The Farmer's Doghouse Policies
Dog Health and Wellness
1. All attending dogs are to be vaccinated and on current, veterinarian prescribed parasite control for fleas and internal parasites.
2. All attending dogs must be spayed/neutered.
3. Dogs must be free of illness for 30 days before attending The Farmer's Doghouse for the first time.
4. Dogs that develop symptoms indicative of a potentially contagious illness will not be able to attend until the symptoms have resolved.
5. Dogs are always supervised during group care and the staff at The Farmers Doghouse strives to keep the environment safe for all attending dogs. However, there is always the possibility of injury or illness when attending group care. Owners accept this risk and are responsible for seeking and paying for any medical attention he/she deems necessary for the dog as a result of injury or illness contracted while at The Farmer's Doghouse.
6. The owner is responsible for any injuries to people or other dogs caused by his/her own dog.
7. Any dog that appears to be showing aggressive tendencies will no longer be able to attend The Farmer's Doghouse.
Fees
Boarding
1. When scheduling boarding, a 25% deposit is required to secure the spot. This deposit is applied to the final boarding bill.
2. Boarding must be scheduled at least 72 hours in advance and 24 hours notice is required for cancellation. If less than 24 hours notice is given, then the deposit will be forfeited.
3. Off-hours check-in or checkout can be scheduled, but a $10 fee may be applied for extremely early morning or late night check-in/out.
Daycare
1. Payment for daycare is required when picking up your dog. Your dog will not be released until payment is made by cash, cheque, or e-transfer.
2. Daycare closes at 4:30pm. A late fee of $1/minute will be applied for dogs that are not picked up by closing time.
Feeding
1. Water is always provided to dogs at The Farmer's Doghouse, both in their private suites and in the play area.
2. Owners are responsible for providing food for dogs. For boarding dogs, enough food must be provided to last the duration of the dog's stay. If, for some unforeseen reason, there is not enough food for the dog, then staff will purchase more food and the cost of that food, plus an added fee to cover staff time and travel costs, will be added to the bill.
3. For dogs in daycare, owners may choose to send in a midday snack. If so, this will be provided to the dog in his or her private suite.
4. Like food, owners are responsible for sending any medicine, supplements, etc. that the dog requires.
Drop-off and Pickup Time
1. To make drop-off and pickup times easier for dogs and their owners, we ask owners to ensure that dogs are leashed when they are on the premises at all times. This includes the parking lot and the reception area.
2. When dropping off your dog, please hand over the leash to the staff member in the reception area. Your dog will then be taken into the playroom's transition gate where he or she will be unleashed, then admitted to the play area.
3. During pickup time, after you have paid your fee, a staff member will leash your dog and then bring him or her to you in the reception area.
4. We ask owners to please remain in the reception area during drop-off and pickup to help keep the dogs calm and relaxed.
5. Dogs attending for the first time will be assessed. We ask owners to remain on the property for this assessment, which should take no longer than 10 minutes. If, after the assessment, it appears that group care is not suited to your dog, then he or she will not be able to attend The Farmer's Doghouse Please Note: If the assessment finds that group care is not a good fit for your dog that is not a judgment on your dog or on you as an owner. All dogs are different just like all people are different. Not every dog is going to enjoy or thrive in a highly social environment like group care, and that's okay.
Breaks and Play Groups
Breaks
1. All dogs need breaks. Without breaks, dogs can become overstimulated, exhausted, and prone to injury and/or illness.
2. To ensure that all dogs in our care are happy and healthy, we provide at least two breaks for all dogs every day when they rest in their kennels. These breaks happen around midday and near closing time.
3. We try to take into account the individual needs of all our dogs, so we try to keep our schedule fluid and customizable. This means that some dogs may be given longer or more frequent breaks, particularly if they are older, smaller, and/or less energetic.
Play Groups
1. The Farmer's Doghouse is equipped to support multiple play groups of dogs to ensure that dogs are grouped with appropriate peers.
2. Staff will always do their best to ensure that dogs are kept in groups that suit them best. For example, larger, more energetic dogs will be put in a separate play group from older, smaller, and/or less energetic dogs. This ensures the comfort and well-being of all the dogs in our care so they can all thrive and enjoy their time at The Farmer's Doghouse, regardless of how intensely they play or how much rest they need.
Reasons for Dismissal
1. If your dog begins showing aggressive tendencies, then he or she will no longer be able to attend The Farmer's Doghouse.
2. If your dog begins showing signs of being upset or unhappy while at The Farmer's Doghouse, we will discuss this matter with you and may recommend that your dog no longer attends The Farmer's Doghouse.
3. Non-compliance with any of our policies may result in dismissal from The Farmer's Doghouse.
4. Hostile and/or abusive behaviour (physical, verbal, etc.) by you or on your behalf towards staff, dogs, and/or other clients will result in immediate dismissal.
5. Slander, disparaging comments, and/or needlessly negative reviews or comments online and/or in a public forum will result in dismissal, especially if there has been no effort to resolve issues directly with the staff of
Communication
1. Staff at The Farmer's Doghouse take confidentiality very seriously. We will never discuss your dog's behaviour or health with others, except in cases of talking to a third party involved with your dog's care, such as an authorized pickup person or veterinarian.
2. If an issue occurs with your dog during his or her stay, then we will call you about it immediately or discuss it with you at pickup time, depending on how pressing the issue is.
3. The Farmer's Doghouse values open, 2-way communication with its clients. This sort of communication is essential for a good daycare experience. If owners have any issues, questions, comments, concerns, then we urge you to contact us by phone, email, Facebook message, or in-person.
4. If owners wish to check on how their dog is doing, they are welcome to call, email, or send a Facebook message asking for a midday update.
Photo/Video Release
1. Owner's agree to let attendees of The Farmer's Doghouse have photos and/or videos taken of them to be posted online, displayed in our facility, or used in various other advertising materials.