Doggy Daycare

Before your pet can come into daycare or board with us, they need to complete our evaluation process to ensure your dog will be happy and comfortable in a social setting.  

The evaluation is  free-of-charge,  and are scheduled at 8:30, 12:30, and 4:00 Monday-Saturday

Evaluation Process

Our evaluation is a 3 hour appointment consisting of 2 and a half hours of daycare and a half hour of nap time. During the evaluation we assess your dogs comfort level in a group setting, separation from the owner, verbal commands, being moved to and from different areas, dog to dog interactions, dog to people interactions, reactivity, guarding, and being in a built-in crate.

All your dog needs for the evaluation is their leash, collar, and vet records showing current vaccinations (Bordetella, Distemper, Rabies). 

Once the evaluation is complete, and your dog has passed, you will be able to make reservations for daycare and boarding. 

If your dog is unable to pass the evaluation we will give you feedback as to why, as well as recommendations on what the next best step would be for your pet to be able to be re-evaluated. We give any recommendations for a specific trainer, or working on a specific issue to give your dog a good mental foundation to grow from in a social setting.  After working with your pet either at home or with a trainer,  you may have your dog re-evaluated 30 days from the original evaluation date.  Some behaviors will require a trainer and completion of class as well as a recommendation from the trainer that your dog is ready to try again.  

It is important to keep in mind some dogs are just not comfortable or do not enjoy daycare and that's ok too.

Daycare and Boarding Services are contingent upon your dog completing an evaluation and providing documentation of up to date Rabies, Distemper and Bordetella vaccines. Medical waivers and titer tests from licensed veterinarians are accepted. We reserve the right to deny services to any dog or owner for any reason.

Curbside Pickup

In accordance with CDC guidelines on social distancing, we will be doing curbside pickup and drop off  until further notice. When you pull into the parking lot on the side of the building, our phone number is written on the window for you to call us to come out and walk your dog inside.

Retractable Leashes

If you are bringing your dog on a retractable leash, please let us know when you call so that we know to bring a separate lead out to walk your dog with. Retractable leashes can break if the dog pulls too hard so we want to take as much precaution as we can to avoid any kind of accident that could harm your pet. 

Vaccinations

Owners are required to keep their pets up to date on the Bordetella, Distemper, and Rabies vaccinations.  If your dogs vaccinations are expired they will not be accepted into daycare or boarding.

Flea & Tick Preventative

  All dogs entering the facility must be on a monthly flea/tick preventative. If we find fleas on your dog while in daycare/boarding, we will give them a flea bath and Capstar at your expense to prevent the spread of fleas to the environment and other dogs. 

We use our own pink collars to prevent any damage to your personal belongings and injuries that could happen from loose dog tags. If you do not have a leash to use at the time of pick-up, a slip leash is provided to you from the lobby. 

Lateness

In the event that you are unable to pick your pet up before closing, please call. Staff will not be able to wait to accommodate very late pickups, after 7:15 pm your pet will have to board for the evening and boarding fees will apply.

Our daycare attendants monitor group play very closely to ensure a safe and fun environment for your pet. Our rules help set the standard for safe play, prevent fights, and reinforce your pet's manners. Our play yards are under 24/7 surveillance that clients can access to check up on their pets while they're at daycare.  

No face Biting

Face biting is prohibited as it can cause potentially serious injury and/or lead to fights

No "Sharking"

"Sharking" is when a dog is consistently nibbling, muzzle-punching, staring, closely following one specific dog. 

No Humping/Mounting

Humping/mounting is done not only as a sexual impulse from a dog, but can also be an attempt at exerting dominance or even just excessive energy your dog is trying to get out. 

No Third-Wheeling

Depending on the situation, most dogs don't like being ganged up on by multiple dogs. It can overstimulate them, increase chances of small injuries, and eventually lead to defensive behaviors/fights. 

Potty Training

In the event of inclement weather, we have an indoor play area to shelter your pet while they play. We have all kinds of dogs that vary in ages, and so we expect there to be puppies who are possibly still potty training. We also are aware that accidents happen from time to time with the older pups. However, we stress the importance of continuing to potty train your dogs at home to ensure it does not become a lifelong issue.

Your Dog May Be Tired!

The first day in daycare can be a lot of new experiences all at once, and you may notice some changes in your dog’s behavior when you get home. Many of these changes are normal and to be expected.

Dogs that play hard, sleep hard! Expect that your dog may be very tired at the end of the day, and may continue to be more tired than normal the following day: especially if they are not used to so much activity.

Your Dog May Be Thirsty!

There is fresh water available to the dogs at all times during group, but some of our furry friends are not comfortable drinking while other dogs are present, some may be so excited about playing that they simply forget to drink, and their activity level is typically much higher,. Your dog may come home more thirsty than normal after a day of play and may want to drink more than usual. Often they settle into the routine and this issue resolves itself as they become more comfortable in daycare. If your dog is consistently thirsty at the end of their day at Pinkie's please inform the staff and we will give your dog their own water during nap time. This is by request or necessity only, as most dogs spill or play in their water in their rooms.

"Dents and Dings"

Dogs like to play with their mouths and paws, and they often play pretty hard. As a result, small scratches and scrapes are a normal and expected part of their play. We will separate any play we deem too rough and notify their guardians of any scruffs we find on their dog. If you happen to find any “dents or dings” that we’ve missed, certainly let us know!

Daycare Isn't For Everyone

It’s not uncommon for dogs to age out of daycare as they grow older. Puppies enjoy the rambunctious play, as they have a lot of energy to burn! While some dogs will enjoy daycare well into their senior years, many dogs have less need for intense physical exercise and their tolerance for and enjoyment of “puppy” antics often decrease with age. Our Daycare/Boarding facility is designed to keep dogs engaged and active during their time with us, however it is entirely possible that your dog may eventually grow to prefer a quiet day at home alone to the constant activity of daycare. 

Learning, Reinforcing Manners, and Discipline

Staff are trained to read body language to ensure dogs communicate appropriately with each other as well as intervene when necessary.  Some dog-to-dog corrections (snapping) are allowed in group as long as it is appropriate to the situation. Over correcting, follow through, and unprovoked dog-to-dog corrections are not allowed and are interrupted by staff, and the dogs redirected away from each other. Dogs with these behaviors are given a time out in a kennel, the length of which depends on the severity and  escalation.  After an appropriate amount of time to calm and regroup themselves, they are reintroduced to group on a lead, and allowed to rejoin fully after a short time on lead, practicing appropriate dog-to-dog interactions.

Dog-to-dog corrections are permitted because some things dogs need to learn from other dogs such as spatial boundaries, "no means no",  no humping, excessive force/energy when playing etc. It's important for dogs to be able to set and enforce appropriately their own boundaries. Allowing dog-to-dog corrections also allows for self esteem building, confidence building and helps the staff understand your dogs personal boundaries.

Intervening in dogs inappropriate interactions include verbal commands, interruptive touch, lead work mid group, and time outs. 

In the event of a violent altercation, staff will separate and remove the aggressor as quickly as possible by any means necessary.

One and Done Rule

Any dog that injures another dog intentionally, will automatically be dismissed from Pinkie's. 

No exceptions.

Dog daycare is spent outside most of the time unless the weather does not permit in which case we have an indoor play room for the dogs to play in and periodically go out for bathroom breaks. These exceptions in weather include:

• Temperatures above 80 degrees call for watching the dogs closely to monitor for any signs of overheating. 90 degrees and above call for staying inside and periodically going out for bathroom breaks
• Temperatures 40 degrees and below call for watching the dogs closely to monitor for any signs of chilling. 38 degrees  and below call for staying inside our indoor playroom and periodically going out for bathroom breaks
• Thunder
• Lightning
• Hail
• Heavy Rain
• Freezing Rain
• Snow Storms

Boarding Dogs : Morning bathroom break and breakfast

Daycare opens, first play time 

Nap time/First lunch time

Second playtime

Second nap time

Third playtime

(Boarding Dogs) Dinner

(Daycare Dogs) Continue playtime until pickup 

(Boarding Dogs) 7:00 pm - 7:45 last potty break, 8:00 pm lights out

(Daycare Dogs) Continue playtime until pickup