FAQ

• Your dog must complete our Meet & Greet process (by appointment only)
• Must be 12 weeks of age or older (see exception for puppy class)
• Dog must be able to sit on a verbal word or hand signal.
• Female dogs can remain intact and attend daycare or boarding for the life of the dog if the owner chooses not to spay. Male dogs can remain intact up until 18 months of age.  We do not accept females in heat. Dogs in heat must wait 3 weeks after all symptoms have passed in order to return. As always, attendance in daycare is based on behavior. If any dog’s behavior becomes non-playful and unsafe, they will be switched to our no play area services.
• Must be current on all vaccinations (titers acceptable except for Rabies)
• Must have had a fecal test done within the past year showing a clean (negative) result
• Must be in good health and flea/tick free
• Must be non-aggressive and not toy protective
• Must never have bitten or injured another animal or person
• You must have owned the dog for at least 14-30 days depending on your situation to ensure good health
• If dog is recently adopted, your dog must be seen by your vet before coming to daycare
• We accept all breeds and sizes, except purebred Pit Bulls. We do accept Pit mixes (subject to interview like all other dogs). While we do not accept Pit Bulls in the daycare, we do LOVE the breed and they are acceptable in any of our training programs.

The inherent risk associated with free dog play is a puncture that may or may not require stitches, a nick in the ear that will bleed, scrapes and scratches. All of these can occur from normal dog play. The dog who ends up with the nicked ear, pulled hair, or puncture is usually the aggressor. Many owners are surprised to hear that their dog's behavior is very different when they are not around. This is why we have the live wagger cam. We have nothing to hide and handle all dog conflicts to the best of our ability. Remember, dogs are not playing monopoly at the daycare. They are wrestling with teeth and claws like all normal dog play.

If any dog has a bite history (whether it be biting a person, dog or another animal) or history of aggressive outbursts, the client MUST do a private lesson with Laurie or Ranaye prior to coming to any group class environment. This applies to all obedience, agility, & specialty group classes. While W&W does its best to prevent and manage all dogs in class, accidental unwanted greetings may happen. A private lesson will ensure any dog with aggressive tendencies can stay under threshold at our facility.

New dogs are introduced into the back area of the facility where not many dogs hang out so your dog isn't immediately surrounded by all the dogs. If your dog tends to run around wildly, your dog will wear a long line at first. New dogs may require a slower introduction over time, staying with a smaller group at first, or a new dog may rapidly become part of the larger play group. It's up to the dog and his prior dog experience, his needs, temperament, and personality. This is where the experience of our staff excels. If your dog is too stressed by the large group at first, one or two private lessons with the trainer is recommended. This way you can be there to help your dog learn to socialize with a smaller group.Timid, unsocialized dogs are introduced at their own pace - in some cases, taking as long as two weeks to acclimate to the new environment. If a dog isn't able to become comfortable with other dogs, we'll explain to the owner that the Daycare environment is simply not in their dog's best interest; however, we've found that many unsocialized dogs can become more comfortable, learning to react well, and even make friends with other dogs.

No, we separate by size and play style. We have a small dog room just for the little guys. They have special toys and equipment just for their own size. We also have puppy rooms to be able to introduce new dogs slowly. The main play area for medium/large dogs has the ability to be divided into three different sections if needed. However, we prefer to keep the main area open and will not take dogs that need to be separated because they can't get along.

Anytime your dogs stay away from home, you will have to be vigilant about potty training for the first 24 hours back in your home. That means going to a friend's house, spends the day at the vet, spends the day at the groomers, or coming to daycare. If you have a successful potty training plan at home, nothing will affect that. If you are having accidents at home, most likely it is bad management, to begin with. You can get a personal in-home lesson to fix those problems. 

Complete the Meet & Greet Process. If your dog doesn't pass the first time, we can suggest a Wags & Wiggles class to help teach more appropriate dog-to-dog interactions. If your dog is shy, don't worry. All first timers go through an orientation process so they can meet all the dogs in small groups. This helps them adjust. Try a half day to keep your dog's stress level low. Give your dog a couple really good treats on your way in the door. Don't act nervous, or your dog will become more nervous. If you are planning on boarding, do a couple daycare days first so they can get adjusted before their long stay. 

If you wish for your dogs to have lunch, bring your own. Dogs are not given anything you don't bring. Most dogs do fine without lunch but it is your choice. There is no food allowed in the play area. All dogs are separated and hand-fed. 

All dogs must be on a leash to enter the daycare lobby. We will remove all of your dog's collars in the lobby and take them back on one of our leashes. This prevents collars getting caught up during play. At pick up, you will bring your dog's collar/leash with you and one of our staff members will leash them up for you and bring them to the lobby.

There is water available at all times to all dogs. We have several automatic water delivery bowls. The bowls are stainless steel. These supply a constant flow of FRESH clean water. These bowls are also removed and sanitized several times a day.

Canine infectious tracheobronchitis (kennel cough) is one of the most prevalent infectious diseases in dogs. Fortunately, the majority of cases are not serious resolving on their own in 1 to 2 weeks. The main cause of kennel cough is the airborne bacteria, Bordetella bronchiseptica. A dog with Kennel Cough will develop a coarse, dry, hacking cough about five to ten days after being infected. It sounds as if the dog needs to "clear its throat" and the cough will be triggered by any extra activity, drinking water, exposed to change of temperature or exercise. Many dogs that acquire Kennel Cough will cough every few minutes, all day long. They will wretch and sometimes vomit a white foamy looking matter. Their general state of health and alertness are usually not affected, they usually have no rise in temperature, and do not lose their appetite. Even in the most hygienic, well ventilated, spacious dog facilities, the possibility of a dog acquiring Kennel Cough exists. Kennel Cough can be acquired from your neighbor's dog, from a Champion show dog at a dog show, from the animal hospital where your dog just came in for treatment of a cut paw, from the sidewalk where an infected dog walked earlier... Try not to blame anyone or any place if your dog develops Kennel Cough. There may have been an infected dog, unknown to anyone, that acted as a source for other dogs. The signs of Canine Cough usually will last from 7 to 21 days and can be very annoying for the dog and the dog's owners. If you suspect your dog has kennel cough, isolate your dog and visit your veterinarian for medical advice. First and foremost, isolate your dog. Do not take your dog to public places in order to prevent the spread of infection. If your dog has recently been to dog school, boarding or any other place where your dog was exposed to other dogs, notify the correct individuals to advise that your dog is coughing. You don't need to isolate your dog to prevent infection. The best recommendation is to discuss with your veterinarian what combination of vaccines and boosters they recommend. Many dogs that contract Kennel Cough will display only minor signs of coughing that may last seven to ten days and will not require any medication at all. Treatment is generally limited to symptomatic relief of the coughing with non-prescription, and occasionally prescription, cough suppressants. If the dog is running a fever or there seems to be a persistent and severe cough, antibiotics are occasionally utilized to assist the dog in recovering from Kennel Cough. It can happen that secondary bacterial invaders will complicate a case of Kennel Cough and prolong the recovery and severely affect the upper airway. Therefore the use of antibiotics is determined on an individual basis. Follow the advice and course of treatment that your veterinarian has prescribed. Don't allow your dog to exercise as this will trigger the cough.

REFERENCE: Merck Veterinary Manual - Eighth Edition Dr. Michele St. Pierre, Waterloo West Animal Hospital 

At Wags & Wiggles, our knowledgeable staff is always looking for signs of illness in any of our dogs. Coughing dogs are immediately removed from the facility. When kennel coughs arrives in our community, we will notify owners by placing a notice out front. All facilities get kennel cough from time to time. Colds go around just like in child daycare. Thankfully due to our extensive cleaning protocol, our superior ventilation that exceeds all state regulations, and thorough vaccination checking program.....we are able to minimize the risk at our facility. Outbreaks are usually limited to once a year. Would you isolate your child to prevent a cold? No, socialization and schooling is just as important for our dogs as our children.