All Your Questions Answered
Welcome to The Bark Club, Where your pet is family and we'll treat them as such!
Trusting someone to care for your pet can be a difficult decision. When leaving your pet with us you can rest easy knowing your pets are left with loving and trained professionals who will provide you and your pet the best care possible.
If you have more questions please feel free to reach out via email or phone call
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What is the minimum age for our puppy to attend daycare or boarding?
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My dog didn't pass the meet and greet but they are around dogs all the time. What happened?
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How are corrections administered and what provisions are there for avoiding fights?
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Why does my dog come back extremally thirsty after daycare or boarding?
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Do you take unaltered dogs and what age do you required them to become altered?
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If I am paying for daycare and my dog is not in group play, is he/she in a kennel all day?
Doggy daycare works a lot like daycare for children. You drop your dog off in the morning on the way to work. While you are gone, your dog will get plenty of attention, love and exercise.
Your dog may enjoy his day by playing with other dogs, playing with people, or snuggling up on a nice bed getting loving attention. Your dog will also have the chance to spend time indoors and outdoors, including the opportunity to have potty breaks.
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Full and half day doggy daycare
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Overnight boarding
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Training
We also offer several services that you can add on to your stay
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Enrichment Session - What is enrichment daycare? Click here
Do you offer grooming? View Pricing
No we do not have a groomer on staff. We offer the following services to our daycare and boarding clients only.
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Bath Brush & Nail Trim
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Nail Trim Only
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Ear Cleaning
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Teeth Brushing
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De-Shedding Brush
Once they complete their full vaccine requirements (usually after the Rabies vaccine at 16 weeks or whenever required by state law), we are happy to welcome them into group play.
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Bordetella Click Here to Learn More
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Distemper Click Here to Learn More
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Rabies Click Here to Learn More
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Recommended but not required - Annual Negative Fecal (Tested against Worms and giardia) Click Here to Learn More
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Recommended but not required - Canine Influenza Click Here to Learn More
Don't worry! There is nothing wrong with your dog!
Not every pet is cut out for daycare in this setting. And there are SO many factors that contribute to this. Your pup may only play well with others when you are present. They might prefer their previous, familiar daycare to this new one. They might be intimidated by the size of the pack, or they might just be having an off day. Much like children, dogs act very differently in front of their pet parents than they do when left to their own means. Unfortunately, they can't always tell us how they feel or what they want. Because of this, some dogs just don't adapt well to the pack. This doesn't mean that there is anything wrong with your pet!
If you feel it was an off-day or a matter of needing more time to adapt, we welcome you to bring them back for a second or third try at the Temperament Test. Our staff will discuss your options in detail to find the very best fit for you and your pup.
Absolutely! You know your dog best and we always appreciate owners that do not force unsocial dogs to be be social. We have traditional boarding available for your pup. Your dog will get to enjoy the amenities of the club just like our group play dogs, just on a human centered basis. They will get frequent outside time as well as play time rotations in one of our four indoor play areas. Maybe think about adding an enrichment session onto your stay for a little extra stimulation.
We are not cage free. We have many accommodations to meet your dogs needs and believe that dogs need to rest and get a good nights sleep. They get to play with their friends throughout the day and the negative impact of boarding stress is a higher risk during cage-free boarding, as a lack of tolerance could result in an aggressive act toward another dog.
We are not staffed 24 hours. We close daily for a mid-day break and overnight. During this time your pup is safely tucked into their accommodations where they will enjoy some much needed rest time after a fun day of play.
Cameras are available to view when you are signed up for the camera subscription and have a checked in pet at the facility. We also recommend following us on Instagram and Facebook to see picture of your pups at daycare.
A question we get asked often is why does my dog rest at daycare? I am sending them there to play and come home tired. The answer is simple...Too much of a good thing! Daycare can have so many good benefits, but too much can have adverse consequences for your dog's health and well being.
Overstimulation: The classic "too much of a good thing" here means the dog never has time to take a breath and relax. The stimulation of daycare is an ongoing, exciting experience like Doggy Disneyland! It would be like being on a roller coaster for hours at a time. It might be fun at first, but after a while you just want off.
Builds Endurance: A dog in daycare builds endurance the same way as someone builds a tolerance for a novel stimulus, or builds endurance for a physical activity (running a marathon perhaps). The more exposure to it, the more accustomed you become to it. If you run once in a while, you won't be able to compete in a marathon, but if you run every day, your body becomes used to that level of running. Each day it becomes less taxing on your system. The same can be said for dogs in daycare. The more often and longer the days spent in daycare, the more they grow used to that amount of stimulus. When they are no longer exposed to that level of stimulus, they have a hard time settling back down. They won't nap as long at home after a day of daycare. They will need additional exercise to tire out than they used to. This never ending cycle is not good for their health or mental well being. Having frequent rest time at daycare helps alleviate these issues.
No Down Time: Yes, we do give every dog naps in the middle of the day. Dogs sleep for 12-18 hours a day. They do not sleep 12 hours straight. They take many naps throughout the day. By allowing your dog the rest you will have a much happier and healthier dog.
During your puppy’s first year of life, he/she will be exposed to many new experiences and even germs. Taking your puppy for regular vet visits, fun trips to the pet store for new treats and toys and visiting The Bark Club may expose your puppy to new germs. Similar to children catching a cold at school, it is possible for your dog to experience a mild illness such as canine cough or harmless puppy warts. A vet visit will be needed, but both usually resolve very quickly without complications.
Kennel cough or canine influenza is the doggy equivalent of a human cold. Germs can spread any time dogs come into contact with each other, or through the very air. Like kids at a daycare, dogs will come home with an occasional cold or tummy bug.
Just like children playing on playgrounds, in daycare or at school, can get hurt from time to time, dogs playing with each other on the playgrounds can get hurt too. Dogs play with their mouths and paws and like to wrestle around on the ground with each other. Because we have a high number of staff in the playrooms and because of the training program our staff is required to complete, injuries are rare. If injuries do occur, you (not The Bark Club) are responsible for any medical expenses for your dog, as you would be for a child. You need to be sure that you are comfortable with this before allowing your dog to play in the playroom. If you are not, day boarding is a great way for your pup to have some fun without being a part of the pack. Most owners find that the benefits of allowing their dog to play outweigh the risks.
While the majority of our corrections are done with verbal cues and body language, they are not always sufficient in gaining the attention we need in a large room of playful pups. Because of this, our staff may utilize a spray bottle of water to get a quick response from a dog who may not hear or see us.
If a dog is particularly disruptive, they may be leashed and taken from the group until they are able to safely re-enter. In the rare event that we have an altercation, staff will immediately separate and leash the dogs, removing them from the group to assess for injury. Our staff keep a strict staff-to-dog ratio and are constantly involved in, and moving throughout, the pack. They have been trained to watch for the slightest physical or verbal cue that might imply an altercation could take place
Yes! We give your pup water, I promise. Some dogs don’t drink as much while in daycare due to the extra amount of mental and physical stimulation they experience. Much like small children, all the new sights, sounds, smells and people, can be overly exciting and the last thing they want to do is stop to drink. If your dog drinks in excess when they get home, simply keep an eye on how much water they drink in short periods as drinking large amounts of water too quickly may cause vomiting.
Dogs naturally eat and drink less while they are in boarding – something which is generally down to it being a new environment and them feeling less comfortable than they would at home. As a result, they tend to try and catch up on their calories when they get home and will also drink more
YES! We have three beautiful outdoor yards and four indoor play yards. Our yards are covered in turf and have plenty of shade and play structures for your pup to enjoy. We have a 7 foot fence around our perimeter. Although this is not typically an issue for us, if your dog shows interest or attempts to jump the fence we will have to excuse your pup immediately from the Club. Our pups get the opportunity to go outside multiple times throughout the day! Don't worry, we watch our pups closely in both cold and hot weather to ensure EVERYONE is healthy and happy.
NO! Group toys are not part of our program. We offer private enrichment sessions that often include one on one play with toys that stimulate and challenge your pup. Although your pup may love to play with their toys at home, toys in a group setting can be VERY unsafe. Some dogs resource guard and often become aggressive trying to "protect" their toy. This can lead to unsafe situations.
We also ask that you do not bring toys with you to daycare or boarding. We clean all of our kennels twice daily, removing EVERYTHING from their lodgings for sanitation. Toys often get put through the wash cycle and placed with TBC toys leaving staff searching for belongings at pick up and clients frustrated over lost belongings. We promise your pup will be well entertained during their stay with us and they will not even miss their toys.
No! We ask that all personal belongings stay at home. We provide beds, blankets, stimulation, exercise and love to your pet while you are away. We ask that you only bring your pup, their food and any medication that they may need while they are with us. We clean and sanitize our enclosures twice daily, during this time we remove all items and clean them. Personal items often get misplaced with TBC's belongings leaving it hard to track down at pick up. We promise that your pet will be comfortable while spending the night with us.
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Your pet
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Their food (We recommend a few extra feedings incase your return is delayed or your pup knocks over their dish)
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Their medication
Bring your pets medication in the original container with written instructions. We will administer the medication as presctibed.
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Yes, we can give insulin shots to dogs and cats
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Yes, we have a refrigerator
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Yes, we can give pills and liquid medication to your dog and cat
It is not uncommon for a dog to lose weight while boarding. Most of the weight loss is due to the stimulation being very different at a boarding facility than at home. When your dog is home, they most likely spend their day sleeping while you are at work. At a boarding facility, just the normal activities of cleaning, feeding, caring, bathing and grooming attract high levels of excitement. They are also busy barking and playing with their neighbors and friends. If your dog is stressed from boarding, they will also lose weight. Typically, high energy/drive dogs, burn more calories than they can consume while being boarded. We will increase your dogs food intake as needed so recommend always bringing a little extra.
NO! We do not have breed restrictions we have attitude restrictions! Every dog regardless of breed, size or age will attend our meet and greet process. During this time we will evaluate their ability to attend group play with The Bark Club.
Here are a few reasons your pup may not pass the initial meet and greet:
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People Aggression- We will not take any animal that is outwardly aggressive to our staff. We absolutely have to be able to handle your pet comfortably while they are with us to ensure the safety of your pet and our employees.
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Escape Attempt: Unfortunately any pup that attempts to jump our exterior barriers will be dismissed immediately from The Bark Club.
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Dog Aggression: If your dog is aggressive to other dogs we will not be able to have them in group play. If they are not people aggressive they can still board with us. We offer traditional boarding for our human social dogs.
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Obsessive Humping: Humping can be normal with dogs for many reasons such as hormones, over stimulation, excitement and anxiety. We will redirect your pup away from this behavior should they hump during their stay. If your pup becomes obsessive with friends we may need to discuss other options for them such as traditional boarding to keep everyone safe.
Yes! we take unaltered dogs. We do not require them to be altered to attend our facility. The age you decide to spay or neuter your dog will be determined by, you, your vet, your rescue or breeder. At the Bark Club we do not believe it is our place to tell you what is best for your dog when it comes to the age you may alter your pet. Every breed has different health requirements and this decision can be a difficult one. A few things to keep in mind:
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We absolutely CANNOT take your female in season. This is for the safety of all the dogs in our facility. Male dogs can smell a female in season up to three miles away.
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We will openly communicate with owners about their intact males behaviors while at daycare. As males get older we tend to see unwanted behaviors. We will communicate OPENLY and HONESTLY about what we are seeing. This ensures that all pets are safe in our care
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We may need to adjust the care we give to your pet until it is time for alteration. As dogs get older we tend to manage behaviors associated with being unaltered. This may mean your pup needs less group time or we may need to remove him entirely from group depending on the issues we are seeing. Should we see these behaviors in your pet we will discuss a care plan to ensure that we can meet everyone's needs.
NO! There are many reasons a dog may not be in play group, below we have listed a few. All our dogs get plenty of time with our staff as well as access to our inside and outside yards throughout the day.
Reasons your dog may not be in play group:
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Your dog is only social with people and we have made the decision with you that your dog is better suited for traditional boarding.
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Your pup needed a break. It happens! Imagine if you ran at full speed for 6-10 hours a day. You might get a little tired as well.