How do your temperament evaluations work?

We schedule temperament evaluations on weekday mornings. When you first arrive, we'll chat with you about your dog and spend a few minutes getting to know them. We'll then send you out of the room and will introduce your dog to one or two dogs to start. Assuming that all goes well, we'll take your dog into the playgroup that seems most appropriate and slowly introduce them to the pack.

You can expect to be here for about 30 minutes, but your dog is required to stay for the entire day to give them time to settle in. Pick up time is between 2 p.m. and 7 p.m., but we recommend waiting until at least 4 p.m. so we can see how your dog handles going-home time.

If we have concerns about your dog’s interactions in the pack, we may separate them and call you for an early pick up.

What are you looking for during a temperament evaluation?

Cage-free daycare is a great way to socialize and exercise your dog, but it’s not the right fit for everyone. Our top priority is the safety and happiness of the dogs in our care, and our temperament evaluations are designed to assess how your dog fits in with the pack.

Some of the things we look for include:

• Signs of aggression: Because of the way our daycare is set up, we aren’t able to accommodate dogs who don’t get along with other dogs. We also look for resistance to or aggression toward human interaction to ensure we can safely handle your dog.
• Anxiety level: Some first-day jitters are normal, but a dog with extreme separation anxiety may hurt themselves trying to escape, make themselves ill with stress, or snap at a dog or human out of fear.
• Energy level: While we love being able to give dogs space to run and play, dogs that are extremely high energy can end up riling up the pack too much leading to safety issues.
• Reaction to being handled: In order to keep the energy of the group at a safe level, we need to be able to verbally and physically direct the dogs in our care. Dogs who consistently run from us or give threatening cues if we try to handle them may cause safety issues in the group.
• Body language: Are they overly submissive or dominant? Do they give clear cues to other dogs? Do they react appropriately to a variety of interactions?
• Ability to read other dogs’ body language: Dogs have their own intricate language, but some dogs have trouble reading cues, which can lead to conflict.
• Play style: Do they choose appropriate playmates and demonstrate equal play or do they police other dogs and/or act as a third wheel? Are they able to regulate their play or does a human need to continually intervene to calm them down?
• Arousal level: Some dogs love to play, but they aren’t able to control their impulses or calm themselves down. When dogs get too amped up during play or by watching other dogs play, it can become dangerous.
• Ability to share resources: In order to avoid conflict, we do not have toys or treats in the playgroups. However, because the dogs are in a communal space, they need to be able to share resources such as water bowls, beds, and human affection.
• How much individual attention your dog requires: Our handlers oversee the safety of a large group of dogs, so if one dog requires an inordinate amount of attention, it may put the rest of the group at risk.

At the end of the day, we’ll give you honest feedback about how your dog did. However, in some cases, we may need them to visit a few times before we’re able to make an accurate assessment.

Please remember that we aren’t judging whether your dog is “good” or “bad” or whether they should be able to socialize with other dogs. We’re simply looking at whether our specific environment is a good fit for them.

What is a conditional pass?

If your dog has been through our temperament evaluation and received a conditional pass, it means that we weren’t able to determine whether Here, Doggy! is the right fit for them. Sometimes it takes a few visits for dogs to settle in and for us to see the full spectrum of their personality. If this is the case, we’ll set up a schedule with you and provide updates with each visit. At the end of the agreed upon period, we’ll let you know whether we think this is the right fit for your dog.

I tried to schedule my dog, but the site says they haven't passed their temperament evaluation. What does that mean?

There are a few possible reasons for this:

We forgot to check the box (whoops!). If your dog recently passed an evaluation, we may have forgotten to check the “passed evaluation” box while setting up your account. Just give us a call or email us and we’ll fix it for you.

Your dog conditionally passed our evaluation. We leave the “passed evaluation” box unchecked in your dog’s account until we’ve determined whether Here, Doggy! will be the right fit. To schedule a day of daycare, please call or email us.

Your dog hasn’t visited Here, Doggy! in over six months. It’s important for us to know the dogs in our care. If you’re looking to board your dog and they haven’t been here in over six months, they’ll be required to come back for daycare first. This is to help us get reacquainted with each other and to make sure Here, Doggy! is still a good fit for them. If you’re just looking to schedule a day of daycare, give us a call or email us, and we’ll get you set up.

My dog doesn't get along with other dogs. Can they still attend your daycare?

Unfortunately, we aren’t able to accept dogs who don’t get along with other dogs. Because of our cage-free environment, we don’t have a separate area to isolate dogs.

Do you have breed restrictions?

Here, Doggy! does not have breed restrictions. Our assessments are based on how the individual dog adapts to our environment. That said, for everyone's safety, if a dog is extremely large or strong, we do have to hold them to different standards when assessing risk.

Why is your required neutering age so young?

We do this for your dog’s safety. We understand that six months may seem young to neuter your dog; however, we’ve noticed that other dogs often react badly to unfixed males starting around six months. The unneutered male’s behavior may also lead to conflict with the other dogs. We know every dog is different, but unfortunately, we are not able to make exceptions to this rule.

What is the general routine during the day?

Though of course every day is a little different, our general weekday schedule is as follows:

6:30 a.m. to 7 a.m. - Breakfast time (boarders only)
Our boarders eat their morning meals before we open up for daycare.

7 a.m. to 11 a.m. - Drop off time
This is the most active time of the day, as the dogs greet their friends and run off their morning energy. We may also do some water play or bubbles depending on the mood of the group.

11 a.m. to 2 p.m. - Quiet time
Once the excitement of the morning is over, most dogs naturally settle in for some rest time. Though play may still continue during this time, if we notice a dog has been overdoing in, we may crate them for a while to give them a rest.

11:45 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. - Lunch time
This is when we pull out our lunch eaters for their midday meal or snack. It fits in well during our quiet time, as most dogs are ready for a nap after their meal. 

2 p.m. to 7 p.m. - Pick up time
There’s a natural excitement in the air during going home time, so we like to help the dogs burn off some of that afternoon energy before heading home for the evening. 

5:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. - Dinner time (boarders only)
The dogs are fed in separate feeding stalls, so there is no competition for food.

7 p.m. to 7 a.m. - Bed time
Dogs who are staying overnight head to the bedroom to unwind. They’ll take another potty break later in the evening before officially heading to bed.

Will you feed my dog while they're at daycare?

If your dog usually eats a midday meal, you can bring their lunch when you drop them off and we'll be glad to feed them. The dogs are fed in separate feeding areas, so there is no competition for food. Please note that we do not feed dogs breakfast or dinner unless they are boarding with us.

Should I pack food for my dog when they board?

Because every dog's diet is different, we ask that you pack your dog's regular food when they stay with us. That way we don't have to worry about tummy aches or allergic reactions.

However, we do always have house food available, if needed, for $2 per cup.

Can you give my dog medication during boarding. What about injections?

We are able to give medication such as pills, topical creams/ointments, and eye or ear drops; however, we do not give injections. If your dog is extremely resistant to taking medicine, we suggest that you board them with your vet to ensure they receive proper care.

Do you provide toys and treats for the dogs during the day?

We do not have toys or treats in our playgroups. Some dogs can get possessive/aggressive when there are toys around, so we avoid the risk by keeping toys out of the play yards.

The reason we don’t do treats is similar. Some dogs are food aggressive and it would be dangerous to bring food into the group. Also, many dogs have allergies and we don’t want to risk making someone sick by giving them something they shouldn’t have. If you’d like us to give your dog treats, you can bring them from home and we will provide them during lunch time (dogs are separated for lunch).

Why do you time out dogs?

We use time outs and breaks as a way to maintain the calm and safety of the group, and to help teach dogs good pack manners. Our handlers are trained to read dogs’ body language and look for subtle (or not-so-subtle) signs that a situation could get out of hand. 

Time Outs

Time outs are generally brief and are used to curb “nuisance” behavior, such as:

 
• Excessive barking
 
• Mounting
 
• Jumping
 
• Not listening to another dog (e.g. when a dog tells them to back off)
 
• Being a third wheel or policing other dogs’ play

Breaks

Breaks are meant to calm dogs down and may last for several minutes. They can also help change up the energy dynamic of the room if there are lots of active dogs and we feel the arousal level is getting too high.

Generally, dogs’ play sessions should last only a minute or two before they take a break to “check in” with one another. However, sometimes dogs aren’t able to regulate themselves, which can turn a fun play time into a dangerous one. If we see this happening, we’ll give them a break until their arousal level comes down. In some cases, breaks offer dogs the chance to take a much needed rest or nap.

Naps

When dogs are at daycare for a whole day, it’s important for them to take rests. Though we can’t force a dog to go to sleep, some dogs need a little help taking a rest during the day. Similar to toddlers, younger dogs often don’t realize how tired they are, so sometimes we’ll intervene by putting them in a time out area or even taking them out of the room for a while to help them settle down.

Why is boarding available only to your daycare customers?

Here, Doggy! is primarily a daycare. While we do offer boarding, it's available only to dogs who regularly attend our daycare. We do this for a couple reasons.

First, our boarding capacity is limited, and we want to make sure we have space for our regular customers, especially during busy times like weekends and holidays.

Second, and more importantly, we do it for the happiness of the dogs. We’ve found that dogs who come only for occasional boardings have a harder time settling in because they aren’t as familiar with us, the environment, or the other dogs. It often ends up being stressful for them and disruptive to the pack. Instead, we like to really get to know dogs before they board, so we can help ensure a successful stay.

Because every dog is different, we can't specify how many daycare visits are required before a dog can board with us. Instead, we look at the individual dog's reaction to daycare to determine when we feel they are ready.

Does my dog have to attend daycare while they are boarding?

All dogs who board with us must also attend daycare during the day. While some boarding facilities have individual rooms/kennels for dogs to stay in, we are cage free, meaning the dogs socialize with one another throughout the day in one of our main play areas.

However, if your dog is boarding with us for a while, we may give them some time off in the bedroom to rest if they need it (boarding is hard work!).

What are your hours?

Weekdays

• Drop off is between 7 a.m. and 11 a.m.
• Pick up is between 2 p.m. and 7 p.m.
 
• For boarders, pick up is between 7 a.m. and 9 a.m. (no daycare charge) or 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. (daycare charge)

Weekends (boarding only)

• Drop off is between 8 a.m. and 10 a.m.
 
• Pick up is between 8 a.m. and 10 a.m. (no daycare charge) or 4 p.m. and 6 p.m. (daycare charge)

Please note that we cannot accept drop offs after the cut off times because it is too disruptive to the pack.

Do I need to reserve daycare ahead of time?

We ask that you sign up for daycare ahead of time to ensure we don't go over our safety capacity. If you need last-minute daycare, please call us to make sure we have space. Unfortunately, we cannot accept walk-ins.

How do half days work?

Half days are 6 hours or less. However, our regular drop off and pick up times still apply in order to ensure quiet time for the dogs in the middle of the day.

For example, a half day could be 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. or 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., but not 7 a.m. to 12 p.m. or 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. You can also bring your dog for just the morning as long as you pick up by 11 a.m.

Do you offer daycare on the weekends?

We do offer daycare on the weekends, but it is much more limited than during the week. We have a lower capacity and fewer staff members, so our first priority is to our boarders. Generally, we're able to accommodate a few additional dogs during the day, but if a weekend is particularly busy, we may not be able to accommodate extra dogs.

Please note that weekend daycare is often much mellower than weekday daycare, and the dogs are not separated by size like they are during the week.

What happens if I signed up for daycare but no longer need it?

We understand plans can change. However, to ensure you aren’t taking space away from someone else, we ask that you please cancel your visit online or by calling or emailing us. If we don’t hear from you, you may be charged for the day.

Can you accommodate last-minute boarding?

Though we try our best to accommodate our customers’ needs, we can’t guarantee that we’ll have space for last-minute boarding, especially on weekends and holidays. In order to maintain the safety of our boarders, we have to limit the number of dogs we can take in overnight. If we’re full, you’ll be placed on a waitlist and contacted if a spot opens up.

If you’re a new customer, and your dog has not gone through our full-day temperament evaluation, we are unable to provide last-minute boarding.

Do you allow early drop off or late pick up?

Unfortunately, we are not able to accommodate early drop offs or late pick ups at this time.

Do you provide parking?

We have a parking lot attached to our building. However, space is limited, so we must restrict it to drop off and pick up and can’t allow customers to leave their cars long term.