Desert Dog Daycare LLC

You will need to print off an enrollment form and waiver off of our homepage and fill it out and you will need vaccinations records from the vet showing that your dog is current on rabies, distemper/parvo and bordetella (required every 6 months) and proof of spay/neuter if over 7 months. Once you’ve got that together, just give us a call and we will schedule a time for your dogs interview. Feel free to call if you have any questions or concerns while deciding on daycare or while gathering this info.

The interview process has a few different steps.

First, we will spend a few minutes going over your dog’s application and vet records; then, we will address any questions or concerns you may have.

Then we will take your dog from you and introduce him/her to our pack. We will observe them as they interact with the other dogs, checking for any signs of aggression, obviously, as well as signs of fear, stress or anxiousness. If at any point we see signs of aggression, we will bring your dog back to you and they will not be able to stay to play – we take this very seriously because the safety of our campers is of utmost importance. If your dog seems fearful or anxious, we will take the time to help him/her get passed the initial reaction – it can be a big deal for a dog, especially one that has not been exposed to many dogs, to be able to properly meet and greet other dogs, but it is an essential skill that can be learned if you would like to have a well socialized dog. Once we feel your dog is comfortable and mingling well with the pack we will let you know that they have passed this step in the interview - please allow 15-30 minutes for those initial steps.

Finally, we will have you leave your dog for at least 6 hours so that he/she can really settle in and get a feel for the daycare experience. We will watch to make sure your dog is not stressed or uncomfortable because we want every dog in our pack to feel at ease, whether they want to run and play on their first day or just relax and calmly socialize. If your dog does not seem to be fitting in to the social environment or is showing signs of distress, we will call to let you know so you can come and pick him/her up. For many dogs daycare is a natural environment, however there are occasionally dogs that would be happier at home with a pet sitter or at a traditional kennel, this does not means they are not great dogs, they just do not enjoy the social environment, and your dogs’ welfare is very important to us.

Absolutely! We have several water troughs in each play area at all times with fresh water, but remember, dogs are very active at daycare so it is basically like several hours of exercising for us, so even after they have left daycare, they will still need to rehydrate. Also, dogs that are running and playing should not drink large amounts of water because it increases their chances of vomiting it back up as well as getting bloat, so many dogs will drink a limited amount of water until they are out of the play area and know that play time is over. If we see a dog that is drinking large amounts of water and then playing extremely hard we will actually pull them out of the play area until they have had time to digest the water.

If you would like your dog to eat while at daycare just bring your dogs food/treats and we will take care of the rest, there is no charge for this service. Please be aware, after eating, all dogs remain in their kennel for 45-60 minutes after eating to allow their food time to digest before running and playing.

Dogs whose pads have not yet worked up a good callous surface may be a little sensitive after running and playing all day. We use pea gravel in our outside yard – it’s easier on joints and paws, it’s hygienic and it much more forgiving during games of chase. Don’t worry though, once they are exposed on a regular basis they will harden and will no longer be sore. It is best not to put any kind of softener or paw wax on their pads because their pads are meant to harden and protect them for a variety of surfaces.

Absolutely, we just ask that you bring current vaccination records and be prepared to wait a few minutes while we re-introduce your dog to the pack to make sure they will still be happy and comfortable and play well with the pack. This is considered a day of daycare – you can purchase a pass or pay for the single day at the end of your dogs day of play. If for any reason your dog does not pass the re-interview, there is no charge.

Everyone that boards needs to be able to spend their days in daycare, so you need to do the same things listed above. Once your dog has passed the interview, you can schedule boarding.

Definitely, we recommend you bring the food your dog is used to eating. Most dogs’ digestive systems do not react well to rapid changes in their diets which can lead to stomach cramps, heartburn, indigestion, diarrhea, vomiting or refusal to eat. We do have house foods ($2 / day) if you forget your dog’s food – let us know what brand he/she normally eats and we will try to supplement with the same or something similar.

Absolutely, we will administer, we just ask that you provide written instruction so that we know exactly what to do for your pup. There is no charge to administer medications.

Yes, we can accommodate special diets. We do ask that you provide instruction on how to prepare any meals and any storage requirements and treat restrictions. We have a full kitchen – fridge, microwave, etc.

We encourage you to do so! Items from home have your smell on them and provide comfort and security for your dog while he is in his kennel. Those items are not allowed in the play area but when it is time to go to bed at night it lets your pup know which area is his/hers and helps them to snuggle in. Be aware though, if your dog tends to be destructive, all items may not make it back in one piece, so if you have a cherished item you should probably leave that at home. We have bowls, beds, blankets that we can provide as well if you do not bring anything.

If it has been more than 6 months since your dogs last visit (daycare or boarding) we do require that you bring them for a re-interview day before we can reserve a space for them. You just need to bring updated vaccination records. There is a $20 daycare day charge to re-interview as long as your dog passes and spends the day with us, however, if you are making a boarding reservation for 5 nights or more, there is no charge for the daycare day. If for any reason your dog does not pass the re-interview, there is no charge. We require this for a couple of reasons First, it will get your dog reacquainted with the humans and dogs here as well as the facility, then they will go home with you at the end of the day, having experienced this, when he/she returns for boarding they will experience significantly less stress because he will be familiar with the routine and will know you will be returning for them. Second, while most dogs maintain a consistent disposition throughout their lives, some dogs may display changes in personalities as they mature and some as they grow old. For instance a dog that is 8 months old during its first visit may get along extremely well with other dogs, but if that dog is not exposed to similar social situations as it matures into an adult dog, he/she may not be able to handle the open play environment as a 2 year old adult dog. The same goes for a dog that is aging or one that has had a negative experience since their last visit; they may not be able to handle the experience as they did before. We would rather find that out during a day when you are in town and can make other arrangements than to take your dog and have to disrupt your vacation trying to figure out alternate arrangements. Again, our aim is to provide all of our dogs, whether daycare or boarding, with a safe, fun and comfortable environment, though it may seem inconvenient, it’s in everyone’s best interest.

Many vets and kennels offer traditional boarding for less than what we charge. Traditional boarding consists of your dog being kenneled for the majority of the day (20 hours or more) and being taken on a few potty walks each day. Not much interaction with humans and little to none with other dogs, it’s a rather solitary experience, though some dogs are just fine with it. Daycare boarding allows your dog to socialize freely indoors and out while playing with other friendly dogs, lots of human contact, not to mention playing in the hose or pools or even chasing snowballs from morning until night! There are tunnels to run through, platforms to jump on, play equipment to run around and even a place to lay under the shade of a tree when they are tired. All of that activity each day makes for a calm and peaceful nights sleep each night and that makes for one happy dog when you return! There is no extra charge for special feedings, diets or administering meds and you can check in on your pup on our webcams giving you peace of mind so you can enjoy your vacation as much as they are enjoying theirs!

You would need to pick up your dog by the same time you dropped him/her off for boarding in order to avoid the daycare charge. In other words, if you dropped your dog off at 8am on Tuesday morning and picked them up at 8am on Wednesday morning there would be no additional charge and your bill would be $28. However if you picked them up Wednesday at 5pm there would be a boarding daycare fee of $15 added and your bill would be $43.00. Since our weekend hours are limited, you will not be charged the boarding daycare fee regardless of how early you dropped off as long as you pick up by 1pm.

We do offer discounts for extended stays:
1 dog for 14 nights or more = $22 per night
2 dogs for 7 nights or more = $22 per dog per night
For stays of 3 weeks or more special pricing can be arranged.

Absolutely, most family dogs feel most comfortable when they can snuggle up next to their siblings. We have spacious kennels with plenty of room for 2 or 3 dog families – we even have a few “family” areas for large breed families.

We often fill up for boarding and sometimes have to turn new dogs away, especially during holidays. It has been our experience in the past that we have had to turn dogs away only to have some of the dogs who had reservations not show and not call, leaving us with empty kennels, lost revenue and extra staffing. By requiring the non-refundable deposit, should we have no-shows, we are still able to cover costs and function normally.

Yes, we take dogs of all sizes.

We do have multiple areas for our dogs; however we do require that all dogs get along with both large and small dogs. During the interview process all dogs are exposed to dogs of all sizes because we feel it is important that dogs, whether large or small, do not develop phobias of any other types of dog because at some point in their lives they will be exposed to those types of dogs, whether on a walk, in our lobby or at the vet, and it is important to have a well-balanced dog that can handle those situations. That being said, once the interview has been passed it is up to the parents and their pooches as to whether they will socialize in the main play area. We have some smaller dogs that only play in the small dog area and some that also play in the big dog area. Though many small dogs enjoy playing with various sized dogs – there are times though when we feel it is better for them to be in a separate are – during inclimate weather, during drop off and pick up time, etc. and we will move them accordingly for their safety and comfort.

Yes, you can drop off and pick up dogs on Saturday and Sunday for daycare and boarding. For daycare, we have a sign up sheet in our lobby, for boarding you would need a reservation. Our drop off hours are from 10:30 to 5:30 and pick ups are from 12:00 – 5:30. For your convenience we do not have specific time periods for drop offs and pick ups anymore, however you will need to call when you are outside if the door is locked so we can come and let you in because we keep the dogs out and playing during the entire time and do not have anyone in the front office.

We do accept all breeds into our facility, however, we do limit the number of “pit bulls” (American Pit Bull Terrier, American Staffordshire Terrier, Staffordshire Bull Terrier) that are in the pack. We do this because many of our customers have expressed concern over the pit bulls’ reputation and are apprehensive about their own dog’s safety while at daycare. In order to respect the feelings of our clients, which after all they are the ones who keep us in business, while still giving an opportunity to some fantastic dogs to come and play with our pack, by limiting the number we can help the pit bull community to dispel some of the bad publicity it gets while at the same time maintaining our excellent safety record and keeping our customers happy. If you have a “pit bull”, please let us know up front and we will let you know if we have any openings available, if we do not, we have a waiting list when we are full and should any of our dogs move or discontinue daycare we can notify you. Pit bulls go through the same strict interview process that any and all of the other dogs go through and only well-socialized, non-aggressive, non-possessive dogs will pass.

Many vets only update bordetella vaccinations annually, however because the virus is airborne, it is highly contagious and will spread rapidly among dogs sharing the same environment and much like the human common cold, canine cough is both seasonal (usually spring and fall) and epidemic. Today it is very effective against most known strains, however it is known to mutate easily and there are times you pet may still get a case of it. It is the only protection we have at this time and that is why we require it - we have taken it a step further and require it to be done every 6 months. So if your dog is very social , goes on walks, parks, hiking in the canyons, daycare, pet stores, training classes, grooming shops, vet offices or any other place where they will have contact with other dogs it is a good safety precaution to have them inoculated for this. Bordetella is not part of the standard vaccination schedule most vets follow – so you may need to specifically request it.

We do this for the safety of the intact dogs, not because intact dogs don’t behave well in daycare. Intact dogs are at greater risk of injury from other dogs. In a social setting, such as daycare, intact males are often viewed as threats by other dominant dogs and therefore may become targets. The testosterone that is present will put the other non-intact dogs on edge creating tension and disrupting the pack. Non-intact females will target intact females as well, whether they are in heat or not, and male dogs will view her as an intact female which can lead to behaviors that are not acceptable social behaviors at daycare. Basically by creating a level playing field, the dogs can easily find their natural place in our pack and that makes for a safe and comfortable environment for everyone.