Bark City Doggy Daycare

REST! It's underrated. Over the years we have changed our nap schedule numerous times and have learned this is a very important part of the program. All of our daycare options have a nap program. We understand owners want a tired dog after a day of play with their buddies. BUT, it's important that exhaustion is not the only measure of success when you bring your dog for a play session. Our approach to your dog's day in off-leash play is to balance physical exercise, mental activities, and rest periods. All three are equally important components to keeping your dog safe and healthy when socializing with other dogs. Physical exercise is the most obvious benefit of off-leash play. It's what most pet parents think about when they drop their dog off. But for your dog's health, we also consider it important to provide mental stimulation, which allows your dog to think and use the brain during the day. Mental work builds confidence and self-control in your dog. ...

At Bark City, we have a "No Collar Rule" while the dogs are in the daycare. When two dogs are playing and have collars on, they can quickly become entangled. Teeth, jaws and feet can get caught.  Once the entanglement happens, things can escalate quickly. A dog can start to panic: twisting, turning and pulling to get free. This can result in an injury to the area of the body that is trapped. In addition, there is the risk of the twisted collar on the dog cutting off the oxygen supply resulting in asphyxiation. Outside of a dog care facility, collar safety is a must for owners as well. There are three basic types of collars: Each collar serves a different purpose and should be used at the appropriate time. I am using examples found on 2 Hounds Design , simply because they had images of the three types of collars I am want to discuss: This type of collar is called a Martingale Collar and is often used with dogs that have a smaller head than neck. Owners often use the...

We will be reviewing some new toys this month: Beco Pets! This is not a Bark City image. I stole it from Beco Pets website. Just so ya all know.  Beco Pets was named one of the world's most ethical companies in 2017 and are dedicated to developing the most fun, innovative and ethical pet products on the shelf. They have a wide product range and develop a variety of items: Sustainable wild-caught dog food, dog beds, biodegradable poop bags, bowls and toys. In addition, there is also the Beco Foundation that gives 5% back to local communities, animal and environmental causes.  Reading up on their website, I could write this blog about their wild boar food or bamboo feeding bowls, but instead we are going to focus on their toys. Because, alas! This is a dog toy review! Here is our initial video introducing the toys we will be testing out with our daycare dogs this month:  All of these toys seem to be made out of recycled, sustainable materials. The...

The expansion is getting close to being finished! Once it's done, Bark City will be adding new programs to the facility! Since opening in 2005, we have been blessed with the opportunities we have been given. When we first opened, we were one of the only facilities in town that offered "all day play". This was a new concept in the dog boarding world and to the pet owner. I can't even tell you how many times I heard, " Sooo.... people really just drop their dogs off while they are at work?" Back then, it took a lot of convincing to show people that it can be done safely and is actually good for their dogs. Fast forward to today, everyone knows what a dog daycare is and there are more and more opening everywhere. Because we have been lucky enough to thrive in this industry for 10+ YEARS, we have been able to master what works and what does not. Every dog is an individual. As much as we would love for every dog to thrive in a standard daycare environment, for ...