Boarding & Board and Train

Preparation & Requirements

Thank you for trusting me with your pet’s boarding and/or board and train experience. To help make sure everything goes smoothly and safely, please read the following requirements and complete the form below.

Please read everything carefully, and make sure that you understand the requirements and policies fully. While some policies may seem strict, they exist to help ensure a successful stay, and most importantly, a safe one. As the saying goes: every policy has a story!

A 50% Deposit is Required

This deposit secures your booking and goes towards your boarding/board and train, but is non-refundable for any reason at any time; it may, however, be put towards future bookings. Your requested dates will not be reserved without this deposit. Please ensure that you are able to keep your reservation prior to making it. I do not hold reservations that have not had a deposit put down on them. Reservations are first come, first serve. The remainder is due before or at time of pick-up.

The fee schedule and payment types accepted can be found here. Do not estimate your own total; I will calculate your total for you.

Why? The deposit ensures that people keep their reservation, and compensates me in case of a no-show or cancellation. As I have a very limited number of spots, and have been burned numerous times in the past, I am very careful to only book people who are serious about their reservation.

Picking Up and Dropping Off

Pick-up and drop-off are permitted between the hours of 10am and 8pm. As I live across the street from a school, I strongly recommend avoiding drop-off/pick-up on weekdays between 1:30-3pm while kids are being picked up! Despite this being a daily occurrence, this is apparently a very stressful ordeal and some of those parents get more bitey than the bitiest dogs I’ve ever known. Please confirm pick-up or drop-off times with me ahead of time, do not simply show up. If you are running significantly behind (15 mins or more), please let me know, so that I can plan accordingly.

During pick-up and drop-off, you must have control over your dog! They absolutely must be on-leash, and they must act in a polite, pro-social manner. Be a good guest: do not allow them to run through my gardens, tear up the landscaping after pottying, bark, or otherwise be a nuisance. Likewise, anti-social, nuisance, and/or destructive behavior will be corrected during their stay. This includes, but is not limited to:

Clawing/jumping on doors
Jumping on the residents or our other guests
Excessive barking and whining
Chewing on baseboards, walls, door casings, etc.
Kicking/digging landscaping, including “grass ripping” after pottying

This correction may be a verbal, spray bottle with water, or e-collar correction, escalating with the dog’s behavior and tolerance for correction. Your dog will be held to the same standards as my own dogs, no exceptions.

Why? Business hours are set to protect the peace of my neighbors, as well as the rest of my household. I have a protection dog on-site for added security, and she won’t be thrilled if you surprise her. Lastly, this is first and foremost my home, and I don’t appreciate surprises, nor having to constantly spend my time and money on repairs and replacements for things that badly mannered guests damaged. Your dog, and you, will be held to a standard of behavior.

Four Weeks (28 days) Maximum Per Stay

Barring an extreme circumstance where you are unable to pick your dog up at the end of their stay, dogs will not be permitted to stay for more than four weeks at a time. Board and train is a supplement to you working with your dog, not a substitute for it. If you are not putting in the time and working with your dog, what your dog learns and practices with me will not transfer back to home, and lack of bonding time with their owner creates distress and fearfulness in puppies. As a healthy, happy, stable dog with an empowered owner is always my goal, prolonged boarding is not offered.

Clients Only

As the goal is always to have a positive, healthy relationship with your dog, I do not accept bookings for dogs who I have not evaluated and had at least one lesson with prior to their stay. There are no exceptions to this rule, even for dogs within the same household or family. While I am grateful to people who want to share the word and have their friends and family board their dogs with me, it is very stressful for both me and the dog to be thrown into a boarding situation together without establishing communication, trust, and mutual respect first.

Preparing Your Dog for Their Stay

Just like kids heading off to camp, there’s always a little prep work and packing! If your dog requires transport, you must be home at the time I arrive. I will not enter your home without an adult (18+) owner present for safety and liability reasons. I will also want to review your dog’s feeding regimen, training goals, and other information prior to bringing them home with me.

What to Pack

The short version: Their food, collar, and leash.
The longer version: Pack lightly! Do not send excessive amounts of luggage; my storage space is very limited, and excessive items easily become lost or forgotten when picking your dog up. I assume NO responsibility for lost or damaged items left with your dog.

REQUIRED:

Appropriately fitted flat or martingale collar with ID tag firmly attached.
- This is their “ID card”, and should not be where the leash attaches.
Nylon, leather, or similar leash of no more than 6′ in length.
Appropriately fitted training collar (prong collar or slip chain) or harness.
- This is the item the leash attaches to, not the flat collar. Both are important!
Food sufficient for your dog’s stay; see “Food Requirements” below.
Proof of vaccinations provided by your veterinarian (see below).

OPTIONAL:

1-2 chews per day.
1-2 toys.
- A large assortment of toys is provided for all guests, and all toys are washed regularly.
1-2 blankets.
- Blankets will be provided, but you may include your own, as well.
E-collar.
- Include the charger.
- Your e-collar may be returned labeled with your dog’s name. This label is to ensure I use the right collars with the right dogs, and may be removed or kept as you please.
Muzzle.
- Basket- or Jafco-style only. A properly fitted muzzle allows your dog to pant and drink water normally, without being so loose as to create a hazard or excessive weight and bulk on their face. Fabric, mesh, or other restrictive muzzles that do not allow for a dog to breathe and drink properly will not be accepted.
One (1) vest [service dogs only].

For safety, chews and toys are never left in the kennels when dogs are unattended, and collars are removed during playtime and when kenneled.

What Not to Pack

Feeding stands, food bowls, or automatic feeders.
- Guests are provided food from stainless steel bowls or a puzzle/slow-feed bowl on request, and water from stainless steel bowls only. Feeding stands do not safely fit in a kennel. Dogs are absolutely never, under any circumstances, fed outside of their kennel during their stay.
Beds, crate pads, or kennel covers.
- Beds can be shredded, creating a strangulation or choking hazard, and are extremely difficult to properly wash in case of an accident or spill.
Kennels, crates, pens, tie-outs, or other containment items.
- There are four guest kennels on-site, plus additional in case of an emergency guest.
Bungee or retractable leashes.

Any extraneous items will be rejected at drop-off and sent back home with you. Keep it simple and save us both the trouble!

Food Requirements

Pack sufficient food for the duration of your dog’s stay, plus two days in case of emergency.
- Please measure carefully; do not just dump food into a bag or container and assume it’s enough!
Use a proper food storage container. No single container or bag should be heavier than 20lbs.
- Bags: Please only use a bag intended for food storage.
  - Yes: The original bag the food was sold in. Zip seal bag. Kurgo Kibble Carrier.
  - No: Plastic grocery bag. Brown paper lunch bag. Drawstring backpack.
- Containers: Please only use containers meant for long-term food storage.
  - Yes: Dog food bins. Cereal food storage containers. Tupperware/Rubbermaid bins.
  - No: Styrofoam take-out containers. Those really tall lemonade cups from street fairs.
- Scoops: You can send one if you’d like, or I have plenty in 1/4c, 1/3c, 1/2c, 1c, and 1.5c measurements.
  - Yes: Standard measuring cups for food.
  - No: Literally anything else. Laundry detergent cups. Those really tall lemonade cups from street fairs.
Raw or fresh food must be prepared in advance, divided up either by day or by serving.
- Please make sure there’s enough defrosted for their first day. I can take it from there!
I do not free-feed, no exceptions. Your dog’s food will be given to them, and removed 15 minutes later if they have not eaten.
- Some dogs do not have an appetite when they’re away from home. If they’re refusing food, I may add a bit of warm water to their meal to help entice them to eat, but please don’t be alarmed if they simply choose not to.
If your dog runs out of food during their stay, I will attempt to find a similar food to what your dog is currently eating, and you will be charged for the food plus $30 for my time and gas money to make an extra trip. That said, I am not responsible for diarrhea or digestive upset. Please ensure that your dog has enough food for their stay, plus two days in case of emergency.

Kennel and Housebreaking Requirement

Your dog must be reasonably well kennel-trained. Kenneling is a critically important part of boarding. Not all dogs are compatible together, and dogs are not permitted to roam freely overnight or while I am not home to supervise them. This is for their safety, to prevent breaking out, ingesting harmful items, getting into fights, or causing damage.

While kenneled, dogs have their collars, harnesses, and other gear removed. No toys are left in their kennel, and chews and bowls are removed 15 minutes after being delivered. This prevents aggression should another animal approach their kennel, encourages eating at meal times, and doesn’t allow for toys to be shredded and become a choking hazard.

Your dog must also be reasonably well housebroken in accordance with their age, meaning they must be trained or in the process of being trained to urinate and defecate outdoors. I cannot accept dogs who need potty pads, diapers, litter boxes, or any other method of urinating and defecating indoors. This policy does not bar the use of britches for bitches in season.

Hygiene & Health Requirements

Your dog must arrive clean. This means your dog must have had a bath (with water and shampoo, NOT just a brush-out or a wipe down with cloths) no more than two weeks prior to drop-off, and their nails must be maintained at a healthy length. If your dog arrives unclean, or with unmanaged nails, they will be turned away, and your non-refundable deposit will not be refunded.

Your dog must be at a healthy weight, or you must be actively working towards getting them to a healthy weight in a safe manner and a reasonable time frame. While humans enjoy the right to do with our bodies as we please, our pets rely on us to make choices for them. Overweight pets are at higher risk of heart failure, cardiovascular disease, orthopedic disease/injuries, diabetes, even cancer, than their fit counterparts. No breed of dog is “supposed” to be overweight: not Pugs, not Labs, not Corgis. Keeping them at a healthy weight is one of the easiest, most reliable ways to ensure we have as much time with them as possible!

Why? This policy may feel harsh. However, health and hygiene are core to being a responsible owner. Dogs who are filthy on arrival have caused severe allergic reactions in me and my family, from migraines and hives to inflammation and difficulty breathing. Excessive dirt, odor, and oil have also led to numerous blankets and toys being thrown away, as they are too filthy to be shared by another dog even after repeated washing. Dogs who have arrived with excessively long nails are prone to slips and falls, potentially leading to severe injuries, as well as causing damage to my flooring. As someone who cares deeply for the health and well-being of these wonderful creatures, it is very distressing to me to see a dog struggling to walk because of overgrown nails or obesity, or itching themselves apart because they’re caked in weeks or months of their own dirt and oil. It is part of responsible pet ownership to maintain your dog’s hygiene, and this falls on you as their owner to not let yourself become “nose blind” to your dog’s odors, oil, and dander, and to maintain their health by keeping their body healthy.

Transportation Fee

Transport is ONLY offered on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, and must be coordinated around my scheduled appointments for the day. There is a $2/per loaded mile (rounded up to the nearest mile) fee for transport to and/or from your home. If you would like your dog to travel in a travel carrier or car harness, this must be provided at time of pick-up. Otherwise, your dog will ride behind a backseat barrier for both of our safety during travel.

Communications During Your Dog’s Stay

Please use common sense when communicating during your dog’s stay; barring emergencies, calls must be at reasonable hours, between 10a-8p. To help maintain a healthy work/life balance, all text notifications are permanently muted on my phone. Texts are checked throughout the day Tuesday-Saturday, and replied to as time and energy allow.

Sunday and Monday are my days off (note: pick-ups and drop-offs are permitted). During that time, please call if your need is urgent and time-sensitive. All other inquiries, including regarding upcoming bookings, will be replied to on my next work day, so please do not wait until the last minute to confirm drop-off times or other details!

I do not offer video chats with your dog, as it is generally very overstimulating or even distressing for a dog to hear their owner’s voice and not be able to find them.

Registration Form

Be honest and as descriptive as possible with your answers. Undisclosed or false information will set your dog back significantly, as it points me in the wrong direction and can cause conflicts with other dogs or people during their stay. Please be open and truthful with your replies; the more you can tell me about your dog, the better I’ll be able to work with them! Aggression, fearfulness, etc. will not result in a denial of service, but informing me helps me be a better advocate and trainer for your dog.

All field are required.
This form must be filled out once per dog; do NOT include multiple dogs on a single form!

[[Policies updated 10/01/2026]]