FAQ

Do I need to make reservations for daycare?

No way! Bring your pooch in for daycare anytime during our normal operating hours, Monday- Friday from 6:30am-7:00pm.

Do you accept all breeds of dogs?

Absolutely. All potential daycare dogs are given the same evaluation and are expected to abide by the same set of rules, regardless of breed.

Where will my dog go potty during his stay?

While the majority of our facility is concrete, we have two areas in the far corners of the yard filled in with gravel. Our staff encourages all dogs to use these areas for potty breaks, and most of them catch on very quickly! That being said, the dog odors at daycare can be so overwhelming that even a completely house-trained dog will find it hard to resist going to the bathroom in places they normally wouldn’t. Don’t worry about this disrupting your potty routine at home, however, because daycare dogs are very good at understanding there are a different set of bathroom rules at daycare than at home!

I have a puppy, should I wait until they are older to bring them to daycare?

Nope! In fact, puppies make for ideal daycare candidates! Remember that just a few weeks ago you took your puppy from his/her litter mates, and trust me-he misses them! The adaptable, curious and happy-go-lucky nature of most puppies enables them to quickly adjust to daycare life and fit right into the rest of the pack. Not to mention watching your puppy burst through our front door to go see their friends in the morning is easier than seeing that puppy-perfected sad face when you leave them at home.

My dog is not aggressive, but she does not enjoy play-wrestling with other dogs. Is there anything else for her to do at daycare?

While romping and rolling is what many of our dogs do during their days at Metrobark, there are plenty of other ways to enjoy daycare. We have several dogs who do not take part in the wrestling part of play, but really enjoy chasing, barking and howling with their canine pals! Other dogs simply enjoy being in the company of the pack, and almost all of our Metrobark dogs take time in the day to come and snuggle with the staff. We pride ourselves on making sure each dog, regardless of play style, has a good time at daycare.

Can I see where my dog will be playing?

Of course-all parents and visitors get the chance to see our entire play floor during normal daycare hours. This is an excellent opportunity to meet our staff, get a feel for our facility and see how the dogs interact on a daily basis. Tours of our boarding facility are also available anytime!

Can my dog be injured at daycare?

While there are always risks involved with off-leash play, our professionally trained staff strives to minimize these risks and provide a clean and safe environment. In the event of injury or sickness, all staff will abide by Red Cross Pet First Aid standards in providing appropriate treatment and care for your dog. Parents will be notified immediately, and veterinary transport is available from our facility if needed. Keep in mind dogs play with their teeth and nails, so even in the absence of an actual “dog fight,” punctures and scrapes can and certainly do still happen!

Don’t the dogs ever fight?

In short-yes. This is always a possibility when dogs interact, and any dog daycare that tells you otherwise is not being honest. Here at Metrobark we believe in minimizing this risk as much as possible by exercising a variety of techniques and policies geared towards keeping our play floor safe. Maintaining a safe play floor is a full staff effort, and it begins with a thorough screening of all potential daycare dogs. However, since any dog has the instinctive potential to become aggressive at any time, our most important job is watching for warning signs of aggressive behavior and calmly but efficiently stopping any escalating play. Dogs showing increasing signs of aggression are immediately dismissed. Other forms of inappropriate behavior warranting dismissal include but are not limited to excessive demand barking, excessive mounting, territorial aggression, resource guarding and any other dominant behaviors. Dog fights will always be a risk at daycare, but they key is having a trained staff dedicated to stopping any conflict before it gets out of hand.