefer—but we encourage you to let them try cage free boarding. Owners are often surprised that their dogs get along with other dogs once they’ve come to know each other. If you choose to bring you dog’s own bed, toys and treats, we will take a detailed inventory of their items. Please label them as well, with the dog’s name where possible.

We recommend all clients bring the food their dog is used to—it can be very unsettling to the stomach to suddenly switch food on a dog. However, if you forget their food or they run out, we can supply food for a small, additional charge. We have refrigeration available for any foods or medications that require this and can easily dispense your dog’s medications as well.

Written feeding instructions are very helpful, as is using Standard US measurements (cups and ounces). If your dog uses a food bowl that is non metal, you’ll want to label and include it. Some dogs prefer their own bowls!

One of the benefits of cage free boarding with constant on site staff is that we can clean up immediately if there’s an “accident”. Our play yards are cleaned up right after feeding in the morning and evening, and spot cleaned in between. For their safety, dogs are not allowed to run in the play yards after dark. However, if your dog needs to go out in the night, we have a secure area we can take them for a brief visit, accompanied by a staff member. Just let us know if you dog may need this. We also do frequent, thorough cleanings of the facility, using veterinary grade, environmentally friendly cleaning products. However, being located in a converted barn allows wonderful, flow through ventilation, so you shouldn’t smell either cleaning solvents or other odors when you visit.

First and foremost, in a cage free environment, we are unable to accept large, unfixed dogs, or dogs that exhibit aggression toward other animals or people.  If you need a referral to someone else, give us a call.  

Rabies Vaccine Certificate

Canine Parvo/Distemper

Bordetella (Kennel Cough)–dog must have had the vaccine at least 1 week prior to care

Canine Influenza (Both Strains)–dog must have had the second dose at least 2 weeks prior to care

In addition to required vaccinations, all dogs must be flea and tick free. Canine guests with signs of fleas and/or ticks will be treated at the client’s expense prior to check-in.