Bark City Doggy Daycare

We would all love to bring our four-legged friend with us on vacations, but sometimes it is not feasible. When that happens, you have to find someone to take care of your dog. There are many available options. It's up to you to find the right choice for your specific dog. All dogs are different and what will work for one, may not work for another. Of course, we would LOVE for all dogs to come to Bark City!! (We think we are the BEST!!! Haha.) BUT, we also recommend you do your homework and decide for yourself. That is why I am going to post what you should look for in a boarding facility, what are big red flags and what questions you should ask when shopping around. What Should I Look For In a Kennel? SUPERVISION -- This is an important one. Whether or not the facility is partially kennel free or totally kennel free. When you have a bunch of dogs together, things can escalate pretty quickly. Dogs, like people, can get over-stimulated, tired and CRABBY. To minimize the cha...

Canine Parvovirus is a viral disease that attacks rapidly dividing cells in a dog's body. It affects the intestinal tract of canines as well as the white blood cells. Young animals can also suffer severe damage to the heart muscle. This disease is HIGHLY contagious and resistant. It can live in an environment for months and sometimes for over a year on organic material (grass). The most susceptible to contracting this disease are puppies, adolescent dogs and unvaccinated canines. It affects all members of the dog family including wild members: wolves, coyotes, foxes, ect. Because of it being highly resistant in an environment and affecting wild animals as well as domesticated, unvaccinated dogs could contract this disease from the streets or wilderness. Treatment for this disease is very intensive and expensive. Without veterinary care, it has a high mortality rate. Parvo is transmitted through contact with a dog's feces and is highly resistant to most disinfectants. T...

Owners are often relieved when their dog(s) pass the temperament screening test and are allowed to participate at a doggy daycare. But, the question that most owners do not ask the daycare is whether or not their staff is trained to handle a large group play structure. At Bark City, our staff is trained through "The Dog Gurus" program . Today, I would like to share with you a bit of their promotional material! This is the staff training program that we make all of our staff study. You could say they are enrolled at Bark City University... These are the two founders of "The Dog Gurus" and their credentials: Robin Bennett is a Certified Professional Dog Trainer who founded one of the largest dog training companies in Virginia. Her first book,  All About Dog Daycare  is the number one reference on opening a dog daycare.   Susan Briggs owned a large pet care center in Houston, TX for  12 years and was an early pioneer of dog daycare se...

I would like to share with you one of my favorite 501(c)(3) organizations: Dogs on Deployment (DOD). This organization helps military members find foster homes for their animals while they are on deployment. This is a need that most of us that are not in the military probably don't even think about. But often, if a military member cannot find someone to look after their pet while deployed, their pet ends up in a shelter. DOD was started in 2011 by husband and wife, Shawn and Alisa Johnson, after they ran into their own obstacles while trying to find a way to keep their dog and fulfill their military commitments. ( Read full story here ) Since then, DOD has successfully place over 500 military owned pets into foster care. AND: Have awarded over $15,000 in financial aid to military members to help with pet care during times of hardship or emergency.  They help active duty, veterans and Wounded Warriors.  Assist all branches of the Armed Forces. They are open to all an...

  Aside from the slight increase in prices, we now offer Special Attention Services: Leash walk, 1-on-1 time, personal photo updates (via email) and Laundry services.  Our intact male policy has also changed a bit: We will try intact males in our groups up to 12-months-old. All intact males over 12-months-old will no longer be allowed in group until neutered. Intact males also have a slightly higher boarding fee. Just marginal price increases on the Luxury Boarding, but still the same awesome services!

Since we have a bunch of really cute photos from our Valentine's party, I thought they would be useful for the topic of boarding intact females.Whether you, as the owner, decide to spay or neuter you dog is entirely up to you. We won't stand on any soap box and preach one way or the other. It's your business. But if a female comes into heat while at Bark City, we have the obligation as the responsible caretaker to kennel her. It is for her safety as well as for the other dogs. A dog that is in heat, will release pheromones that will drive dogs CRAZY with frustration.  It is not uncommon for a male dog to scent a female in heat from a mile away. Male dogs will MOVE MOUNTAINS to get to the desired female and will become aggressive competing for her. The female in heat may also become aggressive with other dogs in order to drive them away from a chosen male and/or  because she might be experiencing some pain during ovulation. The female must be kept under constant supe...