Everyone can use our grooming services as long as your dog has an updated Rabies vaccine. For daycare and boarding, an evaluation is required, which can be scheduled by emailing info@thedogstay.com. After passing the evaluation, we require at least one day of daycare before boarding to ensure your dog is comfortable in our open-pack environment and has a positive experience.

Evaluations take no more than 30 minutes. You’ll drop off your pup, and we’ll introduce them to a few friendly dogs in one of our play rooms while we observe their behavior—watching for any signs of stress, fear, or aggression that could impact the safety of other dogs or our team. Once the assessment is complete, we’ll give you a quick tour of The Dog Stay and walk you through our daily routines, facility features, and operational policies.

If you’re planning a boarding stay, a full day (6 hours) in daycare must be completed two weeks before your requested boarding start date.

• 📆 Example: If you’d like to board starting June 15th, you must finish a full daycare day by June 1st.

• This gives us enough time to review how your pup adjusted, finalize their reservation, and ensure they’ll feel confident for their sleepover.

• Why two weeks?

  • It guarantees we’re watching your pup long enough after evaluation to spot any late‑blooming nerves or social hiccups.

  • It lets us confirm pack harmony and tweak any details before an overnight stay.

  • It protects both your pup’s well‑being and the comfort of every Pup in our care.

Why does my Pup need a re‑evaluation, and what does it involve?

If your pup hasn’t visited The Dog Stay for daycare or boarding in over four months, we require a brief re‑evaluation. This helps us make sure they’re still happy and confident in our open‑pack environment—and that they’ll continue to have a great experience with their pack family.

What happens during the re‑evaluation?

• Duration: About 30 minutes.

• Observation: We re‑introduce your pup to the facility and let them mingle with a few dogs from their usual pack.

• Assessment goal: Look for any changes in comfort level, body language, and play style to confirm they still thrive here.

Next steps after passing the Re‑Evaluation

1. Full Day of Daycare (6 hours):

   • We ask that your pup spends at least one full 6‑hour day in daycare so we can observe how they settle into the routine.

   • If they adjust smoothly, they’re cleared to return for regular daycare visits.

2. Boarding clients only:

• If you’re planning to board, that “full day of daycare” must be completed two weeks before your requested boarding start date.

• Once the full day is done and they do well, your boarding request can be approved.

We know routines can change, so these steps let us keep every pup safe, happy, and confident—whether they’re here for play or a sleepover. If you have any questions or need to schedule your pup’s re‑evaluation, just let us know!

Once your pup has passed their re/evaluation, we ask that they spend one full 6‑hour day in daycare before any overnight stay. Here’s why:

• Builds routine familiarity
  After a break of four months or more, even the most social pups can feel a bit rusty on drop‑off routines. A full daycare day gives them a chance to re‑learn our drop‑off greeting, play rotations, mealtime rhythm, and rest‑time signals—so they arrive at boarding feeling calm and confident.

• Ensures pack harmony
  By observing your pup for a full day, we confirm they’re still playing nicely, settling in smoothly, and reading canine cues correctly. This protects both their well‑being and the balance of our entire pack.

• Smooths the transition to overnight
  Boarding involves new cues—dinner at a different hour, sleeping in a quieter space, different lighting, etc. If your pup handles a full daycare day well, it’s a strong signal they’ll adapt comfortably to an extended stay.

• Timing for boarding requests
  For boarding specifically, that full daycare day must be completed at least two weeks before your requested start date. Once it’s in the books—and your pup passes with flying colors—we’ll officially approve your boarding reservation.

For any Daycare or Boarding stay, we require the following vaccinations to be up to date:

• Rabies

• Distemper (DHPP)

• Influenza

• Bordetella

Instructions can be found here