Frequently Asked Questions
We require all clients to create a profile in our customer portal and their dog to be up to date with vaccinations and fixed by 7 months. Our required vaccinations are Bordetella, DA2PP, Rabies, Leptospirosis and Canine Influenza (H3N2/H3N8). For dogs younger than 7 months, we have an additional requirement to see a negative fecal exam that must be completed within 2 weeks prior to the first day of service.
Although these two lifestyle vaccines are not mandatory by NYC, we take extra precautions for the health and safety of all the pups in our care. These additional vaccines will help prevent your dog from contracting and spreading these different illnesses in any high-contact dog environments.
We require all of our dogs to be fixed by 7 months to ensure a safer play environment. This helps prevent unwanted behaviors and reduces the risk of conflict among dogs in a group setting.
We require our pups to be at least 4 months of age to attend daycare. For puppies who are under 6 months, we do not require a temperament test and instead offer a puppy first day. Puppy first day sessions are offered on Monday or Friday at a special $20 rate and must be scheduled in advance. Drop off is between 7:30-8:30am and limited to 2-3 hours. Your puppy needs to be up to date with our required vaccines (appropriate for their age) and a negative fecal exam must be provided 2 weeks prior to the first visit.
The reason we require fecal exams for puppies before their first visit is that their immune systems haven’t fully developed. Puppies are more susceptible to contracting illnesses. The vet we work with suggests it should be one week prior to the first visit, but we all know that can be difficult to schedule, which is why we make it 2 weeks.
For any dogs over 6 months, we require a temperament test to be completed before actively using our daycare service. Our temperament test is a slow-introduction and allows us to focus on properly introducing a new dog to our daycare environment. We only book 1 temperament test a day, Monday-Friday at 9am, at a special rate of $20. To secure your appointment, payment is required at booking. Due to the limited availability, we have a 48-hour cancellation policy.
This 4-hour test provides us enough time to assess a new dog’s initial interactions, behaviors, and comfort levels in the new environment. Allowing a dog to stay for the entire day on their first visit can be overwhelming and stressful for them, especially if they are not accustomed to being away from home or around other dogs for extended periods. We also believe a slow introduction can help your dog acclimate gradually, reducing stress and ensuring a positive experience.
After your dog passes our temperament test, we always recommend starting with a couple of additional half days to ensure that your dog is adjusting at a good pace. If we feel that your dog needs additional time to acclimate, we may limit your dog to half-days. Puppies under 6 months of age can only do half days.
Daycare is an over-stimulating environment. For some dogs, being in daycare for an extended time can potentially lead to anxiousness, stress, getting overwhelmed, and not being able to relax. The main thing we look for before approving a full day is making sure your dog is comfortable and has acclimated to our daycare. The time it takes for each dog to acclimate here varies, it has taken anywhere from a few days to a few months.
Currently, we do not require daycare reservations during the week, Monday-Friday. However, we strongly recommend making reservations. During our busier days, we can reach capacity in which we will have to turn away walk-ins. We do require daycare reservations for weekends and holidays.
