What to Expect

More Questions

Meals

Are meals included?
Yes, we serve the canned and dry variety of Pedigree.

Can I bring my dog's special food from home?
Sure, please send it in a sealed container or ziplock bag (preferably airtight) and specify the amount and how often they are normally fed.

When are they fed?
Guests are fed based on your instructions. The closer to their home schedule the better. Food can also be available all day if needed.

Is it cheaper or is there a discount if I bring my own food from home?
It is actually more difficult to feed a different diet to every guest and
the cost of food and snacks is only a very minimal portion of the cost of a guest's stay. We do not charge extra if you would like to bring your own food from home.

Snacks

What kinds of snacks are served?
We serve Milkbone dog biscuits and Beggin' Strips.

Can I bring my dog's own snacks?
Sure! Please bring them in a labeled container or ziplock bag.

Supervision

Temperature Control

Its predicted to go below freezing one day during my dog's stay. How do you warm the rooms?
We have central heat, but we also use infrared heat lamps to keep each guest's room nice and cozy. We adjust the height to provide the most comfortable temperature for each guest's room. Guests are also provided blankets to snuggle and the courtyard access doors are closed at night. (The heat lamps also keep all of the objects in the room warm, including the beds and blankets, when the doggie door is open on a chilly day.)

It may reach the 100 degree mark this week. How do you cool the rooms?
Heat is definetly an issue in Alabama. We have central air conditioning, and each room also has a large personal fan for maximum breezy comfort. (Fans are secured over the doorways with all cords and controls safely out of reach.)

I have reservations for my dogs to share a room. Will they be able participate in the activities together?
Yes. Guests that share a room participate in the activities together unless requested otherwise.

I have two dogs. Do they have to share a room?
Not really, but it is less expensive.

I have three dogs and they prefer to stay together. Can they share one room?
Sure, but sometimes when odd numbers are kept together, one seems to get bullied. Groups of two or four seem to have less fussing. We do not allow more than four dogs to share one room at a time.

Vaccinations

Why is the Bordetella (a.k.a. kennel cough) vaccine not required?
We recommend the bordetella vaccine, but do not require it because of the amount of time it takes to become effective. The fastest vaccines take five days to work. Not everyone is able to plan this far in advance when boarding their pet. The vaccine must also be administered every six months and is easy to miss if a family does not board their pet very often. If you know you will be boarding in the next six months, it will give you peace of mind to go ahead and have it administered.

Will the tags on my dog's collar qualify as proof of vaccinations?
Sorry, we will need documentation we can keep on file. A copy of the paperwork provided by the vet when you received the tag is needed.Your veterinarian should have this on file. Most veterinarians will be able to fax it to us if yours has been lost. Just let them know and have them give us a call.

Behavior Policy

My dog sometimes snaps at me while he is eating if I get too close to his food. Will I be charged the aggressive behavior surcharge?
No, this behavior is fairly common, especially in small dogs. Just let us know about this in your boarding paperwork so we can prevent any surprises.

My dog has fought with other dogs and will jump and growl when other dogs walk by sometimes. Do I need to worry about the aggressive behavior surcharge?

Probably not. Guests are not placed in group settings with other dogs unless they are from the same family and the owner has said they get along. If he is stressed and shows aggression to other dogs as they walk by, we can place curtains on the door and gate to block his view.

If Your dog is aggressive towards people without provocation, we need to know. It sounds as though he may need some extra measures around other guests to prevent him from being to stressed. If feeding, basic care and handling is not dangerous because we have been informed of his behavior, all should go well.

Is It Okay to Bring...

My dog is crate trained. Can I bring it?
Yes. Please label it your name and let us know about any special instructions. We will place it inside their room. But please be aware it may get wet and/or scratched.

Are their any special things I should pack?
Blankets, towels or favorite snuggle items from home are welcome. Just be aware they may receive lots of attention from your pet while they are here and may be chewed or de-stuffed or both. (We will try to prevent this if we catch it in time, but some little guys can work fast!)Let us know if you would like these laundered on the day of their departure. (It won't remind them of home if we wash it too much during their stay.)

NOTE: Please do not bring items that cannot be left behind or lost. We try mail items back to the owners when found, but sometimes it can be expensive (i.e. $12 of postage to return one chewed towel or blanket). We try to do a complete check of the rooms before departure, but we are far from perfect. If we find an item that's too large to mail, we will save it for your return visit.

Medications

What should we do if our dog has medication?
If your pet needs daily medications, please leave the medication with us in its original container along with the administering vet's name, phone number and dosage information.

We will place pills in a vienna sausage for dosing if needed.

If your pet has serious health conditions, we recommend they board with a veterinarian clinic. We are unable to give injections.

Doggie Daycare

Do you have doggie daycare?
Yes, on a limited basis. Please call for availability.