“Calm and quiet” is rewarded with lots of affection and praise.
Most dogs will bark a bit when someone new enters the house, but that kind of excitement is very brief.
I encourage dogs to settle down and enjoy their new friends quietly... and they do.
We definitely PLAY here, but “play” is kept light and fun and is not allowed to get out of control.
SCREENING - I very carefully screen dogs before I accept reservations. I only take dogs who I feel will get along well with the kind of dogs I take here. They must be friendly, well socialized, and have reasonably good manners.
A BEHAVIOR EVALUATION for all first-time dogs is required before reservations can be accepted. These are done at my home by appointment only – no charge.
I conduct evaluation visits calmly and carefully. I will give your dog plenty of time and opportunity to relax. I will do everything I can to see that his visit here is a pleasant one.
Boarding here is reserved for dogs who are dog-friendly and have reasonably good manners. Dogs who board here LOVE coming here -- and I work hard to keep it that way.
At minimum your dog needs to tolerate other dogs coming up and sniffing... once he's had a chance to settle in and relax. Sniffing each other is how dogs make introductions.
The goal for staying here is for your dog to be able to relax and enjoy the company of other social dogs.
What kinds of dogs CANNOT stay here -- or cannot be allowed to return?
Problem-barkers.
Problem-chewers.
Not housebroken, or those who use "piddle pads" at home.
Dogs who are too disruptive for the rest of the group.
Dogs who play too roughly with other dogs.
High-energy dogs who "run wild".
Dogs who show aggressive behaviors.
These rules insure that YOUR dog has an enjoyable and SAFE experience here.
All dogs must be spayed or neutered to board here.
There are no exceptions. If a female came into season while staying here -- where all the dogs roam loose together -- it would be an extremely difficult situation.
PUPPIES are complicated. If you have a young puppy I urge you to read this entire section carefully.
Puppies must be over 6 months of age to board here. The whole point of staying here is for dogs to be able to roam loose together in my home, to play or socialize or rest as the mood strikes them.
Yes, I supervise the group all day long -- but very young puppies REQUIRE eyes-on-supervision every minute they are loose.
If you have no choice but to board your very young puppy, you would be far better off to have him stay with another family member or a friendly neighbor (who already knows your puppy well) who can devote the individual attention these fragile youngsters need.
PUPPY SOCIALIZATION -- I am more than willing to meet your very young puppy (10 weeks to 6 months) early on with a visit to my home...
... in fact, this would be an excellent idea for another socialization opportunity. This is a very safe place for a puppy-visit where you and I can get to know one another, and your puppy can have a good experience being introduced to other dogs, sights, sounds and smells under very highly controlled conditions.
Your puppy does NOT need to have his entire series of puppy vaccinations before his initial socialization visit. This is a safe environment -- I only care for healthy dogs who are vaccinated.
I am willing to do up to TWO of these young-puppy visits for up to an hour each visit at NO CHARGE.
We will both benefit: your puppy will have a good time and he will remember me and my home as the place he had such a good experience when he comes back to board with me later on.
Once your puppy reaches 6 months of age he's old enough to start boarding with me. I am willing to work with these youngsters to help them grow up to become well-mannered companion dogs.
Adult dogs accepted here are generally happy, friendly “family-dogs” who can enjoy the company of other dogs.
I can usually coax shy dogs into relaxed acceptance. I definitely take my time with introductions when a new dog enters. I do everything I can to set up the situation for success. I never rush things here.
Dogs who are more outgoing and visibly, tail-waggingly friendly must still be able to relax after their initial period of adjustment.
Some dogs push too enthusiastically into another dog’s space –- their owners often make the excuse that Rover is just being friendly.
In reality, the “friendly”-pushy dog is being downright rude! For humans this would be like trying to greet a stranger who grabs your hand to shake, doesn’t let it go, and moves in so close to your face you can feel his breath. Humans find this rude behavior repellant. Most dogs don’t like rude behavior either.
There is an excellent article about how to handle pushy, rude dogs in the REFERENCE ARTICLES page. Click on this link: He Just Wants to Say "Hi!"
These are the kinds of things I evaluate for – seeing whether or not your dog has reasonable manners and the ability to get along well in a group.
I am willing to work harder with young dogs who show me they have the “right stuff” and help them learn to be stable, confident and well-mannered adults.
Your dog doesn’t need to be an obedience star. He doesn’t have to do tricks. It doesn’t even matter if he can't walk on a leash.
What really matters is his ability to get along well in a group.
He needs to be able to relax in the house and mingle with other dogs in a reasonably social manner.
At minimum, he needs to be able to tolerate the company of other dogs.
