Requirements

We conduct a thorough evaluation of all dogs coming to participate in social daycare and boarding to maintain the highest safety standards for our dogs and our staff. New dog evaluations are required for new dogs and will need to be redone if your dog has not visited us for more than 6 months as our group is constantly changing. Our pet software allows PAWrents and staff to get reminders about vaccines coming due to help us stay on top of renewal!

ALL DOGS MUST HAVE UP TO DATE RABIES, DHPP and BORDETELLA VACCINES

All dogs must be non-aggressive and not food or toy aggressive/protective. Owners will clarify that their dog(s) have not harmed or shown aggression or threatening behavior toward any person or other dogs. Dogs who exhibit behavioral issues while in our care will be charged an additional handling fee and face termination from future boarding stays. Please remember that your pets and the safety and health of all animals and staff are our concerns.

ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS FOR SOCIAL DOGS ONLY

  • All dogs 6 months of age and older must be spayed or neutered for the safety of all our pets.

  • Negative fecal test for BOTH Giardia and Ova parasite specifically, initial fecal ran and tested from the vet within 6 months then annually

What to Expect during evaluation

Dog's Background
Our evaluation process starts by obtaining basic background information about your pet. This information includes basic commands, age, how they handle toys and food as well as any training done or any important history that could affect your pup in a social environment. This information will aid in our wranglers understanding more about your pet beforehand with their scheduled social temperament evaluation test and helping your pet be as successful as possible in our daycare play groups here at Paws N Pals.

Human Interaction/Touch Test
The next step in evaluating your pet is observing your pet's reaction to meeting new people. Being in a new place can sometimes be frightening for our guests. We also find that certain dogs have sensitive areas (such as ears, tails, and paws) that our guests find unpleasant when touched or played with by other dogs. Our goal is to seek those out before your pup goes into play to prevent any unintentional accidents. We must be able to handle your pup without aggression for them to pass a temperament evaluation.

Dog Greeting - Intro Test
At this point, your pet has advanced through the first two parts of the evaluation, and it is now time for us to introduce our best greeting dogs. Our greeting dogs have been acclimated into our group and we are familiar with their behaviors so we can predict what they will do so we can leave it to them to show us how your pup will react. These greeters allow us to see how your pup does being sniffed, investigated and how long it takes before your pup begins initiating play or self-calming behaviors. This step can take some time, as everyone acclimated differently.

Playgroup Behavior
The final part of our evaluation process is observing your pet in a group at play. We ensure that they are finding playmates and settling in. At this point, your pet is playing with the group at large and starting to find their own friends. We observe and note their body language, playstyles, and playmates as they play independently and freely.

Upon completion of the evaluation, our behaviorist will note whether your pet has passed or failed.  You are always more than welcome to call and ask for a status update while your pet is going through the evaluation process with any additional questions, concerns, or with information you may find helpful to helping your pet succeed.