Question: How do you prevent dog fights?

Answer: All dogs are tested and evaluated before being allowed to attend Wags. However, in this type of setting, and with energetic play, scuffles can occur. Our staff members are trained to watch for any potential confrontations that might be brewing and dogs are separated or redirected before anything escalates. Sometimes an argument will break out but it usually involves vocalization and correction rather than the intent to seriously injure. We will occasionally see a scratch, cut or bite as the result of rough play or correction but rarely anything that requires veterinary attention. We try to minimize this as much as possible; the safety of your dog is very important to us!

Question: Are there any other risks of injury to my dog?

Answer: Some dogs engage in very rough and tumble play while others are more reserved while at daycamp. We had one dog, for example, who was racing around the gym and tore his toenail; it ended up having to be removed by a veterinarian. Other dogs that are not used to such vigorous exercise might get sore or get an exercise-related injury. One boarding dog tried to jump on the bed, missed, and landed wrong on his leg. We took him to the vet for his owner and it was determined that he pulled or strained something; he favored that leg slightly for a few weeks until the soreness went away. These are the types of injuries that can occur.

Question: How about illness and disease when so many dogs are together?

Answer: The illness that your dog is most at-risk of contracting when here at Wags is kennel cough. Kennel cough is a common respiratory infection analagous to a human cold that causes a hacking cough. Veterinarians will usually treat this with antibiotics to avoid secondary infections and a progression to pneumonia. We require that all dogs are current on their bordetella (kennel cough) vaccinations to attend, but the vaccine does not prevent all cases of kennel cough since there are many different strains. In speaking with other daycare owners across the country, we find that most of them have small outbreaks 2 to 3 times per year. If your dog shows signs of kennel cough, we request that he not come to daycamp until at least 5 days after the coughing subsides, and that you contact your veterinarian if necessary for treatment. We try to minimize potential infection with our cleaning procedures, vaccination requirements, and by asking any campers showing symptoms to stay home. We can't eliminate this though and new campers unfortunately are most at risk at picking this up.

We have had a few owners report diarrhea shortly after their dog started coming, and in three cases it was severe enough to require a veterinary visit. Whether the dogs picked up a mild stomach bug or it was due to the excitement and stress of the new place, we can't say.

One dog had giardia found in his stool after he was taken to the vet for diarrhea and loss of appetite. Although we don't think it was picked up here due to the incubation period and the fact that no other dogs have reported it, it reminds us that there is always possibility of undetected parasites or illness to be transmitted dog to dog.

We don't tell you all this to scare you away! We consider this environment much less risky than taking your dog to the local dog park, where there is no monitoring of vaccinations and fecal tests. Just as most parents would not forego daycare for their child because of the risk the child might pick up a cold, so do we think that the benefits of doggie daycamp outweigh the risks of the dogs picking up a cold or getting a scratch. Again, newer dogs and infrequent visitors are the most at risk of picking something up, whereas our regulars seem to build up some immunity to the doggie germs that might be going around.

Question: Do I have to do anything in the morning before dropping off my dog at Wags?

Answer: Please make sure that your dog has eaten at least 30 minutes before arrival at Wags so he has time to digest his food before all the excitement. Also, it would be very helpful if your dog has an empty bladder and has done "Number 2" before getting here; this helps prevent accidents due to excitement upon arrival and before he has a chance to get out to our yard.

Question: Do you feed the daycare dogs?

Answer: Most owners feed their dogs twice a day, morning and night, therefore do not need us to feed during the day. However, we will feed lunch if necessary if you provide it.

Question: How many people are supervising the dogs during the day?

Answer: It depends on the number of dogs we have and their temperaments, but we generally abide by or exceed the industry standard of one person per every 10-15 dogs.

Question: How many dogs attend Sleepover Camp every night?

Answer: We have had anywhere from 2 to 20 campers per night, with an average of around 8. During holidays and school vacations we have more.