FAQs
Question: How do you prevent dog fights?
Answer: All dogs are tested and evaluated before being allowed to attend the Canine Club. However, in this type of setting, and with energetic play, scuffles can occur. Our staff members are trained to watch for any potential confrontations that might be brewing and dogs are separated or redirected before anything escalates. Sometimes an argument will break out but it usually involves vocalization and correction rather than the intent to seriously injure. We will occasionally see a scratch, cut, or bite as the result of rough play or correction but rarely anything that requires veterinary attention. We try to minimize this as much as possible; the safety of your dog is very important to us!
Question: How about illness and disease when so many dogs are together?
Answer: The illness that your dog is most at-risk of contracting when here at the Club is kennel cough. Kennel cough is a common respiratory infection analogous to a human cold that causes a hacking cough. Veterinarians will usually treat this with antibiotics to avoid secondary infections and a progression to pneumonia. We require that all dogs are current on their bordetella (kennel cough) vaccinations to attend, but the vaccine does not prevent all cases of kennel cough since there are many different strains. In speaking with other daycare owners across the country, we find that most of them have small outbreaks 2 to 3 times per year. If your dog shows signs of kennel cough, we request that he not come to daycare until at least 5 days after the coughing subsides, and that you contact your veterinarian, if necessary, for treatment. We try to minimize potential infection with our cleaning procedures, vaccination requirements, and by asking that any dog showing symptoms to stay home. We can't eliminate this though and new members unfortunately are most at risk at picking up kennel cough.
We don't tell you all this to scare you away! We consider this environment much less risky than taking your dog to the local dog park, where there is no monitoring of vaccinations and fecal tests. Just as most parents would not forego daycare for their child because of the risk the child might pick up a cold, so it is with the benefits of doggie daycare outweighing the risks of the dogs picking up a cold or getting a scratch. Again, newer dogs and infrequent visitors are the most at risk of picking something up, whereas our regulars seem to build up some immunity to the doggie germs that might be going around.
Question: Do I have to do anything in the morning before dropping off my dog at the Canine Club?
Answer: Please make sure that your dog has eaten at least 30 minutes before arrival at the Club so he has time to digest his food before all the excitement. Also, it would be very helpful if your dog has an empty bladder and has done "Number 2" before getting here; this helps prevent accidents due to excitement upon arrival and before he has a chance to get out to our yard.
Question: Do you feed the daycare dogs?
Answer: Most owners feed their dogs twice a day, morning and night; therefore they do not need us to feed during the day. If necessary, however, we will feed your dog lunch if you provide it.
Question: How many people are supervising the dogs during the day?
Answer: It depends on the number of dogs we have and their temperaments, but we generally abide by or exceed the industry standard of one person per every 10-15 dogs.